Anyone else still waiting out there?

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VonFritz said:
BOA,
I know your frustration! Last year we didn't hear anything from anyone! We finally called our RC to get the skinny. He told us that our son's file was being considered for a athletic recruit slot! Good News, right? An hour later we received an email, from someone we never heard of, stating that they were unable to find a slot for my son! He was officially "QNS" at that point! What a ride of emotions in a couple of hours! Thinking that he had a great shot as a recruited athlete, and then getting his legs cut out from beneath him....ouch!

Thats why the NWL should now be cut down to 50 slots. Out of the 50, maybe 25-30 have a shot. Why keep everyone else in limbo when they do not realistically have a shot (this year)!:wink:
Click to expand...

Ditto on frustrating !!!! The communication process is subpar.

Also not helping matters is that this years class, more than others over last few years, is paying for the sins off excess enrollment and low attrition.
 
RockyB,

I believe the reduction of the class size this year was due to the extremely low attrition rate for the class of 2015, the reducing of the size of the Army, and budget cuts.


The "official size" of the class of 2016 has changed several times this year due to the factors listed above. This has been a "moving target".

Remember that the info you get from Field Force people and Admissions Officers is the best information they have AT THE TIME but situations change - welcome to the Army.
 
I'd say that the extremely low attrition rate for classes of 2014 and 2015 speak highly of the caliber of the cadets at the academy.

When we get past commitment day in August, we'll have another data point reinforcing this point.
 
I wonder what the reason for the low attrition is these days? Back in my day they literally told you "Look to your left and look to your right; one of three of you won't be here on graduation day." Those #s were pretty accurate from what I remember.

My guess is the "hazing" isn't quite what it used to be. Ah... the Corps has!
 
I know of two kids that left West Point number 1 reason they did not want that in the first place there parents did. I never ever did that to my son and never would. It is his college years I had mine and it is his choice entirely. Trust me some schools most kids would do anything to go to wanted him last year and when he turned them down. I was thinking you are crazy. In the end the decison has to be his. All I care is he gets a degree can be happy in what he does and makes enough to support his family .
 
We see these threads yearly, with complaints about how the "communication stinks" and West Point "should really let us know X, Y, and Z by now" and so forth.

West Point doesn't owe you anything besides a "yes" or a "no." That includes having no responsibility for allaying your fears and anxiety about whether or not you're getting in. The RCs are as busy as can be and they work for institution which owes you nothing more than an opportunity to apply as an American citizen. If you have gotten this far, be thankful.

I understand everyone wants to know and is hoping fervently for acceptance. That is a hard pill to swallow...sit and wait. That, however, is reality. West Point does not owe you a blow by blow accounting of every step of your application or a realtime ticker of the odds of acceptance for any one candidate at any one time.

At midnight on April 30, those who haven't accepted their offers will lose them. A select few will receive an offer after that.

Continuing to gripe because little Johnny or Suzy hasn't heard yet does nothing, and the endless merry-go-round of complaining gets tiresome quickly and is insulting to the RCs who work feverishly and the Field Force members (like yours truly, BigNick, and others) who give up night after night of our time to help someone else's kids get accepted to the college of their dreams. Every parent has a little Johnny or Suzy and they all want the same answers. Sometimes that isn't feasible.

Squat and hold, airborne. Your answer will come. It may not be what you liked, but it will come.
 
Scout,
You put just the it needs to be said . It is not easy when your kid is waiting but you know what with those emails they are not calling asking what came in the mail as the have 3 monutes to make it to the next class. They can relax for 2 weeks and look forward maybe to plan B. Gosh these are just kids we are talking about. There entire life jshould not revolve around where they go to school. Also I have had nothing but good communication I have to call for my son as he is so busy at school he leaves home at 5 am gets done at 6pm almost everyday and admissions has been nothing but understanding why I call. My son does not get time to even eat. He now has football starting soon and his days will be longer . Take pride in your kids and by the way to make it this far should be seen as an honor not a failure.
 
billyb said:
I wonder what the reason for the low attrition is these days? Back in my day they literally told you "Look to your left and look to your right; one of three of you won't be here on graduation day." Those #s were pretty accurate from what I remember.

My guess is the "hazing" isn't quite what it used to be. Ah... the Corps has!
Click to expand...

Haha! Well, I've read different theories on that:

-Economic crisis = free education is more highly valued;
-Better FFR/MALO work.
 
scoutpilot said:
We see these threads yearly, with complaints about how the "communication stinks" and West Point "should really let us know X, Y, and Z by now" and so forth.

