Main Points on Application

LoonWatch2027

LoonWatch2027

Class of 2027 Appointee
Joined
Apr 4, 2022
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Hello, I live in a super rural town and my guidance counselor asked me to make a video on what helped me obtain an appointment for future applicants in my school. I plan on making the video and it could really be 3 hrs long but I want to hit the main points to make it short then they can follow up with me when I'm midshipman. I wanted your opinions on the main things to see on an application. Other than nomination stuff I was thinking of leadership roles, academics (including SAT), Sports/CFA, and demonstrated interest. Let me know what you guys think.
 
Three legs to the application stool. Leadership, academics, athletics/fitness.

Do what you are passionate about.

Don’t build a resume for the sake of padding a resume.

Make an impact wherever you participate and or lead.

Be able to articulate it.

Be outstanding in interviews (which means practicing with people that will tell you when you aren’t doing well).
 
I'd talk about initiative in the sense there is a lot of stuff to do and cats to herd (keeping communication with different people like your BGO, teachers, USNA, congressional staffs, etc.). Also, you should have an idea of what USNA is about and what it means to serve in the USN/USMC. Not a good look when an applicant doesn't know too much about the Academy or what opportunities are in the USN/USMC. Saying "I want to fly F-22s" or "I want to go to Law School after USNA to be a JAG" shows the applicant hasn't done their homework.

I'd also put DoDMERB in your video too. Medical is a big hurdle in the process. Don't speak about conditions that will DQ, but encourage people to talk with their doctors about military service, research the standards, and start massaging issues. I found my DoDMERB experience to be relatively painless because I made sure my docs knew what the standard was and what DoDMERB was looking for.

Emphasize training for the CFA too. Military fitness is different than sports fitness.
 
I’d mention what/who motivated you to serve and why USNA. The process is important and a good story that accompanies it will bring your journey to life. Congratulations.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Three legs to the application stool. Leadership, academics, athletics/fitness.

Do what you are passionate about.

Don’t build a resume for the sake of padding a resume.

Make an impact wherever you participate and or lead.

Be able to articulate it.

Be outstanding in interviews (which means practicing with people that will tell you when you aren’t doing well).
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Yes, the interview piece is huge. When it comes to SA applicants everyone who makes it to the end looks very similar on paper and stats, but the interview recs can really set you apart (and are often key to getting those essential nominations, especially in competitive districts) . Be able to articulately discuss your interests, strengths and weaknesses, current events, desire to serve, books you’ve read, etc. My son’s high school had a wonderful system set up with their alums to do mock interviews with critiques to prep them for college, internships, and jobs. My son really enjoyed his interview conversations with the senators’ academy boards, his BGO, and the Marine captains doing the NROTC interviews. They were intense and in depth but very positive experiences.
 
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I would make sure and include primary source links/references from USNA.edu for the application, and admissions.
 
justdoit19 said:
I would make sure and include primary source links/references from USNA.edu for the application, and admissions.
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And in the wise words of Captain MJ, tell them to spend some quality hours immersed in the USNA “hamburger menu”. It is truly a wealth of information and a great place to get your bearings for all the facets of USNA and to navigate the process.
 
justdoit19 said:
I would make sure and include primary source links/references from USNA.edu for the application, and admissions.
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This is a good one ^^^^. Also, I'd be willing to lay odds that some of the students at your school couldn't name their congress woman/man or either of their two senators. Include links to each MOC's web page and stress the importance of applying for multiple nominations. Emphasize that the application process has a lot of moving parts. Prospective candidates need to plan carefully and be on top of meeting deadlines.

PS. Don't make your video too long. Give it to them Joe Friday style from Dragnet - "Just the facts ma'am." Forgive me for the allusion.
 
The application process is long, complex and arduous.

USNA itself is even more long, complex and arduous

Active duty is the most long, complex and arduous of all.

The point: Make sure you really, really, really want it. Don’t go through with this if it’s your parents or grandparents or uncle or teacher showing the most interest in USNA. And make sure it’s the officer’s commission you most want, not just the USNA experience. If that’s not your ultimate goal, you’ll likely have trouble pushing through the tough times. And make no mistake, there will be tough times.

Remember: USNA is only one way to earn butter bars. It just happens to be the hardest way.
 
Also, my DS was from a high school of 350. Middle of nowhere. No AP or IB classes. Limited STEM and dual credit or honors.

Know your goal. Know the path that you seek. Do your homework and look into the lives and lifestyle of career Navy officers. What does a day in the life look like?

Sure, the academy is shiny and incredible. But it is a stepping stone that goes by in the blink of an eye. The things that come after are what should drive you.
 
While I think a 10-15 minute video could be helpful for your h.s. counselor to show to future candidates, I would avoid trying to be too cookie-cutter in offering advice. The things on your resume aren't the only way to get an appointment. Focus instead on your impressions of the application process or what motivated you to apply to an SA. No one applying is ever told how they did on the various parts of their application, so those who say "I got an appointment because I did well on X.............." can't say that based on anything USNA told them. You also have no idea how well your competition did either. Those offered appointments likely had a wide variety of resumes. For example, USNA stats typically show that 90+% participated in varisty athletics, but that also means around 10% did not and still got an appointment.

All of the SA's have websites offering a lot of great information about applying and those selected typically have excelled in academics/athletics/ECA's/leadership all during h.s. Some MOC's have an interview as part of their NOM process while some don't. What your MOC did when you applied may/may not be how they choose to run their process in future years. There are also some differences in the application process between the various SA's, so always a good idea to encourage any applicant to review the lastest website for current/accurate/factual application information.
 
Ask your BGO if questions, and take everything you read on the internet (including SAF ) with a grain of salt. Rely on primary sources and don't overthink the process...you can go crazy trying to figure out every nuance of the process.

While I get that OP HS guidance counselor is justifiably proud of having one of their students get into a Service Academy,the project should focus on lessons learned, or what you wish you had known before applying. OP should avoid trying to use his./her experiences as the "how to" guide -- one data point doesn't make a trend or a rule, and what works for one might not work for another. While I will be the first to admit that some BGO's have more training and experience than others, they usually have the benefit of seeing more than one Candidate get accepted, and equally important ..see those that don't get accepted. That give more perspective.
 
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