Candidate Visit Weekend

Anyone here doing the CVW on 3/2-3/4? My DS is doing that weekend and we're contemplating making a little weekend out of it ourselves while he's doing that. Is it true the tour they give parents on the Friday is a little better than the standard tour they give out of the visitor's center, i.e. get to see more things?
You get to see a few extra areas and it’s free.
 
Anyone here doing the CVW on 3/2-3/4? My DS is doing that weekend and we're contemplating making a little weekend out of it ourselves while he's doing that. Is it true the tour they give parents on the Friday is a little better than the standard tour they give out of the visitor's center, i.e. get to see more things?

Yes, CVW for parents is MUCH more than just the standard tour. There are multiple parent sessions during the course of the weekend… a Welcome presentation by the Sup, an Admissions presentation, the Center for Academic Excellence presentation, a Midshipmen panel, a Q&A, an Academic Overview/Summer Block presentation, a personalized tour including hearing from professors and visiting simulators, and time to get to know other candidate parents. As well as time to eat in the Yard, visit the Mid store, watch noon formation, and attend sporting events or parades (see calendars).
 
What is free? Is travel such as airfare covered or just don’t have to pay the fee tours likely most other visitors?
 
Unless something has changed, CVWs are not free! The tour given to parents may be free but the cost to attend (travel, hotel for parents if they come) is on the candidate. CVWs are primarily for the candidate. USNA now offers activities for parents -- these are designed to provide info for parents who may not have any idea was a SA is about. In the "old days," parents never came to CVWs. Parents do NOT need to attend if they can't afford to or if they already are very familiar with SAs in general and / or USNA in particular.

Also, NASS is no more "competitive" than CVWs. NASS is primarily designed for candidates who are from schools or geographic areas where USNA has historically been underrepresented. There are standards, but those standards are not the same as for a USNA appointment. So, for example, if you're marginally qualified and from North Dakota, your chances of getting NASS are a lot better than a more highly qualified candidate from northern VA. The fact you are accepted to NASS does not mean you will meet the standards for an appointment (though many do).

The use of CVWs has been greatly expanded. Years ago, CVWs were only offered to candidates who had appointments or were likely to be offered appointments. That's no longer true. Now, CVWs are used to provide exposure to USNA to candidates who were not selected for NASS. Thus, it's rare to be offered both NASS and CVW (though some candidates are offered both). There typically are more CVW slots than there are students who attend.

NASS has a cost component (other than those who are financially unable to pay) as well as cost of transportation. For CVWs, the only cost is transportation. Both are great programs. People debate which is "better." They really are just different. If you're interested in USNA and are offered either program, I highly suggest participating if you're at all able to do so.
 
Thanks for those details. DS received an appointment for Class of 2027. Hasn’t been to the Yard so I reached out to admissions about getting a slot and received some questions back so hoping he gets an invite.
 
There typically are more CVW slots than there are students who attend.
I am sure that I am missing something but I do not understand what this refers to. Most posts on this board have hypothesized that there are many more applicants than there are CVW slots. And by applicants I believe the prior posts were speaking about highly qualified applicants. Am I reading this wrong?
 
What I've heard is that there are typically more available CVW slots that people who can do or want to do CVW. Remember, you don't need to be "highly qualified" to attend CVW. You need to be reasonably well qualified -- just like NASS.

In the "old days," there was no NASS and CVWs were typically offered only to well qualified candidates -- it was generally a signal you were going to be offered an appointment. Now, there's NASS. Many, many more people apply to NASS than there are slots. As a result, lots of qualified and highly qualified candidates aren't accepted to NASS -- often because they live in an area or attend a school where USNA is well known and well represented. To give those folks an opportunity to "experience" USNA, today more CVWs are offered. Thus, being offered a CVW isn't necessarily the "good sign" that it was decades ago. That said, CVW isn't offered to those who are totally unqualified as that would be a waste of everyone's time.
 
Parents . . . here's my strong view. If you are unfamiliar with USNA or SAs and wonder what in the world your child is thinking in applying, attending CVW parent activities is the right thing to do. If you think that your child is much better off at a civilian school (for whatever reason), attending CVW parent activities is probably useful.

