Third Times the Charm

cpkousky

5-Year Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
53
Got the call today from my Congresswoman during a layover in Newark. Needless to say this is a great start to my spring break. This was my third time applying. I was wait listed last year and subsequently didn't get in.

I'm not going to blab too much because I'm writing this from my smartphone at the airport, but to any of you who don't get in the first time...don't give up. Looking back, I wasn't prepared to go to USNA out of high school. Fortunately an Air Force ROTC scholarship gave me the opportunity to go to West Virginia University. Since then I have improved academically and matured a great deal. I thought I wouldn't be able to handle engineering, but I was able to build a 3.7 GPA and get a 4.0 last semester. I would not trade anything for the experiences I had these past two years at WVU. And now I feel ready than ever to meet the challenges at USNA.

Bottom line, don't quit. If you don't get in, it's not the end of the world. If you decide to reapply again, I guarantee you'll be more prepared and mature if you work hard in college. God Speed!
 
Fantastic!!!

Congratulations, and thanks so much for cheering others on as well! We can always use more good news around here!:biggrin:
 
Congratulations on hanging in there til you got the gold ring. You will have company at NAVY as more than 25% have tried more than once. Persistence IS a virtue. Best wishes at NAVY!
 
Anchors Aweigh, my boys
Anchors Aweigh
Farewell to college joys
We sail at break of day, 'ay 'ay 'ay
Thou our last night ashore
Hail to the foam
Until we meet once more
Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

:thumb: Job well done
 
... You will have company at NAVY as more than 25% have tried more than once. ...

Really? This seems high that 300 Mids each year had previously applied? Are you including NAPS and Foundation students? That is misleading for while they need to reapply, it's pro forma, not at all analogous to this young man's great achievement.

Do we have any idea how many might be in this young man's "category?"
 
Excellent job! Three times the path, that's triple the work, motivation and excitement from the payoff!
 
Whistle P's response:
TReally? This seems high that 300 Mids each year had previously applied? That is misleading for while they need to reapply, it's pro forma, not at all analogous to this young man's great achievement.[/QUOTE

Appropriate response would have been: "Can you elaborate on your 300 number, I'd like to know more."

Does anyone see the difference? Or more importantly does WhistleP see the difference?
 
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WP, it is what it is... candidates who have been out of high school for at least a year, including prior enlisted, college, NAPS, Foundation, just working in the civilian sector, private prep schools, etc. - not all of whom had previously applied. The six striper a few years ago noted that one morning when he was walking to the barn to feed his family's cattle decided he had to find something else to do in life; after some searching he learned about the SA's and applied. It happens. My plebe year room was comprised of three of us who had gone to prep school or college for a year, and one who had spent three years in AROTC and decided to go to NAVY.
 
WP, it is what it is... candidates who have been out of high school for at least a year, including prior enlisted, college, NAPS, Foundation, just working in the civilian sector, private prep schools, etc. - not all of whom had previously applied. The six striper a few years ago noted that one morning when he was walking to the barn to feed his family's cattle decided he had to find something else to do in life; after some searching he learned about the SA's and applied. It happens. My plebe year room was comprised of three of us who had gone to prep school or college for a year, and one who had spent three years in AROTC and decided to go to NAVY.

I think you shifted gears in this response. Earlier you indicated ...
1964BGO said:
You will have company at NAVY as more than 25% have tried more than once.

So can you clarify? Have 300+/year previously applied? And do you have any idea how many are NOT NAPS or Foundation, since they're reapp is merely pro forma and not really an application. More so filling out the papers for admission.

Trying to get a realistic handle on how many are really in the category of the amazing OP, i.e. those declined once or more times and are finally appointed upon reapplying. I'm confident that the number is not close to 25%, anecdotes aside.
 
I would agree with WP that NAPS/Foundation shouldn't be considered as "reapplying" since it is understood that if you do well, you have a 99% chance of getting in. If one is reapplying from college, then there isn't the almost guarantee that "if you do well" one will get an appointment; other parts of one's application would be considered/evaluated.

I'd say the percentage of those who have "tried more than once" is probably around 5-7% (take those who have re-applied from college and divide by total from class) and then consider some of those who applied from college MIGHT be first time applicants.
 
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Exemplary Focus and Determination

Got the call today from my Congresswoman during a layover in Newark. Needless to say this is a great start to my spring break. This was my third time applying. I was wait listed last year and subsequently didn't get in.

I'm not going to blab too much because I'm writing this from my smartphone at the airport, but to any of you who don't get in the first time...don't give up. Looking back, I wasn't prepared to go to USNA out of high school. Fortunately an Air Force ROTC scholarship gave me the opportunity to go to West Virginia University. Since then I have improved academically and matured a great deal. I thought I wouldn't be able to handle engineering, but I was able to build a 3.7 GPA and get a 4.0 last semester. I would not trade anything for the experiences I had these past two years at WVU. And now I feel ready than ever to meet the challenges at USNA.

Bottom line, don't quit. If you don't get in, it's not the end of the world. If you decide to reapply again, I guarantee you'll be more prepared and mature if you work hard in college. God Speed!

BZ!!! :thumb:
 
For the class of 2015, USNA literature indicates that 393 (32%) came from someplace other then directly out of high school (i.e. NAPS, Foundation program, Nuclear Power program and other civilian colleges). That is different from saying someone is applying a second time after getting turned down their first time.

http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/USNA 2015 Class Portrait.pdf
 
I'd say the percentage of those who have "tried more than once" is probably around 5-7% (take those who have re-applied from college and divide by total from class) and then consider some of those who applied from college MIGHT be first time applicants.

Getting stats for college re-applicants and first time college applicants would be tough. My son applied for the first time while he was in his freshman year in college, but he/we know several plebes who applied 2 or 3 times and are now in his year group. While I believe his situation is the more unusual, there's no way I know of to track the numbers.
 
Getting stats for college re-applicants and first time college applicants would be tough. My son applied for the first time while he was in his freshman year in college, but he/we know several plebes who applied 2 or 3 times and are now in his year group. While I believe his situation is the more unusual, there's no way I know of to track the numbers.

Agreed. But, if approximately 85 are accepted with at least a semester of college, that means that the most it could be is 7%.
 
Agreed. But, if approximately 85 are accepted with at least a semester of college, that means that the most it could be is 7%.

Hasn't this horse died yet? Tired of the semantics exercise and checking out. BFN
 
Hasn't this horse died yet? Tired of the semantics exercise and checking out. BFN

I'm not sure what the issue is and I don't appreciate the accusations either. I was simply acknowledging a poster on a correct point and stating that my percentage figure included what the poster had exactly (and validly) pointed out. I wouldn't call that semantics or checking out and if that is how you viewed it, then it isn't being read in the correct context.
 
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