Getting Into USNA For High-Schoolers

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Ace.51

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This a thread for high-schoolers and prospective Midshipmen to receive advice about how to get in.
 
Welcome, new member of about a day.

First, read every page, link and drop-down menu on the usna.edu website. That is your primary source. Most answers are there. Take notes. Develop your strategy.

You’ll find things like this:
www.usna.edu

General Advice for Grades 9-12

General Advice for Grades 9-12 page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Thu Dec 07 04:33:48 EST 2023.
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Class Portrait

Class Portrait page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Sat Nov 25 04:31:37 EST 2023.
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Apply to USNA

Application for Class of 2023 Opens April 1st. Navigate your future with the top public college in the US
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Introduction

Introduction page for The Blue and Gold Book at USNA.edu. Updated Mon May 15 10:32:17 EDT 2023.
www.usna.edu
careers.php
**It is very important to look beyond the 4 years at USNA. That is a launching pad for the required at least 5 years of military service. Be sure there are career paths you can see yourself doing!**


Second, read the pinned note at the top of the Nominations forum herein SAF. And, look for The Acronym List on the home page.

Third, go to your 2 Senators’ and District Representative’s websites and research their service academy nominations pages.

Fourth, research potential alternate plans as well, such as college NROTC. If the goal is commissioning as a Navy or Marine Corps officer, do your due diligence. Many midshipmen at USNA are re-applicants, having spent some time in NROTC, which is also a fine way to go.
Every year, there are many fully qualified candidates (academic, DoDMERB medical exam, CFA) with nominations who are not offered an appointment - there is not enough room in the class.

Fifth, research other services, the other 4 service academies, AROTC and AFROTC to satisfy yourself you are not overlooking something interesting.
 
@Capt MJ covered it. Other sources for info would be your schools assigned BGO, OPINFO programs put on by USNA Midshipmen (if they come to your school, etc), usually around Thanksgiving, and your nominating source Service Academy Open Houses (if they do them).

Also follow official USNA admissions social media, for info about admissions visits, etc.

Good luck to all!
 
Last edited:
Capt MJ said:
Welcome, new member of about a day.

First, read every page, link and drop-down menu on the usna.edu website. That is your primary source. Most answers are there. Take notes. Develop your strategy.

You’ll find things like this:
www.usna.edu

General Advice for Grades 9-12

General Advice for Grades 9-12 page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Thu Dec 07 04:33:48 EST 2023.
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Class Portrait

Class Portrait page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Sat Nov 25 04:31:37 EST 2023.
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Apply to USNA

Application for Class of 2023 Opens April 1st. Navigate your future with the top public college in the US
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Introduction

Introduction page for The Blue and Gold Book at USNA.edu. Updated Mon May 15 10:32:17 EDT 2023.
www.usna.edu
careers.php
**It is very important to look beyond the 4 years at USNA. That is a launching pad for the required at least 5 years of military service. Be sure there are career paths you can see yourself doing!**


Second, read the pinned note at the top of the Nominations forum herein SAF. And, look for The Acronym List on the home page.

Third, go to your 2 Senators’ and District Representative’s websites and research their service academy nominations pages.

Fourth, research potential alternate plans as well, such as college NROTC. If the goal is commissioning as a Navy or Marine Corps officer, do your due diligence. Many midshipmen at USNA are re-applicants, having spent some time in NROTC, which is also a fine way to go.
Every year, there are many fully qualified candidates (academic, DoDMERB medical exam, CFA) with nominations who are not offered an appointment - there is not enough room in the class.

Fifth, research other services, the other 4 service academies, AROTC and AFROTC to satisfy yourself you are not overlooking something interesting.
Click to expand...
in the class portrait link there is delta of around 200 between offers of appointment and class size. Is this first-come first-serve until the required class size is filled? What happens if everyone on the appointment list accepts?
 
mike1979 said:
in the class portrait link there is delta of around 200 between offers of appointment and class size. Is this first-come first-serve until the required class size is filled? What happens if everyone on the appointment list accepts?
Click to expand...
Admissions does not release all offers at the same time so they're able to see if they get the normal percentage of rejections. Some of the offers continue to be issued as they get rejections thus the use of Wait Lists into May or even June.
FWIW, the Service Academies have an extremely high "yield rate" so that delta of 200 is actually very low compared to most institutions.
 
mike1979 said:
Is this first-come first-serve until the required class size is filled? What happens if everyone on the appointment list accepts?
Click to expand...
+1 OldRetSWO... USNA is pretty good at predicting "yield"... they usually end up a little low, and top off the tank with a trickle from the waitlist.
Interesting question about if they were high...I would presume they would honor all offers that are made. Of course, Bancroft Hall has a finite capacity , but there is flexibility there--back in the day 3 and perhaps 4 man rooms weren't uncommon. Presumably there are appropriations limits on how many Midshipman can be on the rolls and how many new Ensigns can be commissioned, but that is way over my head. Finally, the old school side of me would suggest that there are plenty of ways to trim down a class that is too big ...perhaps just toughen up Plebe Summer a little.
 