If you understand SAs and / or USNA, this is a great time to let your DS/DD attend on his/her own. If you're within driving distance, drive your kid and drop him/her off. If you're flying distance, this is a great time to let your kid fly on his/her own. I think (but could be wrong) that USNA provides shuttle bus service from BWI. We've had relatives from WAY far away (about as far as you can get) attend and did it on their own. In both cases, it was their first time traveling a long distance alone. It was empowering for them and good for the parents (who stayed home) as well to start that separation / birds out of the nest process. ;)
 
Anyone here doing the CVW on 3/2-3/4? My DS is doing that weekend and we're contemplating making a little weekend out of it ourselves while he's doing that. Is it true the tour they give parents on the Friday is a little better than the standard tour they give out of the visitor's center, i.e. get to see more

Unless something has changed, CVWs are not free! The tour given to parents may be free but the cost to attend (travel, hotel for parents if they come) is on the candidate. CVWs are primarily for the candidate. USNA now offers activities for parents -- these are designed to provide info for parents who may not have any idea was a SA is about. In the "old days," parents never came to CVWs. Parents do NOT need to attend if they can't afford to or if they already are very familiar with SAs in general and / or USNA in particular.

Also, NASS is no more "competitive" than CVWs. NASS is primarily designed for candidates who are from schools or geographic areas where USNA has historically been underrepresented. There are standards, but those standards are not the same as for a USNA appointment. So, for example, if you're marginally qualified and from North Dakota, your chances of getting NASS are a lot better than a more highly qualified candidate from northern VA. The fact you are accepted to NASS does not mean you will meet the standards for an appointment (though many do).

The use of CVWs has been greatly expanded. Years ago, CVWs were only offered to candidates who had appointments or were likely to be offered appointments. That's no longer true. Now, CVWs are used to provide exposure to USNA to candidates who were not selected for NASS. Thus, it's rare to be offered both NASS and CVW (though some candidates are offered both). There typically are more CVW slots than there are students who attend.

NASS has a cost component (other than those who are financially unable to pay) as well as cost of transportation. For CVWs, the only cost is transportation. Both are great programs. People debate which is "better." They really are just different. If you're interested in USNA and are offered either program, I highly suggest participating if you're at all able to do so.
DS signed up and paid for a flight himself. Attending CVW 3/2-3/4. Advice on transportation from BWI to USNA and back for minor traveling alone. Are their any documents needed to be signed by parents and can they be signed prior to arrival? Do you recommend a sleeping bag or sheets and blanket? Is it ok to bring a care basket to plebes in charge of your visit? Is there anything allowed or not allowed as a thank you? Obviously, if family member can go, it's a great opportunity, but is there anything significant a parent will miss by not going?
 
Parents . . . here's my strong view. If you are unfamiliar with USNA or SAs and wonder what in the world your child is thinking in applying, attending CVW parent activities is the right thing to do. If you think that your child is much better off at a civilian school (for whatever reason), attending CVW parent activities is probably useful.

If you understand SAs and / or USNA, this is a great time to let your DS/DD attend on his/her own. If you're within driving distance, drive your kid and drop him/her off. If you're flying distance, this is a great time to let your kid fly on his/her own. I think (but could be wrong) that USNA provides shuttle bus service from BWI. We've had relatives from WAY far away (about as far as you can get) attend and did it on their own. In both cases, it was their first time traveling a long distance alone. It was empowering for them and good for the parents (who stayed home) as well to start that separation / birds out of the nest process. ;)
Sent my question before seeing this answer. I have not seen anything on the SA offering transportation for a CVW. DS was planning on an Uber. He is much more comfortable figuring things out and making them work than I am letting him travel over 1,000 and figuring out ground transportation on his own.
 
Advice on transportation from BWI to USNA and back for minor traveling alone.
Uber. When my kid went on a CVW last year I called Admissions asking about shuttle transportation and they recommended Uber. There are plenty of drivers in each direction and it costs about $50. He can probably find someone to share a ride back to BWI during the CVW.
Do you recommend a sleeping bag or sheets and blanket?
Either works. What takes up the least amount of space?
Is it ok to bring a care basket to plebes in charge of your visit?
Absolutely! My kid went in October so he brought a few bags of Halloween candy for the plebes he roomed with.
 
Uber. When my kid went on a CVW last year I called Admissions asking about shuttle transportation and they recommended Uber. There are plenty of drivers in each direction and it costs about $50. He can probably find someone to share a ride back to BWI during the CVW.

Either works. What takes up the least amount of space?

Absolutely! My kid went in October so he brought a few bags of Halloween candy for the plebes he roomed with.
Thank you.
 
This appears to be a closely held secret on this board. I have seen postings that state 60-100 but who knows.
I'd agree on the close to 100 # based on what I saw when we dropped DS off for his CVW Nov 2021 and the number of parents in the information sessions on Friday.
 
A question to anyone whose DS is attending the March 2nd CVW:

Aside from the initial confirmation that you received when you signed up, have you received any other information since? It's less than 2 weeks away and we have not received any communication aside from the initial invitation.
 
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