West Point doesn't owe you anything besides a "yes" or a "no." That includes having no responsibility for allaying your fears and anxiety about whether or not you're getting in. The RCs are as busy as can be and they work for institution which owes you nothing more than an opportunity to apply as an American citizen. If you have gotten this far, be thankful.

I understand everyone wants to know and is hoping fervently for acceptance. That is a hard pill to swallow...sit and wait. That, however, is reality. West Point does not owe you a blow by blow accounting of every step of your application or a realtime ticker of the odds of acceptance for any one candidate at any one time.

At midnight on April 30, those who haven't accepted their offers will lose them. A select few will receive an offer after that.

Continuing to gripe because little Johnny or Suzy hasn't heard yet does nothing, and the endless merry-go-round of complaining gets tiresome quickly and is insulting to the RCs who work feverishly and the Field Force members (like yours truly, BigNick, and others) who give up night after night of our time to help someone else's kids get accepted to the college of their dreams. Every parent has a little Johnny or Suzy and they all want the same answers. Sometimes that isn't feasible.

Squat and hold, airborne. Your answer will come. It may not be what you liked, but it will come.
Click to expand...

:thumb::thumb:
 
Looks like the pressure is not only affecting parents and candidates but also scoutpilot and buff81! Its a rough wait for a lot of us! While I agree there is nothing to do but wait, you have sympathize with those in the que! For all intents and purposes they are in the dark! Many started this process 8-10 months ago, only to wait and wait and wait! Don't be condescending and say that WP owes you nothing! It will only inflame an already touchy subject!
 
Now you've gone and done it VonFritz. You are about to feel the wrath of _______________. (fill in the blank)

I like your name BTW.
 
VonFritz said:
Looks like the pressure is not only affecting parents and candidates but also scoutpilot and buff81! Its a rough wait for a lot of us! While I agree there is nothing to do but wait, you have sympathize with those in the que! For all intents and purposes they are in the dark! Many started this process 8-10 months ago, only to wait and wait and wait! Don't be condescending and say that WP owes you nothing! It will only inflame an already touchy subject!
Click to expand...

Telling the truth is not condescending. It's reality. WP owes a yes or no to each candidate. Each will receive that. Why everyone thinks WP owes an endless amount of information to applicants that would not be offered by Harvard or State U admissions is beyond me. In that regard, WP owes you nothing beyond a decision. I have no problem sympathizing with anxiety. What I don't care for is people acting as though WP is somehow failing to give them what they believe they're owed.

As for pressure, we (the FFRs) just have to do our jobs. We act as a conduit as best we can and interview candidates. West Point does the hard work. They choose who's best for the Army. We just sacrifice time.
 
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I fully understand the pressure on people waiting to hear from West Point. I went through that last year with my son (Class of 2015).
I assure you we are trying to give you the best information we have.

One problem - the system has MANY variables. It is not unusual to get some information directly from an officer in Admissions and that information not being true one-week later. For example, I have received information about the "official size of the Class of 2016" about 4 times this year. Decisions made by the DOD, Army, budget people, West Point etc. cause the situation to change over time.

As mentioned by several people , the class is essentially filled but there will be openings created by people declining their appointments, people getting into trouble in school or with the police, injuries that can not be resolved by Beast Barracks.

The Admissions people are working long hours every night to resolve the final issues. They want to get the class set as soon as possible. In my opinion, 95+% of the class is set and people notified and accepted. However, in early May there will be a number of new offers. I am told that within 3 weeks the class will be 99+% set.

Another Theory about the low attrition rate:

I am a WP grad (many years ago) and taught Math at WP for 4 years. I also have a son in the Class of 2015. I have visited WP several times this year plus I work in the Field Force.

I DO NOT think that the "Corps Has" but there have been some significant changes. These views are completely my opinions and not based on any research, study, poll, questionaire etc

1. The Plebe system is not nearly as hard as it was 20 years ago. I think this is a good thing. The old system was too severe and lasted too long.

2. The "old" attitude was that it was up to the Cadet to show that he/she deserved to stay at WP. Of course there was concern and help for the Cadets but basically it was up to the Cadet to continue to earn his status as a Cadet. Now, the entire WP community does everything possible to keep the Cadets at WP. Cadets are routinely given second and third chances to be successful - in the old days many of these Cadets would have been seperated from the Academy. I think this is a good thing if not taken to the extreme.

