Summer Seminar 2020

anthonyjoonha

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2019
Messages
15
Hello,

I'm a Junior prepping myself to apply to all 3 SAs. My first choice is USNA and was reading about attending Summer Seminar next summer. Would this hinder my chances of getting into other SAs if I specifically select USNA Summer Seminar? And also would this help my chances of getting into USNA?

I currently have a 3.9 GPA with 1440 SAT (plan to take more in October & November) with varsity golf team for school + outside of school with some volunteer experiences.

Thank you all for your responses in advance.
 
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Hello,

I'm a Junior prepping myself to apply to all 3 SAs. My first choice is USNA and was reading about attending Summer Seminar next summer. Would this hinder my chances of getting into other SAs if I specifically select USNA Summer Seminar? And also would this help my chances of getting into USNA?

I currently have a 3.9 GPA with 1440 SAT (plan to take more in October & November) with varsity golf team for school + outside of school with some volunteer experiences.

Thank you all for your responses in advance.
Going to NASS will not hinder your chances of getting into other SAs. There are plenty of cadets/midshipmen who don’t go to the summer programs.

This will also NOT help your chances of getting into USNA.
 
anthonyjoonha said:
...I'm a Junior prepping myself to apply to all 3 SAs...

Shall we assume that's USCGA, USMMA, and USNA? Those are all three Federal maritime Academies. There are another six (6) State-supported maritime academies as well.
 
Hello,

I'm a Junior prepping myself to apply to all 3 SAs. My first choice is USNA and was reading about attending Summer Seminar next summer. Would this hinder my chances of getting into other SAs if I specifically select USNA Summer Seminar? And also would this help my chances of getting into USNA?

I currently have a 3.9 GPA with 1440 SAT (plan to take more in October & November) with varsity golf team for school + outside of school with some volunteer experiences.

Thank you all for your responses in advance.

Junior year is the perfect time to get serious about your research into Service Academies. One of the things you are sure to find out is that there are more than “the three SAs,” by which I think you mean the 3 DOD Service Academies. Widen your perspective and research USCGA and USMMA as well, to learn about their missions, programs and the paths their graduates can take. USCGA is a Federal military academy which produces grads who go into the Coast Guard, one of the 5 armed services, which are part of the 7 uniformed services. The Coast Guard is not part of DOD but Homeland Security. USMMA is a Federal Academy, part of DOT, with a unique mission and structure.

If your interests tend to professional maritime paths, look at the states which have maritime academies, such as SUNY Maritime, Mass Maritime, Maine Maritime, etc. You can also find a path to a commission there, as well as civilian maritime careers.
https://www.maritime.dot.gov/education/maritime-academies/maritime-academies

There are also Senior Military Colleges (SMC), which offer corps of cadet experiences and paths to a commission:
https://m.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/military-colleges.m.html

On a parallel track, if your goal is to become a military officer, research college ROTC programs and associated scholarships.

There is plenty to research to determine which path(s) are best for you when it comes time to get serious about the long and detailed application process.

There are many, many threads about NASS here on SAF, worth browsing by using the Search tool. I think you’ll find the general consensus is it helps potential candidates learn more about USNA, and doesn’t hurt an application. The other SAs don’t mind if you go; the goal of all is to help candidates make the best informed decisions they can.
 
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DS went to both USAF and USNA Summer Seminars, and it really cemented his goal. (It can be hard-impossible to fit in all three, depending on when your school lets out.) The programs were even very accommodating about changing his scheduled week for Summer Seminar around so that they didn't conflict and he could go to both.
 
Junior year is the perfect time to get serious about your research into Service Academies. One of the things you are sure to find out is that there are more than “the three SAs,” by which I think you mean the 3 DOD Service Academies. Widen your perspective and research USCGA and USMMA as well, to learn about their missions, programs and the paths their graduates can take. USCGA is a Federal military academy which produces grads who go into the Coast Guard, one of the 5 armed services, which are part of the 7 uniformed services. The Coast Guard is not part of DOD but Homeland Security. USMMA is a Federal Academy, part of DOT, with a unique mission and structure.

