Waiting 2020

My son only applied to USNA - not multiple SAs if that matters. I suspect he would have done well applying to them as well.
 
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I had nothing to do with his 99 unweighted average in high school, graduating with the highest weighted average ever from the school.

His achievements are his achievements.

He is my DNA though. ;)
 
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TexasAggie204 said:
It matters...
Any civilian universities? ROTC scholarship apps?
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He applied to SUNY Binghamton on his own. His older sister is graduating from there this year after three years. That was his only second choice. He would have only needed 1 year and a half for a bachelor degree - he already earned his associate in math and science before he graduated high school - would have applied to law school when he was 20. Not a bad second option - being a lawyer at 23.

MIT, half the IVYs, and a few other good schools were interested in him. He chose not to apply.

He applied for no ROTC scholarships. It was USNA or bust.
 
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LOL I am a snowflake?

LMAO Like I said earlier, my son said everyone at USNA is as smart as he is.

Every parent is as proud of their kids as I am. My son’s accomplishments earned him appointment. Just like the other 1100 students.
 
My brother-in-law constantly says, “No good deed goes unpunished.” So true in this case. @THParent wrote a thoughtful post that should serve any candidate — and their parents — very well. Having been through the process with DD, I can say his advice is spot-on. Though he did preface it by saying it’s his “opinion” (though no doubt shared by many who’ve also been through it all).

Can’t agree enough about two points: Read deeply and broadly all the stickies that cover the obvious questions (and yes, they’re updated as needed), as well as the evergreen topics that are well covered. And parents, beware how you — whether consciously or unconsciously — pass your stress on to your kids.
 
Complete misunderstanding @Old Navy BGO !

I just have to come back down here to let you know that you are assuming far too many negative things - as with oftentimes happens on a public forum of thousands of strangers interracting with each other, all with their own opinions, etc...

  • I estimate I have spent well over 30 hours reading every sticky on every forum, even the ones not for USNA

  • I am very grateful for this forum! It has been an invaluable source of information and ease during this (very short) college application season for my very special snowflake ;). I would like to take this moment to extend a very grateful thank you to the moderators who have handled and maintained the thousands of snowflake parents (I guess this would include me now, too ??) swarming on this site, year after year, each more entitled than the last year's group. What a job!!! This leads me to my next point......

  • After paying domain renewal fees for "serviceacademyforums.com" every year, I am prrreeettttyy sure the site is monitized (See the ad on the top of the page?) Hopefully all moderators are receiveing some kind of reisdual income from every click and the high traffic patterns around this time of year from the SA applicants/visitors. I would very gladly donate to the site, as I consider it a type of subscription of very worthy information, at least during this brief season in our family's life.

  • In response to @PT Doc about me wanting to be a "spoon fed" snowflake, in my time as first a middle school, then a high school libriarian it literally was my job is to teach kids how to not be spoonfed information on the internet. One must not only evaluate the source of data out there, but also the age of it. Data expires! If you have a minute to spare ( I gave at least 1,800 minutes reading them) look at the dates of the site "stickeys" ....some go back over 13 YEARS, so yes, in my particular line of work, knowing data does expire, that would make me take pause to 'ask fresh'.

  • Search engines are only as good as the data going in to them... if you ask the 'wrong' question, you will very likely get the 'wrong' information. If you do not know the 'magic word' to use, then you will not get the answer you are seaching for. This will happen until a user becomes more familiar with the language of the subject (another shout out to the awesome Acronym list)

  • If any moderators are reading this, is it possible for questions to be vetted before members are allowed to post to the site? Would it be more work? Yes and not....This may save you time in the long run to not have to (redundantly) answer the same qeustion over and over? I don't know, but it did occur to me as a possible solution.

  • Have a great day and a wonderful weekend! You are appreciated @Old Navy BGO
 
So, I'll weigh in on this discussion. This forum is an outstanding resource. I have two kids at service academies with the third applying now. We relied heavily on SAF for guidance throughout the years. The admissions landscape seems to change every year. What was relevant one year may not be as important for the next. Very few understand how the selection process truly works. One of my kids received an early nod with marginal stats, and the other had to wait until the very end of the process with near-perfect stats (no LOA). The third has average stats and is "waiting." This uncertainty is why repeat questions should be welcomed; they may be asked in slightly different ways with more probative value for given issues. Attorneys do it all the time to overcome objections..."let me rephrase" or "I'll come at it from a different angle."

Yes, we all think that our kid is a great candidate, and those of us who have been through the process know how great the other candidates competing against them are too. It's OK to compare your candidates against others and feel more strongly about yours. That's the essence of parental advocacy. The academies do it. They rack and stack, and so can you. When the dust settles though, we are all brothers and sisters in arms.

I don't have a problem with any post unless it's insulting or contains no positive value, then I will motion for a Moderator. I never liked the term "Helicopter Parent" because it is ill-defined. Yes, I flew helicopters in flight school, so I'm a "helicopter" dad. I'm also involved in my kids' education and decision-making, because I have 29 years of service. Being closely involved in their lives has given me good insight into their passion and desire to serve. In this competitive environment, being "hands off" is ill-advised. One definition of a leader is helping others to achieve, including your DD or DS. So as far as helicopter parents go, we should not be hovering right over our kids, but they should definitely feel our rotor wash ;)
 
Wading back in to clarify some misconceptions. I had not intention of opening up such a huge can of worms, I was simply reacting to the characterization of parents and candidates in the OP.

