AND, as they always say, there are MANY ways to commission as an officer. Last year when my son got his TWE I was crestfallen- how could they NOT see how GREAT my kid is?! But, in retrospect, the year he had to self-prep was the biggest blessing ever. He would have been so stressed with the new college experience AND the newness of military life, things would have been markedly harder for him. Now that he has had a year at MMI, he has a slightly better understanding of how military life goes and the rigors of an Academy education- this is NOT anything like a regular civilian education, in great ways and hard.
If you get your TWE, don't give up. Work harder, be better, show persistence- that is one of the biggest things they are looking for in future leaders for our military. And, not to sound totally trite: AIM HIGH!