TWE

Last year my DS received hismTWE in his portal in mid- April. Don't recall exactly when but it wasn't far off from the May 1 deadline to notify his other school. He was 3Q with 2 nominations. Not sure how close he was to actually making the cut.

He ended up at an SMC (which was actually his first choice but financially USMA would have been easier ) he absolutely loves his school and is thriving. We could not be happier, so encourage those that receive that TWE, it isn't the end. These are very bright kids getting TWE's and most will succeed wherever they end up.
 
I understand kids have earned their appointments to multiple SA's and its their choice to wait to accept one until they have weighed all of their options, but this is making the wait so much longer for my DS and others waiting. He has nominations for three SA's is 3'qd. He has plan B,C and D in place. It's just heartbreaking that he hasn't received an appointment as of yet.
 
Alright every DS, DD, DH, DW or third party who still is waiting to hear the news from one or more SAs, let’s agree to take a deep breath and enjoy our remaining time with our DS or DD before they fly the nest in a few short months; or, if you are a DS or DD waiting to hear your fate, focus on enjoying what is left of your senior year in high school. Prom and graduation activities are just around the corner. I know the waiting is hard for all involved (and that includes me), but waiting is part of life. I know we all have experience with the hurry up and wait game, but let’s review how much of our life is spent waiting . . . Tryout for a team and then wait to hear whether you made the roster. Take the ACT or SAT and then wait to get your results. Repeat the ACT or SAT and wait to hear your results. Apply for nominations and then wait to hear the results. Apply to colleges and wait to hear the results. Take the MCAT, LSAT or GMAT and wait to hear results. Apply to medical, law or graduate business schools and wait to hear the results. Approach college graduation and wait to open the next chapter in your life . . . Take the BAR or CPA exams and wait to hear results. Apply for jobs and wait to hear results. Wait for the right time to present or accept marriage proposal. Wait for the child growing inside you (or your spouse) to enter this world. Begin the process to adopt a child and wait years before you welcome that child into your family. Wait for your children to come home on a Friday or Saturday night when the weather is bad and they are driving for the first time in snow, ice or torrential rains. Wait to close on the new house you purchased. Wait to see whether you get the promotion you deserve. Watch the current presidential election and desperately wait to hear the result you want to hear, i.e., Donald Trump will NOT be our next president. (I say that as a moderate republican, assuming we still exist.) Okay, my list is long, but by now all who are bored enough to read this entire diatribe get the gist.


The posts on the TWE thread on the USNA board this week are heartbreaking. I read a couple of the saddest posts out loud to DH and DS2 to prepare them (and me) for the possibility of a TWE darkening our door step. While we will not welcome said TWE if it dares to grace us with its unfriendly message, we will encourage DS2 to fully embrace plan B and continue to work hard to reach his potential. Other parents would love to have this group’s problems and would trade their problems with their DD or DS in a heartbeat. Kindred spirits, we have the privilege to wait to see whether DS or DD gets into their school of choice. It’s a nice problem to have everyone. Suck it up!
 
The waiting sucks

Indeed it does. Certainly there are those with multiple appointed candidates who are measuring and evaluating the course they want to follow. There are just as many who evaluating other options who have just one appointment. They've all earned the right to take there time to carefully consider this next step in their lives albeit while a few others are waiting in the wings for that decision to be made. None of this makes any of it easier on a day to day basis.

At this juncture there may be somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 (?) or less appointments out there for all those exceptionally qualified candidates, all 3QD'd with noms, etc, who are still waiting to hear and many of those won't for at least another month or so...."worrying will not empty my tomorrow of its troubles...it will empty me today of its strengths".
 
I know this may be a touchy subject, but does anyone know what a Portal looks like when declined?
 
Completely baffled as to why DS does not have a TWE yet. He has nom. and is 3Q to USMA; but no nom. for USNA. He was OK with that, USMA was first choice, getting only a nom. for that just confirmed it.

Do they not even bother to send out TWE's to those without nominations? The dodmerb portal still says "pending waiver" but we figured they didn't even begin that process. WP granted waiver. Never heard a peep from USNA.

Ugh. I posted this on the wrong forum. Should have been USNA. Absolutly hoping for a BFE from USMA.
 
LLJ, my DS didn't have a nom for AFA for c/o 2018...they eventually sent a letter that closed file, not TWE. When he reapplied the following year, he only applied to USMA, as he realized he wanted to be an Army officer and would seek commissioning via ROTC if he didn't get into USMA...so that likely scenario will happen to your DS w/ USNA a bit later.
 
OK. That makes sense. TWE's for QNS; "filed closed" letters for all others.
 
Please explain those who have multiple offers and have accepted one of them why don't you let the SA know that you are not interested in the remaining choices so can open up offers ?
 
Please explain those who have multiple offers and have accepted one of them why don't you let the SA know that you are not interested in the remaining choices so can open up offers ?
As soon as my DS accepted his WP offer, he called the USNA person who was working with him throughout the process, to tell him he accepted the USMA offer because he was about to decline the USNA offer and wanted to respectfully let him know and thank him for his time. I hope there aren't many candidates who have accepted one and then are just "sitting" on another offer??? That seems so out of character for the type of personalities who are applying to multiple SA's. I would imagine they all respect how much time, energy and effort goes into this process. If many are doing as you posted, I agree with you-----------If you are out there and have accepted an offer to one SA, and you are fortunate enough to have another offer as well, be kind and decline the other offer immediately that you have no intention of accepting. This is a tough time of this process (March-April) to make anyone wait longer than they have to. :) Good luck to navyblueandgold2020 and I hope you get the great news SOON!
 
