Importance of Summer Seminar

[nuensis]

How did you get an appointment so early? Just curious cause I'm hoping to apply as early as possible.

Search these forums for "Letter of Assurance." It's an acceptance contingent on a completed application (3Q'd with nom).

NASS selectees don't get to apply early, but they do get the advantage of knowing that they are USNA candidates and getting a candidate number before many other candidates. So if the application opens in June (which was the case last year), NASS selectees can get started right away while other applicants may still be waiting on the candidacy letter.

 

[Gatton18]

4.86 weighted GPA in a nationally ranked IB program, ranked 14 of 409 (top 3.4%), 100% Honors, AP and IB Classes(with the exception of Naval Science), ACT Composite of 33, SAT Math 770, SAT Verbal 700, National Honor Society. Two sport varsity athlete – cross country and track, four letters, all county, team captain. NJROTC Officer, Academic Team Captain, Rifle Team, unit Ironman, unit Honor Cadet (highest GPA) three consecutive years, recipient of an NJROTC USNA Nomination, Founding member/officer of our Robotics team, Nationally ranked chess player & scholastic coach, 300+ hours of community service.

Extremely few colleges look at weighted GPAs. I have similar stats to you and was not accepted to NASS, but was invited to a CVW that I could not attend.

While you provide a decent argument, I believe the word of several BGOs, current Midshipmen, and current parents of Midshipmen are more valid since they have been through the entire process firsthand. Also, in the case of BGO's, they have access to much more information than we do.

And lastly, you aren't the only one taking advanced classes in a ranked program. I'm a student at the 5th best ranked public high school in the United States and my entire course schedule is college classes. By the time I graduate, I will have accumulated over 80 college credit hours taking courses such as Differential Equations, Discrete Math, University Physics, and College Chemistry. So get off your high horse and realize there are plenty of other applicants even more qualified than you and me.

 

[usnabgo08]

I'm curious to the date of these reports. A lot of things have probably changed since they have been written. I also think you are over analyzing information.

Quoting from Ref. 2: “Board members can add Recommendations of the Admissions Board (RAB’s) points if special circumstances warrant. Examples of special circumstances include difficulty of high school educational program, legacy, attendance at the Naval Academy Summer Seminar, a strong Blue and Gold Officer interview, Advanced Placement courses, special ECAs, the personal statement, and significant character traits.”

So there you have it in black and white. The Admissions Board awards Bonus Points (RABs) for NASS participation, points that will be added to your Candidate Multiple to determine your final Whole Person Score. NASS participation does indeed matter, and not just to the Admissions Board.

What is in black and white is the word "CAN." It doesn't say the Admissions Board automatically adds RABs for all NASS attendees. IOW, it might mean a select few who do well at NASS.

I’m currently working on my nomination package for Senator Marco Rubio (FL). Aside from some challenging essays, Senator Rubio wants to know if you were invited to and attended a summer seminar at any service academy. Clearly, Senator Rubio considers NASS attendance to be a very positive indicator. Clearly, we must conclude that not being invited to NASS puts you at a competitive disadvantage in your state or district. Again, NASS participation does indeed matter.

Again, you are looking way too deep into this. They might just want to know if you had an opportunity to visit USNA.

 

[navyasw02]

How did you get an appointment so early? Just curious cause I'm hoping to apply as early as possible.

Things may have changed since I went, but I went to NASS in summer of 97. A few weeks after that I got a letter in the mail saying basically "Thanks for coming to NASS, if you're interested we'd like you to apply early" so I did. I had my application done that week and I got an acceptance by early September pending a nomination. My nomination came through when I got a call from my congresswoman during the Army Navy game in 1997. Again, it's been a long time and I dont know if they do things like that anymore, but it was a huge load off to start my senior year with a pretty good assurance.

 

[usnabgo08]

What nuensis said is correct, a conditional offer of an appointment (LOA, Letter of Assurance) is contingent on outstanding requirements (usually a nomination, medical, and/or CFA) and can come from when the Admissions Board convenes in late August/early Septemeber all the way through the process.

I think when USNA was using the (outdated) paper application, NASS-ers had a running start because they received these earlier (possibly at NASS), whereas Admissions didn't send other official candidates until mid to late June or even later. In today's world of technology and online applications, that advantage has merely gone away. Essentially, all candidates will be receiving application instructions by the month's end (that is whether you were selected/not selected for NASS or applied using the preliminary candidate questionnaire after the NASS application closed).

