Girls State

flightsurgeon

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
60
Hi All,

I have been blessed enough to have been given the opportunity to attend Girls State this summer. I've also heard many mixed opinions in terms of how much Girls State will help my app; therefore, I would like to ask for a solid response here. :smile:
How much will Girls State help me with my application to USNA, USMA, USAFA?

I will also be attending USNA's summer seminar; as far as I know, my attendance at USNA's summer seminar will not help me as much?

Thanks!
 
Girls state is worth "points" on your WCS (whole candidate score). Summer seminar is not worth points per se, but obviously it a great way to been seen by USNA personnel and make a good impression.

DS went to Boys state having no real idea what it was all about and LOVED it! Good luck!
 
Hi All,

I have been blessed enough to have been given the opportunity to attend Girls State this summer. I've also heard many mixed opinions in terms of how much Girls State will help my app; therefore, I would like to ask for a solid response here. :smile:
How much will Girls State help me with my application to USNA, USMA, USAFA?

I will also be attending USNA's summer seminar; as far as I know, my attendance at USNA's summer seminar will not help me as much?

Thanks!

Girls and Boys State do help your Whole Candidate Score. Plus, both of our sons considered Boys State one of the highlights of their high school years.

Regarding NASS, I saw a statistical summary from Summer 2012 NASS showing that almost 40% of all NASS attendees that summer who completed their applications and 3Q'ed received appointments their senior high school year. Obviously NASS is taken pretty seriously by the Academy IF the candidate performs well when they are there and then successfully follows through with the qualification requirements.

Haven't seen any stats on CVW's and don't believe that there are any.
 
I've heard from many that Girls State looks very good on your application (on regular college apps too). NASS doesn't add anything to your WCS.
 
I've heard from many that Girls State looks very good on your application (on regular college apps too). NASS doesn't add anything to your WCS.

NASS is not a specifically stated component of the WCS; BUT the NASS evaluation IS seriously considered by Admissions as is the CVW evaluation. Please check the Admissions Candidate Evaluation Overview (AIS) I originally posted on this site two weeks ago:

http://www.usna.edu/AboutAIS/Admissions_Board.html

Everyone on this forum should read this multi-page document. It may be a bit dated in some relatively minor areas; BUT it is posted (although hidden) on the Academy's website as the current appointment procedure.

I think reading it will answer many of most posters' questions.

Short answer to the apparently implied comment that NASS isn't that important: The statistics would seem to differ.
 
That's a very informative website and am glad I had the chance to read it. However, a couple things:

NASS is not a specifically stated component of the WCS; BUT the NASS evaluation IS seriously considered by Admissions as is the CVW evaluation. Please check the Admissions Candidate Evaluation Overview (AIS) I originally posted on this site two weeks ago:

The only thing about NASS being considered I see is under the Mini Multiple. The website states that, "The Mini Multiple is calculated to evaluate candidates when the Whole Man Multiple is not available," so it looks like it's only considered if other pieces of information are not available. Unless I read/interpreted something wrong, it seems that NASS isn't really as strongly considered as you imply it is. Maybe I'm reading the wrong part.

I think NASS is a great asset when offered, but is by no means important, especially considering it's generally seen as a recruiting tool. If NASS was that important, wouldn't it seem like more NASS attendees would be appointed and not as many candidates who didn't attend?
 
^^^ I agree. I glanced over that website which seems buried in the USNA site. Whether it contains current/accurate admisssions information isn't clear to me. It could possibly be old/outdated information that someone didn't bother to update or delete. I don't see any specific reference to how NASS could be significant to ones application and also remember that NASS is partly a recruiting tool for those who might not otherwise be considering applying.

It wouldn't make a lot of sense to disadvantage those who didn't get accepted to NASS simply because their selection process doens't totally mirror the USNA admissions process. I can't draw the same conclusions as the person who posted that link.
 
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

We're an Academy family and we've been through the Admissions process before. From informed practical experience, I can tell you that acceptance into and good performance at NASS and CVW's helps.

Both of you seem to feel pretty confident that you already have the process figured out so I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

Good luck.
 
Why NASS?

I've seen many posts debating the importance of NASS, and just have to add my opinion:shake:I think it may be impossible to know exactly what impact attending NASS would have on an admissions decision, but I doubt that it has zero impact. Although I have to say that some of the posts denigrating the impact of NASS seem to have a "sour grapes" flavor. My advice would be to do those activities that you are drawn to, and not solely make decisions on what adds to your WCS. My son attended STEM at USNA as an 8th grader and last summer attended NASS. He wouldn't have traded the experiences for anything, even if it didn't add to his WCS. So, if you're drawn to Girls/Boys State - go for it. If you're all in on being at the USNA whenever and however you can, go for NASS. And if you're really lucky and have the monetary resources, go for both.:thumb:
 
I agree one should do what helps them make an informed decision to apply to USNA. Choosing to participate in certain ECA's, sports or NASS vs Girls/Boys state in an effort to "game" the system isn't the right way to approach this.