I stand by my "parents expected to be a part of this process" statement. This came to me directly from the FFR who came to our home and required me to be a part of an interview. This was repeated in phone conversations that took place earlier this year where I was required to be a part of the phone calls (I am assuming because he was a minor but might be just the policy). I was told things that I needed to do to support my child, including getting more involved in the process. I was told to request (and subsequently pay for) all medical records from multiple different offices through the years. I was encouraged to set up appointments and visit specialists to clear up ambiguities and irregularities in past medical history going back to their first year of life. The advice here on this site is for a parent to sit beside child while filling out the medical questionnaire. The FFR told me the same. That is parent involvement that is not typical for a college application, and I had no idea was necessary. The FFR also told me to play catch up and start reading up on this process, including telling me about this site. He fully expected parents to take an involved roll and said so. I had to take off of work to accompany my child to the medical exam as he was still a minor, and again for the eye exam. I had to take off of work to drive my child to MOC interviews hours from our home. I will be repeating this again for additional interviews. I am trying to figure out the logistics of a visit to the academy for an overnight. Is the expectations that a just 18 year old would be able to arrange the travel and logistics to a far away academy, perhaps. Do I take off work still more days to attend or send them alone? Those are the questions that we come here to answer only to hear that we are considered enablers and if our child can't figure this out then they are not academy material. There are more tests, more activities, more specific recommendations, more interviews, more essays, and different timelines for this appointment than any civilian university and no one in my circle of family or friends who has ever been through it. This is not a complaint or issue but a simple explanation about why I might be on this forum trying to make sense of the expectations and timelines. Again, for the people in the back, this is not a complaint or and indication that my child can't cut it, but the reason that I am here. I am assuming this is the purpose of this forum. This forum is filled with parents who are part of the process.

In no way does the fact that my just turned 18yo needed support in these areas indicate that they are a snowflake or unable to do for themselves in high school or at a service academy as has been implied. They certainly can follow directions and compete at an extremely high level. I imagine that anyone competitive for an academy is competent to follow directions. Part of this direction following is that I am involved and there is an expectation of parental involvement and support so for people on here to call that into question makes me wonder how their child made it through. This entire process was started and is being completed by my child. I would be thrilled if they had never stepped foot on this path and had stuck with the traditional college path like siblings and friends. I am not and have never been involved in homework or activities beyond being a spectator or driver. I work, I have other children, I keep the house running. I am not involved in the college application process for this child or my older beyond paying for the application and a final review of applications and then of course paying the bills. We are all here to get information. I am not easily offended but this entire thread struck a nerve as so many assumptions are made and so much posturing.
 
Well said by both "Dad" and "trying"...

Of course we help our children with something so important (and complicated). Of course we do!
 
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@tryingmybest .... I am glad to see that you are back.

Yes .... it is good that parents weigh-in and critique what their kid is writing and submitting, what DoDMERB boxes are being checked, and so on. These kids are under a lot pressure to get X number of applications done, and a SA application is not something anyone should do Quick and Dirty.

The candidates should also reach out to their teachers for guidance as well. I remember our daughter using her 11th grade English teacher a lot for this as she bonded with her so well, and this teacher knew about the extreme length of the SA application process. This teacher critiqued all her essays and resume material. God Bless her.

Most 17/18 year olds are not as patient as we are. They learn best from someone who has a steady hand, and a slow delivery.

The tortoise always wins.
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Dr. Strange Love said:
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@tryingmybest .... I am glad to see that you are back.

Yes .... it is good that parents weigh-in and critique what their kid is writing and submitting, what DoDMERB boxes are being checked, and so on. These kids are under a lot pressure to get X number of applications done, and a SA application is not something anyone should do Quick and Dirty.

The candidates should also reach out to their teachers for guidance as well. I remember our daughter using her 11th grade English teacher a lot for this as she bonded with her so well, and this teacher knew about the extreme length of the SA application process. This teacher critiqued all her essays and resume material. God Bless her.

Most 17/18 year olds are not as patient as we are. They learn best from someone who has a steady hand, and a slow delivery.

The tortoise always wins.
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That is an excellent point - my son did work a lot with his guidance counselor and principal - and his English teacher.
 
Hopeful Plebe Mom said:
After paying domain renewal fees for "serviceacademyforums.com" every year, I am prrreeettttyy sure the site is monitized (See the ad on the top of the page?)
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What domain renewal fees are you paying and to whom? Are you sure these aren't charges from your internet provider? I've never paid a fee to access this forum... ever. Also, what ad are you talking about? The only thing I see at the top of a page is the Service Academy Forums banner which takes me to the home page if I click on it? Is it possible some other web site is tracking you and putting up these ads somehow? Again, I've never seen an ad when accessing this site.
 
tryingmybest said:
I am trying to figure out the logistics of a visit to the academy for an overnight. Is the expectations that a just 18 year old would be able to arrange the travel and logistics to a far away academy, perhaps. Do I take off work still more days to attend or send them alone?
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Arrange it no. Actually travel alone and get to USNA, yes. We live close enough that we drove him down for NASS but a couple of months after that, my son was going to accompany me at a Navy related conference/convention but could not travel when I did due to school so after school a couple of days after I arrived, he flew from the East Coast to a West Coast conf with a short layover in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, his inbound plane was late into Las Vegas and he missed his connection which was the last flight of the night so at 17 years old, he was stranded in Sin City. . .

HE LOVED IT

He called me when his plane left and when I told him to ask the airline for a hotel voucher, he already had done so and was waiting in line to get it. He stayed where they sent him (on the strip) and ate using the vouchers that they provided. He was aboard the first plane out in the morning and I think that he liked his detour in Vegas almost as much as the F/A-18 simulators and talking to a wide variety of Naval Aviators that he got to do at the conference.

Do I think that every 17 year old could do this? Probably not but maybe more of them then some people think. During his summers at USNA, he spent part of two different summer leaves hoping around Europe with a couple of mid buddies and all had a great time. I generally knew what city they were in but they arranged absolutely everything by themselves.
 
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