Path to acceptance??

Bigdog1987

10-Year Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Messages
392
What is the order of events for the high school class of 2011 now for the academies? I have already applied to SS, filled out the PCQ, and today I began work on one of the Senator Nomination forms that became available yesterday, and have secured the dates of when to start on the Representative and the other Senator. What comes next?

Thanks in advance!
 
OK; I think I'll start this off. But to be honest, I am cheating. I am cutting and pasting a pseudo chronology that I wrote last fall. Hopefully others will add to it. If it gets as informative as I think it will, I'll see if the nukemeister will make it a sticky. Anyway, here's a start for understanding: Mike....
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http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=8299&highlight=application+process

1. Junior Year of high school: About this time of the year: Find out who your son's ALO will be. Besides saying Hi; you want to apply for Summer Seminar. The NLT date for applying for Summer Seminar is approximately the 1st week of march / end of February of their Junior Year. But you'd LIKE to apply for summer seminar earlier.

2. Assuming you get accepted for Summer Seminar, your application will automatically be started there. If you don't get to go to summer seminar, you will start the survey/pre-application prior to the end of Junior Year. This way the academy can prepare the candidate kit for your son.

3. Somewhere between now and spring, read over you representative's and senator's web sites. They almost always have information/instructions on applying for a nomination to the military academies. They will even provide a phone number to one of their staff members who is in charge of the military academy nomination requests. Feel free to call this person with any questions the web site didn't clarify.

4. While the academy site mentions the candidate package (Which is online) being available in August (Prior to the applicant's senior year); it's actually usually available in end of June into July. Part of the application is to have your teacher's email address so the academy can email them for an online letter of recommendation. The application will also require transcripts. So PRIOR to ending his Junior year, have you son ask each teach for their email address. Preferably an email they will check at home, because it will be summer and they won't be in school very often. Having all the email addresses makes it easier to get that portion of the application done. Also, coordinate with the school's admin section to determine when they will be open during the summer, so your son can take the paperwork in the online application to request transcripts, school profile, class ranking, etc.... Again, it's summer. The school isn't going to have the best hours when someone can help you. Contact them before school lets out.

5. Being you'll know who the ALO is; stay in constant contact with them. Spend from now until the end of this school year doing running, pushups, pullups, situps, etc... Be ready to take the CFA immediately.

6. Also; as soon as the application is available, schedule the medical review. Have your physical done.

7. Now that you're familiar with the representative's and senator's requirements for a nomination, contact their point of contact around May/June (Right after finishing Junior Year). Ask them when the soonest is they will start accepting nomination packets. Most will accept them early, but want at least your final grades from your Junior Year. Either way, contact them. At the same time, if you are eligible for any other nominations such as presidential, vp, etc... contact the academy counseling office AFTER the start of the application process; mid/end June to July. They will help you with the other nominations. If it's just your senator/representative, then you already will know that process.

8. Now; if you have all these ducks lined up, there is absolutely no reason in the world that you can't have your application completely done before 1 September. It's totally possible. I've known people who have had them done towards the end of July. If you have your teacher's lined up, school admin lined up, SAT/ACT sent automatically, and lined up with the ALO; it is totally feasible.
 
If my son has been accepted to SS, does he need to fill out the PCQ or is that taken care of at SS. We already have the letter for a tentative meet and greet for his Congressman.
 
I am almost positive that the Summer Seminar will take care of the pre-candidate information. Maybe one of those who went to SS last year can jump in shortly.
 
One thing that I noticed about the process is try to get DODMERB done fast. I got a request for the physical in May of last year and I had it done mid June before the online app even opened up. Try to get this done as soon as they say you can because you will almost always have complications with DODMERB. My physical was done in June, but I just had a retest in December. Thankfully we have Mr. Mullen on the site to help us out with most of the stuff.

We can all tell you the process and what to do, but you have to do it. If you really want to get in, you will get things done. We can tell you some information based on our experiences, but if you don't take action then it doesn't really matter. Seriously guys, I did get my app in pretty early, but now as I look back I know I could have done better. If you aren't working out for the CFA now, then don't expect to do amazing on it.

The main advice I have is don't procrastinate. It is something that we all (including myself) do. Just don't let it get the best of you throughout the application process. If you have an essay to write (or whatever it is you need to do)...write it now, not tomorrow, not next week...NOW. I get that you might want to read it over to make sure your writing is good, but this isn't the time to put it off.

