NASS Worries

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CyberSecurity17

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Mar 20, 2018
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I’m a little stressed about NASS to say the least. I know it doesn’t impact the admissions process whatsoever so that doesn’t matter to me. What I’m worried about the most is that I’ll get there and not fit in. That I won’t be athletic enough, that I can’t do enough pull-ups, or worse that I don’t have the mental strength to be there. I don’t know maybe that’s even better that I’m doing NASS so I can see if this is truly something I want to pursue. I guess I’m just overthinking everything. Can anybody who attend NASS give me a little advice or encouragement? I’m looking forward to it a lot, but as I’ve been getting in these last few workouts and plateauing at only 10 pull-ups for two weeks it’s really messing with my head and confidence. I’m especially worried about the CFA. Thank you all!
 
Go with an attitude to enjoy not to beat your peers. As long as you can achieve average in all events in the CFA you’ll pass with certainty. Start working on your CFA until you are certain you maxed out in all events. That’s when you take your true CFA. Run under 8 minutes. Better if you can run under 7 minutes for a mile run. Anything over 8 you disqualify.

NASS CFA can count if you want it to be and the Academy tells you you passed the test.

Go to NASS and enjoy. Don’t be a know it all and try hard. Volunteer to help others. Show that you are a good follower. And demonstrate integrity and show fraternity with others.
 
CrewDad said:
Go with an attitude to enjoy not to beat your peers. As long as you can achieve average in all events in the CFA you’ll pass with certainty. Start working on your CFA until you are certain you maxed out in all events. That’s when you take your true CFA. Run under 8 minutes. Better if you can run under 7 minutes for a mile run. Anything over 8 you disqualify.

NASS CFA can count if you want it to be and the Academy tells you you passed the test.

Go to NASS and enjoy. Don’t be a know it all and try hard. Volunteer to help others. Show that you are a good follower. And demonstrate integrity and show fraternity with others.
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Great Advice, I can run a sub 7 mile so that is a confidence booster. IS the mile on a track where I can pace myself each lap? Thank you!
 
My DS did 5 pull ups in his Sophomore year summer. He practiced for a year with a Pull Up bar at home. He did 20 on his CFA but the Academy only accepts 18 as the Max. So don’t do more than 18.

So don’t sweat it. Practice pull ups every day at home with a bar. It only costs $20 to buy one. Practice push ups and sit ups everyday.

Run run and run! That’s the key! You’ll be running all throughout the military service. You have to run well and to run well you’ll have to stay in shape.

I believe at Plebe Summer only events that will count are: Push Ups Sit Ups and Running under 10:30 on 1.5 mile run. For CFA you should try to run under 7 minutes.
 
The above advice about CFA is solid. But also remember that you have until January to submit your final CFA results. So use Summer Seminar to set a baseline and work hard to exceed those results in the following months. That’s what my DD did, and she was informed by having practiced it in Summer Seminar, and motivated by seeing how other candidates performed.

As for your other concerns, that’s exactly why you’re going: to learn whether this is truly something you want to pursue. That’s really all that matters. Many of the folks around you will realize — rather quickly, my DD noted — that USNA isn’t for them. Others will see their desire comfortably confirmed. Don’t see it as a popularity contest or a competency test — it’s just a trial run to check your conviction. Have fun with it, be yourself, get to know as many people as you can. There’s no downside whatsoever to Summer Seminar, as long as you’re true to yourself. Best wishes.
 
You will be fine. Relax. 10 pull ups will actually probably be middle of the pack on up towards the top. For those who are getting ready for the CFA, practice the actual test. Timing yourself on invidivisal events here and there isn’t actually what it will be like. Practice it in order so you will know how it will impact fatigue and where you really need to work. NASS PT isn’t hard. Taking the CFA in a group can help with the competitive streak if you have one. It’s slot of classroom time too. There will be many candidates you like and some you don’t. That is life and in the military it doesn’t matter as long as you learn to work together.
 
The key for NASS is to do your best. Be willing to try new things, even if they're hard or you're not good at them. Be a good team member. Support your squad mates. Don't complain.

For the CFA, give it 100%. Not everyone excels at the CFA during NASS, though some will. You have until Jan. 31 to improve your scores, if you need/want to. For the CFA, every event does count but USNA puts the most emphasis on crunches, push-ups and the mile run. The reason is that, once at USNA, each semester you take the PRT, which consists of push-ups, crunches (sit ups) and a 1.5 mile run. But no need to worry about that at present.:)
 
CrewDad said:
Go with an attitude to enjoy not to beat your peers. As long as you can achieve average in all events in the CFA you’ll pass with certainty. Start working on your CFA until you are certain you maxed out in all events. That’s when you take your true CFA. Run under 8 minutes. Better if you can run under 7 minutes for a mile run. Anything over 8 you disqualify.

