2020 Summer Seminar

[LS1988]

How long does it take to hear if you are selected for summer seminar? Also, while waiting, what are things potential candidates should be doing?

 

[txfwindian]

Working on components of their main application that opens up around April.

Improving SAT/ACT
Solidly EC
Improving CFA / physical
Better Grades at school

 

[LS1988]

Working on components of their main application that opens up around April.

Improving SAT/ACT
Solidly EC
Improving CFA / physical
Better Grades at school
[/QUO

Can you explain the purpose of the pre-application? Can anyone apply in April when application to the USNA opens?

 

[Heatherg21]

Maintain your relationships with the teachers who will be working hard to complete the mandatory evaluations. Preparing and educating them, you don't pick the teacher, the SA tells you which teachers you ask, ie, Senior English, Science, Math etc. They will get an email, they should check spam. Let them know time is a factor and you heartily appreciate their work on your behalf.

Let your guidance counselor know what is coming and politely and positively enlist them to aid you in this process. They will also complete evaluations and other things on your behalf. It's a lot of work for them!

Gather medical records if you have anything that might flag your medical qualification.

Build your resume, update it consistently. Read through every aspect of the web site for the SA you are applying to. Do career research.

If you can, do some mock interviews. Possible that a SA parent group in your area may host them. That was invaluable for our son.

Get a white board or excel sheet, and once applications open, track all due dates and deliverable items. It is a lot to task manage. Deadlines count and won't be flexed. We helped our DS track each application in a multi section notebook, each time an action was taken or documents requested or mailed or emailed, they got noted in file. If he spoke with someone via phone or email, that was documented with their name and the date. Keeping track of sending all SAT and ACT scores as well as transcripts got fuzzy, grateful he tracked them.

Research your plan B and C and D thru Z and be ready to roll on those as well.

Spend time with mom and dad and siblings. Support each other, this is a long road that can be emotional to say the least. Settle in, make some popcorn and know this is a very long, no instant gratification journey.

Also, I'm just a tired, excited, anxious, proud mom of a candidate to 4 academies. Also, he went to summer stem, was declined Summer Seminar (he was pretty bummed, thought it was an indicator he wasn't a good candidate) and he now has multiple noms, one of which is a principal. He is still anxious of course, and hopes to receive an appointment, but does feel validation that his hard work is beginning to see results.
So please, if you don't get into summer seminar do not think it to be the end of the world. Keep your head down, press on. Good luck to you!

Lastly, be super appreciative to all here, this forum is an invaluable resource and has so many great contributors and moderators who have experience in so many aspects of this process and military life.

 

[LS1988]

Maintain your relationships with the teachers who will be working hard to complete the mandatory evaluations. Preparing and educating them, you don't pick the teacher, the SA tells you which teachers you ask, ie, Senior English, Science, Math etc. They will get an email, they should check spam. Let them know time is a factor and you heartily appreciate their work on your behalf.

Let your guidance counselor know what is coming and politely and positively enlist them to aid you in this process. They will also complete evaluations and other things on your behalf. It's a lot of work for them!

Gather medical records if you have anything that might flag your medical qualification.

Build your resume, update it consistently. Read through every aspect of the web site for the SA you are applying to. Do career research.

If you can, do some mock interviews. Possible that a SA parent group in your area may host them. That was invaluable for our son.

Get a white board or excel sheet, and once applications open, track all due dates and deliverable items. It is a lot to task manage. Deadlines count and won't be flexed. We helped our DS track each application in a multi section notebook, each time an action was taken or documents requested or mailed or emailed, they got noted in file. If he spoke with someone via phone or email, that was documented with their name and the date. Keeping track of sending all SAT and ACT scores as well as transcripts got fuzzy, grateful he tracked them.

Research your plan B and C and D thru Z and be ready to roll on those as well.

Spend time with mom and dad and siblings. Support each other, this is a long road that can be emotional to say the least. Settle in, make some popcorn and know this is a very long, no instant gratification journey.

