CGAS Prep School

[Swimmom816]

Hello, I just received an offer to be a part of the CGAS program and would love to ask a few questions to your daughter. My email is 16jpark16@gmail.com. If you could send me her contact info, I'd really appreciate it!

Congratulations on your CGAS appointment!

 

[Swimmom816]

Hi, my DS is a basketball recruit and just got appointed to CGAS. My email is mikehlc@gmail.com if your daughter has time to shoot me her contact info. My older DD is in her last year at the CGA, but she was direct appointment and not a recruited athlete, so her path to CGA was different.

Congratulations on your son's CGAS appointment!

 

[USN/USCGMamaBear]

My DD got her CGAS appointment a couple of months ago. She is eager to make contact with other CGAS appointees to start building relationships and connections. We are in KY. Please PM me to exchange contact information. Congrats to everyone who got both CGAS and direct appointments!

 

[Mikehlc]

FYI…info from DODMERB contractor as of today:

“This means your file is complete with us. DODMERB now reviews and will make a decision. They are approx. 1.5 months behind. If you need to contact them call 800-841-2706.”

 

[Capt MJ]

Here's a dumb question.

If you get selected to go to prep school is it 100% paid for by the federal government?

Also, if you don't get into the academy next year I assume the credits transfer to another school so you wouldn't repeat freshman year??

The question about college credit can be answered at the primary source below.

CGAS - United States Coast Guard Academy

Coast Guard Academy Scholars Program The Coast Guard Academy recognizes that not every prospective cadet emerges from high school prepared for the academic, military and athletic demands of the Academy. The Scholars Program is designed to develop the necessary foundation for success as an...

uscga.edu

 

[2026CGA]

Have any prepsters made a group chat yet? If so shoot me a message, I'd love to join

 

[HopefulBearMom27]

For RA, when do prep school offers tend to come out? Curious if it's closer to the end of the cycle or historically are the offers made anytime a candidate is deemed qualified for CGAS?

 

[ProudMom7]

For RA, when do prep school offers tend to come out? Curious if it's closer to the end of the cycle or historically are the offers made anytime a candidate is deemed qualified for CGAS?

CGAS offers come out around the same time as offers to CGA. They don't announce those all at the end of the cycle. They consider applicants for CGAS during the evaluation process.

 

[USN/USCGMamaBear]

Have any prepsters made a group chat yet? If so shoot me a message, I'd love to join

A few prepsters have a group text thread going. PM me and we’ll exchange numbers. 😊

 

[AJUHDG]

If any CGA prep parents have questions, I’m happy to help. My kid is currently at GMC. ☺️

 

[USN/USCGMamaBear]

If any CGA prep parents have questions, I’m happy to help. My kid is currently at GMC. ☺️

Do you happen to remember around when prep schools were assigned and what time the CGAS swearing in was on the Monday drop off at CGA? We are trying to book flights and hotels well in advance. To play it safe we will probably plan on return flight of Tuesday or later.

 

[cbasalt1]

Have any prepsters made a group chat yet? If so shoot me a message, I'd love to join

A few prepsters have a group text thread going. PM me and we’ll exchange numbers.

Do you happen to remember around when prep schools were assigned and what time the CGAS swearing in was on the Monday drop off at CGA? We are trying to book flights and hotels well in advance. To play it safe we will probably plan on return flight of Tuesday or later.

Why don't the current Prep selects make a thread like the appointment one for their offers, date received, and institution assigned. USMAPS and NAPS have them and even though its at a few different schools USCGA prep is no less worthy!

 

[USN/USCGMamaBear]

Why don't the current Prep selects make a thread like the appointment one for their offers, date received, and institution assigned. USMAPS and NAPS have them and even though its at a few different schools USCGA prep is no less worthy!