NASS CFA can count if you want it to be and the Academy tells you you passed the test.

Go to NASS and enjoy. Don’t be a know it all and try hard. Volunteer to help others. Show that you are a good follower. And demonstrate integrity and show fraternity with others.
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What are the actual averages for the test?
 
DS said it was one of the coolest experiences he ever had. He had FUN. NASS isn’t a test or competition. Don’t treat it as such. Go with the attitude of having fun. Honestly I haven’t heard of anyone not enjoying it.

One thing DS pointed out: everyone had areas where they were strong, and areas where they were weak. All the areas were different. As you are with a group of kids, different strengths and weaknesses all come together to make the group better. It’s. not an individual competition. Be a team player. Help where you can, and know that you will need help at times, too. Thats LIFE. More important than how good you are at one thing, is how well you work with your team to be the best team. I am a mom, didn’t attend, but that’s what I got from DS’s experience as shared with me. He is entering the class of ‘22 in 28 days [emoji572]️
 
My DD is doing NASS. Our approach is that NASS is an information gathering experience. Is this the college experience she wants to have? Are these the kinds of people she wants to surround herself with over the next 4 (9+) years? Our family is not from a military background, so this is new to us. We have a family friend that attends NA and loves it. She did not attend NASS but said she wished she had, because it would have allowed her the opportunity to experience the Academy before she made her choice. Best of luck and have fun!
 
What are the actual averages for the test?
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USNA doesn't publish CFA average scores. You will likely get some sense of the average by watching the other folks at NASS. Do realize, however, that some folks show up to NASS totally out of shape, which is probably not reflective of the average official candidate.
 
You may be surprised to learn that most of the people at NASS will be like a twin brother or sister to you.
My DS went to a Candidate Visit Weekend (CVW) and was surprised to see that they were all almost exactly like him in more ways than not.

For @mara : If your DD gets an invite to a CVW later, consider asking her if she wants to go to that as well. The benefit of the CVW is that they typically happen after reform in the fall - so all 4,400 Mids are there - and your DD would get to shadow a Plebe as they go about their typical day (classes and all). It is more indicative of Mid life - and if she is vacillating as to whether she wants to attend an SA or not - those 3 days ought to cement a decision in her mind.
 
THParent said:
You may be surprised to learn that most of the people at NASS will be like a twin brother or sister to you.
My DS went to a Candidate Visit Weekend (CVW) and was surprised to see that they were all almost exactly like him in more ways than not.

For @mara : If your DD gets an invite to a CVW later, consider asking her if she wants to go to that as well. The benefit of the CVW is that they typically happen after reform in the fall - so all 4,400 Mids are there - and your DD would get to shadow a Plebe as they go about their typical day (classes and all). It is more indicative of Mid life - and if she is vacillating as to whether she wants to attend an SA or not - those 3 days ought to cement a decision in her mind.
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This is EXACTY how DS explained the difference between SS and CVW. He wasn’t sure about the actual student life/academic side after SS, if it was a good fit. After his subsequent CVW, where he was actually with a student athlete, he knew it was for him and that he could do it. He was all in after that.

I am very grateful for all the opportunities USNA provides for candidates to get a very good feel for life at the academy. It gives this mom a lot of confidence that my DS can do it and that it’s the right path for him.
 
This discussion has been very helpful to DS, who is in Session 2. Right now (even with a month of intense training coming off of a winter of wrestling) he can only do the CFA averages (as published by USMA) - but a faster mile and has been worried that he will embarrass himself (actually, his expression involved soiling his bedding). Thanks for the thread.
 
If given the opportunity to attend a CVW, I 110% recommend accepting it. The weekend will give you an even better look into daily midshipmen life, even more so than NASS.

NASS is an introductory program that will simply show candidates what the Academy is about. Getting inside access to Bancroft and other facilities is definitely a cool experience, but use it as an opportunity to seriously analyze whether or not you want to go through with the application... as we know, the application can be a BEAST.
 
I highly recommend CVW. It was an embracing moment for me. I roomed with 2 Mids who came from two very different paths with different experience seeking a similar goal. Nevertheless, I happily melted in with the Academy culture and experience. I enjoyed the Fraternity with my roommates. And so will you if the path is your destiny. I plan to volunteer as CVW Host as a Plebe. If you want to room with me, PM me anytime. I will share you my contacts and will be happy to speak to you about my experience and my path to the Academy.
 
USNAThrower2023 said:
I was feeling the same way and this actually really helped. Thank you, guys!
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ME TOO!! I think going into session three next week it’s helpful to know that most of us are probably feeling like this. I know this is a generalization, but I’m sure everyone who got accepted is used to feeling a little above average. It’s going to be a trying week, but at least we’re all going to be small fish in a big pond! Good luck to you both!
 
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