How important is Boys State?

I'll add my 2 cents. My son didn't attend and he is current a cow at WP.
The year he would have gone to Boys State conflicted with attending SLE and he really wanted to go to SLE, so that's what he did. At that time, we had no idea what Boy's State really was and that WP valued it so highly. Clearly my son maxed out his leadership points because not attending did not hold him back from being accepted at WP (and no - he was not one of those 'walks on water' candidates). As I understand it, if you have maxed out in one area then you simply don't benefit from adding more to that area. Instead, focus on other areas of the application.
 
Boys/Girls State is a great opportunity because it adds points to your whole candidate score. Many on this site are adamant that it is an essential part of the process, but it is not necessary that you go IMO. I didn't attend Girl's State and I am still heading to I-Day in June.
 
@CrewDad
Very!!!!!! If your DS is not an Eagle Scout and don’t go to Boys State then he’s not maxed out. Please go!!!!

I don't see how this can be correct as there are many ways to get leadership points. My son was not an Eagle Scout nor did he attend Boy's State but he is currently a WP cadet. He evidently had enough leadership points without these two popular ones.
 
I am sure there are examples of cadets who didn't do this and didn't do that. If he wants to go why not let him? If his dream is to attend a service academy why would you not let him do something that can't hurt and could possibly help?

And whether necessary or not, Boys/Girls State attendance is the number 2 item listed on USMA's Tips for Admission:

Application Tips
TIPS FOR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY (USMA)


Standards are very high this year due to the overwhelming amount of extremely qualified candidates. You have to do what you can to be competitive. Good scores may not be enough, here are some tips. Do the best YOU can do.

  1. It is your responsibility to complete your file not your parents. Read all instructions carefully. Do not wait months to contact the office to find out what’s wrong with your file or what you think is missing. Please put your candidate ID number and state you are from on all your correspondence.
  2. If you are a junior in high school, you may want to consider applying for American Legion Boys/Girls State program for your State. Go online and enter American Legion Boys State, your state and find out how to apply. Usually one applicant per high school attends.
  3. On your portal, under the liaison tab, is your USMA liaison member information, contact them for guidance. Also be sure to read all the instructions listed on your portal. Attention to detail is the military way...…..

https://westpoint.edu/admissions/prospective-cadets/application-tips
 
FCH76 said:
I'm sure that's the case, but I don't want to wonder if he doesn't make it in by a margin, could attending Boys State have tipped the scales in his favor. I just don't want to compromise his chances in any way.
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Yes, attending Boys State could tip the scales in his favor, but his RC is the only person on the planet who can tell with certainty whether or not he should go. The RC is the admissions officer that calculates the WCS score and, to paraphrase Puff Daddy, it's all about the WCS. When it come to offering appointments, the candidate with the highest WCS wins.

Attending Boys State adds a specific number of WCS point to the Leadership score. There is no subjectivity - you attend, you get the points. In most cases the answer is simple - attend and get the points. Hypothetically, the Leadership score could be high enough already that the added points from Boys State are not as valuable as using the time to pick up points in another category, but I would only rely on the RC to make that determination.

The WCS score is weighted 60% Academic, 30% Leadership, and 10% Physical. That is why, for most candidates, trying to put in a huge effort to go from very good to excellent on the CFA is literally a waste of breath - it's only worth 10% and more points could likely be found by putting that effort into another area.

Fight for every point possible in each category, but when it comes to making choices about which points to pursue, choose the activity that provides the most return on the time invested.
 
jl123 said:
Fight for every point possible in each category, but when it comes to making choices about which points to pursue, choose the activity that provides the most return on the time invested.
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IMO - this statement is spot on. If you have the opportunity to attend Boys/Girls State - Don't think twice - GO. Attending will guarantee meaningful points on your WCS. In contrast, another ECA may not be deemed as valuable by an RC despite what you think its worth is.
 
I went to Boys State and as a cadet at VMI volunteered as a Boys State Counselor and I would urge your DS to go but not necessarily for the points (though that is a good reason).

