Overnight Orientation

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Patriot65

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
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My son is currently a junior in high school and is interested in attending the USMMA and we have scheduled an overnight orientation trip so he can see it firsthand. Has anyone had any experience in terms of what he should expect, bring with him, etc?

Thanks
 
This has been discussed many times here. You might find all the responses helpful. Just do a quick search on : "overnight visit"

Anyway, my 2 cents answer to your question(s):

What should he bring with him:

An open mind
A positive attitude
His voice (to speak for himself)
His best foot (to put forward)
A fire in his belly
A basic understanding about the mission of USMMA.
A basic understanding of the Service Commitment required.
Questions he would like answers to.
A change of clothes for physical activity.



What should he expect:

Hospitality
An admission staff that is intererested in determining if he is a good fit for USMMA and vice versa.
To be impressed with the opportunity the instituion presents.
To be disappointed with some aspects of the physical appearance of the grounds.
To be treated like an adult.
 
That overnight visit was extremely helpful to my son in making a decision. And these forums were my best resource throughout the whole overnight visit, application and nomination process.

Definitely search the forum because there is a lot of good info out there about the overnight visit - you will find it very helpful.

Am happy to report that my son just got his appointment and the first person he emailed was his overnight host from his visit. The experience meant that much to him. Best of luck to you!
 
Iwould also suggest that he dresses to impress. he will be judged by everyone from proffessors to plebes and midshipman. For during the day I would say absolutley no jeans, t-shirts or anything that is not proffessional. For the night if hes has it sweat ****r and sweatpants are apropiate. i recomend bringing a sleeping bag or blanket too. the cots that recruits sleep on are not that comfortable.
 
Just make sure he remembers that the plebes he's staying with/ that plebes buddy's could be his DI next year.
 
Talk to upperclassmen also

Anyone visiting now and speaking only to plebes will hear a mix of sentiments, especially since the 2013 class has not yet been recognized. The plebes he encounters most likely will be pretty stressed and worn out and may not present a pretty picture of KP. Therefore, I think it is important for your child to seek out other voices, especially 1st classmen who have run the gauntlet and have persevered. This is a low point in the year for the plebe class and an intellectual understanding of that will help mitigate the emotional responses your son might hear from the plebes. You want him to make an informed decision!
 
Last year my son had a day visit with one of the administrators but the school was closed for winter trimester break. He has since finished his application and has recieved an appointment from our Senator. We may be able to work out an overnight visit in later March but no sooner than that because we are across the country.

Would this help him at all? Won't most of the appointments already have been made? Or will they still consider interviews and a visit a positive that late in the game?
 
He should still consider doing an overnight if it is at all possible. It will give him a better sense of the school, and a chance to talk to students - which will give him a different perspective than he got from his talks with admissions officers.
 
When my son visited he was a junior in HS there were a few students visiting who had alreay been accepted. These students lived far away one was from Texas and were waiting until they got the acceptance to visit. The same was true when we visited the Coast Guard Academy.
 
The overnight visit was a great opportunity for me to see what the day to day operation is like at USMMA.
 
I suggest bringing a small treat for your son's host midshipman. I brought a some brownies for my cadet and her roommates at my USMA overnight, and they were very grateful, especially because it had been a tough exam week.
 
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