A few years ago the yield was much higher than expected. They admitted everyone who received an appointment that accepted. I think that was a zero year for the waitlist. Can’t confirm the correlation, but I think USNA slightly pulled back after that and we have seen some small movement off the waitlist since then. Again, no proof of that.
 
FYI: at the 2023 BGO training, Admissions said they expect the starting class size to be a bit lower over the next few years while Bancroft is being worked on (not sure of the scope of work). If I recall correctly, the target is about 1,150 per class.
 
Don't Give Up the Ship said:
FYI: at the 2023 BGO training, Admissions said they expect the starting class size to be a bit lower over the next few years while Bancroft is being worked on (not sure of the scope of work). If I recall correctly, the target is about 1,150 per class.
Click to expand...
That's what I recall as well. And it's likely to be a few years. I'll check my notes to see if I wrote that down.
 
Capt MJ said:
Welcome, new member of about a day.

First, read every page, link and drop-down menu on the usna.edu website. That is your primary source. Most answers are there. Take notes. Develop your strategy.

You’ll find things like this:
www.usna.edu

General Advice for Grades 9-12

General Advice for Grades 9-12 page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Thu Dec 07 04:33:48 EST 2023.
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Class Portrait

Class Portrait page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Sat Nov 25 04:31:37 EST 2023.
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Apply to USNA

Application for Class of 2023 Opens April 1st. Navigate your future with the top public college in the US
www.usna.edu

www.usna.edu

Introduction

Introduction page for The Blue and Gold Book at USNA.edu. Updated Mon May 15 10:32:17 EDT 2023.
www.usna.edu
careers.php
**It is very important to look beyond the 4 years at USNA. That is a launching pad for the required at least 5 years of military service. Be sure there are career paths you can see yourself doing!**


Second, read the pinned note at the top of the Nominations forum herein SAF. And, look for The Acronym List on the home page.

Third, go to your 2 Senators’ and District Representative’s websites and research their service academy nominations pages.

Fourth, research potential alternate plans as well, such as college NROTC. If the goal is commissioning as a Navy or Marine Corps officer, do your due diligence. Many midshipmen at USNA are re-applicants, having spent some time in NROTC, which is also a fine way to go.
Every year, there are many fully qualified candidates (academic, DoDMERB medical exam, CFA) with nominations who are not offered an appointment - there is not enough room in the class.

Fifth, research other services, the other 4 service academies, AROTC and AFROTC to satisfy yourself you are not overlooking something interesting.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info.
 
At the Supe’s I-Day parents briefing for Class of 2022, he said the yield in recent years was holding steady at 85%. He was very proud of the fact that USNA’s yield is higher than any of the Ivies.
 
Don't Give Up the Ship said:
FYI: at the 2023 BGO training, Admissions said they expect the starting class size to be a bit lower over the next few years while Bancroft is being worked on (not sure of the scope of work). If I recall correctly, the target is about 1,150 per class.
Click to expand...
Do you know if you will be informed of the scope of the work? Or do you know how we might keep of with that work? Thank you for anything you can share.
 
Sealion II said:
Do you know if you will be informed of the scope of the work? Or do you know how we might keep of with that work? Thank you for anything you can share.
Click to expand...
I dont know if BGOs will be informed as to the SOW. My recollection is that it's an upgrade of mechanicals, electrical, rooms, etc., and that it will be done company by company to limit the works impact on USNA operations.
 
Don't Give Up the Ship said:
I dont know if BGOs will be informed as to the SOW. My recollection is that it's an upgrade of mechanicals, electrical, rooms, etc., and that it will be done company by company to limit the works impact on USNA operations.
Click to expand...
BGOs have not been notified or updated on Bancroft Hall or other facilities upgrade progress in the past and there really is no
reason for BGOs to be kept informed of this project. For the numbers mentioned here which were 50 or so per class this is
almost a "nothing burger" in terms of admissions as desired class numbers fluctuate by similar numbers quite naturally.
The actual governing factor to class size is the overall authorized academy size (population) which is set down by higher authority.
In effect, the class size is pretty much limited by the attrition of the prior three classes up to a point a little before I Day.
 
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