Applying to Summer Seminar before studying abroad?

[lotsofbooks]

Hi! My d. is a Naval Sea Cadet and loves the program. Their summers are filled with wonderful opportunities ---(called advanced trainings) that they need to do for promotions. One of them is the Summer Seminar, and the Sea Cadets actually reimburse you the tution (not airfare)if you complete it successfully (after your junior year) (Next year for her)

However she's decided she wants to study abroad starting towards the end of her senior year (possibly southern hemisphere) She doesn't want to miss her sports eligibility or cut short her Sea Cadet experience either.
As she's been partially homeschooled we can delay her graduation until after she returns from study abroad (where she'll enroll in a foreign high school)

However at this point she would be eligibile to go to the summer seminar next summer, even though we will be delaying her HS graduation. Would this somehow be a problem? I've noticed that people are getting their candidates kits that fall, and she would be really not ready to apply due to her leaving the country. She might be considering applying for when she comes back (don't know at this point) but she definitely wants to go to SS.

Would attending SS and not graduating on time be somehow misleading and make you look bad? It's just that the foreign schools won't accept you if you already have a HS diploma---and she wants the immersion and homestay experience plus attending school in that country. And she doesn't want to cut short her own HS experiences, either, so she's going as an 18 y.o. (not as many country choices, but she's happy with a couple of them)

She already has studied other languages (one for 9 years) so she's not lacking--but she's good in them, and younger is always better to learn languages!

So--should she take advantage of the opportunity to do NASS?

Or should the spots be for kids applying that fall? Thanks!

 

[usna2012mom]

Does she have any interest at all in attending USNA? If she already knows what she wants and it does not involve the Navy, then I would say don't apply when many students are trying to visit a school they hope to attend.
If she is considering applying to USNA, then SS is a great idea. Applying to a service academy is very involved. Not only do you apply to the school, you also apply for a nomination via your members of Congress.
If she does go to the academy, she will be reporting July 1 after senior year. She will need to be back in the US with a diploma.
Applications for SS are accepted on or about 1 Feb. She has time to do her research and decide what is best.

 

[1964BGO]

A major part of USNA entering classes did not participate in NASS for some reason, non-selection, non-application, schedule confilicts, etc. NASS is great for young people who are on the fence about USNA as an opportunity to get to know more about the school, speak with midshipmen, and get a better sense of what plebe year is about and so on. It is not mandatory and in some cases it could be detriment. NASS is a great program within the constraints of the time and space available, especially if there are questions/ concerns about compatibility with a prospects college objectives. Help your daughter evaluate her interest and needs and proceed accordingly. Best wishes.

 

[lotsofbooks]

Thanks for your thoughts! My older d. is a SA grad, she didn't attend any summer seminars. She was a recruited athlete and took two recruiting trips to two academies and picked one. The recruiting trips were just for a weekend. She thought her academy expererience (including the first summer) was better than sliced bread Obviously she's going to sell this to her sister. I must add, she's now a very happy officer! Younger got to go to PWs, attend classes, etc. Wasn't going to send her to SS for that academy-since she went 4 times. Was more looking at the idea of giving her another option, since this one probably won't be a recruited athlete.


The summer sea cadet programs have been fun beyond her wildest dreams, so it may be better to just have her do those and not bother with SS. (she gets a travel budget for the summer, and so SS would mean one less sea cadet training. Thanks for helping me make up my mind!!!