If your interests tend to professional maritime paths, look at the states which have maritime academies, such as SUNY Maritime, Mass Maritime, Maine Maritime, etc. You can also find a path to a commission there, as well as civilian maritime careers.
https://www.maritime.dot.gov/education/maritime-academies/maritime-academies

There are also Senior Military Colleges (SMC), which offer corps of cadet experiences and paths to a commission:
https://m.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/military-colleges.m.html

On a parallel track, if your goal is to become a military officer, research college ROTC programs and associated scholarships.

There is plenty to research to determine which path(s) are best for you when it comes time to get serious about the long and detailed application process.

There are many, many threads about NASS here on SAF, worth browsing by using the Search tool. I think you’ll find the general consensus is it helps potential candidates learn more about USNA, and doesn’t hurt an application. The other SAs don’t mind if you go; the goal of all is to help candidates make the best informed decisions they can.

What a wonderfully thorough post, if it isn’t already would be a great pinned post.
 
Hello,

I'm a Junior prepping myself to apply to all 3 SAs. My first choice is USNA and was reading about attending Summer Seminar next summer. Would this hinder my chances of getting into other SAs if I specifically select USNA Summer Seminar? And also would this help my chances of getting into USNA?

I currently have a 3.9 GPA with 1440 SAT (plan to take more in October & November) with varsity golf team for school + outside of school with some volunteer experiences.

Thank you all for your responses in advance.

My DD got accepted to NASS and SLE. Because of Girls State, XC Camp, and college visits, June got to be too packed so she opted only for SLE. During her BGO interview, she was asked why she turned down NASS. She got appointments to USMA, USNA, and USAFA.
 
Going to NASS will not hinder your chances of getting into other SAs. There are plenty of cadets/midshipmen who don’t go to the summer programs.

This will also NOT help your chances of getting into USNA.

I’m inclined to disagree with it won’t help you. My daughter went to both USNA & USMA & then USAF flew her out there. She’s now a Plebe at USNA. I can’t help but think admissions at the very least looks at those motivated enough to take the time to apply & then attend summer seminar. Just my two cents.
 
I had a 1-1 conversation with a Admissions Officer from USMA. He very clearly said that attending Summer seminar does not help in getting an appointment. But being part of summer seminar does help with CFA, personal interview being completed even before the applicant portal opens up. This helps the potential candidate complete the file early and that is looked as favorable.
 
Along the lines of CaptMJ, researching all SA’s is a very good idea. And looking very closely at your service assignments post graduation. If you can TRULEY see yourself doing any branch service, then go for it. But you may find that once you have looked into what you will be doing in a certain branch, that you no longer are interested, no need to apply to that SA.

Don’t apply to all academies JUST to apply to all academies. Make sure you will actually want to serve in that branch. Believe it or not, there are people who apply to all of them just to say they got XX appointments. That’s a lot of work, and no one really cares how many appointments you got. Not saying this is OP’s position, rather a general statement.

Good luck!
 
I’m inclined to disagree with it won’t help you. My daughter went to both USNA & USMA & then USAF flew her out there. She’s now a Plebe at USNA. I can’t help but think admissions at the very least looks at those motivated enough to take the time to apply & then attend summer seminar. Just my two cents.

There are many posts from knowledgeable people on this Forum discussing the effect of attending Summer Seminar at USNA. To make it perfectly clear, selection for Summer Seminar is not predictor of appointment to USNA. Of course, if you apply and don't get in because your Grades/College Board's aren't competitive, then you weren't competitive for Admission in the first place.

However, there many more highly qualified applicants than there are places available, and selection is not based upon who is most qualified.....NASS is first and foremost a marketing and awareness program, aimed at attracting good candidates who otherwise really don't have the opportunity to learn about USNA. I often say that the 4.0/1600 SAT kid from Severna Park , MD who has had his heart set on USNA since he was a kid is not the target audience (of course there are exceptions), but Admissions would rather see the 4.0/1600 SAT kid from Fargo ND who has never seen the sea.
 
