General info for the SOE

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Harvey248

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The Second Step Kit recently opened for me and I would like to get my SOE done ASAP.

Any general tips for what should be included in the teacher evaluations are appreciated, but I'm specifically confused about the Phys Ed SOE. Apparently, this evaluation should not be done by a coach unless they are also Phys Ed qualified. This is a little odd, no? I was under the assumption the whole point of this part was for a coach to speak to your leadership and athleticism.

Regardless, I know a retired officer who can probably administer my CFA and do my Phys Ed evaluation. What should he include in this letter? Should it be mostly speaking to my athletic ability? I just don't want to give him the wrong idea for this evaluation.

Lastly, With my Phys Ed SOE being under someone who does not observe me directly in sports environments, would it be a bad idea to have my coach send in an extra letter of rec.? I've read this is typically frowned upon unless it presents substantially new info.

Thanks all.
 
The SOEs are not letters to write but a form for the evaluator to fill out. They will ask the evaluator to rank you in several areas (specific to that subject) and then comment on any low rankings they gave you and whether or not they think you will succeed in that area at USMA. They typically take about 15-30 minutes to fill out depending on how in-depth the additional comments are. My oldest DS had his CFA evaluator fill his PE SOE out two years ago. It was a non-issue. DS#2 is not quite sure who will fill his out if he completes and passes the CFA at SLE as he has no PE teacher. He'll ask his RC when the time comes.

I've never heard of anyone sending in extra letters of rec to USMA. USMA does not ask for any letters of recommendation (unlike USAFA and USNA). My ds sent in what was asked of him and no more.
 
Often, students need LORs for their nominations. I ask my students to include their coaches, if that is appropriate. If one or two of the letters are particularly strong with concrete leadership examples, then a student can submit the LORs to USMA. Don't send a bunch, but one or two may make sense to provide some insights that may not come from the SOEs that you are required to complete. I hope that helps.
 
99Gold said:
USMA does not ask for any letters of recommendation (unlike USAFA and USNA). My ds sent in what was asked of him and no more.
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USNA does not ask for LORs. They use SOEs as USMA does although they are not the same people. Some applicants do submit LORs but it is not a requirement from USNA. Most MOCs that I've seen do ask for LORs though.
 
OldRetSWO said:
USNA does not ask for LORs. They use SOEs as USMA does although they are not the same people. Some applicants do submit LORs but it is not a requirement from USNA. Most MOCs that I've seen do ask for LORs though.
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They do have it as an optional requirement like USAFA, right? Not in place of SOEs but in addition to the SOEs. USMA doesn't even ask for optional LORs.
 
99Gold said:
They do have it as an optional requirement like USAFA, right? Not in place of SOEs but in addition to the SOEs. USMA doesn't even ask for optional LORs.
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"Option" is not a requirement and they really don't do much for the candidate. Candidates kept asking to send them so USNA started taking them.
 
Since DS never took P.E., always took Band, he had to get his P.E. recommendation from the Athletics Director. Also my understanding is that you can only get a P.E. recommendation from a coach IF he was your P.E. teacher as well.
 
99Gold said:
The SOEs are not letters to write but a form for the evaluator to fill out. They will ask the evaluator to rank you in several areas (specific to that subject) and then comment on any low rankings they gave you and whether or not they think you will succeed in that area at USMA. They typically take about 15-30 minutes to fill out depending on how in-depth the additional comments are. My oldest DS had his CFA evaluator fill his PE SOE out two years ago. It was a non-issue. DS#2 is not quite sure who will fill his out if he completes and passes the CFA at SLE as he has no PE teacher. He'll ask his RC when the time comes.

I've never heard of anyone sending in extra letters of rec to USMA. USMA does not ask for any letters of recommendation (unlike USAFA and USNA). My ds sent in what was asked of him and no more.
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Okay, this makes more sense. Do you know what type of questions might be on the Phys Ed SOE?
 
Harvey248 said:
Okay, this makes more sense. Do you know what type of questions might be on the Phys Ed SOE?
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I know, vaguely, because my JROTC instructor filled it out (one of the options for the Phys Ed SOE). Most of it was asking about your physical capabilities (i.e., can this person stand for x hours a day, can they lift x amount of weight, etc). There was a general comment section if I recall correctly, but it’s not a place for your coach to talk about your leadership on the team, so don’t sweat it.
 
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