Applying a 3rd time??

USNAHopeful1

USNAHopeful1

USNA 2026 (Plebe-To-Be)
Joined
Mar 19, 2021
Messages
26
For clarification I am a college reapplicant this year but have not been turned down yet. I just find this so similar to last year (the waiting for April 14 for a TWE) that its awful. Out of high school I applied to West Point, USNA, and NROTC. I was fortunate enough to get an offer of appointment to West Point Civil Prep (Similar to Foundation) and the 4-year NROTC scholarship on the same day. After a long time, I realized the Naval service was for me, so I turned down West Point, to a lot of jeers in my high school mind you LOL. I have since been at a 4-year university, blessed to not have to pay a dime. But every day goes by, and I feel hungrier to go to USNA. I understand what a great position I am in, but I can't shake this feeling no matter how many of my fellow MIDN and instructors tell me NROTC is better, USNA is prison, etc..

I jumped in with both feet into college and was spread way to thin. I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering and took too many classes off the bat. I expect a TWE this year because I only achieved a 2.9 GPA for first semester. I have since been able to take harder classes in semester two (Calc II, Physics II, etc) and at midterms now I have a 3.7 (for the semester). I asked my BGO if I should send my midterms in and he said that they wont take them this late, but I feel that GPA locked in my TWE.

In high school I had an extremely good package and do not really know why I did not get in (32 ACT, 4.1 GPA, National NJROTC champion, 11 varsity letters, top 5% BGO interview.). I was never upset because I know everything happens for a reason, but now I more worried because in my opinion last year's application was better and it got turned down.

I just don't know if I should reapply again in case of a TWE. Everyone tells me I would only be two years from commissioning and just to stay in NROTC, but I still feel that USNA is where I want to go. Sorry if this seems like a lot, I guess I just need to get this off my chest to relieve some stress.
 
As someone younger and less experienced than you, I have little real advice. As someone hit with an extremely stressful and overwhelming bit of news today, I understand the feelings of stress and anxiety. Until someone with a few more years of worldly experience comes along, let me be your reminder to keep up faith and perseverance. You got this :)
 
@USNAHopeful1 - you are not alone in this conundrum. Last cycle was a college senior who was accepted to USMA after repeated attempts. you are the only one who can decide this and it comes down to your goals. If the time commitment is not a problem for you, or the risk of being yelled at by younger people who lack the real world experience you have gained along your journey, it can be a great life experience to attend a Service Academy.

There are certainly PRO and CON to either decision. If you simply want to serve - your current path is the fastest route to that outcome. If you have always dreamed of having USNA on the resume - stay the course. For some, they may have critical financial needs to support their family and that drives them to the faster path. For others, they may long to call themselves a USNA graduate at almost any cost....

From where I sit, the experience and education you have gained will benefit you anywhere you go. If that is to USNA, there will be drawbacks but you will likely not struggle in the same way as other direct entry plebes.
 
As of right now you are not out of the race and there is still a chance out there for an appointment.

I applied to the Naval Academy three times and I got in on my last attempt. For me, it was one of the greatest decisions of my life because I truly love it here and I have made the most of this opportunity. However, NROTC was also a great path for me that had its own benefits.

At the end of the day, if you were to get rejected, I say apply again if your heart is in it. It is better to apply and have that opportunity or apply knowing that you gave it one more shot. But as I said, it ain't over to till it's over.

If you want to PM me and talk more feel free to do so. I was in a similar situation as you with lower grades first semester in college and I ended up improving significantly by the time my third application was submitted.
 
If it is something you absolutely must do in your heart and mind, keep trying. As I mentioned in a previous thread, I tried in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021 to direct commission and finally got it this year. Keep improving and keep trying.
 
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Anonymous1211 said:
If it is something you absolutely must do in your heart and mind, keep trying. As I mentioned in a previous threat, I tried in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021 to direct commission and finally got it this year. Keep improving and keep trying.
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Damn!! that is commitment !!! Congrats and my har off to you
 
Anonymous1211 said:
If it is something you absolutely must do in your heart and mind, keep trying. As I mentioned in a previous threat, I tried in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021 to direct commission and finally got it this year. Keep improving and keep trying.
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Do you have a class nickname related to your years on the planet? Don’t reveal it, just let us know you have stature for Grit Personified.
 
