BGO not assigned?

U

USMC Crayons

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Does it strike any of the experts present as weird that DS does not have a BGO assigned in the portal yet? He started his application as soon as he was assigned a candidate number back in the early summer and still nothing. Application is almost complete, scores have been sent, recommendations, etc. etc. Starting to be a little concerned because we hear about people that have already done a BGO interview and DODMERB. BGO block in the portal seems to indicate "don't call us, we will call you".

TIA
 
Each state's Area Coordinator assigns students/applicants to the appropriately located BGO. Your AC may be out, there are changes in these volunteer positions and sometimes things fall through the cracks in transitions.

Or, you can do as the wise A1Janitor said, and jump on the chat widget.
 
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Heatherg21 said:
Each state's Area Coordinator assigns students/applicants to the appropriately located BGO. Your AC may be out, there are changes in these volunteer positions and sometimes things fall through the cracks in transitions.

Your Area Coordinator is listed on USNA website. Their contact email is there as well.

Or, you can do as the wise A1Janitor said, and jump on the chat widget.
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Thanks, we will reach out to admissions. Portal actually says not to contact the AC. DS was at CVW last weekend and he is spooked because kids are way farther along than he is, and he can't really do much about it.
 
USMC Crayons said:
Thanks, we will reach out to admissions. Portal actually says not to contact the AC. DS was at CVW last weekend and he is spooked because kids are way farther along than he is, and he can't really do much about it.
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That's good to know. Admissions it is then. DS has lots of time. Deep breaths. Control what he can. A quality application received on January 30 will be evaluated by admissions just as much as one received on 15 October. I hope he had a great experience at CVW. I edited my comment to remove reference to AC contact to align with portal instructions. Thank you!
 
USMC Crayons said:
Does it strike any of the experts present as weird that DS does not have a BGO assigned in the portal yet? He started his application as soon as he was assigned a candidate number back in the early summer and still nothing. Application is almost complete, scores have been sent, recommendations, etc. etc. Starting to be a little concerned because we hear about people that have already done a BGO interview and DODMERB. BGO block in the portal seems to indicate "don't call us, we will call you".

TIA
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My DS sent his admissions officer an email about not having a BGO assigned. Within the week he had a BGO and by the next week his interview was done. Have your DS reach out to admissions.
 
DD had her BGO interview in November. She saw it as a positive. Gave her time to practice and prepare.

Don’t worry about it. Every worthy candidate gets a BGO interview. Most appointment decisions won’t be made until March and April. There’s plenty of time.
 
MidCakePa said:
DD had her BGO interview in November. She saw it as a positive. Gave her time to practice and prepare.

Don’t worry about it. Every worthy candidate gets a BGO interview. Most appointment decisions won’t be made until March and April. There’s plenty of time.
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Minor correction- USNA wants all candidates to get a BGO interview. We are advised to do the interview at any point in the process. We don’t have to wait until a candidate is 50% done. A candidate going to the board without an interview on file is not viewed as a circumstance USNA wants to have occur.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Minor correction- USNA wants all candidates to get a BGO interview. We are advised to do the interview at any point in the process. We don’t have to wait until a candidate is 50% done. A candidate going to the board without an interview on file is not viewed as a circumstance USNA wants to have occur.
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How frequently the board meets and how many files do the go over at each meeting?
 
mike1979 said:
How frequently the board meets and how many files do the go over at each meeting?
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Once a week, once the board starts convening (which should either have already started or will start soon), however, how many packages go in front of a board is up to admissions and that information isn’t released to BGOs and my speculation is it fluctuates throughout the year.

As stated in previous posts, the board only determines “scholastic” (Admissions Board) qualification and that status isn’t released to anyone outside of admissions…so it is likely to be a bit of time…possibly all the way until April 15…until an actual admissions decision is made. Every year similar questions come up with folks trying to figure out when their package will be through the board…not worth the time speculating or re-visiting statistics/queueing theory (packages don’t necessarily go in front of the board in a perfectly sequential queue). Once the application has been submitted and verified complete by admissions…find a lot of other distracting activities and other obligations, as it will be a wait.
 
