Gobsmacked
Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2021
- Messages
- 68
Our son has received something of a setback with DODMerb due to reporting a positive Covid test from 4 months ago. Seeing his "Qualified" status revoked and changed to "Remedial" has caused us to reflect on the path he has taken to get to an Appointment and also the now very real possibility that his plans A,B and C (all appointed or accepted) are potentially off the table and a plan D has to be identified and pursued. You hear about this possibility but man it is hard to imagine once that BFE is in your hands, everything seems just a little brighter with maybe a slight golden sheen until it all comes crashing down. The roller coaster is real!
I thought I would start a thread to give C/O 2027 some hope, encouragement and maybe some tips we learned from this cycle that may help them in the next cycle. Things that are other than get good grades/SAT/ACT and the things that can be found on the class profile.
1. Don"t test positive for covid.
2. Do not let anyone discourage you. We live in a very small community 15 minutes from a small town, which is 30 minutes from a medium sized city which is 30 minutes from a large city. Son's high school is known for football and not much else, the matriculation rate lately has been around 30-40%. We are in the congressional district with a joint base and several very impressive private high schools (near or at 100% matriculation rates). Reps from both USNA and USMA told son that the district was often the most competitive in the state due to those factors. The counselors at his high school knew nothing about SA but had "heard that maybe a couple of kids went to the USAFA a number of years ago".
I can't think of anyone other than his mother, me, his aunt and uncle and his football coaches that ever said "you can do it". (He is not a recruited athlete BTW)
Every other person in his life said some variation of:
"Be realistic, no one gets in."
"Ha! you should save yourself the heartache and apply to ROTC"
"You are competing with all of those Colonel's kids and the kids from the private schools, no way."
Even the Navy Recruiter we saw at an airshow said "son, its probably not going to happen but good luck." He was in 9th grade at the time.
He has never wavered, not once, from "I am going to the Naval Academy" Well...maybe for a little while after getting rejected to Summer Seminar at the same time that West Point was really showing interest in him but he always came back to "I am going to the Naval Academy"
We have always said "Focus on today, right now, the task at hand, do the best you can today. Be the obvious choice and make them tell you no."
3. Practice interviewing. The MOC staffer that spoke to son after his nom/appointment was very forthcoming with the fact that the reason he was given a principal nom was his interview. Just practice and learn to be comfortable in a situation with 5 or 6 adults sitting across from you asking random questions. It will benefit you when the time comes.
4. Be early. To everything. From appointments to deadlines.
5. Summer Seminar doesn't matter. Being rejected hurt. It felt like it was a prelude of what was to come. He was pretty crushed and confused for a bit. In the end IT DID NOT MATTER.
6. You are not getting an LOA so don't ask about it or worry about it. However, work as if you are competing for one.
7. Live a physically active lifestyle and add in pull-ups and push-ups.
8. Practice the CFA once in a while, starting now. It is designed to smoke you. Practice it the same way you would take it and see where you are. Son was in pretty good shape from wrestling last year but it shocked him the first time he stacked all of the exercises together.
9. Get the CFA outta the way ASAP. Don't risk getting injured prior to taking the CFA.
10. Keep a positive attitude. If you get knocked down jump back up and get after it.
11. Don't be lazy. THe answer is yes you need to put in the effort...whatever it is.
Remember despite all of the naysayers, 1200 ish candidates get in every year and they are from every state in the union. Way better odds than the lottery!
You can do it.
I thought I would start a thread to give C/O 2027 some hope, encouragement and maybe some tips we learned from this cycle that may help them in the next cycle. Things that are other than get good grades/SAT/ACT and the things that can be found on the class profile.
1. Don"t test positive for covid.
2. Do not let anyone discourage you. We live in a very small community 15 minutes from a small town, which is 30 minutes from a medium sized city which is 30 minutes from a large city. Son's high school is known for football and not much else, the matriculation rate lately has been around 30-40%. We are in the congressional district with a joint base and several very impressive private high schools (near or at 100% matriculation rates). Reps from both USNA and USMA told son that the district was often the most competitive in the state due to those factors. The counselors at his high school knew nothing about SA but had "heard that maybe a couple of kids went to the USAFA a number of years ago".
I can't think of anyone other than his mother, me, his aunt and uncle and his football coaches that ever said "you can do it". (He is not a recruited athlete BTW)
Every other person in his life said some variation of:
"Be realistic, no one gets in."
"Ha! you should save yourself the heartache and apply to ROTC"
"You are competing with all of those Colonel's kids and the kids from the private schools, no way."
Even the Navy Recruiter we saw at an airshow said "son, its probably not going to happen but good luck." He was in 9th grade at the time.
He has never wavered, not once, from "I am going to the Naval Academy" Well...maybe for a little while after getting rejected to Summer Seminar at the same time that West Point was really showing interest in him but he always came back to "I am going to the Naval Academy"
We have always said "Focus on today, right now, the task at hand, do the best you can today. Be the obvious choice and make them tell you no."
3. Practice interviewing. The MOC staffer that spoke to son after his nom/appointment was very forthcoming with the fact that the reason he was given a principal nom was his interview. Just practice and learn to be comfortable in a situation with 5 or 6 adults sitting across from you asking random questions. It will benefit you when the time comes.
4. Be early. To everything. From appointments to deadlines.
5. Summer Seminar doesn't matter. Being rejected hurt. It felt like it was a prelude of what was to come. He was pretty crushed and confused for a bit. In the end IT DID NOT MATTER.
6. You are not getting an LOA so don't ask about it or worry about it. However, work as if you are competing for one.
7. Live a physically active lifestyle and add in pull-ups and push-ups.
8. Practice the CFA once in a while, starting now. It is designed to smoke you. Practice it the same way you would take it and see where you are. Son was in pretty good shape from wrestling last year but it shocked him the first time he stacked all of the exercises together.
9. Get the CFA outta the way ASAP. Don't risk getting injured prior to taking the CFA.
10. Keep a positive attitude. If you get knocked down jump back up and get after it.
11. Don't be lazy. THe answer is yes you need to put in the effort...whatever it is.
Remember despite all of the naysayers, 1200 ish candidates get in every year and they are from every state in the union. Way better odds than the lottery!
You can do it.
