BGO Frustration

G-Man'sMom

G-Man'sMom

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2017
Messages
101
Feeling a little frustrated and trying hard to be patient with the BGO. I know they have lives and graciously volunteer for this job. DS contacted the BGO in May to introduce himself and was told it was too early in the process to talk to him. Understood; no problem. DS contacted him again in July to say that he had completed the application except for the interview. Got essentially the same response. Contacted the BGO again in August to let him know the school schedule (hoping to have everything completed before the onslaught of senior year) and got no response at all. Still waiting for the interview, the last piece of the puzzle. Suggestions on how to proceed? Give it more time? Call admissions? Need some advice. Thank you!
 
There is a Area Coordnator for each area that the BGOs report to. Have him reach out to the Area Coordinator. I would reach out one more time to the BGO now that it is September and ask how to schedule an interview. Give them a week or so to respond before reaching out to the AC.
 
Last edited:
Agree with Hoops. Reach out to BGO in mid-September, perhaps, to allow things to settle from Labor Day. This is the time of year when lives get back to normal after weird summer schedules.
 
I would also copy the CGO on any emails until things settle. Once DS did that and the CGO replied to all (after 4 emails going unanswered), the ball is rolling.
 
There are a million reasons why the BGO might not respond. I know in my area we did a mass switch of schools among BGOs early in the summer. I know in my area we have tons of BGOs but our sister area has 1. They choose to wait until the app is complete before interviewing. It helps to cut down on the number or interviews they conduct. They do communicate with the candidates if questions arise. Some BGOs are retired and have plenty of free time. I am the third youngest BGO for my area which means I work full time and have a life. Emails should not go unanswered, that is unacceptable. If a BGO says it's 'too early' the next question should be 'when would you like me to contact you again?' CGOs monitor all this and can see if an interview needs to be conducted and if its submission is late.
 
Really should contact the area coordinator first....one of their jobs is to make sure that BGO interviews are being conducted. I would try to resolve the issue at this level before contacting the Admissions Office. A list of Area Coordinators is posted here: https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/BGO/index.php. Candidate applications will go to the Admissions Board if the BGO interview isn't conducted within a specified timeframe...so I would not lose sleep if every other aspect of the application is completed (including CFA/DODMERB).
 
Understand the frustration and there really is no excuse for it. Posters above have given some reasons (change of BGO school assignments, vacation, etc.). But your BGO should have at least responded. That said, this is only the first week of September . . . there is PLENTY of time for this all to work out.

I might try one more time with your BGO this week now that summer is over. If still no response within one week, agree with above posters that DS should reach out to the Area Coordinator. Be professional . . . "I'm a candidate . . . have had my application complete since July other than BGO interview . . . have tried to reach my BGO several times without success . . . am very excited about my application . . . would like to get interview done this month if at all possible . . ." But be sure you really are 100% complete, including CFA. In my book, medical need not be complete but you should have at least attended the exam.

If your packet is 100% complete, pretty soon the AC will get a list of those who are complete and need interviews. That typically triggers the AC to f/u with the BGOs and, if necessary, reassign candidates so the interviews get done. This process won't happen immediately, but will eventually. And, as BGO08 notes, even if the interview is never done, your record will eventually be reviewed without it.
 
Many thanks to all for the sound advice! I will tell DS to wait until later in the month, be patient, and hope for contact with the BGO. I don't want him to jump the gun, so to speak. If the BGO has not made contact by the start of October, then I will pass along the information about contacting the area coordinator. I appreciate the guidance!
 
I understand your frustration but get used to waiting. The BGO will get to your son.
The BGO will get the interview completed. Have PATIENCE! This is the military. You need to be flexible to their schedule.
I would hesitate on calling admissions.
 
FYI, the Area Coordinator is not exactly USNA Admissions. Like the BGO, the AC is a volunteer -- the AC serves as the coordinator for a region of BGOs. The AC assigns BGOs to schools, oversees BGO participation in college fairs, helps oversee the OPINFO program in his/her region, and is also a resource for BGOs -- among other tasks. In some sense, the AC is the "supervisor" of BGOs, but since this is a volunteer program not a business, it's not an exact description -- "coordinator" is probably the better term. The AC helps sort out issues like "disappearing BGOs" so Admissions doesn't have to deal with them.

Contacting the AC shouldn't be the first solution to every BGO issue -- candidates should try to work things out on their own. But if repeated attempts over time fail, the AC is the right place to go next.
 
Thank you for the clarification. I told DS to be PATIENT!! If he wants to be in the military, he has to learn the concept of "hurry up and wait." HA HA!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top