Using an outside admissions coach

shast

Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2018
Messages
25
Hello,
I’m new to the forum, and not sure if this topic has been covered, but I’m a junior in high school and just returned today from my candidate visit to USNA. I absolutely loved the experience and am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead...

I really want to go to Navy and I wanted to know if anyone has had any experience using an outside admissions counselor/coach to help them navigate the application and admissions process.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated [emoji4].


Thank you,
Shast
 
Glad you enjoyed your visit. Did you watch the parade yesterday too?

Someone bring up this subject before. I think some posters were thinking about opening their business if people keep asking?

If you follow the instructions they provide, research here on the forum, and ask specific questions you may have, you will do just fine. Best of luck!
 
No need to waste money hiring somebody. Your admissions counselor, Blue and Gold Officer, and this forum are great resources for when you have questions. The admissions process seems complicated at first but you'll be able to handle it yourself.
 
Glad you enjoyed your visit. Did you watch the parade yesterday too?

Someone bring up this subject before. I think some posters were thinking about opening their business if people keep asking?

If you follow the instructions they provide, research here on the forum, and ask specific questions you may have, you will do just fine. Best of luck!

Thanks for the info. I was able to see some of the parade. My Midshipman marched and they brought us Drags after it started. It was very impressive...!
 
No need to waste money hiring somebody. Your admissions counselor, Blue and Gold Officer, and this forum are great resources for when you have questions. The admissions process seems complicated at first but you'll be able to handle it yourself.

My parent’s told me the same thing. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing any opportunities as I really want this to happen. While I was there I got an email rejecting me for the NASS, but I was assured that it had no bearing on my application.
 
Frankly, I've never heard of "Admissions Coaches." Do they specialize in USNA/Service Academy Admissions or general College Admissions ? If general , I would say forget about it, they probably don't have a clue. Unless they have worked at USNA Admissions, or have years as a BGO (and attended multiple training programs), I would be skeptical about what they add to the equation.
 
We considered an admissions counselor but decided against it. Honestly, the information on the forums are more useful and insightful as any one individual could be. I think that money could be put to better use with an ACT/SAT tutor. You can do this yourself.
 
Agree. No formal paid coach needed. This forum is amazing. One thing you could do, is enlist a parent or two to help search your questions or find the information when you get busy during your senior year. Over the summer you should be able to find the information yourself. But during the school year, it may be helpful to you to have a ‘helper’. There is a lot of information here and it can be time consuming!! Best of luck to you!!
 
You can hire me! LOL! We applied to all 5 academies and all 3 ROTC! Just kidding! This forum has all you will ever need and your questions will be answered in real time. The first step is to start the nomination process. Find out who your nominating Congressman is from your district and who your state senators are. Google their names with service academy nomination and find out when their applications open. Should be soon. Get started on that.

I am actually making a "How To" book for my DS's high school for applying to the SAs and ROTC programs. But I'm doing it out of the kindness of my heart. Free of charge;-) I would hate for a qualified candidate to miss out on such a great opportunity just because they didn't know where to begin.
 
Hello,
I’m new to the forum, and not sure if this topic has been covered, but I’m a junior in high school and just returned today from my candidate visit to USNA. I absolutely loved the experience and am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead...

I really want to go to Navy and I wanted to know if anyone has had any experience using an outside admissions counselor/coach to help them navigate the application and admissions process.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated [emoji4].


Thank you,
Shast

You’ve gotten some good advice here. The application process in itself is a test of YOUR perseverance, attention to detail, planning and execution skills. The traits of initiative and self-sufficiency are much valued in future junior officers. If you own the process, do the work, and are responsible for it, then you will understand more about the decision and be well-placed to make the right choices along the way.

If you haven’t already, read every page, drop down and link on USNA.edu. Take notes, build a timeline and plan of action and milestones (Navy term: “POAM”). Most answers are there.

Go to your elected representatives’ websites, research their SA process. Attend SA info nights.

Research other SAs and Services to figure out whether they are in play for you or not.

Build parallel Plans B, Plan C, Plan D, or whatever meets your comfort level. Research NROTC. Research the senior military colleges (SMC), many of which have NROTC. Have a candid talk with your parents about money and what’s available for you if you end up going to civilian college.
https://m.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/military-colleges.m.html

There are things you can do this spring, giving teachers heads-up on what you’ll be asking them to do, getting their contact info so you can reach them over the summer.

Here on SAF, review the Acronym List over in Community Information. Read the Stickies at the top of the Nominations forum. Use the Search function with search strings “chances” and “stats” to get a feel for what other candidates bring to the table. Browse the USNA and ROTC forums.

Have a plan for summer - if NASS is out, Boys/Girls State, or other activities that show continued growth.

If you are currently taking meds for any ADHD or have an IEP, and certain other conditions, be aware there are “stopped taking medication no later than, diagnosed less than x years ago” dates. Browse the DODMERB forum.

You family can help, especially when it comes to medical records and medical history, and support you as needed.