Also, I'm just a tired, excited, anxious, proud mom of a candidate to 4 academies. Also, he went to summer stem, was declined Summer Seminar (he was pretty bummed, thought it was an indicator he wasn't a good candidate) and he now has multiple noms, one of which is a principal. He is still anxious of course, and hopes to receive an appointment, but does feel validation that his hard work is beginning to see results.
So please, if you don't get into summer seminar do not think it to be the end of the world. Keep your head down, press on. Good luck to you!

Lastly, be super appreciative to all here, this forum is an invaluable resource and has so many great contributors and moderators who have experience in so many aspects of this process and military life.

Wow! Thank you for your time and effort in this response - this is a whirlwind!

 

[Heatherg21]

Wow! Thank you for your time and effort in this response - this is a whirlwind

Indeed it is. I am happy to help, plenty have assisted us in this journey and it takes a lot to get it done.

 

[LS1988]

Indeed it is. I am happy to help, plenty have assisted us in this journey and it takes a lot to get it done.

I'm looking for a few answers and can't find ... you may know?
The Summer Seminar application is the pre-application to the USNA. After review, when will you know if you are an official candidate? Also, ACT scores ... does the NA take the best individual test scores from multiple attempts or just the best overall test score?
Appreciative!!

 

[Heatherg21]

I'm looking for a few answers and can't find ... you may know?
The Summer Seminar application is the pre-application to the USNA. After review, when will you know if you are an official candidate? Also, ACT scores ... does the NA take the best individual test scores from multiple attempts or just the best overall test score?
Appreciative!!

Our son received decline email to USNA summer seminar on April 12. He received official candidate application open email on May 6. I am sure dates very some each cycle. Don't panic if you don't hear by those dates.
Our understanding via the instruction booklet and his regional counselor is that they do 'super score' the different test dates.

 

[xc2024]

I second all of the advice above. I applied to NASS in January and heard back in March.
I spent the time in between practicing the CFA and my fitness, maintaining high grades, and taking the SAT and ACT.
I asked for all of my letters of recommendation for my congressional nominations in the spring and picked up paper copies of them on the last day of school so that I had everything I needed to complete my nomination apps over the summer. I requested my transcripts to be sent to USNA and the nomination sources at the end of my junior year also. I sent the respective teachers that I needed a recommendation for USNA from a request for those letters and asked for a due date of July 31st, so everything could be done over the summer. Spent the summer between my junior and senior year retaking SAT/ACTS, working, exercising and doing my USNA and congressional nominations applications. I had my nom apps mailed by July 31st and was complete with my USNA app by August 15th. Never rush your applications if it will make the quality lower, but timing is key.
I strongly recommend taking a similar route in terms of timing. Senior year is insanely crazy with all the other Plan B, C, D college applications, hard classes, sports, etc... It helps so much to be done with as much of the USNA application craziness as you can before school starts.
If you are applying for NROTC, make sure to start over the summer as well if you can. Doing these things worked out very well for me.
Above all, don't be discouraged if you don't get into NASS. It's not the end of the world and there are current mids who got declined. Be aggressive with your application, ALWAYS have a Plan B, and BE PREPARED TO WAIT!!! The waiting game is the hardest part.
Stay organized with all you do, best of luck, and don't give up the ship!

 

[Capt MJ]

^^^^

Great post, especially how to hammer out a quality application early.

 

[zoesmith]

I'm currently applying to USNASS with a below average SAT score, but everything else on my app is good. Will that be a disqualifying factor?

 

[Heatherg21]

They look at the whole candidate. Work to improve. Use khan academy or other sources to improve. Also, one more important aspect of finishing a quality application early, it triggers the DODMERB medical component and you can knock that out early. The later in the cycle the busier it gets and if you need a waiver it takes time. Also, run. And stay healthy. I second garnering letters of recommendation for nominations. The teacher evaluations are not really traditional letters, and you won't see their submissions.

