Hi- Below I have attached a wonderful threads that we used for my DD before her visit. I did send brownies and snacks that made her host and friends very happy
Have fun!
About a month ago I was fortunate enough to attend a CVW at the Naval academy. It was such an amazing experience, and it assured me that USNA is where I want to go. Before CVW, I searched everywhere for information about what to wear to CVW (as a female), and I found next to nothing. I decided that I’d make a thread to try and answer the questions I had before my CVW. I hope that this helps someone out!
WHAT TO PACK:
•snacks for your plebe! Home baked goods are best in my opinion. Snacks are a great way to thank your plebe. I know that my CVW experience was so great largely because of my plebe. I am glad that I brought her some goodies as a thank you.
>if you feel weird about giving food to someone you don’t know, I’d recommend just offering the snacks as “a thank you in advance”. The plebes are taking time away from their ALREADY LIMITED free time to “drag” you around. It’s a small but thoughtful way to say thank you.
>the cookies and brownies were VERY MUCH appreciated. Also cookies and brownies were easy to pack in a Tupperware and not messy.
>another fun thing I learned from bringing snacks was that you get to meet so many other people from the company because they will all come into your plebe's room saying, “I heard that there was food in here!”
•toiletries
•towel
•shower shoes
•clothes for the two days after arrival
•2 days worth of comfy lounge clothes (if you rewear clothes no one will care)
•SLEEPING BAG-IT GETS COLD
•pillow
•HOMEWORK-your plebe and their roommates will be busy doing homework...might as well do that schoolwork you’re missing during CVW
•pajamas (could double as your lounge clothes-no one really cares or pays attention)
•water bottle: I REALLY wish I brought a water bottle.
•workout gear
>you will not be forced to participate in ANY physical activity. However, you will have the opportunity to do morning workouts or maybe go to the gym in your free time. If you want to do either of these, bring athletic clothes.
>If you want to do the morning workout, I have some advice: Everyone at navy wears their USNA shorts, their USNA shirt, and their USNA hoodies and crew necks to keep warm. The shorts are navy, and the shirts and jackets are grey/white. I would recommend wearing dark shorts/pants and a white or grey shirt/sweatshirt so that you will not stand out as much.
>ALSO, if you plan on doing the morning workout-EAT DINNER THE NIGHT BEFORE. I had a late lunch and was not hungry for dinner. I decided to do the morning workout without eating dinner the night before. THAT WAS A MISTAKE. DO NOT DO THIS. Eat the night before or in the morning.
•swimsuit: you do not need a swimsuit-if you really want, you can bring one to be safe though.
WHAT TO WEAR:
•dress nicely for arrival/admissions brief-you are presenting yourself to USNA. No, no one is taking notes on you, but it shows respect and it makes a good first impression.
•dress comfy, casual, and presentable for the remaining two days.
OUTFIT ADVICE:
-sweatpants: avoid if at all possible!
-leggings: leggings are probably fine-make sure that you can’t see through them. Athletic leggings are definitely a safer bet than “tights” leggings.
-jeans: nicer jeans without rips are a solid choice.
-khakis: if you’re a guy, khakis are perfect. If you’re a girl, don’t feel like you need to wear khakis if you don’t want to.
-nice shirts: always a safe bet. Doesn’t need to be too fancy-just presentable.
-coat: IF YOU GO IN WINTER/MARCH BRING A COAT-IT GETS COLD. The weather can be warm one day and snowing the next so it is better to be safe than sorry.
-dresses/skirts: no one at USNA wears dresses or skirts. You’ll definitely stand out if you wear a dress or skirt. However, I met a plebe who told me that during her CVW she wore a dress because it was super hot and she had absolutely no regrets. If you’re most comfortable in dresses and/or skirts, then by all means wear that.
SHOE ADVICE:
-Converse: honestly, Converse are probably fine, but if you’re able to I’d advise bringing something a little nicer. If not, don’t stress!
