Admissions opinion on turning down another SA for USNA? Help!

[hopefulpilot11]

Some context: I was a USNA applicant to the class of ‘27 but was turned down about a week and a half ago. I have a solid plan to activate my NROTC scholarship at Auburn and reapply for the c/o ‘28 after working on weak points of my application, however I just received a direct entry waitlist to USAFA. USNA is my dream school and has been since I was 13. I applied for USAFA as a backup, but throughout my senior decided the Navy was where I wanted to be so I intend to decline my spot on the waitlist. I understand that accepting USAFA in hopes of a transfer to Navy is not the way to go. Besides, I’d miss out on all the fun Plebe year at Navy if I transferred.

My dilemma is I have no idea how this will look when USNA admissions received my package next year. Would this decision show a lack of commitment to the academies or prove my commitment to a naval career?

Another point was brought up was accept the waitlist in hopes of an appointment to USAFA ‘27 to turn down but use for my resume next year. To me, this seems like cheating the system and not very honorable.

I intend to call admissions about it when they are less busy but I know there is a lot of wisdom and knowledge on these forums so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[justdoit19]

You don’t need to call admissions. What would you even say to them? Ask the same question as you did here?

It’s pretty simple to me. If you don’t want to serve in the USAF, then don’t accept. Don’t accept bc it is a resume booster for USNA, bc it’s not. Accepting and declining is not a resume booster.

And don’t accept thinking you will transfer from USAFA to USNA as that’s not a sure thing. Or even a probable scenario.

If you only want Navy, the NROTC route is the way to go, imo. And if you want to reapply to USNA, then you also have opened up another nominating source for next year.

Maybe I missed something, but that’s what I would recommend, based upon your post. But I wouldn’t call admissions, asking this same question (maybe you are seeking other info??). They won’t be able to tell you what to do.

 

[OldRetSWO]

My dilemma is I have no idea how this will look when USNA admissions received my package next year. Would this decision show a lack of commitment to the academies or prove my commitment to a naval career?

Another point was brought up was accept the waitlist in hopes of an appointment to USAFA ‘27 to turn down but use for my resume next year. To me, this seems like cheating the system and not very honorable.

I intend to call admissions about it when they are less busy but I know there is a lot of wisdom and knowledge on these forums so any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Turning down the USAFA "27" waitlist will not negatively affect your application for USNA "28". If you were ambivalent toward
eventual service then I'd say to accept the waitlist but if you really and truly want to be a Naval Officer then go and do NROTC. You
can decide whether or not to reapply later.

 

[davy1dave]

Remember, SA is just 4 years of your life and even more succinct, you're going to have close to the same quality of education at any of the SA's. The main difference is what they are training you for after college and that's the decision you should make. Think where you want to spend your career because that's who you're stuck with after you graduate.

 

[dddad]

I understand that accepting USAFA in hopes of a transfer to Navy is not the way to go. Besides, I’d miss out on all the fun Plebe year at Navy if I transferred.

For clarity, you can't transfer from USAFA to USNA. You would be a college re-applicant trying to reapply to USNA with a year of USAFA under your belt - or just a short time. And, if you were admitted to USNA, you'd do a Plebe Summer and Plebe Year there as if you had not gone through something similar at USAFA. And, you would be at USNA for the full 4 years.

So, you wouldn't miss out on the fun of Plebe Year.

 

[MidCakePa]

Through DD’s four years at USNA, I met a lot of mids and learned about a lot of different routes to becoming a midshipman. But the one route I never heard was starting at another SA and ending up at USNA. Does it happen? Perhaps. But don’t think you’ll be applying to USNA from a position of strength.

First, how will you explain this desired move in your application statement and in the BGO interview? That can be tricky and you may come off slippery, flaky or fickle.

Second, what about references or recommendation statements from college professors? Imagine asking someone at USAFA to vouch for you in your USNA application.

If you go to USAFA, do so with the full intention of becoming an AF officer. If you’re seeing it as merely a stepping stone to USNA, I’d say your focus, priorities, time and energy are all misplaced.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

what’s the worst that can happen by turning down the USAFA?

You end up never being admitted to the USNA nor attending a SA of any kind but instead graduate ROTC.

Personally I think the most important thing is going to a school where you can end up getting as close to the perfect job as you can after graduation.

IMO don’t worry about being happy with a particular service for a full career. Most never come close to a full career

Worry about getting the right job for you in the 5-7 years after graduation.

Take that from a former sailor who served with the navy and the marines——happiness is finding the right job for you.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

Besides, I’d miss out on all the fun Plebe year at Navy if I transferred.

For clarity, you can't transfer from USAFA to USNA. You would be a college re-applicant trying to reapply to USNA with a year of USAFA under your belt - or just a short time

But the one route I never heard was starting at another SA and ending up at USNA. Does it happen?

1) Navy doesn't know or care about USAFA waitlist. You could mention that you were offered waitlist for USAFA but turned it down because your heart is set on Navy in your application next year, but it wouldn't swing the needle very far either way, if at all.

2) There is no such thing as a "transfer" --everyone starts as a PLEBE. Technically, there is nothing stopping a Midshipman/Cadet at one Service Academy from applying to for Admission to another, but there have been past threads here on SAF which are pretty clear that likelihood of success is extremely low since the Services don't want to cannibalize each other --it doesn't make much sense for one service to go to the expense of training someone to have them jump ship for another. (Yes , I know we are all on the same team, but that's not how the Services when it comes to budgets .

3) There are very few absolutes ...I don't anyway can say that a change of Service Academies has never happened ... I suspect if you dug into the USNA archives you could find and exception, but its pretty safe to say that attending USAFA as a strategy to gain admission to USNA is not a good life choice.

 

[Alchemist]

NROTC is the route to go and reapply - highest probability of acceptance next year - IMHO.

 

[hopefulpilot11]

1) Navy doesn't know or care about USAFA waitlist. You could mention that you were offered waitlist for USAFA but turned it down because your heart is set on Navy in your application next year, but it wouldn't swing the needle very far either way, if at all.

2) There is no such thing as a "transfer" --everyone starts as a PLEBE. Technically, there is nothing stopping a Midshipman/Cadet at one Service Academy from applying to for Admission to another, but there have been past threads here on SAF which are pretty clear that likelihood of success is extremely low since the Services don't want to cannibalize each other --it doesn't make much sense for one service to go to the expense of training someone to have them jump ship for another. (Yes , I know we are all on the same team, but that's not how the Services when it comes to budgets .

3) There are very few absolutes ...I don't anyway can say that a change of Service Academies has never happened ... I suspect if you dug into the USNA archives you could find and exception, but its pretty safe to say that attending USAFA as a strategy to gain admission to USNA is not a good life choice.

My bad. I thought I had heard something about a transfer, which I agree seemed weird. I probably just misinterpreted it. But I definitely agree, it's not something I would want to follow through with. Anyways, thank you all for the advice, it was very much appreciated and just the reaffirmation and wisdom I needed. I intend to pursue my NROTC scholarship at Auburn and reapplying to the class of '28 at USNA.