Going "Rudy" on gaining admission to Annapolis

[Heatherg21]

Please do not join ROTC. It will greatly decrease your chances of joining USNA.

I am curious if this is your personal opinion or if you can share where you found this guidance.

IMHO, it's flat-out incorrect. Joining NROTC and doing well, having a positive relationship with your CADRE and leadership, and having an additional nomination source, are all positives.

Your statement regarding not submitting a similar application is very true. New personal statements, letters of recommendation from college professors who the applicant has made an effort to establish a good rapport with, and solid grades taking a plebe-like schedule are key.

 

[USMC Crayons]

So is his goal to be able to say he graduated from USNA or to become an officer in the military? Applying multiple times doesn't guarantee a more likely outcome. If you are 3 yrs into a college NROTC program I am not sure what you gain by starting over for 4 years at USNA.

His goal is to be a Marine Officer. He would prefer to attend Annapolis, but ultimately he just needs the degree (and pass OCS and TBS of course.) I am really trying to be more of a guide then telling him what he should or shouldn't do. After all, I am a jarhead that barely made it out of high school (the smarts obviously come from Mom.) I can tell you that he has wanted to go to Annapolis since 7th grade. Swim camp last summer and the significant number of academy grads we know (we live in the Va. Beach area) have only solidified this desire. He has CVW in March and is interviewing for Inspire next Wednesday, so it's probably fair to assume that each event he attends that the desire will only grow. Trying to be as objective as possible as Dad, based upon the whole person concept that seems to be important to Annapolis I would be somewhat surprised if he did not at least get a sniff at NAPS or foundation his first pass. Obviously impossible to quantify for admissions and is obviously not a factor, but I did extremely well in the Marine Corps and he is 3x the man I was at that age academically, physically and from an activity standpoint. Ultimately we will see...maybe he tries 1 or 2 times and we pivot to something else, but I just don't want him to make mistakes like I did and give up too easily on his dreams.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

So is his goal to be able to say he graduated from USNA or to become an officer in the military? Applying multiple times doesn't guarantee a more likely outcome. If you are 3 yrs into a college NROTC program I am not sure what you gain by starting over for 4 years at USNA.

I’d be quite concerned if mine had shown progress at college over a 2 or 3 year period And was on their way to what they claimed they wanted a year or two away a commission. Then they throw it all away to start all over.

id be not a happy parent. And I would think my child had made a very counterproductive decision. less about service and more about sheepskin and ego..

I don’t care how good the kid is how tough how prepared——every year prior enlisted Marines and sailors show up at the Yard for IDay —-bright and well trained—-and they don’t last the year.

A significant risk starting all over and for what?

 

[InItToWinIt]

Please do not join ROTC. It will greatly decrease your chances of joining USNA.
And make sure to change your application every year. The outcome won’t change if it’s the same ap

Please do not join ROTC. It will greatly decrease your chances of joining USNA.
And make sure to change your application every year. The outcome won’t change if it’s the same app

An admissions officer from USNA told my son, when he mentioned a private prep school was his back up plan - "You'd be better off doing ROTC as your backup plan, before reapplying, since it also gives you an additional nomination source. That would be my advice to you." I'm not sure how you made the determination that you did...

 

[USMC Crayons]

An admissions officer from USNA told my son, when he mentioned a private prep school was his back up plan - "You'd be better off doing ROTC as your backup plan, before reapplying, since it also gives you an additional nomination source. That would be my advice to you." I'm not sure how you made the determination that you did...

That was my thought re: additional nomination source. Seems logical to me, especially considering the thought we have of being in an extremely competitive district (Hampton Roads, VA.)

 

[NeptunePride]

That was my thought re: additional nomination source. Seems logical to me, especially considering the thought we have of being in an extremely competitive district (Hampton Roads, VA.)

Considering this it’s true you have more chances with the nomination provided by the Secretary of the Navy

 

[IronmanDaremo]

An NROTC recommendation from a PNS is not the same as a straight SecNav nom (like the ones often used for priors and NAPSters). It is a specific slot available that 20 appointments can be charged against each class. But, like the VP noms, they are used at the discretion of the Academy to fill out the class profile for desired candidates.

 

[Capt MJ]

An NROTC recommendation from a PNS is not the same as a straight SecNav nom (like the ones often used for priors and NAPSters). It is a specific slot available that 20 appointments can be charged against each class. But, like the VP noms, they are used at the discretion of the Academy to fill out the class profile for desired candidates.

Good point. USNA or the other DoD SAs have the added benefit of an eyes-on recommendation from a senior Navy officer at ROTC or a retired officer or senior enlisted for JROTC. Invaluable - showcases military aptitude, leadership talent in a Navy-focused setting, and all-around performance.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

One thought on "going Rudy"....be honest with yourself with your prospects of Admission to USNA. No amount of perseverance is going to overcoming weak "stats." The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.