Take the time to look past USNA and be absolutely sure there are Navy or Marine Corps Officer career paths that appeal to you, and that you are prepared to do for at least 5 years after graduation. That’s the entire point of this.

Continue to enjoy HS life and don’t do anything bone-headed that can derail your dreams!
 
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This forum has all you will ever need and your questions will be answered in real time.

With all due respect to those on the Forum, your source of information is first and foremost the USNA.edu website. Most of the information you really need is available there, and is (or is supposed to be) 100% accurate. There is no substitute for doing your own research, or as CAPT MJ often recites, to read the entire website, including drop downs and links .

If you have questions, ask your BGO . You can also contact Admissions directly, but try your BGO first ...the Admissions Officers get tons of emails and struggle at times to keep up. If your BGO doesn't know they answer, he/she can get input from more experienced BGO's and /or directly from Admissions. ( The Admissions Officers are pretty good at responding promptly to my requests).

This Forum is interesting, but like anything on the internet, you have to take everything you read from unofficial sources here with a grain of salt. Many candidates and parents post based upon their personal experiences, and while well meaning, one data point doesn't make fact or even a trend. There are so many variables involved in the USNA application that it is hard to create black and white answers to all the queries posted here.

I've probably spent more time on the Forum this year than I should ...partially from a desire to improve my own base of knowledge, part from a desire to improve the Admissions process and correct some of misperceptions posted here, and part as a source of entertainment. If I had one observation or recommendation, I would suggest that many over think the process or are looking for answers that simply don't exist. I understand the desire to understand every little detail about the process, but there are a lot of questions which create angst about things you cannot control. Maybe an Admissions Coach can help you manage the angst and make you think you have done everything possible to get admitted , but at the end of the day, no Admissions Coach can get you good grades and SAT/ACT scores, lead the football team to State, or earn your Eagle Scout award etc.
 
There are some older threads on the topic of hiring someone to assist with the SA application process. Part of applying is taking your own initiative to do what the application process requires. I think it would generally be a waste of money as mentioned above and unless they have current/accurate/relevant information specific to USNA, they may actually provide more bad advice than good. None of these paid 'coaches' can guarantee any better results and certainly have no pull with admissions, regardless of what they may claim.

If you do choose a paid outsider, I would be sure to NEVER mention it to your BGO or during any MOC interviews as most likely they would frown upon such efforts.

Forums such as these can be very helpful as long as you are able to separate fact from opinion.
 
This forum has all you will ever need and your questions will be answered in real time.

With all due respect to those on the Forum, your source of information is first and foremost the USNA.edu website. Most of the information you really need is available there, and is (or is supposed to be) 100% accurate. There is no substitute for doing your own research, or as CAPT MJ often recites, to read the entire website, including drop downs and links .

If you have questions, ask your BGO . You can also contact Admissions directly, but try your BGO first ...the Admissions Officers get tons of emails and struggle at times to keep up. If your BGO doesn't know they answer, he/she can get input from more experienced BGO's and /or directly from Admissions. ( The Admissions Officers are pretty good at responding promptly to my requests).

This Forum is interesting, but like anything on the internet, you have to take everything you read from unofficial sources here with a grain of salt. Many candidates and parents post based upon their personal experiences, and while well meaning, one data point doesn't make fact or even a trend. There are so many variables involved in the USNA application that it is hard to create black and white answers to all the queries posted here.

I've probably spent more time on the Forum this year than I should ...partially from a desire to improve my own base of knowledge, part from a desire to improve the Admissions process and correct some of misperceptions posted here, and part as a source of entertainment. If I had one observation or recommendation, I would suggest that many over think the process or are looking for answers that simply don't exist. I understand the desire to understand every little detail about the process, but there are a lot of questions which create angst about things you cannot control. Maybe an Admissions Coach can help you manage the angst and make you think you have done everything possible to get admitted , but at the end of the day, no Admissions Coach can get you good grades and SAT/ACT scores, lead the football team to State, or earn your Eagle Scout award etc.

Thank you - I know my DS is a sample of one, but found that 98+% of all of the information he truly needed to know was available on the SA Admissions site, SA Admissions portal, MOC Application site, or via direct correspondence from the SA/MOC.
 
One place where Admissions coaches probably offer the most help to regular college applicants is on the essays and interview prep. For USNA, the essays aren't that critical (provided you make sense and use proper grammar) and your BGO interview is very unlikely to be a difference maker.

I suppose someone could provide advice on navigating the process, but it's also something you can easily do on your own by going to the website. There are books (some good, some not that helpful) that may also be worth reading. Your BGO is an asset as is this forum.

In the end, there's no "magic potion" that any coach can provide. And, if that coach hasn't recently worked in Admissions, there is probably nothing he/she knows that you can't find through other sources. The fact that someone was admitted or their child was admitted doesn't make them an expert on anyone other than themselves or their DS/DD.
 
DD and I know others have completed EVERY part of the application with no input from anyone other than one email to her BGO regarding submission of the recommendation letter.

If this is what you really want you can do it with little help.
 
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