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  1. MidCakePa

    Current State of the Academy

    Whatever is going on or might be going on -- I strongly suggest that you get multiple perspectives from various sources before making any big judgments or decisions. Remember that this is an anonymous forum. You simply don't know who's on the other side, their credentials, motivations...
  2. MidCakePa

    Nomination Process Experience "Lessons Learned"

    Gaming the system...comes up every year. As @time2 says, it's worth looking at older threads about this. The system of giving different preferences to different MOCs -- three versions, theoretically -- can work just fine if you're really, truly, genuinely open to attending any of the SAs that...
  3. MidCakePa

    I-Day Prep Guide???

    As others have said, less is more. Paperwork, phone, charger, wallet. Compression shorts and sports bras, if so inclined. As for your own running shoes: absolutely, if you can swing it. Go to a reputable running store with knowledgeable people. Have them check your gait and determine your...
  4. MidCakePa

    Naval academy traditions

    Maybe it's too obvious, but is there a USNA tradition that's cooler than noon formation? I know it's not universally loved by mids. I realize it's as much for the tourists and visitors as it is for determining who's present and accounted for. It's still cool. Very cool.
  5. MidCakePa

    I can't stand this forum

    A major reason that I love and appreciate SAF is that it's open to many and myriad opinions. It's the kind of freewheeling, loud, raucous marketplace of ideas that a certain Founding Father and early President deemed so central to the liberal democracy that was created. It's a rich and lively...
  6. MidCakePa

    Applying as an international student?

    Based on the info here, you're not an American citizen but a foreign national. To attend an American SA, you must be a U.S. citizen or apply through your home country's military. A certain number of spots are reserved each year for cadets from allied nations. They're some of the best cadets in...
  7. MidCakePa

    Mr. Speaker !!! The President, of the United States

    What a great story, @Devil Doc. Those days following 9/11 were very different, and I wonder how much of those precautions has carried over to this day. A bit morbid but true: Whenever the President departs or arrives at the South Lawn via Marine One, the White House press corps is escorted out...
  8. MidCakePa

    good EC to take to get in?

    @Rome, best we can tell, you’re not a veteran or alumnus, but an applicant awaiting a decision. So you haven’t earned the right to talk trash about any branch or academy. Save that for when you’re actually a mid or cadet. It’s a matter of respect — a privilege that’s earned.
  9. MidCakePa

    East coast PROTRAMID

    ^^^ Spot-on advice. ^^^ Take advantage of the fact that at USNA, you're surrounded by officers and enlisted from every warfare community. Pick their brains to ensure you get a well-rounded view. Whether you get a dog-and-pony show at PROTRAMID or are left wholly unimpressed, the personnel on...
  10. MidCakePa

    USNA Class of 2028 Waiting and Speculating

    Anytime from when you fulfill the stated conditions until about the middle of April. An LOA assures you of offer of appointment if all conditions are met. But what we've seen here is that it doesn't necessarily assure you of a timely BFE. Of course, YMMV.
  11. MidCakePa

    Loosing Hope 😔

    Heck, if rounds are going downrange and ordnance is falling from the sky, you won't care what school you went to. Heaven forbid that happens.
  12. MidCakePa

    How long?

    Do you have an LOA -- a letter of assurance -- that guarantees offer of appointment as long as all conditions are fulfilled? (An LOE is a letter of encouragement to finish the application. It had no binding effect. Haven't heard of an LOI.) If it's an LOA, sit tight. You'll receive your offer...
  13. MidCakePa

    Application timeline question

    Submit the best application you can, as early as you can. Emphasis on the former. Too often, we see candidates here lamenting or scrambling because they missed important details in their rush to be "early." SA admissions are not "first come, first serve." Other than perhaps getting an earlier...
  14. MidCakePa

    USNA Class of 2028 Waiting and Speculating

    Reinforcing a couple of important points above: First, it's not "rolling admissions" in the sense of "first in, first out." Submitting your application "early" vs. "late" confers no real advantage, nor does it mean you'll get a decision sooner. SA admissions is a complex 7-D jenga game in which...
  15. MidCakePa

    USNA Class of 2028 Waiting and Speculating

    I personally carry a Mastercard. And I've seen the impact and effect of an SA experience. So I'm with those who eschew any dollar figure. I prefer "priceless."
  16. MidCakePa

    USNA Class of 2028 Waiting and Speculating

    This! In the end, no one really knows because it's an amorphous and undefined number. What exactly are you counting -- the actual hard costs? Or are you not counting at all but instead comparing to other high-end institutions -- using them as a reference point? Neither method is right or wrong...
  17. MidCakePa

    Trifecta of SA Football Games

    Been to several Army-Navy games, a couple Navy-AF games, and one Army-AF game. The former is head and shoulders above, in every way possible. The latter two are outstanding in their own right, but just don't reach the level of Army-Navy.
  18. MidCakePa

    Lost my congressional Slate

    @CJP, you've received a lot of spot-on feedback from people who know the straight scoop. Let me boil it down to this: Until and unless you get a TWE, you're in the running. Full stop.
  19. MidCakePa

    Reapplying to USNA (after a turndown)

    @Schoolbuilder, I have some gouge on said team at said academy. PM me if you like, when you're able.
  20. MidCakePa

    Best locks for UHauls?

    Did the U-Haul thing with DD when she went from TBS to MOS school. Got a padlock from Lowe's -- a solid, hefty one that cost about $25. But a padlock won't stop a determined thief with a lock-breaking tool. So the best thing is deterrence. We always parked as close to the front door as...
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