Plan B after appointment

How long do you hold on to Plan B after accepting an appointment? ROTC scholarship is waiting and back up schools are calling. DS is sweating an injury or something that would cancel his appointment.

Three more weeks of baseball until bubble wrap goes on.

Honestly, and perhaps a little selfishly, I've been keeping a few of the schools I got into waiting and will continue to do so until May 1st decision deadlines. If I get hurt or become otherwise ineligible I want some sort of safety net. Admissions uncertainty works both ways, no reason to limit your options early.

To clarify I have no real desire to go anywhere but USAFA, but things can come up and you have to look out for yourself.

OK... let's get this one right (according to fencersmother's morality):

After a weekend of discernment with Mom & Dad, Grandpa & Grandma, etc., should you decide you will accept your appointment, put those papers in Pile A. Now, look at your other acceptances, your Plan B, if you will. CALL THAT SCHOOL Monday morning and explain the situation. Many schools will allow you to put down your deposit to hold a space, knowing that you are going to USAFA or USMA or USNA etc, with the full understanding that you will forfeit that money (still a wise investment) should Junior not show up. Twin A put $250 down to hold a spot at his plan B school, which they very very graciously refunded to me. Twin B put $700 to hold his spot, and that liberal east coast LAC kept his money and attempted to charge me something extra (after they'd agreed not to do so). No names , but still hard feelings about that institution.

Classes at USAFA start very early in August so chances are you will know whether Jr has made it through BCT and begun the academic year with enough time to get installed at School B.
If Jr stays at USAFA, yes, you lose your $$$, and it's a lot of money.

You'll have to work out your own arrangements with the ROTC folks as I am too long out of the loop for those convoluted shenanigans.

If you have any questions, just pm me (when you post enough to have pm privileges).

I agree with fencer...strange right?

I know many appointees did exactly what they did with her children. Colleges can be flexible if you approach them first.

Agree with Fencer. Until he is accepted into the Wing, he needs a Plan B. We just ate the deposit for housing and registration.

afmom post a lot more and then you can pm me.

I would prefer not to mention the school, unless there is a real reason to (legitimately) bad mouth this eastern PA college in the Patriot League.

fencersmother said:

afmom post a lot more and then you can pm me.

I would prefer not to mention the school, unless there is a real reason to (legitimately) bad mouth this eastern PA college in the Patriot League.

Click to expand...

Ok that made me laugh. I like what you did there.

Thanks for the responses.

Things were getting a little sketchy as he received a type-7 ROTC scholarship, which limited him to resident tuition. His back up school is out-of-state, but he also had an in-state alternate back up.

Then we (the family) got orders to AK, so he was looking a Plan C. That would have him going to AK with us on ROTC. University of Anchorage gives in-state tuition to all ROTC, so it all works out.

I just need him to decide which plan is officially Plan B, so I can send them some $.

My daughter, class of 2013, was able to keep an opening at our state university for the first year (University of Colorado) that she was at the Academy. We did this not as a back up if she decided she didn't like the Academy but as a back up if she got injured and had to leave the Academy. It was worth the small deposit at CU -- we simply talked to Admissions and explained the uncertainties of attending a military academy. CU promised her a spot for one year as well as a spot in the Honors College in case something happened. I realize that not all schools will do this -- and not all families will decide to do this -- but it worked for us. Fortunately, nothing bad happened (although she certainly had some injuries at BCT -- including a burn near her eye from an ejected round on the firing range from another cadet who made a mistake -- some sports injuries and other injuries at the Academy, nothing serious enough happened to force her out). She made it through the first year and we advised CU they could give the spot to someone else. She graduated successfully on time in May 2013. But there are plenty of stories of cadets who unfortunately have something bad happen. Students who get admitted to the Academy are attractive to lots of schools -- some at least will work with you and some actually understand the possibility of a career ending injury that might send a cadet back to a civilian school.

Also, his ROTC scholarship will become null and void once he swears in at the Academy. There is a form with his scholarship paperwork that you can send in after his induction declining the previously accepted scholarship and a spot to mark that he is attending a service academy as the reason. Just have him sign it before he goes off to USAFA and you can mail it after induction day. Once BCT is over, you can send a letter (also previously signed by your DS) to the plan B school stating he will not be attending in the fall as anticipated due to attending the service academy. (Unless you have an agreement like dohdean mentioned and the school will hold slot for entire year--thats ideal!)

It really depends on the college, and some will keep your $750 and be insulted your child chose to attend a US Service Academy rather than their little college with the "legalize pot club" (not kidding) and no American flags allowed on campus.

Please. Stop me now.

We didn't hang on to Plan B - never occurred to use (pretty stupid in hindsight). While our son was at BCT, we did get a voicemail from Fort Knox asking if our son was going to accept his Army ROTC scholarship. He applied to West Point (half-heartedly) but not Army ROTC. To this day none of us know how that all came about. Although, I will say that it was pretty nice that they he was shown some love. I probably should have asked, but just called back, got voice-mail and let them know he was at USAFA BCT.

We made a deposit for plan B simply for the possibility of injury and being unable to complete BCT. Plan B tried to reach me all summer because he didn't fill out the housing forms. They finally caught me on the phone and I said he was at an away 'summer camp' until first week of August and I couldn't reach him. Not a lie, just a pretty tough summer camp.