Cadet for a Day - probably need to cancel

L

LLJ

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Messages
114
My DS is scheduled to go to CFAD Nov 30th. USCGA is his #1 choice and he has applied early admission. He doesn't need this to convince him to go. And, the problem is that there is now a conflict with me. He will have to fly out on Wednesday - for us, its an all day trip. So, it will mean getting a hotel the night before, and car rental - I think, legally, he's too young for either of those (17).

The question: Does anyone here know if cancelling his Cadet for Day will count against him? Is there anyone from admissions on this page? I just don't see how our family can pull this off.

Thanks.
 
As long as you let someone at the Academy know you will not be coming due to family requirements, you will be fine. The only way I see you having a problem was if you just didn't show up.
 
While what DaveJean writes is true, I suggest you contact Admissions. They have been through this before and could have good advice on alternatives to deal with this. There are Sponsor Parents willing to pick them up at the airport, and it is possible they would house him (I can't state that conclusively). Explain your concerns to Admissions and hear what they have to suggest. My son did CFAD, and the impression it made on him was such that he came home and wrote a seven page essay on it (believe me, a rare occurrence). In addition, he is reported up the chain by the cadets he stays with. While my son was living the cadet life in Chase as CFAD, another CAFDer fell asleep in the middle of the evening (not sure what their report said...).
 
LLJ said:
My DS is scheduled to go to CFAD Nov 30th. USCGA is his #1 choice and he has applied early admission. He doesn't need this to convince him to go. And, the problem is that there is now a conflict with me. He will have to fly out on Wednesday - for us, its an all day trip. So, it will mean getting a hotel the night before, and car rental - I think, legally, he's too young for either of those (17).

The question: Does anyone here know if cancelling his Cadet for Day will count against him? Is there anyone from admissions on this page? I just don't see how our family can pull this off.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

This comes up for the other Academies too - hotel and transportation for 17 year olds. Traveling solo can and is done.

There are shuttles between T.F. Green Airport in Providence/Warwick (my favorite) and other area airports; I googled it. They can be booked and prepaid on a credit card.

See these links too:
http://www.uscga.edu/about2.aspx?id=56
http://www.cga.edu/admissions2.aspx?id=6727

Good idea to call Admissions for their advice, especially on lodging.

I recall seeing mentions in other forums, possibly here, of the sponsor family option. Admissions will know.

I was just there on business and stayed at the Holiday Inn in downtown New London; it was awash with CG grads in town for Homecoming reunions. Call the property directly to book and set up credit card charge; I bet they won’t be surprised. It’s a few minutes to Uber over to the Academy a couple of miles away, 2.1 per Google maps.

I always recommend taking advantage of these visits, even if the desire is firm, because the more knowledge, the better. It’s also a confidence-builder to travel as a young adult.
 
I concur with those above, if this is something your son wants to do, contact Admissions. Has your son visited CGA at all? If not, CFAD is the best opportunity to see how the Academy actually works from an academic, military training, and athletic perspective. If he has, CFAD is so much more than a basic tour and much different experience from AIM. CFAD might not be needed to convince him that it's his number one choice, but it offers a prime opportunity for him to see how CGA operates and ask the questions he should have.

A rental car is not necessary and I think that would be the biggest hurdle. If your son flies into Providence, Hartford, Boston, he can take an Amtrak train into New London. Taxis sit right outside the train station and can take him to his hotel. I'm sure the hotel will be able to set up a taxi for him from the hotel to CGA. I highly recommend flying into Providence if you can swing it logistics-wise. It is the easiest airport to travel from (about 45 min to CGA).

If the trip does happen, encourage your son to ask questions outside of the Swab Summer process. So many applicants get hung up on seven weeks out of a four year experience, ask about summer training opportunities, course levels, internship experiences, military commitments, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top