-sneakers: if you are a sneakers person and you only like sneakers, then by all means-wear them. However, if you are able to pack an extra pair of shoes, I’d advise wearing something slightly nicer to the admissions brief.
-certain Vans: some Vans look very nice! Vans “authentic” and “slip on” can be good choices especially if they’re simple.
-Bean boots: I LOVE my Bean boots. However, I would not advise wearing them to USNA. I know-it’s tragic (especially if it’s raining), but personally, I don’t think they seem professional enough for CVW. Just my opinion though.
-Uggs: Uggs are fine but I'd advise staying away from any with bows or Uggs that aren’t a black, brown, or grey in color.
-Sperrys: ALWAYS a good choice. It’s the Naval academy so you literally cannot go wrong with boat shoes. My plebe told me that they were issued Sperrys during plebe summer.
OVERALL PHYSICAL PRESENTATION ADVICE:
•wear what YOU feel comfortable in
•my advice is wear something that you could wear in front of your grandparents without getting critiqued.
•if you generally wear makeup, try not to wear a ton at the naval academy-no one does.
•if you are a guy-SHAVE. All the men at USNA are clean shaven so it’s strange not to be.
GENERAL ADVICE:
•change into comfy clothes after the admissions brief-you’ll just be in Bancroft hanging out with your plebe.
•morning workouts: I was told by several mids that I did not need to attend the morning workout and that I should sleep an extra hour, but I wanted to experience the morning workouts so I went.
>I’d recommend going to a morning training to see what it’s like. Can you handle the physical activity? Can you handle the potentially cold weather? Can you handle waking up that early? You will never get a better opportunity to see what life at the USNA is like so take advantage of it.
•ask questions! My plebe and her friends were amazing with answering all of my questions.
>ask anyone questions about anything and everything you might want to know about USNA and their experience at the Academy. It is so helpful to hear everyone's answers and personal experiences.
•be friendly, open, and show enthusiasm-everyone will respond in the same manner.
•shower at least once to get the full experience...and shower quickly.
>I firmly believe that to complete the CVW experience you need to know if you are comfortable showering quickly and in a not so wonderful shower.
•sleep in more clothes than you think you’ll need, and sleep in a sleeping bag because it can get VERY cold at night.
•regarding classes: don’t bring anything to take notes and don’t try to answer questions (this is advice from my plebe). If you really want to answer a question though, then go for it.
•try and attend as many different classes that you can. For example, don’t go to two English classes. ALSO, I would highly recommend going to a leadership class-that was my favorite class that I attended.
•if you’re interested in a sport try and talk with the coach/go to a practice if you can. I am a rower and a sailor so I wanted to attend a rowing practice and also learn about the sailing program. I got to meet the rowing and sailing coaches and I got to learn about both programs. CVW is a great opportunity to learn about activities you could see yourself participating in if accepted to the Academy.
•do not be afraid to “plebe-hop”: ie. being “dragged” by a different plebe. My plebe was amazing at connecting me with her friends that could show me things I was interested in. For example, I went to her roommate's English class and her friend's rowing practice. Again, take advantage of this amazing experience to really dive into everything you can in your short time there.
>why should I "plebe-hop?": if your plebe plays a sport that you’re not really interested in (for example: soccer) and you’re really interested in (for example: rowing), ask your plebe if they know anyone on the team you're interested in and see if they’d be ok with you going with them-they probably will be! Similarly, if you want to see a specific class, have your plebe help you find someone going to that class!
•check out the midshipman store if you can! It's so really cool and definitely worth checking out. You will need to bring cash or a credit card if you want to buy some souvenirs.
•be prepared to eat quickly because the schedule is tight. Also, the food is very good.
•there will be awkward moments and that’s ok! Just accept them and focus on what is around you.
•it’s up to you to make the most of your visit so I suggest you take advantage of every minute there. In my short time there I was able to do so much and meet so many great people. I know there were some drags that left knowing that USNA was not for them and others (like myself) that can't imagine going anywhere else.
I hope this helps and that you enjoy CVW as much as I did!
