Confussion after the TWE

ThePatternisFull said:
I am curious why she did not apply for ROTC?
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AppMom2023 said:
She did not apply for ROTC. Her thinking is to get internship through the NSA, her major is very specific and was concerned that they only pull 15 graduates in her field from the ROTC program. This is all just very confusing for us to grasp, but, we will get there I am sure. Thanks for your response
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The OP feels that ROTC is a longshot for Army Cyber as only 15 were taken from Army ROTC last year. I can't verify the stats.
 
AppMom2023 said:
She did not apply for ROTC. Her thinking is to get internship through the NSA, her major is very specific and was concerned that they only pull 15 graduates in her field from the ROTC program. This is all just very confusing for us to grasp, but, we will get there I am sure. Thanks for your response.
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I work with DOD Cyber and particularly hand in hand with the folks who work force design and talent management. I would say 15 is not even close to ROTC accessions for Cyber in the Army. That was probably true two or three years ago but those numbers are going up. Big thing if she wants to branch cyber is to work with her cadre to initiate TS/SCI clearance early in cadetship so she go do cyber internships with NSA or Army Cyber. Either way this is a growth field and accessions will come down to 1. Is she in a field of study related to cyber operations where she is performing at a high level 2. Can she get and maintain the clearances need to work in cyber which is going to be minimally aTS/SCI.
 
I, personally, would be cautious about setting a specific path as far as a major. I have 3 adult children, all STEM oriented, who ‘changed their majors’ in college. Add their friend groups to that, and the odds of staying in what you think you will do are small.

I know ROTC/SA’s are a bit different, but still feel the odds of actually settling into the same path that a young 17/18 yr old thinks they will major in are low. Not that a 17/18 yr old person can’t/doesn’t remain on the course they think they will, It happens, but more don’t than do. And so far, 100% of mine didn’t.

Even at a SA, they have a while to decide, and it’s after they do a lot of research on majors.

I would always counsel to remain open-minded. And open to what you are drawn to once in college.
 
MidCakePa said:
But please don’t assume that your kid is a superior candidate just because the other kid had a lower test score and no AP classes.This is not a rack-and-stack process based on those criteria only. You have no idea of the other candidate’s athletic accomplishments and leadership impact and CFA scores. For all you know, that candidate is superior as a “whole person” if not as a student.
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justdoit19 said:
I would always counsel to remain open-minded. And open to what you are drawn to once in college.
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I don't follow USMA Admissions, but presume it is very similar to USNA. First, once you get to the top candidates, they are very hard to distinguish based upon academic /objective criteria. All are high achievers academically, and Class Rank is rarely the sole determinant. A lot comes down to the intangibles like commitment, desire to serve, etc.

It appears from OP's comments that DD wants Cyber Security, but does that translate to a sincere duty to serve in the Army ? The comment about not applying for ROTC because of a desire to get involved in Cyber Security focus suggests that the Cyber Security focus is greater than the desire to serve. That is the type of intangible that could make a difference.

Of course , it is great to have plans and dreams, but as JustDoIt suggests, one should always be flexible and open to new ideas , particularly when going to a Service Academy. You will not always get the opportunity to go down the path you always dreamed of, or perhaps you will discover other dreams while there. A lot changes in a young persons's life during their college years.
 
justdoit19 said:
I, personally, would be cautious about setting a specific path as far as a major. I have 3 adult children, all STEM oriented, who ‘changed their majors’ in college. Add their friend groups to that, and the odds of staying in what you think you will do are small.

I know ROTC/SA’s are a bit different, but still feel the odds of actually settling into the same path that a young 17/18 yr old thinks they will major in are low. Not that a 17/18 yr old person can’t/doesn’t remain on the course they think they will, It happens, but more don’t than do. And so far, 100% of mine didn’t.

Even at a SA, they have a while to decide, and it’s after they do a lot of research on majors.

I would always counsel to remain open-minded. And open to what you are drawn to once in college.
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Couldn't agree more.
 
justdoit19 said:
I, personally, would be cautious about setting a specific path as far as a major. I have 3 adult children, all STEM oriented, who ‘changed their majors’ in college. Add their friend groups to that, and the odds of staying in what you think you will do are small.

I know ROTC/SA’s are a bit different, but still feel the odds of actually settling into the same path that a young 17/18 yr old thinks they will major in are low. Not that a 17/18 yr old person can’t/doesn’t remain on the course they think they will, It happens, but more don’t than do. And so far, 100% of mine didn’t.

Even at a SA, they have a while to decide, and it’s after they do a lot of research on majors.

I would always counsel to remain open-minded. And open to what you are drawn to once in college.
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The school she is attending starts with Cyber classes freshman year, it is a special program. But, I do agree with what you are saying. She was looking at the best opportunities she would have with this as her major.
 
justdoit19 said:
AppMom2023 said:
We found out that it was her class rank. Since she does AP classes rather than dual enrollment, she has a lower rank at her high school. The dual enrollment kids get two credits for every class they take and she only gets the one. It is all good. Plan B is a great school and she is really looking forward to her new adventure. Thank you everyone for the advice, knowledge and support throughout this whole process. Good luck to you all.
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I’m curious how you know that the single reason is ‘class rank’? I’ve not heard of a candidate being told by admissions of one specific reason for non-offer. Generally, it’s a more universal ‘take Plebe classes and work to improve scores/grade/PRT’ kind of response from admissions.

A student scheduling their senior year, and deciding between taking AP or duel enrollment is a big decision for many reasons. So it’s important to not give out incorrect/unclear information, if this is indeed the case here (decision to not offer is solely due to class rank).

If that was ‘the reason’, from admissions, then it’s great info!
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Her FFR went to admissions on her behalf and this is what admissions told the FFR for the reason she was not competitive within our district. I am not sure why this was told if it is not usually told, but, we are working with the FFR at this point. Other schools may not give the duel enrollment classes extra credits as does our school. That is something that needs to be discussed with the counselors at each individual school. I did not give out any incorrect information by saying this, our school is this way. Sorry if my statement was to broad.
 
The Dual Enrollment getting extra credit kinda makes sense...if you were taking Calc 1, you would take it in one semester as Dual Enrollment. If you took AP Calc AB, covering the same material, you would take it as a full year course.
 
I am sorry for the TWE. If your DD still interests in attending WP I would recommend her to reapply next year. From my observation many reapplicants are excelling at WP while others are struggling. Best wishes.
 
AppMom2023 said:
Her FFR went to admissions on her behalf and this is what admissions told the FFR for the reason she was not competitive within our district. I am not sure why this was told if it is not usually told, but, we are working with the FFR at this point. Other schools may not give the duel enrollment classes extra credits as does our school. That is something that needs to be discussed with the counselors at each individual school. I did not give out any incorrect information by saying this, our school is this way. Sorry if my statement was to broad.
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thankfully our HS treats dual enrollment and AP equally at 1.2 because financially not every student can take dual enrollment but AP kids could get a waiver on the testing fees..
 
@bopper the rules vary quite a bit. I paid for all of my kids' dual enrollment classes. And over the course of time, the price per class changed from a reduced price to full price (so in the end, there was no discount given to high school students).
 
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