Waiting...how?

How do I wait?

I've had my package complete since beginning of October. I expect, as my BGO stated in the interview, to get a letter one way or the other by Christmas, but I'm having a hard time dealing with the whole waiting thing....

For those of you who know where I'm coming from with USNA being first choice, being the only school you've ever thought of going to, and basically the only school you actually want to go to... how did/are you do(ing) it??

Thanks,
SO

Honestly, I don't think anyone could tell you how to wait. Just know that a bunch of people are waiting with you. Personally, I am obsessed and my friends think I am crazy. But people who are also applying to a service academy know what you are going through. We will all find out one way or another eventually.

I'm on the same boat you are with the NROTC MO scholarship. I submitted it in May and I think about it alllll the time and check the status online everyday. I feel your pain, but you've made it this far. It's only a couple more weeks of limbo. Hoooray! But I recently started workin at Kohl's this Christmas season which will definately keep you busy cause of how crazy it is. hahahaaa. Workin out and liftin weiights also helps to release the stress and anxiety, while keepin in shape

I'm trying to fit in as much awesome fun stuff with my friends as possible before I leave for the Academy or Norwich, because I probably won't get to see any of them for a long while, being on the opposite side of the nation and all.

Sailingoff2016 said:

I've had my package complete since beginning of October. I expect, as my BGO stated in the interview, to get a letter one way or the other by Christmas, but I'm having a hard time dealing with the whole waiting thing....
SO

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Just to clarify, your BGO told you that you would be either given a LOA (or appointment) or a rejection before Christmas?

If that's true then you have successfully made me even more anxious and nervous. I've had my application done at the end of September and I never actually thought about when I'd hear back if I wasn't being offered a LOA. For some reason I though it was going to be sometime early next year.

Yeah, been done since the end of August. It's rough. Can't do anything about it. Just prepare yourself, mentally, physically. Prepare yourself is a poor phrase; better yourself. Because who knows!

I personally expect to hear nothing until mid-April. Doesn't mean my heart doesn't jump into my throat every time I see mail.

EDIT: Not worth a post, but I've been tricked too. It was when I was out of town, too - I had to call the friend of mine who was gathering all our mail and have him read me something now irrelevant to me about applying to all my nomination sources. Very aggravating.

JettAirliner said:

Yeah, been done since the end of August. It's rough. Can't do anything about it. Just prepare yourself, mentally, physically. Prepare yourself is a poor phrase; better yourself. Because who knows!

I personally expect to hear nothing until mid-April. Doesn't mean my heart doesn't jump into my throat every time I see mail.

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Haha same. Everyday, I go pick up the mail and always first search for anything regarding the academy. Once they tricked me by sending me an invite to an admissions forum.

I hate to say this but your BGO is likely incorrect. MOST candidates won't hear before Christmas. MOST will hear in February and March.

The overwhelming majority of those who hear before Christmas will be LOA recipients either with a Presidential nom or those with LOAs whose MOC noms are submitted early. Not all, but most.

I waited all the way until April 7th to receive my appointment....talk about being anxious...

We all agree waiting is hard. We seemed to go from one thing to the next in the wait for USNA. There was always a intermediate step or something to wait on.....like a CVW weekend in early November to look forward to. Then waited on the MOC nominations....once that was complete, which was Christmas Day 2008 for my son, we were kind of out of things to wait on related to USNA.

So, we finalized application to Plan B school (yes, even if USNA is your ONLY choice, you need a plan B school)........

Then, one thing DS did that made the waiting easier was he made the decision to re-apply if he did not get appointed. That seemed to take some of the pressure off. He knew what his reaction was going to be regardless of the outcome.

The other thing I would suggest is to run. And then run some more. You will be more ready when you arrive at USNA.....and if an appointment is not in the cards, you will be in great shape!

Enjoy your senior year, get your back up plans in place, make some decisions now and RUN!

I applied and had everything turned in by mid-October, and didn't hear anything until March 14th (I remember the day... haha!)
Waiting is hard, but its all part of the process. Besides, after waiting almost six months to hear back, it made my Appointment that much more exciting!
Definitely have all your backups in place, and everything in line for next year, just in case.
Good luck, Beat Army!

I know how you feel. I submitted my app the first week of september and thought about it several times a day. My scores were good, gpa was good, and my sports, ec's, and fitness tests were great.

My whole plan is USNA, USMA, or enlistment. (still deciding between the academies) I don't want to go to "normal" school. I want to be in the military.

I received a random letter from USNA and it was an LOA. It gave me a needed boost for school and it took off some pressure. However, I wasn't overly excited. I'm going to show of my confidence here but I kind of expected to get in. I looked at the previous class portraits, made sure I was above the average in every way, and I also looked at the competitiveness of my district. It's not very competitive. My scores and other stuff are above the 2015 class portrait but I didn't think they were high enough for an LOA. It was weird because nobody told me I was competitive or qualified for one, I just got it in the mail over 2 months after I submitted everything. I'm not a minority, athletic recruit, and I'm not the son of a military family. I guess they just liked my essays and interviews and thought "you know what, we've got one more LOA, lets just give it to him."