However, I would also add that those of us who have been involved with someone applying and/or attending/graduating from the academy, you will never know your WCS, so it is impossible to say what did/didn't matter and there are also many ways to achieve a WCS that results in an offer of appointment.
 
I agree one should do what helps them make an informed decision to apply to USNA. Choosing to participate in certain ECA's, sports or NASS vs Girls/Boys state in an effort to "game" the system isn't the right way to approach this.

However, I would also add that those of us who have been involved with someone applying and/or attending/graduating from the academy, you will never know your WCS, so it is impossible to say what did/didn't matter and there are also many ways to achieve a WCS that results in an offer of appointment.

I don't think anyone on this forum is talking about or advocating "gaming" the system.
The Academy is primarily a top flight engineering school that makes it VERY clear in its published material that ECA's, leadership, athletics and community service are taken VERY seriously during the admissions review process. There is no reason to editorialize on that - It's just the way it is for very good reasons.
As for having to select Girls State/Boys State over NASS, I think most people realize that NASS has three one week sessions in June where Girls State/Boys State have only one. There is no reason that a candidate can't do both. In the past, Academy admissions has always worked with candidates on potential scheduling conflicts between the two as long as NASS applications are received early enough.
However, you are correct in one area - No one will ever know their WCS. A lot of creativity happens during appointee selection.
 
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I can tell you that acceptance into and good performance at NASS and CVW's helps.

Good luck.

What exactly is "good performance" at CVW? Does that just mean asking lots of questions, or being highly active in whatever PT you partake in? Also is "good performance" relative to whether or not the Plebe liked you? It was my understanding that although Plebes have to fill out an eval on their drags, the eval is usually looked at once and then disregarded/ignored and doesn't really do anything for/against you.
 
What exactly is "good performance" at CVW? Does that just mean asking lots of questions, or being highly active in whatever PT you partake in? Also is "good performance" relative to whether or not the Plebe liked you? It was my understanding that although Plebes have to fill out an eval on their drags, the eval is usually looked at once and then disregarded/ignored and doesn't really do anything for/against you.

I would probably take NASS a bit more seriously than CVW since the candidate is actually actively participating for most of a week in activities on-yard such as sea trials, CFA's, rates, etc. and being evaluated by a squad leader. Awards are given to high performers at the end of the session.
CVW is more of a tag-along for a couple of days hosted by a Mid as an intro to Academy life.

Demeanor enters into evaluations to some extent. Someone (either a squad leader at NASS or a host mid at CVW) writing that a candidate is lazy, unfocused, immature or lacks social skills isn't going to help.

You will notice on a number of other posts on this forum that when a number of candidates have eventually received their BFE's, there were references in their appointment letter to how well they had performed in certain activities or specific impressions they had made on squad leaders or host Mids during NASS or CVW.

Certainly doesn't sound to me as though evaluations are just read once,thrown away and have no impact.
 
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Thank you very much for your responses! :) They were all very informative and definitely helped me out!
 
I would probably take NASS a bit more seriously than CVW since the candidate is actually actively participating for most of a week in activities on-yard such as sea trials, CFA's, rates, etc. and being evaluated by a squad leader. Awards are given to high performers at the end of the session.
CVW is more of a tag-along for a couple of days hosted by a Mid as an intro to Academy life.

Demeanor enters into evaluations to some extent. Someone (either a squad leader at NASS or a host mid at CVW) writing that a candidate is lazy, unfocused, immature or lacks social skills isn't going to help.

You will notice on a number of other posts on this forum that when a number of candidates have eventually received their BFE's, there were references in their appointment letter to how well they had performed in certain activities or specific impressions they had made on squad leaders or host Mids during NASS or CVW.

Certainly doesn't sound to me as though evaluations are just read once,thrown away and have no impact.

Perhaps. Or perhaps they have a good database where they keep track of this stuff so they can use it in letters like that. I know corporations do it. No reason the military shouldn't.
 
Perhaps. Or perhaps they have a good database where they keep track of this stuff so they can use it in letters like that. I know corporations do it. No reason the military shouldn't.

It's the military. You know it's ALL on a database running on an obsolete platform that IT has been trying to get budgetary approval to replace for over three years. LOL.
 
As stated in several previous posts, Girls/Boys State is a very worthwhile program and is considered in your WCS; if there is a conflict with your attending NASS DO discuss the issue with Admissions as they have a history of attempting to accommodate candidates in those instances.

Regarding the importance of performance at NASS, I have specific instances of candidates being affected negatively or positively by their evaluations from NASS.
 
As stated in several previous posts, Girls/Boys State is a very worthwhile program and is considered in your WCS; if there is a conflict with your attending NASS DO discuss the issue with Admissions as they have a history of attempting to accommodate candidates in those instances.

Regarding the importance of performance at NASS, I have specific instances of candidates being affected negatively or positively by their evaluations from NASS.

Thank you for weighing in as both a BGO and as a Moderator.

These issues keep coming up over and over again on this forum like a broken record no matter what information is provided and how often it is provided.

Same issues every year - just different posters.
 
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