To the OP and other candidates

Attending any summer seminar will be a great experience for you. It will provide a little insight as to what an SA is like, how they train and “who they are” and if you can see yourself as one of them.. You can attend any one of them you are offered, it doesn’t need to be your number one choice SA, because they have many similarities as well as their differences. It will also give you a chance to complete your CFA early which is great. More importantly than attending more than one seminar (or even one) would be attending Boys State. In most states it is typically held in the same timeframe as the summer seminars. It is an excellent leadership opportunity and you should seek an acceptance from your local American Legion. Also, unlike summer seminars, it does add points to your WCS. Attending Boys/Girls State should be on every SA applicants to do list.
Did I mention attending Boys/Girls State adds points to your WCS where as attending summer seminar does not add any points to your application?
I will also add, many of those who have fully engaged and participated in the State program have deemed it as an opportunity of a lifetime, often times making lifelong friends.
So it is more than just “the points “ that you will get from State.
 
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To the OP and other candidates

Attending any summer seminar will be a great experience for you. It will provide a little insight as to what an SA is like, how they train and “who they are” and if you can see yourself as one of them.. You can attend any one of them you are offered, it doesn’t need to be your number one choice SA, because they have many similarities as well as their differences. It will also give you a chance to complete your CFA early which is great. More importantly than attending more than one seminar (or even one) would be attending Boys State. In most states it is typically held in the same timeframe as the summer seminars. It is an excellent leadership opportunity and you should seek an acceptance from your local American Legion. Also, unlike summer seminars, it does add points to your WCS. Attending Boys/Girls State should be on every SA applicants to do list.
Did I mention attending Boys/Girls State adds points to your WCS where as attending summer seminar does not add any points to your application?
I will also add, many of those who have fully engaged and participated in the State program have deemed it as an opportunity of a lifetime, often times making lifelong friends.
So it is more than just “the points “ that you will get from State.
Our son didn't get into SS last June, but did attend Boys State and was elected Governor, then attended Boys Nation. He has described the experience (especially Boys State) as a pivotal point in his life. He is still in touch with many of the boys and they have group chats and incredibly interesting conversations regarding current events. He is still in touch with his counselors from Boys State and one wrote an LOR for him. It has opened up a lot of opportunities for him, and let me tell you how happy he was to be able to check the boxes for Boys State, Governor and Boys Nation! The American Legion is amazing in what they offer for our youth. Good luck to you!
 
At the August 2019 USNA CVW session, of the 150-200 ish candidates who showed up, only 2 attended NASS.
NASS/AFASS/SLE is neither a prerequisite for nor a indication of appointment to any academy
 
20avva said:
...At the August 2019 USNA CVW session, of the 150-200 ish candidates who showed up, only 2 attended NASS...
Did you take a poll? That seems like strange and sort of useless data for USNA to hand out to candidates attending a CVW.
 
Did you take a poll? That seems like strange and sort of useless data for USNA to hand out to candidates attending a CVW.

It is also in line with what has been reported this year: generally a person will receive an invite to one or the other, but not both, in order to get more people to the yard.
 
20avva said:
...At the August 2019 USNA CVW session, of the 150-200 ish candidates who showed up, only 2 attended NASS...
Did you take a poll? That seems like strange and sort of useless data for USNA to hand out to candidates attending a CVW.
no... the supe, during his little presentation, asked for a raise of hands of who attended NASS. I estimated the number of people in the auditorium
 
At the August 2019 USNA CVW session, of the 150-200 ish candidates who showed up, only 2 attended NASS.
NASS/AFASS/SLE is neither a prerequisite for nor a indication of appointment to any academy
My son was on of those two you speak of at August cvw. He has since received an LOA
 
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