 

[USN/USCGMamaBear]

I think that kind of exists in CGAS thread which is how these cadet candidates have connected. 😊

 

[USN/USCGMamaBear]

Having said that, I am all in favor of that! 😊

 

[AJUHDG]

Do you happen to remember around when prep schools were assigned and what time the CGAS swearing in was on the Monday drop off at CGA? We are trying to book flights and hotels well in advance. To play it safe we will probably plan on return flight of Tuesday or later.

We kind of already knew, because he was a recruited athlete. Certain sports tend to go to certain schools, even though the coach said it didn’t matter if he played…grades are the priority! I think they told us for sure in late May. We dropped hI’m off at 7am (Drop off by group) They had guided tours, etc that started at 9am. There’s a welcome ceremony 10:30-11:15, then a break. We went outside and were able to hear the groups start coming in. Then swearing in started at 1130. Afterwards, we got 15 minutes to chat before they had to leave for good.

 

[USN/USCGMamaBear]

We kind of already knew, because he was a recruited athlete. Certain sports tend to go to certain schools, even though the coach said it didn’t matter if he played…grades are the priority! I think they told us for sure in late May. We dropped hI’m off at 7am (Drop off by group) They had guided tours, etc that started at 9am. There’s a welcome ceremony 10:30-11:15, then a break. We went outside and were able to hear the groups start coming in. Then swearing in started at 1130. Afterwards, we got 15 minutes to chat before they had to leave for good.

Thank you SO much! We were kind of told the same thing about sports, but that ultimately they send them to prep school based on the student’s needs and the needs of the academy/Coast Guard. But we were also told that they are allowed to petition for a preference and that certain circumstances, like if her twin sister gets NAPS for USNA for example, that they would consider that in placing her (since they understand that it makes it easier for parents, etc.). But that is REALLY helpful to know that we’ll probably split off by noon on swearing in day. If anyone has any good suggestions of how to get through goodbyes without crying I’m all ears.

 

[Capt MJ]

Thank you SO much! We were kind of told the same thing about sports, but that ultimately they send them to prep school based on the student’s needs and the needs of the academy/Coast Guard. But we were also told that they are allowed to petition for a preference and that certain circumstances, like if her twin sister gets NAPS for USNA for example, that they would consider that in placing her (since they understand that it makes it easier for parents, etc.). But that is REALLY helpful to know that we’ll probably split off by noon on swearing in day. If anyone has any good suggestions of how to get through goodbyes without crying I’m all ears.

Re tears: Smile with pride (a lot), and keep repeating “See you soon.” This was my formula every time I stood on the pier and waved DH off on deployment or at-sea periods or I was the one leaving. Never “goodbye.” I perfected the art during one period of 4 back-to-back sea duty tours punctuated by a 4-month school ashore not where I was stationed.

 

[StPaulDad]

It's easy if they are excited to get started, like the beginning of summer camp. Then you just say Go Get 'Em and smile and wave. It's hard if you get the This Was Such A Mistake I Wanna Go and you have to just give a solid hug, Oh Just Give it A Chance and send 'em back in. I don't think anyone has a good answer for that. Quite a few parents do the goodbyes at the airport and their swab travels alone (or I guess as a pair in your case.) Lots of stories on this site about it. Generally you can guess at the advice: know your family, do what seems best at the time, and then write a lot. The mail can be inconsistent but when it arrives it's gold. Know that there are huge swings in the mood and the tears in one letter might be miles behind by the time you hear about them, or the crushed/stressed/defeated kid on the phone could be fine in a day or two. Listen well, be supportive, a lot of the time the venting is therapeutic so you just need to let it flow and not freak out on the call.

For drop-off just try to keep it fun and forward-looking, like the party at the end of a big adventure rather than the culmination of years of meticulous planning and hard work that has to turn out perfectly. It's just one day out of 200 weeks, so See You Soon takes a little bit of the edge off and maybe makes it a little more mundane. Grind it out and we'll talk soon, You Got This, and then you can go to pieces in the car.

 

[cmueller8]

I got appointed to NAPS to play football, and was told that the prep year counts towards my years of service and was wondering if that's true?