I am not suggesting that an unsuccessful candidate shouldn't reapply -- there are many examples of successful reapplications, even on multiple tries , but if you are unsuccessful, do an honest appraisal of your application and try to add something to your application the next year ..for some its ROTC, for some its stellar performance in freshman STEM classes, or just showing additional maturity and personal growth, but you want to show something other than simply stating that you've wanted to go to USNA your entire life and will keep trying until they let you in.

 

[USMC Crayons]

Just to clarify, we are not approaching the “Rudy“ technique because of sub par quals , it’s more along the line of lots of people don’t get in the first time even with exemplary stats. At some point, it comes down to a coin flip. As everyone knows, the SA’s are chock full of superstars, somebody is going to be left off the starting team that is still a really squared away candidate. DS has a 1410 SAT, Eagle Scout/Order of the Arrow, 3.8 GPA unweighted, year round swimmer, ocean lifeguard, dual enrollment, etc. He‘s also almost finished with the BSA national medal for outdoor achievement which is extremely rare. BUT, we are homeschooled (although all STEM is online through an accredited academy) which *may* be a disadvantage. So I could see admissions thinking they want to see if he has what it takes and complete a year in college first…who knows. Bottom line, admission/NAPS/foundation/year of college whatever, he wants to at least make another go of it if he doesn’t get selected the first time.

 

[A1Janitor]

A lot of times comments are meant for future readers of threads in similar positions.

@oldnavybgo is making a valuable point for others.

Best of luck in the second round.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

Just to clarify, we are not approaching the “Rudy“ technique because of sub par quals

Bottom line, admission/NAPS/foundation/year of college whatever, he wants to at least make another go of it if he doesn’t get selected the first time.

Of course ...sounds like OP son has excellent stats, and by all means would encourage reapplication if not successful first time -- you are correct, sometimes it comes down what seems like a coin flip in a very competitive slate. (Not exactly, as Admission usually has some rationale for their decision of one over the other, but sometimes two candidates are very close).

A lot of times comments are meant for future readers of threads in similar positions.

^ This -- I suspect that more or often than not, my comments on this Forum are directed at the bigger picture than specific inquries of the original poster.

 

[Memphis9489]

Glad to know there's a name for what I'm doing. When I applied for the first time, my then BGO told me about a girl who graduated from Yale before she gained an appointment.

I can't help thinking that this is a little bit crazy. When one attends the Naval Academy, their primary goal should be to become a naval officer. A candidate who has already achieved one of the major requirements to earn a commission, obtain a 4-yr college degree, and decides to start their education all over again, strikes me as an incredible waste of time. It's still only going to be an under graduate degree. It seems to me that what a person like this really wants is to simply attend the United States Naval Academy. If an individual graduates from Yale and wants to be a naval officer, I'm sure the Officer Candidate School (OCS) would be more than happy to have them and I'm confident they would end up being just as good of a naval officer than if they had attended the Naval Academy. Academically speaking, they are mostly wasting their (and other's) time.

 

[Small Team Bacsi]

How much better an officer would one be if they did start at USNA after 3 years of successful ROTC and near a commission?

As my Grad was told when reporting in to a new CO

”My best officers come from the USNA and my worst officers come from the USNA”

All the while a USMC mustang with neither USNA nor ROTC becomes a flag rank officer and at times commandant.

 

[NeptunePride]

I can't help thinking that this is a little bit crazy. When one attends the Naval Academy, their primary goal should be to become a naval officer. A candidate who has already achieved one of the major requirements to earn a commission, obtain a 4-yr college degree, and decides to start their education all over again, strikes me as an incredible waste of time. It's still only going to be an under graduate degree. It seems to me that what a person like this really wants is to simply attend the United States Naval Academy. If an individual graduates from Yale and wants to be a naval officer, I'm sure the Officer Candidate School (OCS) would be more than happy to have them and I'm confident they would end up being just as good of a naval officer than if they had attended the Naval Academy. Academically speaking, they are mostly wasting their (and other's) time.

Everybody has different goals in life. Even though I also think it’s a waste of time.

 

[Memphis9489]

How much better an officer would one be if they did start at USNA after 3 years of successful ROTC and near a commission?

As my Grad was told when reporting in to a new CO

”My best officers come from the USNA and my worst officers come from the USNA”

All the while a USMC mustang with neither USNA nor ROTC becomes a flag rank officer and at times commandant.

Anybody who spends eight consecutive years as an undergraduate strikes me more as an academician than a future military officer. Yet, I can see it working out. But it still seems like a waste of time.

 

[MidCakePa]

Anybody who spends eight consecutive years as an undergraduate strikes me more as an academician than a future military officer. Yet, I can see it working out. But it still seems like a waste of time.

Interesting take, and one I think I agree with. While four years is not a lot over a long career, eight years is not insignificant. It begs the question: Is the candidate more interested in being an AD officer or a USNA midshipman?