My advice for you would be to set yourself up for success. You know how qualified you are and you know your chances. If they look good, expect to get in. It's pretty much out of your hands right now.

Just remember that everything eventually works out, whether or not its good for you is another question. But everything will work out in the end.

ctuma2 said:

Just to clarify, your BGO told you that you would be either given a LOA (or appointment) or a rejection before Christmas?

If that's true then you have successfully made me even more anxious and nervous. I've had my application done at the end of September and I never actually thought about when I'd hear back if I wasn't being offered a LOA. For some reason I though it was going to be sometime early next year.

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Yeah, he said if I got it in relatively early (in October/before November) I'd be in good shape to hear by Christmas.

Thanks everyone for their advice. I'm currently wrestling and that definitely helps, but that feeling 'it could be in my mailbox right now!' is always there... and it's just hard waiting not for a specific date, but for a letter sometime in the near (or far) future.

I do have Plan B schools of course; the acceptance rate is already only 6 1/2 percent so far this year and going down, while even Harvard's is something like 7 or 8%, so I applied to a 67%er for backup .

I know I'll get through it, but I want to be excited. I can't though because I'll be that much more disappointed when I don't get in (no pun intended).

Yeah, he said if I got it in relatively early (in October/before November) I'd be in good shape to hear by Christmas.

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Depends on what is meant by "hear." You might well hear that you are scholastically qualified by Christmas. To say that you'll know if you have an appt by Christmas is just incorrect -- at least for the overwhelming majority of candidates. I have candidates whose packet was 100%, including BGO interview, in July and they are waiting.

If you don't have an LOA, it's VERY unlikely you'll hear before Christmas and most candidates don't have LOA. Yes, some candidates w/o LOAs do hear early but it is rare, very rare. Candidates with principal noms will generally start hearing in January, as those slates are submitted. But, most candidates will not hear until February or March -- and some not until early April.

Waiting is tough, but almost all candidates have to go through it.

Well, I'm not sure if I feel better or not now, but thank you for the info, 85. I'll set my sights on April!

Glad to see this thread. Waiting IS very difficult and it is nice to see others in the same boat. DS's application was complete by the last week in August. He is very competitive for admission based on stats and was "full steam ahead" following great experience at Summer Seminar. He has heard nothing from admissions and is currently in the MOC interview process. He remains optimistic and focused and hopefully he will get the news he is hoping for. He was slightly discouraged that he hasn't been invited for a CVW but not sure if those are perhaps reserved for candidates who did not get to attend NASS. Any thoughts?

Has anyone who is a candidate for the Class of 2016 gotten notification that they are "scholastically qualified" and based on past years.....is this usually done by mail, email, phone, etc.

Good Luck everyone!

need2know said:

Has anyone who is a candidate for the Class of 2016 gotten notification that they are "scholastically qualified" and based on past years.....is this usually done by mail, email, phone, etc.

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I think this is done by mail.

A call to to admissions office or perhaps the BGO could be a way to find out.

I've heard from the grapevine that USNA has been honoring requests for CVWs. I, an LOA recipient, was never invited either, so the lack of a CVW isn't necessarily a bad sign.

If you really want to go, you could try a call; the worst they can say is "no."

Contact your BGO- he will be able to tell you if DS is 3Q. Also ask him for a CVW. My son attended in Oct and they did explain that only 150 candidates per session can attend- Ds mentioned to BGO in the interview that he would love to go to CVW and 2 weeks later received an invite. Don't wait as sessions fill fast!

Thanks. DS's BGO and another BGO from the area had different information on the "scholastically qualified " question which was my reason for the post. He has cleared Dodmerb and passed CFA at Summer Seminar but we were told that he would get a letter from admissions directly stating he was Scholastically Q'd as well. Curious if those letters even exist this year. One BGO said we would hear from admissions and one didn't know. His academics/grades and scores are above the average for Class of 2015 but it would be nice to get official notification. Guess it just means more waiting........

need2know said:

Thanks. DS's BGO and another BGO from the area had different information on the "scholastically qualified " question which was my reason for the post. He has cleared Dodmerb and passed CFA at Summer Seminar but we were told that he would get a letter from admissions directly stating he was Scholastically Q'd as well. Curious if those letters even exist this year. One BGO said we would hear from admissions and one didn't know. His academics/grades and scores are above the average for Class of 2015 but it would be nice to get official notification. Guess it just means more waiting........

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I sympathize completely. I remember checking status a few times a day. But in any case, whether you heard or not, it's still more waiting on the appointment. It seems the waiting never ends. Currently, I'm waiting on DS's final grades for first semester. Hang tough!