Do you need to accept an offer of appointment before the BFE comes?

A

AGbullet

USNA 2027
Joined
Jun 8, 2022
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I got my appointment on 12/22/22 and I was wondering how long it usually takes for the physical appointment to come. I haven't accepted it so is that why it hasn't come? I don't know if I want to go there yet but my family and I really want to have the physical big fat envelope come. I'm assuming I don't need to accept the offer for a physical appointment to come, but I am wondering.
 
What you have is an offer of appointment. The actual appointment will come when you’re sworn in on I-Day. At some point, you’ll receive a nice memento of your offer — a folder with a certificate commemorating your achievement. It’s the kind of keepsake that will probably end up in your parents’ possession. But it’s not anything “official” and it can take a while to arrive.

In today’s digital world, the notification in the portal is the most immediate form of BFE. To get the ball officially rolling from there, simply click the ACCEPT button in the portal. That will activate the plebe-to-be process, which includes the Permit to Report packet — the mound of paperwork you’ll need to get done before I-Day. If things are the same as they were for Class of 2022, this will be the real BFE.
 
Oh ok, I think I misunderstood what the BFE was. When does the folder of the certificate usually show up?
 
My kid’s arrived about 5 or 6 days after accepting his appointment but there didn’t seem to be a pattern. Some people got the BFE soon after accepting and for others it came weeks later.
 
You have to ACCEPT your offer of appointment and then the BFE will subsequently show up.
 
No, you DO NOT need to accept the offer for the BFE. The BFE normally is ceremonial and includes the offer of appointment certificate in a presentation folder, a letter, and a graduation cap topper (depending on year and academy.) My son had offers of appointment to three academies last year and has the BFE folders and certificates from each. Obviously he only accepted to one. The BFEs are shipped in waves and usually arrive a week or two after the offer of appointment is made.
 
My son received his offer of appointment from USAFA on 1/15/22. The package didn’t arrive until late March or early April.
 
MarTac said:
No, you DO NOT need to accept the offer for the BFE. The BFE normally is ceremonial and includes the offer of appointment certificate in a presentation folder, a letter, and a graduation cap topper (depending on year and academy.)
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Spot on! DD has a wonderful commemorative folder from USMA. She didn’t accept the offer and ended up at USNA. It’s a great memento nonetheless.
 
MidCakePa said:
Spot on! DD has a wonderful commemorative folder from USMA. She didn’t accept the offer and ended up at USNA. It’s a great memento nonetheless.
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As does my DS. USMA actually sent a pretty cool graduation cap (paper, 3D) so that was cool. But not as cool as USNA itself. 😉
 
I got notified of my offer of appointment mid-december and then once I actually accepted it in the portal, I got it about 2 weeks later in the mail. I asked my BGO and he said that I needed to accept the offer online before the folder is sent if that's helpful. It looks super cool so look forward to it!
 
CT5555 said:
I got notified of my offer of appointment mid-december and then once I actually accepted it in the portal, I got it about 2 weeks later in the mail. I asked my BGO and he said that I needed to accept the offer online before the folder is sent if that's helpful. It looks super cool so look forward to it!
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Not true. I declined mine for USNA and USMA and still received a BFE to each one. I received them while my appointment was pending.

Funny enough, even though I accepted USAFA I haven't received a BFE from them.
 
CT5555 said:
I got notified of my offer of appointment mid-december and then once I actually accepted it in the portal, I got it about 2 weeks later in the mail. I asked my BGO and he said that I needed to accept the offer online before the folder is sent if that's helpful. It looks super cool so look forward to it!
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I think there is some confusion here.

Everyone OFFERED AN APPOINTMENT will receive a nice, padded blue folder. That contains an official LOOKING letter. That you see the pictures of people holding. And placing on their graduation table displays.

They BFE (big fat envelope) has typically referred to a big fat envelope containing allll the things to do/sign/fill out/return AFTER the appointment offernis accepted via the button online. About a half inch of papers. My ‘22 was the last class (I believe) that got all that actually mailed, vs accessing *most* of it online. My ‘24’s was a thinner packet, as more (most??) was done online.

The blue appointment folder is mailed out as appointments are offered.

The big packet (BFE) is more so sent out later on, more ‘en masse’. Of course, exception to all of that.

Everyone *will/should* get a blue folder. And somewhat soon-ish after you are offered an appointment. Whe ther you accept it or not.

NOT everyone will receive the “BFE PACKET” that is the packet of instructions/forms that someone who HAS ACCEPTED THEIR APPOINTMENT OFFER will receive. Although, this BFE packet is less big than in the past.

The term BFE has somewhat morphed into the ‘appointment folder’. But, they are actually seperate and the folder comes to everyone. The packet of papers comes later, only to those who have accepted.

Clear as mud???
 
Every year you see web site or newspaper pictures from somewhere in the US of a smiling young person holding BFEs from multiple SAs and a caption explaining that “so-and-so, daughter/son of Mr. And Mrs. John Q. Public (shown here with Congressperson Shinywhiteteeth of the 3rd Congessional District holding appintment certificate) has been accepted into USNA, USAFA, and West Point (usually not “USMA”). So-and-so is a member of the National Honor Society, all-state quidditch striker, Eagle Scout with 534 merit badges, advisor to the governor’s panel on super good-looking teens, and student body President since the 5th grade. So-and-so has not made a final decision on where they will attend next year.”

So, yea, BFEs are not contingent on accepting an offer.
 
AND if you subscribe to “informed delivery”, via USPS, you will know when they are coming. As you receive a daily email of what’s arriving in your mail box (or porch, etc for packages that don’t fit in the box) that day.
 
Or in the case of DS, informed delivery did not show the nomination letter from Senators, nor did it reflect the BFE. A random weird glitch made it a bigger surprise.
 
justdoit19 said:
And placing on their graduation table displays.
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Maybe I need to turn in my Parent and/or Service Academy grad qual card but I have no idea what a graduation table is and I'm pretty sure that none of my three kids nor I ever had one.

And FWIW, BFE (and TWE) are used by far more than Service Academies and to most folks, it denotes the notification of acceptance/rejection * .
.
* See SAF Acronym List
 
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