Every BGO handles interviews slightly different. The area I live in, we have plenty of BGOs. I will get my list, introduce myself, encourage them to work on their apps and check in. If I have someone that is clearly on the path to completion I will get their interview done sooner than later. Every year I have 1-2 kids who might open an app and then do little to nothing. I will go above and beyond to make myself available to answer questions or to assist, but if they aren’t going to do anything, I am not wasting my time either. The next city over has very few BGOs. They will not interview any applicant until 75% done. They have 2 BGOs trying to balance 50+ kids. ACs do a good job of staying on top of situations and ensuring BGOs do their job. In the extreme rare instance, the lack of a BGO interview will not stop a candidate from being reviewed. But, before it gets to that point an AC and admissions officer would be involved.
 
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Thanks, we will reach out to admissions. Portal actually says not to contact the AC. DS was at CVW last weekend and he is spooked because kids are way farther along than he is, and he can't really do much about it.
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The ONLY item of your DS's application that directly involves the BGO is the BGO interview. One item out of roughly 10. Thus, if other kids "are way farther along," that tells me your DS hasn't completed the other items. So he needs to get busy.

I totally agree with NavyHoops. I don't want to interview candidates until they've turned in at least some items over which they have control (essay, CFA, activities record, transcript, etc.). It always amazes me that candidates want the BGO to conduct an interview before they've done anything themselves. I can almost guarantee that, if DS is more than 75% done with the other items in the package, a BGO will contact him.

There is also PLENTY of time. The application deadline is Jan. 31. It's only mid-September. While I'm not suggesting anyone wait until the last minute, many successful applicants complete their packages in October, November and December. Finally, if DS needs a MOC nom, most of those decisions aren't made until December. So, for most candidates, finishing their application now isn't going to speed up the overall process. I'm NOT suggesting candidates put off completing their applications . . . but not being finished on Sep. 15 is not a huge deal.
 
One of the inherited benefits of finishing applications earlier is that this is yet another item that don’t need to be looked at during the fall. Where it would go on top of other college applications, school, sports, EC, etc
 
usna1985 said:
The ONLY item of your DS's application that directly involves the BGO is the BGO interview. One item out of roughly 10. Thus, if other kids "are way farther along," that tells me your DS hasn't completed the other items. So he needs to get busy.

I totally agree with NavyHoops. I don't want to interview candidates until they've turned in at least some items over which they have control (essay, CFA, activities record, transcript, etc.). It always amazes me that candidates want the BGO to conduct an interview before they've done anything themselves. I can almost guarantee that, if DS is more than 75% done with the other items in the package, a BGO will contact him.

There is also PLENTY of time. The application deadline is Jan. 31. It's only mid-September. While I'm not suggesting anyone wait until the last minute, many successful applicants complete their packages in October, November and December. Finally, if DS needs a MOC nom, most of those decisions aren't made until December. So, for most candidates, finishing their application now isn't going to speed up the overall process. I'm NOT suggesting candidates put off completing their applications . . . but not being finished on Sep. 15 is not a huge deal.
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The only items not completed are:
1. BGO Interview
2. CFA (he needs the BGO to assist with this)
3. Medical Exam
4. Nomination

Call me crazy, but a BGO should at least be assigned at this point.
 
One question -- regarding LOAs -- West Point needs an interview (either at SLE or by FFR) --- how about USNA ? Is BGO interview required for considering LOA ?
 
No, my kid had his BGO interview as one of the requirements listed to be complete for satisfying his LOA (which he already had done, but wasn't recorded yet).
 
Concur with Hoops and '85 - I don't do my interviews until they show "substantial progress"....the meaning varies, particularly the last couple years when BGIS is not always reflecting the actual status. The official guidance is an interview is "late" if not completed before the Application is done, and Admissions sends Area Coordinator's a delinquency list, my goal is to stay off the dink list !