I’m a big believer in giving yourself as many good options as possible. I’m also a big believer in making the decision based on the latest facts in hand.

In other words, if you truly can’t get USNA out of your system, then apply( i.e. give yourself options). Then, if offered appointment, make the decision based on your current circumstances (e.g. things may have changed in the several months since you started the application).

Better to have the option of declining an appointment (because you’ve decided to stick with NROTC) than to have no decision to make at all (because you didn’t apply).
 
Anonymous1211 said:
Ma'am,

Lets just say if it wasn't for my particular job in the Army, I would not have been allowed to commission. 😆
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Just glad you made it over the hurdle at last! The Army realized you weren’t going away, finally. A great story to tell at reunions.
 
Capt MJ said:
Just glad you made it over the hurdle at last! The Army realized you weren’t going away, finally. A great story to tell at reunions.
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You wouldn't believe what I had to do this last year. Needless to say, it was my last shot and with nothing to lose, I was making all kinds of phone calls.
 
Thank you all for the comments. I feel this has only solidified my commitment to getting an appointment.
 
USNAHopeful1 said:
Thank you all for the comments. I feel this has only solidified my commitment to getting an appointment.
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I would keep the option of NROTC in the back pocket though, if I were you. Even if USNA is your dream, but becoming a commissioned officer is the endgame - there will be a critical point where the juice may not be worth the squeeze in terms of time invested and outcome. As we say in the medical field, it doesn't matter whether you got a C or an A in whatever class (or what school you attended) after graduation, you're all called doctor. In this case, it doesn't matter if you went OCS or USNA, you're still "sir/ma'am."
 
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I'm in a (somewhat) similar boat. Perhaps not the same, since I'm not in ROTC at the moment, but I have generally made a path for myself outside of the military and will be very successful at what I do if this doesn't work out. However...

I have dreamt of going to the Coast Guard Academy since elementary school and decided to reapply when things didn't go my way the first time around (actually, deferred EA to RD and DoDMERB DQ from 4-year AROTC scholarship, leading younger and stupider me to pull my CGA app to commit to serving in AmeriCorps). Now that I'm back in college, I still feel like I'm missing something. Sure, could I graduate in a year and go to OCS and commission? Yes. Would I end up with the exact same Ensign insignia as graduates from the Academy? Yes. But would I have the same experience as being a Cadet? No.

Quite frankly, the place I'm at for school right now isn't very exciting and I don't feel like I'm getting much out of it. I definitely don't have a sense of belonging and sort of punch in and punch out, despite outperforming my peers. Could a service academy provide the environment that I'm looking for? Probably.

In short, I look at it as: what am I missing by not going to the Coast Guard Academy? Of course, in the end, it's about the commission and the military service, but I'm probably less likely to do that if I just graduate with my degree from my civilian college than if I end up at CGA. But I see it as being driven for more in life, achieving my full potential, and making some lifelong friendships along the way. My advice would be to examine why you still desire to attend USNA and, if the extended time in college/getting yelled at by people your age or younger/putting up with slower plebe peers/etc, seems like an appropriate price to pay for that desire, then do it. The application is free, after all.

As a final note, to echo others...don't give up hope yet. It ain't over 'til it's over, and I'm hoping all the best for you.
 
"Don't Give Up The Ship"

My story is kinda similar to yours. I got rejected in high school with great stats, but came into college during COVID and had an abysmal first year. At the end of my first year of college I had a 2.05 GPA, was on academic suspension for a self plagiarism accusation, and had to retake Calc 2 TWICE (mix of bad math background and an absent professor). I knew that I would likely get turned down again this year, but I still pushed forward. Between the end of last year and now, I managed to bring my GPA up to a 2.8, pass Calc 2 with B (not a lot but a victory for me), become a senior NCO in my class (I go to a military college, only Army here though), came close to maxxing out my CFA, and was able to be cleared of the plagiarism charge. In the end I did get another turn down, but since I am not in NROTC, I do plan on reapplying again next year. If you know USNA is where you want to be, take your losses in stride. Every TWE is a chance to improve. I wish you the best of luck in this cycle but should you receive a TWE, I highly reccomend calling your regional coordinator and doing an after action review of your application. Looking back, although I regret how my first year went, the cleanup of it accelerated my maturity in a huge way, and I'm thankful for the experiences gained because of it. Good luck and beat Army.
 