1. I found it to be a great program to teach government particularly at the local and state level. Generally, I thought I was well prepared to understand our federal government but Boys State really opened my eyes to what local government does and you get some great interaction with state level officials as a high schooler you just won't get many other places.

2. I found it to be the first chance where you were no longer the "Big fish in small pond". That is talked about a lot for those applying for SAs but I remember getting to Boys State with a good high school resume and then realizing there were similar students (and better) across my state. At first it was daunting but then I found I could contribute and participate at that level too but I would have to "up my game". That was a great lesson before college.

3. The interaction with the counselors most of whom were American Legion members or volunteers who really cared about the programs was pretty cool .

Anyway, if given the opportunity I would strongly urge it. I ended up running into multiple alum of the program at VMI and even in the Army years down the road.
 
Ok, thank you for the responses. He has been accepted to a Boys State that is at the end of May. This is before he goes to his father's for the summer, so it wouldn't interfere with his time, just waiting to hear if American Legion in Germany will sponsor him for the this Boys State rather than Maryland which is the one they normally sponsor. If not, then I am debating on paying myself for him to go. It's a flight from Germany plus the cost of Boys State and any accompanying costs. I do think it would be a great experience for him, but the question really is if American Legion doesn't sponsor him, do the benefits of going outweigh the price of him missing another week of school (they get out June 16th) and the additional costs if I pay. He has already missed two weeks of school this year because of 2 other leadership conferences that he attended and will miss the last week of school for SLE. He was also accepted to NASS, but his dates to attend would be during his father's time with him so he'll have to turn it down. On a side note, if he does get accepted to USMA, his dad lives there and his brother is at the academy so he'll get to see a lot of him for the next four years.
 
@bookreader. You just have to be the best in your district for an Appointment. It is a function of your district competitiveness including social economic and academic competitiveness. If most competitive candidates in your district all maxed out and you lacked one element or two and other kids are presumed to have most perhaps then you could have done more. It’s not the end of the world if you didn’t. There can be other substance that makes you more competitive than the other kid. But it’s a chance you will take.

My kid was also told he didn’t have to have Boys State but they also said it would be nice to have since many kids are doing it. At the time we didn’t know about Boys State but was told about it by West Point RC. DS initially said I won’t go then after coming back from SLE, AFASS, he said I want to go to Boys State. He maxed out in his ECs, CFA, and all else but we also knew that he’s not the only kid who’s maxed out in our district. We live in one of the most competitive districts in the country and many kids are social economically well off so financial support is there. Average SAT in DS district is 1500 and 33/34 ACT. All kids we met at Nom Interview had gone on to Boys State Girls State and were all Eagle Scouts and Gold Awardees. Multiple Nom is virtually impossible where we live. You pick one SA and you only get one SA. We met few kids who had 1600 with super strong ECs and Star Athletes who got accepted to MIT Harvard Yale Princeton, Columbia got turned down from Academies. So if you’re from less competitive district you can get by with less. And that’s an added bonus to your DS/DD and families. And yes DS has near perfect scores in SAT/ACT, ranked 1% of Class, 4 Varsity Sports and Captains, Eagle Scout, Summit Scout, Boys State, School Class President, 20 National Level Awards, has Pilot License, Awards from the Senate/Rep Congressmen, Congressional Gold Medal, and the President, Ambassadors, commanding Generals, CEOs of fortune 100 companies, met them all. Many special youth military awards, many years training and job shadowing with the military. All State Swim Champ, speaks 3 languages and lived in 3 countries, recruited Athlete in Rowing and Rifle Teams with LOAs by USNA, USMA, USAFA, Early Action USCGA, and recruited by top Ivy Programs with AFROTC, AROTC, NROTC during round one. Nevertheless, we were never sure he was good enough nor did he feel that he was qualified enough to be selected as the best candidate from our district. To this day, he is grateful for the Nom selection because so many top candidates were turned down because they didn’t have a Nom. He is very happy at Annapolis and doing very well academically and socially. You just have to be the best candidate in your district for most SA Appointments and even for top civilian school admissions.
 
