Are others sending in deposits for plan b?

behrsmom

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2009
Messages
68
My son received appointments to both USAFA and USNA. I hear that it is smart to have a Plan B in place, just in case of injury during BCT. He has rec'd great scholarships from other state schools. How do you go about hanging onto one of those for a backup? Do you send in room deposits, etc? Any help appreciated for a mom whose head is still spinning....:confused:
 
Hmm well maybe this will help but please keep in mind I have not heard back from any of the 4 Academies I applied to. However I just sent in a inital deposit ($400) confirming that I would be attending Civilian School X in the fall. I think most schools just need a initial deposit that reserves your son a spot for the incomng freshman class.
 
My son has his appointment and we will be sending in the deposit for his plan B school. As Chistcorp says, it is a cheap insurance policy. In case of injury prior to, or during, BCT, he will have a good school to go to. We paid his housing deposit back in the fall. It is worth the price to hold a spot for him just in case. Hopefully it is money we will lose!

There is a thread in the past on this.
 
I have mixed opinions on this --
On the one hand -- the Plan B option was if you didn't get in AFA or USNA - not, have a back up school in case I don't like AFA or USNA.
On the other -- last year we were in the same position and did send in the state school deposit, but that was because our son had had knee surgery in March, went from med qualified to non-qual and didn't get re-qualified until mid-May. He had to have a back up in case he didn't get re-qualified medically.
When we notified the state school that he would not be attending it (have to admit it was when he completed BCT) - that scholarship he had -- well, it went unused because the state school only awarded those to students NLT 1 May.
So, unless there is a medical question - I think you give back the scholarship to the university to offer it to someone else. As for sending in the deposit to reserve a spot -- would you send in a deposit to 2 regular universities? I don't think so.

oh, and if injured in BCT and becomes a medical turnback -- assuming he'll be good to go the next summer he'll have a spot in the next class.
 
No, I don't think you would send deposits to two "regular" universities. However, an SA is not "regular". If you break your leg in mid-June you can still go to State U. You cannot go to BCT and have to give up your spot. In that case it is good to have a quality school to attend while you re-apply for the next year. My $0.02.
 
I asked DS about sending in money to secure a spot at one of the other schools just in case and his response was "absolutely not, if things get tough, I don't want to know I've got another option!"

Worked out OK :thumb:
 
Our cadet was the same - he was "all in." No back-up. No alternative. No other option to contemplate or consider.
 
I have mixed opinions on this --
As for sending in the deposit to reserve a spot -- would you send in a deposit to 2 regular universities? I don't think so.


I'm a department chair at state u. and our admissions people are telling us that families are now sending in deposits to more than one school then deciding after they attend summer orientations where DS or DD will attend. So, yes sending in deposits to two regular universities is being done now. This has nothing to do with DS/DD having a fallback position and not being mentally committed to the rigors of the academy. But it has everything to do with being smart about having a backup plan if the worse that could happen happens. Who wants their kid sitting around the house playing video games for a whole year waiting for the next class to start BCT? Any kid who can get accepted to a SA should have a quality educational experience if he/she is a medical turnback.
 
But what are your thoughts on the scholarships? My son declined his other schools, except for one state U backup, which he spoke with them about and they were willing to hold his slot. We paid $175 to hold his slot in class, and $25 for the housing application. We need to pay another $250 by the end of May to keep the housing, but as long as he cancels by August 10th, we get that refunded. Seemed to be a no-brainer to me to do this.

But keeping a scholarship, that in general can't be re-awarded after May 1 seems a lot different to me. He still has his ROTC scholarship, and will decline it by the deadline, but there doesn't seem to be a reason to until then (just in case). But he declined all other scholarships that he truly doesn't intend to use. And worse case, if he gets hurt during Beast (or even from May 1 to June 24), if we have to, then we pay for one year of college and he turns back (or reapplies). At least he'll have somewhere to go (coincidentally where his GF is going, which I'm thinking may NOT be a good thing when the going gets tough!).
 
Hoping I don't get injured, and if I do get injured I will go to community and try again next year.
 
Hoping I don't get injured, and if I do get injured I will go to community and try again next year.

thats what i was gonna do if i got hurt. community college and work while i got better.
 
My son is a C4C at the academy now. Class of 2013. Prior to BCT last year, his backup school offered him numerous scholarships as well as a position in the honors college. I called the school and discussed the whole AFA process with the individual departments (Honors college, housing, engineering scholarships etc.) I told them that we would like for them to let him accept the positions and scholarships like he was attending their university but that they were his second choice to the Air Force Academy. I explained the whole BCT process and possible injury which could result in a medical turnback. They were entirely okay with what we wanted to do and they allowed him to go ahead and accept the postion and scholarships even though there was a good chance he would never attend the school. We felt this was an up front approach. I do not know if other schools will be this understanding but it worked out for our son. Hope this helps.
 