I have no factual data to support my assumption but it's difficult for me to believe that there are those with multiple appointments that have actually accepted the appointment of choice without then notifying the others that they have declined. The much more likely scenario here are the ones that have mutilate appointments who have yet to decide which way they are going to go and in that decision making process, which for many of them will go on for another month or so as they evaluate their future path, will leave just as many waiting in the wings to learn the path they will be taking. Now indeed is their "winter of discontent".
 
And also remember that just because a candidate declines an appointment doesn't mean USNA will appoint someone else. They use past stats with the current target number to figure out how many offers they will issue. It you start seeing someone get offers off the Wait List that can lead us to believe they are offering more appointments to get to that number. It's been a few years since USNA has made any offers off the wait list which means they are hitting their target at a minimum.
 
Please explain those who have multiple offers and have accepted one of them why don't you let the SA know that you are not interested in the remaining choices so can open up offers ?

I asked this question several weeks ago if you'd like to read that thread:

http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/2-nominations.46543/#post-462869

Bottom line, the academies know that their appointments are likely to not be the only ones offered to these top-quality candidates, so they simply offer more appointments than they know will be accepted. At the same time, a wait list is created as a contingency plan. If May 1 comes around and they fell short of their projected number, woohoo for those on the wait list, but it seems that frequently the wait listeds are not needed.

Thus, the people who wait to make a decision until May 1 need not feel guilty, and those of us waiting to hear need not feel frustrated with them. The appointee list or wait list wouldn't be "deeper," just maybe more wait listeds would become appointeds during a year with a shortfall of accepteds. Does that make sense?

Looks like Navy Hoops weighed in while I typed this. Please, some of you more seasoned folks, correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Thank you. I appreciate the perspective from the other side of a person who has multiple appts to the different SA's. Did not realize that a declining offer did not mean an opening for another.
 
Thank you. I appreciate the perspective from the other side of a person who has multiple appts to the different SA's. Did not realize that a declining offer did not mean an opening for another.

My DD was not one of the lucky ones with two appointments (to the contrary, she has none but is holding out hope for the awesome USCGA!). I had the same anxiety as you, which is why I posted that question a while back.
When people refer to the "roller coaster," we have all been on a wild ride.

I don't know about the rest of you, but this is NOT how I expected my DD's senior year to go down! I would never have expected her to become such a confident interviewer, to receive a beautiful letter from a member of congress, to offset the off-season munchies with carrot sticks and pull-ups, to so quickly leave childhood behind...not the senior year we expected, but one we'll never regret.
 
Of the approximately 4000 candidates that receive a nomination, the SA typically determines around 2400 are deemed "qualified academically and in physical aptitude". The SA chooses from that 2400 to fill the 1200 slots. 500 or more go to the Principal Nom/#1 off the MOC Slate; 200 or more go to LOA/recruited athletes/Prep School leaving about 350 to 500 slots to be drawn from the 1700 or so remaining out of the 2400 on the NWL. It isn't like the SA then rank orders the 1700 remaining and draws the line at the number of remaining slots. The SA chooses the candidates that best meet the needs of the SA to round out the class. Geographic diversity along with other diversity factors come into play (gender, ethnicity, etc.) in order to have a class that best represents our society and our military make up. It happens every year that candidates with qualified, but lesser records, are chosen over candidates with better records. All 2400 are deemed "qualified" and worthy. It comes down to a subjective judgment in some cases to who gets offered that appointment.

A lot of great candidates don't get an offer of appointment. If the SA's could, they'd take all ~2400 that are determined to be "qualified academically and in physical aptitude", but they can't. Due to the geographic factor, there will be candidates that are Principal Noms or #1 from a MOC's slate whose record is not at good as the candidate that is ranked #10 from a different extremely competitive congressional district. The Principle Nom/#1 from a MOC's slate will get an appointment, and the #10 with the better record from a different Congressional district will not. (This is one explanation why every year there are candidates that get offered a SA appointment but are told they do not qualify for a 4yr ROTC scholarship, and why each year there are candidates that earn a 4yr ROTC scholarship that aren't offered a SA appointment. ROTCs tend to be more strictly merit based without the geographic factor.)

Everyone offered an appt is qualified. If you (or your DD/DS) get an appt, be grateful. In some ways it is a lotto ticket. The admissions office have rules they must satisfy and they work hard to compile a class that complies with the rules and goals they have been given.

The SA process is a difficult process. Be proud that DS or DD is in the ~2400 deemed "qualified academically and in physical aptitude". They have made quite the cut. Not making it into the final 1200 is not a reflection on them. It is the selection process.
 
@Falcon A. Excellent explanation of the process.

I would only add that, by law, the first 150 appointments from the national wait list (NWL) must be offered by highest Whole Candidate Score (WCS). After that, the remaining appointments from the NWL are primarily made to meet goals for females, minorities, and athletes without regard to highest WCS.
 
(?) Dodmerb said, today - (medical under review)- does that really mean, - that they haven't reviewed it - to busy - this time of year (?)
I apologize for posting on the wrong thread - should be on dodmerbs - but any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
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