Advice welcome

[truenorth]

This thread is about where the line is between candidates solely managing their affairs with Admissions and parents stepping in to help. Case in point:

DS' status is "Complete Pending Review." However, his HS transcript has since been updated and sent to USNA but his profile only reflects the original. The updates to his transcript are significant.

I am concerned that a decision may be made on his file without full info, and have been after him to call Admissions to confirm they have it. Email to his BGO went unanswered. Same for his Admissions counselor. He doesn't want to call the office directly and risk being perceived as a pest and "ruin my chances." My observation that his outreach demonstrates motivation falls on seemingly deaf ears.

Up until this point, we have been insistent that he leads and we follow. Yours truly has been biting his tongue and resisting the urge just to pick up the phone and follow up on this myself - and just get it done.

From reading this forum, I am aware that other parents have no second thoughts about intervening. Yet, something is telling me to be patient. On the other hand, I worry.

Ugh. Advice please.

Signed,
Frustrated

 

[Sam2018]

Personally I would not call myself if he is home at times when he can, but I would strongly encourage that he does. My DS is home for a bit in the afternoons before he leaves again so he can make those calls himself. But with his older sibling, she was out the door by 615am and did not come home until after 7pm. In that case I might call because that child would not be able to do it themselves. I would see my position as one of personal secretary.

 

[LongAgoPlebe]

Your son needs to know that updating information that will be used to make a decision about his file is not "being a pest." I'm on my college's admissions committee and we expect updates to transcripts, activities files, awards (etc.) throughout the fall and spring semesters. I admire his tact, but we don't see applicants as pests at all. No one will be a stronger advocate for DS than DS himself.

Please show this to your son, if you like.

 

[murfthesurf]

If he (or you) 'insist' on a confirmation, he should make the call, NOT you !! If it was sent in, it got there. Unfortunately, the updated transcript will NOT be reflected as "updated" in his portal. (My DS updated his Activities and grades twice, last year.)

Welcome to the long and arduous admissions process of the USNA! Stuff like this won't stop driving you nuts until about the end of April when he will know if he is in or not.

To decrease any worry, please realize that Package Reviews and selections are not done on First In First Out (FIFO) basis, and besides, Admissions has just started,

USNA does not just pick a Class from the 'best' applications that get in First. Not at all !

A USNA Class is 'built and shaped' because Admissions selects applicants to meet mission requirements. You would be shocked to how many applicants with unweighted 4.0 GPAs are not selected. There is a ‘secrete sauce’ that is unique to each SA. This SA ‘secrete sauce’ is a mixture of many variables that have been tried, tested and adjusted, over dozens of decades. Like the other SAs, the USNA Admissions ‘secrete sauce’ ingredients are procured from the mounds of data collected from the previous Classes.

 

[Capt MJ]

Millennials occasionally need to be reassured that this is routine administrative business, and that the 19th c. telephone in its live voice mode, while perhaps not their preferred comms channel, is still very much a primary and accepted means of having a business conversation.

If an amount of time has elapsed between submission and posting to online profile, and other comms have gone unanswered, then a phone call to Admissions, IMO, should be fine. Admissions is the epicenter of a data storm of thousands of applications, and their focus is accuracy with as much speed that allows that.

The "amount of time," in my have-no-Magic-8-Ball view, is less than 30 days but more than two weeks.

If your DD can take time over lunch or when he might normally be texting or doing other activities on his phone or laptop during the day, he should make the call. He can always make a few notes on what he wants to ask or script it out. A courteous, respectful and appreciative candidate should have no problem having a converation with Admissions staff who field these calls as part of their regular duties. It's good practice for adult professional conversations.

Edit: and after reading above, I had a thought confirmed that online profile info may not necessarily reflect additional info.

 

[Dadof2]

Up until this point, we have been insistent that he leads and we follow

From reading this forum, I am aware that other parents have no second thoughts about intervening.

My opinion, having had a DD and DS apply to USNA and ROTC scholarships in the last two years, is that your DS needs to own this process, including making any follow up phone calls or emails needed. I think it's fine for a parent to ask questions about the status of things and help to define milestones and even remind them of milestones. I think it's also a good thing if DS comes to you for advice and you give your opinion and guidance. To be successful at a SA or even any regular civilian college, they will need to learn to research requirements, set priorities, meet deadlines and generally be responsible for their own performance.

So, I think you are doing the right thing by reminding but stopping short of taking over, as tough as that can be. I think it's a good opportunity to discuss how competitive this process is and how it's up to him to give himself the best chance for success. It will look good for him to be seen as taking the initiative with followups and it won't look as good for him if you are the one following up.

Good luck

 

[Swag]

Just a thought...I know they have extremely busy schedules especially when they are in school all day. My DS has been able to go into the guidance office, college admissions directors office, or whoever has a quiet room to make an important call.

 

[NavyHoops]

Nearly every kid has a cell phone. Even if they leave at 6:15 and don't come home until 7, they can go to their counselors office, car, or classroom and make the necessary phone calls. If the update was sent in over 30 days ago, I would definitely have him call. I am a 100% proponent of an applicant filling out every single line of every document, making every phone call and owning this 100%. Sure they might not know about that surgery they had at 3 or the asthma they had at 6. That is part of the conversation an applicant should be having to understand their past medical history as they move to be the primary person responsible for their healthcare. Part of this process is to learn how to make professional phone calls, have conversations that are maybe not so pleasant and doing what is asked within the requested timelines. No one will hold their hand once they get to USNA, and into the operating forces, to make sure they apply for VGEP on time, get their brigade application packages in on time, or summer intern application done on time.

 

[ktnatalk]

If it was sent more then two/three weeks ago I recommend DS calling admissions if he hasn't heard back via email from AC. Being proactive to confirm it was received is important - how many hands touched it since it was dropped off at the post office?

I called TheN*Face warranty dept yesterday asking the status of my backpacks sent in from their store for repair four weeks ago - they never received it! After confirming with the store and shipping company the rep called me back and declared they were lost (and asked me to pick new ones from their website). While it may be rare, mistakes/human errors do happen and it is up to those who care enough to follow up and to make sure - nothing is wrong with "trust but verify", especially it is his future we are talking about!