Later,

Brian Andre
 
Part of the application is to have your teacher's email address so the academy can email them for an online letter of recommendation. The application will also require transcripts. So PRIOR to ending his Junior year, have you son ask each teach for their email address. Preferably an email they will check at home, because it will be summer and they won't be in school very often. Having all the email addresses makes it easier to get that portion of the application done. Also, coordinate with the school's admin section to determine when they will be open during the summer, so your son can take the paperwork in the online application to request transcripts, school profile, class ranking, etc.... Again, it's summer. The school isn't going to have the best hours when someone can help you. Contact them before school lets out.

Which teachers do you need letters of recommendation from?
 
They really recommend the teachers you had for your Junior year, but if you really can't get them they sometimes make an exception.

Later,

Brian
 
Yes but for which subjects?
You need English and Math. I had my junior year english teacher do one and my junior year math teacher do one. Your third teacher can be a teacher of your choice. I decided to ask a teacher who had been my PAL teacher, which is basically a class I consider a leadership class. I thought it might be a good addition to get a teacher who saw me as a little more than just a student. And do the 3 additional letters of recommendation, either from other teachers or just people you know outside of school so the academy sees that you're not just a good school student but good outside as well. Although you can't do anymore than three letters they add points to your score which is always good!
 
You need English and Math. I had my junior year english teacher do one and my junior year math teacher do one. Your third teacher can be a teacher of your choice. I decided to ask a teacher who had been my PAL teacher, which is basically a class I consider a leadership class. I thought it might be a good addition to get a teacher who saw me as a little more than just a student. And do the 3 additional letters of recommendation, either from other teachers or just people you know outside of school so the academy sees that you're not just a good school student but good outside as well. Although you can't do anymore than three letters they add points to your score which is always good!

So as far as maybe trying to get someone who saw me as more than a student, would a JROTC instructor be good? And in relation to the outside sources, I've got quite a few people anxiously lined up to write me letters. :thumb:
 
JROTC would probably work grea. And glad you got the outside sources I was much the same but I made sure they were all people I knew really well and not just friends of friends who would restate my resume. They don't need three more copies of your resume from three different sources they want an insight into you as a person.
 
As for the JROTC instructor, absolutely. The academy surely likes to see a more in-depth view of your interests, especially those relating somewhat to the academy/military (CAP, JROTC, etc.). For example, two of my letters were from my flight instructor and the organizer of the WWII Army Air Field museum I volunteer at.
 
so that means by the time it is all said and done you will need 3 references from teachers and 3 from other sources, making it 6 total from 6 different people correct? (No one writes 2.)
 
Yes that is correct. The 3 teacher evaluations are just online forums that are emailed to people. The other 3, as you said, are letters. The academy only needs 3 of those, but make sure you look at your nominating sources to see if they need a copy of those letters. I had 3 people write the letters for me, but I sent 12 copies out (3 to USAFA, and 3 to each MOC)

Later,

Brian
 
Guys, there's some great information and advice on here. Take this to heart and this was mentioned before, the biggest thing is MOTIVATION! Go somewhere without distractions and try to fill out some forms and write some essays! Also something that has not been mentioned is SAT scores. Try to take the test at least twice. That really is minimal. What I did was study a little and took it junior year, then studied extensively over the summer (both in and out of class) and retook it at the earliest opportunity senior year. As a result of studying over the summer, my average for CR and Math was over 700. The Academy also accepts ACT, which I've never taken, but I heard some say that the ACT can be easier for certain students.
 
Our son did not know he was to contact his AOL for the SS. Is it too late to do that and is it still possible he could be accepted into the SS without having done that? He has been accepted for the SLS and we did not contact anyone prior to his acceptance there. Thank-you for any information. It is definitely a learning process, but an exciting one!
 
ALO's in some areas seem to interview for SS; others don't. Both my sons didn't speak to their ALO at all before being accepted for SS. From reading the boards, some ALO's do talk to the candidates before it, but it can't be required for everyone. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
No ALO meeting prior to an approved SS

My son went last year and was not contacted by his ALO. In fact it was mentioned so much on this site that a began to believe that they had changed the process. Also, my son did not submit his application until close to the deadline and was accepted shortly after the deadline. Anything can happen. And usually does.:wink:
 
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