A Plug for ONR-SEAP

[Ted&Gladys]

This advice will only apply to a small portion of potential USNA applicants, but is still worth tossing out there, I think.

Every year the Office of Naval Research sponsors a Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (ONR-SEAP, for short) for high school students. Here’s the link:

https://seap.asee.org/

Applications are usually due in November for spots the following summer, so the program needs to be on a student’s radar late sophomore/early junior year. There are about 25-30 sponsoring labs across the country but competition is intense; this year nearly 5000 applications for about 250-300 spots. ONR-SEAP is open to all STEM-interested high school students regardless of whether they are interested in a Service Academy.

DD (appointee USNA 2020) was awarded a SEAP internship last summer and it seemed to be a “golden ticket” not only for USNA but the civilian colleges to which she applied. She ended up with a letter from the Department of the Navy recommending her to USNA, her MoC nominating sources, plus her civilian colleges. Being honest, getting an appointment to USNA seemed effortless after DD had the SEAP experience (and that letter) even though we live in an intensely competitive state. The internship can last over multiple summers, and DD would be heading back to the same lab this summer were she not reporting on I-day.

For those of you who live near one of those ONR labs, ONR-SEAP is definitely worth exploring. It’s an enriching summer experience and a great way to learn about Naval technologies.

 

[time2]

No single activity is a 'golden ticket' to a USNA appointment. If you enjoy doing something that is fine, but I wouldn't do something just to increase your chances when you don't even know how this counts (since it is a paid internship), if at all.

 

[ktnatalk]

Thank you for sharing, @Ted&Gladys. Congratulations to your DD to be selected for SEAP, did well there, and then her appointed to USNA!

@time2, while I normally agree with similar assessment like yours, I believe this particular one is different. @Ted&Gladys is actually sharing DD's unique experience: not only she got to learn a lot in a DoN Lab, my guess is she did very well and earned the letter. Her appointment post says she received her LOA on 4 September. She may have received her LOA directly from the Dean of Admission and possibly the Superintendent during CVW. My guess is they actually told her how much they like her participation in SEAP. That is probably one of the earliest LOAs which makes the rest of the process seems so easy!

 

[time2]

My comments relate more to others who are perhaps new to this forum. LOA's are issued for wide variety of reasons and no one except those who work in admissions can say why someone got one. Assuming that SEAP participation alone resulted in an LOA and therefore an appointment is jumping to conclusions.

Getting an LOA is no guarantee of how other parts of the process such as getting a NOM might go.

 

[tman9285]

This advice will only apply to a small portion of potential USNA applicants, but is still worth tossing out there, I think.

Every year the Office of Naval Research sponsors a Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (ONR-SEAP, for short) for high school students. Here’s the link:

https://seap.asee.org/

Applications are usually due in November for spots the following summer, so the program needs to be on a student’s radar late sophomore/early junior year. There are about 25-30 sponsoring labs across the country but competition is intense; this year nearly 5000 applications for about 250-300 spots. ONR-SEAP is open to all STEM-interested high school students regardless of whether they are interested in a Service Academy.

DD (appointee USNA 2020) was awarded a SEAP internship last summer and it seemed to be a “golden ticket” not only for USNA but the civilian colleges to which she applied. She ended up with a letter from the Department of the Navy recommending her to USNA, her MoC nominating sources, plus her civilian colleges. Being honest, getting an appointment to USNA seemed effortless after DD had the SEAP experience (and that letter) even though we live in an intensely competitive state. The internship can last over multiple summers, and DD would be heading back to the same lab this summer were she not reporting on I-day.

For those of you who live near one of those ONR labs, ONR-SEAP is definitely worth exploring. It’s an enriching summer experience and a great way to learn about Naval technologies.

Where might I find the acceptance stats for SEAP? I was a SEAP last summer and I'm curious to see how much of a "bragging point" so to speak SEAP is for colleges. My apologies, this seems really late.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

Great story ..but one data point doesn't make a trend, or a policy. The take away is that OP DS was selected, participated , and did well in the program, and got an appointment to USNA. Perhaps she met and impressed the right people, or perhaps she was particularly well qualified and would have gotten in anyway. Times' admonition that there is no "golden ticket" is correct.. There are alot of variables in the admissions process, and if there is one constant it is do participate and excel in whatever you are interested in -- trying to emulate the path someone else took might work, or might result in disappointment.