I have a moral conflicts with the whole back up plan idea. I live in Virginia so I will talk about UVA. UVA is a very fine institution, it is my brothers first choice. However, what happens if he get waitlisted and I get in but I get an appointment to the academy and pay all the money to UVA as if I am going there until early August when I tell them I am going to the Academy instead. Peoply like my brother either won't get accepted to their first choice university or will lose a couple of grand transfering at the last minute which in this economy would be a very bad set back to my family.
I believe having a back up plan is a good idea just not really sure what to do if a situation like the one above arises. How would we feel if a person led the Academy on until June 23 and then decided to go to UVA or some another university instead and we were next on the waiting list for the Academy and didn't get an appointment as a result.
 
runningman; you bring up a very good point, but it's not really a moral conflict.

1st: Plenty of people get an appointment, accept it, and then at the very last minute decide not to attend the academy. Even on the last day. Some have even changed their mind on the first day at the academy while filling out the forms. They are leaving, or do not arrive, and no one else is going to get their slot. The academy knows this and they anticipate it for every class. That's part of life.

2nd: Even without the academy as your first choice, there are students who are accepted to more than one college/university each year and hold their final decision as to which school to attend until the very last minute. This too is not uncommon, nor immoral. Individuals have to look at what's best for them. And if you can't decide what it best for you until June 23rd, then so be it.

3rd: As for local/state universities, most by state charter must give priority to residents, so your scenario about your brother doesn't apply in most states. If he wants to go, and meets the qualifications, he can go. Yes, there are some state universities where they still can't accept everyone because there's too many. University of Texas in Austin is one of those. So you have to look now at "ODDS". No, this isn't Las Vegas, but unless your brother happens to be the #1 Non-Selectee on the wait list, it won't matter if you changed your mind on the civilian school at the last minute or not. "Odds" are that it would have no affect. These colleges/universities are just like the academies. They know that there will be those that change their mind at the last minute. They've known this for years. And most schools offer MORE than they can accept because they know many will change their mind.

Details: The academy offers approximately 1600+ appointments to the academy. Huhhhh??? I thought only 1300-1400 got to go to the academy each year? That is correct. And the academy knows that many are going to change their mind and turn the appointment down because in the last 4-5 months they received appointments to their #1 choice (No, the academy is NOT always a person's #1 choice); or because of ROTC and other scholarships, the individual can still become a commissioned officer but they can go to school locally. There are a lot of reasons. Anyway, just like DSL and Cable broadband companies OVERSUBSCRIBE because they know everyone won't use the network at the same time, the academies OVERSUBSCRIBE when they offer appointments. Because they know they all won't say yes. They know that about 300 will say no. Every year it's that way. If more than 300 say no thank you, then they give out more appointments to the wait listed people. If not too many say no thank you, then they don't offer to the wait list. If no one says no thank you, the academy craps it's pants and thinks: "Now what". But it has never really happened. If it did, they would simply lower the amount the accept the following year.

Bottom line is: Colleges/Universities; including the academies; are a business. They want people to attend their schools. There is nothing wrong with you wanting to do the best for you. For most scholarships, the schools or the private benefactors have a cutoff for acceptance. They do this so they can offer it to another person if you change your mind. And when possible, it's a "Nice Gesture" if you can free up a scholarship so someone else can use it. But if you hold on to an acceptance from a school until August to make sure you like the academy or don't get hurt, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If we could all see the future, we wouldn't have this problem. But anyone leaving the academy on the 1st day or beyond, has no affect on someone who didn't get accepted. It's too late to offer it to someone else. If you happen to have a college/university that you are wait listed on, then you are in the same boat. The reason you are being "wait listed" is because there may be an opening if someone changes their mind. Maybe it would be better if the university didn't wait list your brother and simply said "No thank you". Then he could find another college without spending so much money.

This is the normal college process. It's been going on like this for longer than you've been alive. For everyone else, definitely have backup schools. Definitely pay the minimum required to the first choice if the academy doesn't work out. If you lose the money because you accept an appointment to the academy,,,, SO WHAT? You will save that much money in the first couple of months by being at the academy where you aren't paying for tuition, room, board, etc... And no, you're not stopping someone else from getting into that college if you turn it down at the last minute. The person filling your slot at that college might not be able to get into the dorms and such, and it might be a local student who can get away with living at home while they are attending the college/university, but someone will be filling your slot. Don't feel guilty. You have no reason to feel that way about doing what's best for you. Best of luck all. Mike.....
 
Back
Top