BGO's Interview and aftermath

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fifi5

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DS had BGO interview a couple weeks ago. We thought it was supposed to be an interview but was alot more casual. Many good stories of the good old days and learned alot about life after the academy. When it came time to talk about DS it came down to "you could do alot better, you had a B" "nah, that's a waste of time" (leadership thing), "why would you want to do that varsity sport at the academy, you should do ______(blank), everybody makes fun of the sport you are thinking of" Lots of gossip about previous candidates and then lots of talk about "the one" you know, the perfect candidate from way back when. Has anyone had this experience. We appreciate their time so much and loved all the stories but wow, it sucks when someone leaves your home and you look at your awesome kid and go "man! you could be so much better" My kid (like all of yours) has great stats. I hate myself for feeling this way about DS. This process is SO STRESSFUL! Anybody going through this?
 
Don't worry about it too much. The process itself weeds kids out. I know that for USAFA that usually only 2000 candidates are actually qualified (medical physical academic), let along competitive.
 
Not every BGO is completely, totally professional. It happens. Also, BGOs do not (necessarily) know so much about the process, applicant pool, who gets in and who doesn't, the standing of their own pool of candidates etc. Your DS strengthens his position by keeping a cordial and professional relationship with his BGO and providing him with all the information the BGO needs to file his interview report.

As for the stress - hang on, because it's going to feel like a pressure cooker if you take it all to heart. Everyone from here on out is judging your DS. However, your kid is who he is and he has the stats he does. The kids who thrive in a place like USNA are the ones who hear, "You could do a lot better, you had a B" and say, yeah, I could, that's good feedback. They take it as information, not personal judgment, they evaluate the feedback, and they act accordingly. Hang in there.
 
And if you're getting a B at USNA.... You're doing far better than I did in my academy experience! Ha!
 
My Ds had a completely different experience with his BGO. To begin with, the man drove about 40 miles (we live way out in a rural area) on July 4th because my DS was leaving on the 5th for a camp counseling job. I thought this was way above and beyond. Then he spent an hour with my son and asked meaningful questions to make sure it was what DS really wanted, discuss what DS wanted to major in, discuss the physical and time demands, talk about ROTC as an option if he does not get in, and finally gave time for my son's questions. He even was able to discus my son's dream of being an aviator. The experience could have been no better. I think we got lucky to get such a classy BGO.
 
My BGO was casual, I went in a T-shirt and khaki jeans, he told me specifically not to dress up. I live in Seattle, so we're more grungy I guess, and he didn't do anything like this. He asked me questions then talked about life there then showed me a video. This seems really out of character for what a BGO is supposed to do.
 
fifi5 said:
DS had BGO interview a couple weeks ago. We thought it was supposed to be an interview but was alot more casual. Many good stories of the good old days and learned alot about life after the academy. When it came time to talk about DS it came down to "you could do alot better, you had a B" "nah, that's a waste of time" (leadership thing), "why would you want to do that varsity sport at the academy, you should do ______(blank), everybody makes fun of the sport you are thinking of" Lots of gossip about previous candidates and then lots of talk about "the one" you know, the perfect candidate from way back when. Has anyone had this experience. We appreciate their time so much and loved all the stories but wow, it sucks when someone leaves your home and you look at your awesome kid and go "man! you could be so much better" My kid (like all of yours) has great stats. I hate myself for feeling this way about DS. This process is SO STRESSFUL! Anybody going through this?
Click to expand...

BGOs have an area coordinator that should be made aware of any unprofessional behavior. Your DS could reach out to the Admissions Counselor and ask for area coordinator contact info. The conversation could go like this "I apologize if I'm stepping out of bounds here but my interview went like this..." If the BGO's write up is similarly unsuitable the AC could re-interview your DS. Unfortunately there are some knuckle heads out there and their behavior will not change unless the chain of command is aware the behavior needs to change. While the BGO interview is not the be all end all of the process it can help or hurt candidates who may be on the bubble and BGOs should ALWAYS represent USNA professionally.

BGOs can help candidates become more competitive by suggesting areas of improvement but that should not include comparisons to the "water walkers" and guilt about past grades is not helpful.

Great luck.
 
How would DS find out if the interview submitted was favorable or not? Portal says that interview was submitted.
 
Only way is to ask the BGO. They may or may not disclose what they stated in the interview evaluation.
 
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