3. There is more emphsis on academics and less emphasis on military dicipline. I also agree with this trend. This makes things a little more bearable for the Cadets. In my day you seldom saw hats being worn improperly, trousers too long or short, sun glasses in formation, people out of step at parades etc.

I am sure this is controversial. I believe these changes are positive and that West Point is a better institution than when I attended.
 
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ADD # 4 TO MY NOTE ABOVE.
4.The selection process is better. I was on the selection committee years ago. The procedures used today are more extensive and more valid. As a result, a very high percentage of the New Cadets are likely to be successful. Of course, the current system is not perfect.
 
With our DS, he went from hearing he was very close to getting an LOA back in October, to having a remedial DODMERB issue, to becoming 3Q'ed, to finding out he didn't get the primary nomination and thinking Plan B was the way to go with an ROTC scholarship, to being offered an AoG sponsorship and is now set to go to Marion Military Institute.

Yeah, and by May 1 that could change again( slight possibility, but it still exists.)


I agree with Scout Pilot's sentiment. Every single bit of communication with West Point and our liasons has been ABOVE BOARD and OBJECTIVE. I do not feel we have been mislead in any way. They hold the futures of many young men and women in their hands and recognize the gravity of the situation.

I would add that the DS or DD should have SOLID plan B and C schools lined out. It alleviates the stress tremendously. It has been an unbelievable ride and no roller coaster out there comes remotely close to the highs and lows you feel at different times. Another thing we told our DS( and ourselves) is " Never stop preparing...for whatever comes your way, and never kill an avenue of opportunity because it wasn't your first choice." A month ago, we didn't even know what AoG was...I'm just saying to keep preparing and stay after your dream.
 
FlyBoy1993 said:
With our DS, he went from hearing he was very close to getting an LOA back in October, to having a remedial DODMERB issue, to becoming 3Q'ed, to finding out he didn't get the primary nomination and thinking Plan B was the way to go with an ROTC scholarship, to being offered an AoG sponsorship and is now set to go to Marion Military Institute.
Click to expand...

FlyBoy1993 - I'm going to send you a PM in just a few minutes regarding Marion Military Institute...DS received notification that he was awarded a USNA Foundation scholarship last Sunday!!!:shake: and now are looking for any and all info and asking questions . Congratulations to your DS!!! Awesome opportunity!!!
 
I share BigNick's opinion; having attended West Point also long ago and having a DD in the Class of 2015, I just want to add that I think the academic and especially the physical aspects have been emphasized and the mental "hazing" is now almost nonexistent (and that is for the better).

On the other hand, there is always room for improvement to any system. I personally have no axe to grind - I think the selection process is outstanding. I do commiserate with those who will not be offered an appointment given the current and future projected needs of the Army. Having a plan B or C is the key. If someone has a constructive suggestion about how the process can be improved, why not voice it here. My humble opinion.
 
My son who is currently in ROTC was asked some a question today that he asked me not to post directly but, can Rotc have news before you?
 
scoutpilot said:
We see these threads yearly, with complaints about how the "communication stinks" and West Point "should really let us know X, Y, and Z by now" and so forth.

West Point doesn't owe you anything besides a "yes" or a "no." That includes having no responsibility for allaying your fears and anxiety about whether or not you're getting in. The RCs are as busy as can be and they work for institution which owes you nothing more than an opportunity to apply as an American citizen. If you have gotten this far, be thankful.

I understand everyone wants to know and is hoping fervently for acceptance. That is a hard pill to swallow...sit and wait. That, however, is reality. West Point does not owe you a blow by blow accounting of every step of your application or a realtime ticker of the odds of acceptance for any one candidate at any one time.

At midnight on April 30, those who haven't accepted their offers will lose them. A select few will receive an offer after that.

Continuing to gripe because little Johnny or Suzy hasn't heard yet does nothing, and the endless merry-go-round of complaining gets tiresome quickly and is insulting to the RCs who work feverishly and the Field Force members (like yours truly, BigNick, and others) who give up night after night of our time to help someone else's kids get accepted to the college of their dreams. Every parent has a little Johnny or Suzy and they all want the same answers. Sometimes that isn't feasible.

Squat and hold, airborne. Your answer will come. It may not be what you liked, but it will come.
Click to expand...
. Really hope.you are not a past present or future represemtative of our military. WP owes everything to these kids especially a courtesy of a reply
 
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