It's a tough question -- and the below assumes you will get a turndown. Hopefully, you won't and the following will all be moot.

It's my personal opinion that getting an appt becomes incrementally harder each year you reapply. Why? If someone knocks it out of the park taking plebe classes as a college freshman, USNA may think to themselves: Hmm, maybe we made a "mistake" last year or This person has really bloomed in college.

If the person doesn't knock it out of the park -- has a middling to good (but not exceptional) freshman year, it sort of reinforces USNA's view. Fast forward another year later, there has to be almost a sea change to overcome that first year + h.s. To be clear, the foregoing is MY opinion; it is NOT to my knowledge USNA policy, but human beings think a certain way and the above tends to be how they think.

Nonetheless, there are some candidates who absolutely are successful on their third -- or even fourth -- try.

Being brutally honest, two things to consider. First, can you show USNA that you are a demonstrably better candidate by the end of Dec. 2022 (next cycle) than you were at the end of Dec. 2021 (this cycle)? What have you done / can you do to change their minds from turndown to acceptance?

Second, is it really worth it? Do you really want to spend 6 years in college (though some might be in a masters program). Yes, USNA is great. NROTC also produces exceptional officers.

I don't ever want to quash someone's dreams nor do I ever want to encourage someone to give up. However, I also believe that, if you hit your head against a concrete wall over and over, your head starts to hurt. The wall doesn't move. So maybe you go around the wall instead. It may be that God or fate or whatever you think determines your path has set NROTC as your path to a commission -- and that is definitely not a bad thing. Maybe it is the right path for you.

Best of luck this year and in whatever you decide for next year (should you need to decide).
 
I concur with USNA1985. Candidates need to contact Admissions after the cycle is over to determine what area they need to improve on. For some, it may be that their record was strong but not enough spots were available in the class and to continue to work hard and perform well in college classes; for others, there might be specific items they need to work on; and for a few others there might be hurdles so high, that admissions might be an extreme long shot (i.e. student who didn't do well in HS STEM courses and then continues to struggle in college STEM courses - probably very hard to get an appointment). An HONEST conversation needs to be had with USNA Admissions. Years ago, I had a fairly well-rounded candidate, earned a "C" in HS chemistry and then earned a "C" again in college chemistry (found out after first semester grades and completion of BGO interview) - I spoke with admissions and those two "Cs" (combined) really held back that candidate's appointment chances and eventually they were turned down. As stated many times on this board, if you struggle with STEM courses in high school and don't hit a grand slam in college, you are swimming up a roaring stream. Something to consider for those multi-time re-applicants.
 
usnabgo08 said:
I concur with USNA1985. Candidates need to contact Admissions after the cycle is over to determine what area they need to improve on. For some, it may be that their record was strong but not enough spots were available in the class and to continue to work hard and perform well in college classes; for others, there might be specific items they need to work on; and for a few others there might be hurdles so high, that admissions might be an extreme long shot (i.e. student who didn't do well in HS STEM courses and then continues to struggle in college STEM courses - probably very hard to get an appointment). An HONEST conversation needs to be had with USNA Admissions. Years ago, I had a fairly well-rounded candidate, earned a "C" in HS chemistry and then earned a "C" again in college chemistry (found out after first semester grades and completion of BGO interview) - I spoke with admissions and those two "Cs" (combined) really held back that candidate's appointment chances and eventually they were turned down. As stated many times on this board, if you struggle with STEM courses in high school and don't hit a grand slam in college, you are swimming up a roaring stream. Something to consider for those multi-time re-applicants.
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So true. The STEM classes are an equalizer for sure. A tough challenge for those who don’t have a natural apptitude for that curriculum. And to be fair, a difficult path for those that have the aptitude. Our DS chose a major and minor that have provided a full schedule and many challenges. Being prepared for that repertoire is key.
 
Anonymous121 said:
If it is something you absolutely must do in your heart and mind, keep trying. As I mentioned in a previous thread, I tried in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021 to direct commission and finally got it this year. Keep improving and keep trying.
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at 29 years old?
 
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