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@CrewDad - like you, we are in a crazy competitive district and for that reason, I frankly believed that my son didn't have a chance. When he went for his interview for a nomination, several hundred students were also there. Yikes! I pushed for some strong plan B/C options (if my son had his way, he would have only applied to WP with no back up plan). When he got the BFE to WP, he did give me the 'see-I-didn't-need-a-planB-option' look, but only for a few seconds. lol.

I'm so glad that I only learned about SAF very late in the application process. I'm an information junkie and I think I would have made up both crazy trying to apply what I read here to his application. Not knowing so much was in some ways a blessing in disguise. BTW, he was homeschooled, so I was his guidance counselor - rather than someone who did this for a living. In the next town over, they actually have a guidance counselor whose main job is to help students with their service academy applications. My poor son only had me. And we have no military background. And no, my kid does not walk on water. (I'm humbled by your kid's CV! Wow!)
 
@FCH76. If your DS can do Boys State at very little sacrifice to his current responsibilities and your family can support the cost of travel then I think it’s worth it. My DS traveled from abroad to attend SLE, AFASS, and Boys State. We did not compare the programs with monetary value because you really can’t. We didn’t consider the cost of attendance because the experience remains with my DS a lifetime. Boys State/Girl State also have alumni status while SLE NASS AFASS AIM are nice to have with bragging rights for candidates but the program is a marketing tool to SAs. The choice to attend remains your DS/DD and the cost is yours.
 
@bookreader. I have total respect for you as Dad, Counselor, Teacher, and Mentor in life. Your DS must be very proud of his Dad and he is very fortunate. I’m glad all worked out for your family. Home School is not for everyone. One needs discipline, responsibility, and maturity to work on his/her own. I am currently home schooling my little one for a year so we can travel together during the year while my little one completes all tasks required for 9th grade. Fortunately it is working out. I hope I can be as good as you. We plan to send her to school from 10th grade.
 
My DD attended Girl State and highly recommends to everyone.
To quote her:
Seriously gives you a leg up.
Helps to teach how to present yourself to 100s of your peers.
Also the experience of campaigning is something else
 
These are such great stories! I am still waiting to hear back about whether or not the American Legion will sponsor him for Alabama Boys State. If they choose not to, I think I will just go ahead and make the investment for him to go. In the long run, I think it will pay off.
 
FCH76,
Glad to hear your DS has chosen to attend, and you will help make it happen. I can confirm what others have said about the quality of the program. It is truly an amazing experience that my DS will never forget. I can also add for those lurkers, that like anything else in life, it’s what you put into it as to what you will get out of it. DS was all in, and had many great experiences including campaigning and speaking opportunities, while there were others in the program did minimal participation. Even those kids will still have a good takeaway!
Regarding the WCS, even if a candidate appears to be maxed out in leadership points, Boy State can help “clinch” that score. I also believe the SAs look beyond those WCS numbers and evaluate how a candidate got them.
Boys State is a known “like” by the SAs!
 
I am a trustee of my state's Boys State as well as being part of the onsite staff. Prior to that involvement, I was a statesman back before I went to USNA and one of my son's was a statesman before HE went to USNA.
Great program and at our Boys State, all of the Service Academies send admissions reps who give a presentation to interested statesman and then do a "Meet & Greet" during the College Fair that draws well over a hundred schools.
 
shock-n-awe said:
FCH76,
Glad to hear your DS has chosen to attend, and you will help make it happen. I can confirm what others have said about the quality of the program. It is truly an amazing experience that my DS will never forget. I can also add for those lurkers, that like anything else in life, it’s what you put into it as to what you will get out of it. DS was all in, and had many great experiences including campaigning and speaking opportunities, while there were others in the program did minimal participation. Even those kids will still have a good takeaway!
Regarding the WCS, even if a candidate appears to be maxed out in leadership points, Boy State can help “clinch” that score. I also believe the SAs look beyond those WCS numbers and evaluate how a candidate got them.
Boys State is a known “like” by the SAs!
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I pray that it works out. I am still waiting to hear back from the American Legion if they will sponsor him.
 
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