My thoughts returned to this forum after not being on for some quite some time. Last year, we were glued to it...awaiting word on whether our DD would receive the deferral letter or the appointment letter. She was deferred to RA and eventually was rejected. It was an exciting... and ultimately, painful process.
But I wanted to share from experience, that life for these kids really does go on. My daughter just spent her first time home since leaving for her Plan B school, which became Plan A school and I have to report she is doing just fine. Of course she was disappointed she did not receive an appointment (ok, crushed would be more like it) but with the benefit of time and distance, she understands now why she was proabably not competitve - mostly due to her lack of varsity athletics and all that it entails. Here is the great news. Despite being a late bloomer in athletics, it has become a passion in college (which she completely attributes to her CGA application journey) and she has gone from novice to varsity crew in a short amount of time at a very competitive division II school that usually finds its way to the NCAA championships and absolutely loves it. She is thriving in her classes (having just completed her first very successful first trimester with a 4.0) and has found her place in a school club she identifies with and a local community charity she cares about.
Obviously she has considered re-applying because she knew about the new EA procedure and told me about it, but I doubt that she will. When she was rejected she really did grieve and then made the decision to be happy where she landed. She kept open the option of re-applying because she still believed she could have done well at CGA. She makes no bones about it - it was where she wanted to be. But the decision to move away from that option now seems to be the right one for her. Her major will still allow her to serve her country and fellow man and she has said that is what matters to her most.
As I read in another post - these kids are special - all of them that apply - whether appointed or not. My DD today believes that the whole experience made her a better person. She will always treasure her AIM experience and is grateful that the process of attempting to get an appointment kept her focused and sharp. I just wanted you to hear from someone who has been through the process, come out the other side and for you to know that your son or daughter - who is already amazing...will be even more so in the future regardless of the kind of envelope they receive.
Good luck and best wishes to you all.
But I wanted to share from experience, that life for these kids really does go on. My daughter just spent her first time home since leaving for her Plan B school, which became Plan A school and I have to report she is doing just fine. Of course she was disappointed she did not receive an appointment (ok, crushed would be more like it) but with the benefit of time and distance, she understands now why she was proabably not competitve - mostly due to her lack of varsity athletics and all that it entails. Here is the great news. Despite being a late bloomer in athletics, it has become a passion in college (which she completely attributes to her CGA application journey) and she has gone from novice to varsity crew in a short amount of time at a very competitive division II school that usually finds its way to the NCAA championships and absolutely loves it. She is thriving in her classes (having just completed her first very successful first trimester with a 4.0) and has found her place in a school club she identifies with and a local community charity she cares about.
Obviously she has considered re-applying because she knew about the new EA procedure and told me about it, but I doubt that she will. When she was rejected she really did grieve and then made the decision to be happy where she landed. She kept open the option of re-applying because she still believed she could have done well at CGA. She makes no bones about it - it was where she wanted to be. But the decision to move away from that option now seems to be the right one for her. Her major will still allow her to serve her country and fellow man and she has said that is what matters to her most.
As I read in another post - these kids are special - all of them that apply - whether appointed or not. My DD today believes that the whole experience made her a better person. She will always treasure her AIM experience and is grateful that the process of attempting to get an appointment kept her focused and sharp. I just wanted you to hear from someone who has been through the process, come out the other side and for you to know that your son or daughter - who is already amazing...will be even more so in the future regardless of the kind of envelope they receive.
Good luck and best wishes to you all.