With respect to OP concern about no BGO assigned. This is not something to be concerned about -- DS is not being forgotten or ignored or falling behind. It's another change in the BGIS system this year ... most students are automatically assigned a BGO based upon BGO school assignments (ie. BGO's have school assignments, and if the Candidate goes to a school where a BGO is assigned, its automatic). In the past, if a school doesn't have an assigned BGO (and many don't , especially in those states covering a wide area with only a few BGO's), that Candidate was automatically assigned to the Area Coordinator, who would then reassign to a specific BGO based on geography/workload balance, etc. However, I saw a notice a few weeks ago that indicated this wasn't happening automatically as it did in the past, so Candidates who do not attend a school with an assigned BGO are not showing up on the Area Coordinator's BGIS, so he /she cannot asssign a BGO. Admissions is checking the system from time to time to look for Candidates with no assigned BGO, but this is a manual process at this point so I recommend reaching out to your Admissions Counselor and asking for an assignment.
 
WestCoastRefugee said:
The only items not completed are:
1. BGO Interview
2. CFA (he needs the BGO to assist with this)
3. Medical Exam
4. Nomination

Call me crazy, but a BGO should at least be assigned at this point.
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There are many options for CFA test administrator, see excerpted text below from usna.edu. I would say from what I see posted here on SAF, the majority of candidates do not use the BGO. No reason to not get on with the CFA. If for some reason a HS PE teacher or coach refuses to do it, active duty full-time commissioned officers can be found at local Reserve Centers (all services), National Guard armories, college ROTC units. Another HS in the area might have a JROTC unit. Great opportunity for your DS to solve this on his own, do the research, asking and follow-up. Most military members are willling to help young applicants trying to meet an entrance requirement, as long as they are professionally and appreciatively approached, are provided all CFA information in advance, and it’s not a last-minute flail. Note the BGO is listed last.

Your son should already have done the research on test location and be prepared to gather any needed test material.

From usna.edu:
The CFA MUST be administered by a high school/prep school physical education teacher, a coach, a current JROTC instructor, an active duty commissioned officer, or the candidate's Blue and Gold Officer.
 
Capt MJ said:
There are many options for CFA test administrator, see excerpted text below from usna.edu. I would say from what I see posted here on SAF, the majority of candidates do not use the BGO. No reason to not get on with the CFA. If for some reason a HS PE teacher or coach refuses to do it, active duty full-time commissioned officers can be found at local Reserve Centers (all services), National Guard armories, college ROTC units. Another HS in the area might have a JROTC unit. Great opportunity for your DS to solve this on his own, do the research, asking and follow-up. Most military members are willling to help young applicants trying to meet an entrance requirement, as long as they are professionally and appreciatively approached, are provided all CFA information in advance, and it’s not a last-minute flail. Note the BGO is listed last.

Your son should already have done the research on test location and be prepared to gather any needed test material.

From usna.edu:
The CFA MUST be administered by a high school/prep school physical education teacher, a coach, a current JROTC instructor, an active duty commissioned officer, or the candidate's Blue and Gold Officer.
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Following.
 
The only items not completed are:
1. BGO Interview
2. CFA (he needs the BGO to assist with this)
3. Medical Exam
4. Nomination

Call me crazy, but a BGO should at least be assigned at this point.
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If DS only has these items remaining, he's not at all behind in the overall scheme. It's doubtful that anyone has a nom other than those who are eligible for Presidential noms. And the invitation to the medical exam is handled by the SA.

I echo CAPT MJ on the CFA. MOST BGOs don't administer them. It's really tough for BGOs to map out an exact mile and most don't have time to do CFAs for each of their candidates. Most candidates use a h.s. coach or PE teacher. Some schools may ask everyone applying to a SA to test on the same day(s). CAPT MJ points out other valid options.

DS should definitely reach out to Admissions on the BGO issue, letting them know that he's completed everything else within his control, other than the CFA.
 
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