 

[zoesmith]

They look at the whole candidate. Work to improve. Use khan academy or other sources to improve. Also, one more important aspect of finishing a quality application early, it triggers the DODMERB medical component and you can knock that out early. The later in the cycle the busier it gets and if you need a waiver it takes time. Also, run. And stay healthy. I second garnering letters of recommendation for nominations. The teacher evaluations are not really traditional letters, and you won't see their submissions.

Thank you! Do you by any chance know if there is a certain form the teachers fill out or if it's free write (for the teacher recs)?

 

[Heatherg21]

Thank you! Do you by any chance know if there is a certain form the teachers fill out or if it's free write (for the teacher recs)?

To our knowledge it is a questionnaire and I assume each SA varies. According to one teacher they let our DS know it had a small section to write additional remarks. You will need to input their school email address, school phone number (teacher will need to know what number you list to log in).

 

[ohiomom2]

How long does it take to hear if you are selected for summer seminar? Also, while waiting, what are things potential candidates should be doing?

I agree with all the above comments. One suggestion I have, make folders to keep things in. I had a folder for each nomination source as well as back up plans. On the folder be sure to list all deadlines, and requirements for the nomination source. Each nomination source will have different deadlines and requirements. If applying for multiple SA also have a folder for each. Keeping all of this has helped me and DS to stay organized and not miss anything! Although my DS is still waiting to hear from USNA and USMMA we had everything organized and I was able to FINALLY do away with the folders. My other suggestion is with the recommendation letters. IF your DS/DD can get them early that is best. Some teachers do not teach multiple levels of classes. For my DS, he was lucky because his AP Calculus teacher previously had him in high school. With that being said she still waited till the last minute to get her letter completed. That is frustrating, but it is good to stay in communication with the teachers because that may help them realize how important it is to DS/DD as well as you as the parent. My DS asked for all recommendations personally from each teacher and I followed up with an email to them to explain the process and importance. Through all of this, the waiting on an appointment is the worst!! Definitely still hopeful and waiting on the edge of our seats, but also my DS has an excellent back up plan because his ASVAB is 97 and he has decided to enlist and will be in the Navy Nuclear program. Good luck!!

 

[jaglvr]

one notebook with dividers worked for DS bc it was all in one place

 

[AMac]

I'm currently applying to USNASS with a below average SAT score, but everything else on my app is good. Will that be a disqualifying factor?

Your scores are important and I agree the previous advice that you should continue working to up your scores. My son attended the NASS and met Mids there that had SAT scores around 1100 and others who had much higher, so scores are a part of the evaluation. They look at the prospects holistically, but you want to be competitive. My son’s was told by his congressional rep that SAT scores were so high for his group year that they weren’t interviewing anyone with less than a 1300 so stay on top of scores and don’t give anyone a reason to decline.

 

[THParent]

There is a lot of good guidance in this thread. You'll notice that the guidance is more general, centered around the big picture of getting through the application process for USNA, as opposed to getting accepted into NASS. That's because getting into NASS (or not getting into NASS) has no effect whatsoever on the application process. I'm sure that everyone who attends NASS comes away with a positive experience, but it doesn't matter at all, compared to the big picture. Remember that, as you continue this marathon. NASS is a water stop at mile 8, not the finish line at mile 26.22.

 

[landlock]

I'm currently applying to USNASS with a below average SAT score, but everything else on my app is good. Will that be a disqualifying factor?

My son who is now a plebe applied to NASS with 1210 SAT and got in. Eventually had a 1540 by the time final application was sent in July. So not a disqualified by any means but keep striving for better! Best of luck

 

[DeepWaters]

I see in other threads that USMA has started rolling out decisions for SLE, and it looks like USAFA sends out the core of their acceptances around mid-February. What does the acceptance timeline look like for USNA summer seminar?