A word to the wise, even if your application is completed on June 27, it still may not be reviewed until August/September timeframe.

 

[LakeErie69]

Search these forums for "Letter of Assurance." It's an acceptance contingent on a completed application (3Q'd with nom).

NASS selectees don't get to apply early, but they do get the advantage of knowing that they are USNA candidates and getting a candidate number before many other candidates. So if the application opens in June (which was the case last year), NASS selectees can get started right away while other applicants may still be waiting on the candidacy letter.

How could he have gotten a nomination that early too? I know for my MOC the deadline isn't till October.

 

[nuensis]

How could he have gotten a nomination that early too? I know for my MOC the deadline isn't till October.

The Letter of Assurance may be (and usually is) given with the nomination and/or medical qualification still outstanding.

It's the academies' answer to the Early Action programs of civilian schools, and allows the academies to inform students of acceptance without waiting for the MOC nomination timeline.

 

[COmom]

I’m going to knock on the USNA’s door one more time. My country and the USNA have the first right of refusal to my mind, body and soul, but if I fail to get an appointment, I’ll simply have to move on to Plan B: Accept my likely scholarship to Cornell, study Financial Engineering (Quantitative Analysis), and console myself with an obscene salary from some London based hedge fund.

Don't want to burst your bubble but--Ivies do not give scholarships. They give money to students on a needs basis only.

 

[2012mom?]

I was quite interested in your well argued counterpoint until I saw your last paragraphs when you started into your overinflated self worth. Hopefully your plan B is sarcasm, otherwise plan C will be to graduate with a degree that can't land you a job and you'll live with your parents until you finally get an entry level job making an obscenely LOW salary. Your whole plan B directly contrasts any reasons why you would want to go to USNA or be a Naval Officer. Maybe you should reconsider while there's still time.

Showed this post (and post #16 by Run5K) to two 2012 USNA about-to-be grads. They laughed and said there was nothing they could add to navyasw02's post.

They also went through the list of their classmates who have tremendous abilities in many areas (and had the HS resumes to match). The message to Run5K: IF you win an appointment to USNA, you really won't have credentials better than a lot of people there. Get over yourself.

 

[usna1985]

How could he have gotten a nomination that early too? I know for my MOC the deadline isn't till October.

Those eligible for Pres noms (which are non-competitive) and an LOA can receive their appointments very early.

In terms of NASS and how much it helps or doesn't help . . . first, read the sticky on the subject which goes into great detail. Below is a condensed version.

NOT attending NASS doesn't hurt you. Whether you aren't selected or whether you are selected and can't attend for some reason, it's not a negative.

NASS can help a bit. If you attend and do really well, you can get a SMALL number of bonus points. The thought is that you performed well and also now have a better understanding of what USNA will be like.

However, be aware that there are MANY, MANY, MANY ways to earn bonus points. These include having a military parent, doing well on the CFA, being a team captain, having high SATs, having great grades, holding a job, being an Eagle Scout, being class president, being all-district in a sport, having a great teacher rec, having a great BGO rec, and on and on and on.

On the flip side, if you show up at NASS and are a negit (someone who doesn't put out, who complains constantly, etc.), attending NASS can actually hurt you.

And, as stated well by the above poster, everyone at USNA was a star in high school. The first thing you learn is that there are a heck of a lot of people smarter than you, faster than you, stronger than you, more organized than you, better at swimming than you, better at boxing than you, better at chemistry than you, better at sailing and shooting than you, better at memorizing rates than you . . . get the picture?

 

[sweepmcbroom]

DS turned down for NASS, invited to a CVW, ultimately received LOA to USNA and now a MIDN 4/C (seeing how many acronyms I could get in one sentence )

That's my story too, accept I am not a 4/C yet. CAN"T WAIT FOR PLEBE SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AikiBudo]

Congrats! We just got back from watching the class of 2015 climb Herdon - that will be you next year! Good luck to all the incoming Plebes.

 

[Davidk6813]

Fitness test

Any idea what percentage of candidates max out all scores on the fitness test?

What is typically the hardest event to max out?