Last year when my son (now a Plebe) received his appointment in March (he finished his application in Februaray), we arranged for a candidate visit ... and his dad went with him ... which was a fantastic experience for them both. We luckily have family in the area, so they arrived a day early, then our son stayed at the Academy, and his dad was treated to loads of seminars, in-depth tours and general overall Academy info. They both learned so much ... I highly recommend going as a parent ... you stay in the background, the candidate stays in Bancroft Hall ... you both have a really strong experience