navyfamilyof4
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2018
- Messages
- 671
just wanted to say thanks to all the helpful and supportive people on this forum for helping to guide me and by DS over the past 2 years. I'm not sure I would have made it through this crazy process without the information i gained by your responses and by reading about the real-life experiences of others here. I wanted to briefly describe our sons journey in order to give information and hope to others that come here in the future.
DS applied to NASS 2 years ago out of the blue, and we literally had no idea what the Naval Academy was about at that moment. You want to do what? we said.
Just like everyone else here, he was a high achiever in school and an athlete too. his teachers and school administrators/mentors told him the Navy was the perfect career for him. he attended NASS in 2018 and that was that. it was his number one choice. He went thru the long application process, received 1 nomination and we waited. and waited. on April 15 he was notified that he was WAITLISTED So we waited some more. Around that same time he was also notified that he received a 4 year NROTC scholarship WHEW! (basic stats: 1580 SAT, 36 ACT, valedictorian, basketball 4 yrs, EC leadership, small private school, national merit scholarship winner). at this point it was May 1 and we had to accept admission to Plan B school, which was a top 5 engineering school and we switched gears to the NROTC world. he finally heard in late May that it was a NO from USNA and to "please reapply next year". DS wasn't really ready to think about that so he went full steam NROTC at Ga Tech. what an amazing experience this was for him. NSI was life changing. Navy roommates at school where everyone was just like him, studious and goal oriented. then i get a call mid semester that he loves Navy so much he thinks that full time military is likely the path for him. I'm reapplying he said. Sigh, I said. that's a lot of work during an already stressful 1st semester. he reapplied and received 3 nominations this time and some recommendations from his college professors that made me cry. Ga Tech makes him so happy, but what if he gets appointment? Well, he did. Last week he received the long awaited status update email (no call from any MOC). And he is conflicted. how does he give up being in his known happy place for the unknown? his rotc friends say DONT GOOOOO! his Lt. says we need you here. His parents said think on it, don't make a quick decision. take a trip to Annapolis and see if this offers you any clarity. that trip is scheduled for next month so we will see. I'm happy either way, although i am slightly leaning towards one outcome over the other. Mostly i want him to be happy in his college years but also to follow the path that leads to his best version of a career: leading others on a nuclear submarine. I have no military experience myself so i have no idea which path is best, are they equal in the end, only differing in the experience along the way?
And a million thanks to those here helping me along the way to give him advice on stuff i know zero about. and THANKS to the parents that have offered to have their MID meet with him on his visit next month to help him make that final decision and answer his questions.
And to future potential college reapplicants: Do it ! never give up on your dreams!
DS is not on this forum, but i'll say it anyway: good luck son, mama loves you.
DS applied to NASS 2 years ago out of the blue, and we literally had no idea what the Naval Academy was about at that moment. You want to do what? we said.
Just like everyone else here, he was a high achiever in school and an athlete too. his teachers and school administrators/mentors told him the Navy was the perfect career for him. he attended NASS in 2018 and that was that. it was his number one choice. He went thru the long application process, received 1 nomination and we waited. and waited. on April 15 he was notified that he was WAITLISTED So we waited some more. Around that same time he was also notified that he received a 4 year NROTC scholarship WHEW! (basic stats: 1580 SAT, 36 ACT, valedictorian, basketball 4 yrs, EC leadership, small private school, national merit scholarship winner). at this point it was May 1 and we had to accept admission to Plan B school, which was a top 5 engineering school and we switched gears to the NROTC world. he finally heard in late May that it was a NO from USNA and to "please reapply next year". DS wasn't really ready to think about that so he went full steam NROTC at Ga Tech. what an amazing experience this was for him. NSI was life changing. Navy roommates at school where everyone was just like him, studious and goal oriented. then i get a call mid semester that he loves Navy so much he thinks that full time military is likely the path for him. I'm reapplying he said. Sigh, I said. that's a lot of work during an already stressful 1st semester. he reapplied and received 3 nominations this time and some recommendations from his college professors that made me cry. Ga Tech makes him so happy, but what if he gets appointment? Well, he did. Last week he received the long awaited status update email (no call from any MOC). And he is conflicted. how does he give up being in his known happy place for the unknown? his rotc friends say DONT GOOOOO! his Lt. says we need you here. His parents said think on it, don't make a quick decision. take a trip to Annapolis and see if this offers you any clarity. that trip is scheduled for next month so we will see. I'm happy either way, although i am slightly leaning towards one outcome over the other. Mostly i want him to be happy in his college years but also to follow the path that leads to his best version of a career: leading others on a nuclear submarine. I have no military experience myself so i have no idea which path is best, are they equal in the end, only differing in the experience along the way?
And a million thanks to those here helping me along the way to give him advice on stuff i know zero about. and THANKS to the parents that have offered to have their MID meet with him on his visit next month to help him make that final decision and answer his questions.
And to future potential college reapplicants: Do it ! never give up on your dreams!
DS is not on this forum, but i'll say it anyway: good luck son, mama loves you.