Making a deposit to another school

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ZiaX

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Apr 12, 2020
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I've been browsing through some accepted USAFA student chat rooms, and I found out that some appointees (who have already accepted their appointment to USAFA) are making deposits to other schools "just in case."

I was a little surprised at this and I was wondering if this was a common thing to do. I am not planning to make a deposit to another school, but I would appreciate some info as to why some students would do this. I've got nothing against this idea; it's just that I've never heard of students doing this and want to learn more about the reasoning behind it.

Thank you :)
 
Based on what I have read here, it's to make sure that they don't lose seat in a civilian college if any unexpected injury or change of heart occurs during plebe summer.
 
There is no guarantee that a candidate will make it through BCT for any number of reasons. There is also the possibility of getting injured or developing a medical condition before reporting for BCT which would preclude them from going to USAFA. If you are going to make a deposit to another school you should make sure that the school is aware of the situation.

In my son’s case he had full rides to three other schools. He contacted them all and one of the three was willing to be his backup. We paid a deposit for housing. After he made it through BCT he contacted them and they refunded the deposit (not expected) and wished him luck.

Stealth_81
 
txfwindian said:
Based on what I have read here, it's to make sure that they don't lose seat in a civilian college if any unexpected injury or change of heart occurs during plebe summer.
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I see, that makes a lot of sense! Thank you!
 
We are making a deposit to her plan B school. It's a full ride at a private school. I just want her to have choices (besides the state school she doesn't want to attend) should she become injured at basic. It just seems like a good idea.

I'm hoping it's like taking your umbrella on a cloudy day...you take it, no rain....leave it and it's going to storm.
 
BBBRRRTT said:
This is a technique used by the uber prepared, uber backed up, uber insured, and uber funded individual.
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It's also okay not to do this, right? I'm just trying to get a sense of what is the right thing to do, as I'm a little conflicted as to what to do right now.
 
Deposit at our local State U is $300. It is an insurance policy. It depends on the individual. For some, it's worth it to have a back up JUST IN CASE. It depends on what your back up would be. If it is State U, then I would think as an academy appointed, they would accept you even after deadlines for admission (based upon academics and your resume...a good student!).

It is basically to avoid having to scurry to find a place somewhere this fall should something happen (not common, but not unheard of either) and you cannot report.

DS's roommate plebe summer was turned away at medical, for a reported and cleared/waived injury that didn't heal to their desires. So YES it happens!
 
Here is a cut and paste from the last time this came up:

Most colleges do not take it lightly when they find out that a student has violated their agreement not to be committed to more than one institution. Whether or not they will do anything about it is debatable.

It is not correct that most families maintain a Plan B, but if you do, make sure you do not get caught in an uncomfortable situation as some others have.

Here are the facts:

  1. If you make arrangements with the backup college beforehand and they agree to be the backup - no problem whatsoever.
  2. Almost all colleges consider it an ethical/contractual violation to use them as a backup without their knowledge. Most applications, including the Common Application, contain a clause that applicants agree not to be committed to more than one institution after May 1st. The fact that SA's do not use the Common Application is irrelevant; the agreement is between the student/family and the civilian institution.
  3. The two ways previous appointees have been caught and found themselves in an uncomfortable situation are: high school college counselor discovered violation or appointee told college when calling/emailing to let them know they wouldn't be attending.
  4. Virtually all colleges and high schools are institutional members and many individuals at those schools are individual members of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) - USMA, USNA, USAFA, USCGA, and USMMA are members. The NACAC code of conduct states that it is unethical to be committed to more than one institution.
  5. There are known instances of appointees being threatened by colleges for using them as an unwitting backup.
  6. No SA has issued a policy on this practice and there has been no test case for how an SA will respond - there are no known instances of a college reporting the infraction to an SA.
 
ZiaX said:
It's also okay not to do this, right? I'm just trying to get a sense of what is the right thing to do, as I'm a little conflicted as to what to do right now.
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I would just go with plan A and bubble wrap it all up!
 
Many highly successful people just in life attribute their success to not having a backup. Because, when you feel like quitting you don't want to have the mentality "it's fine, I can just switch to my plan B". Having no safety net will help you push through it. Or, if something out of your control dqs you, remember God has a plan, there's something better in store for you. Plus the ethical issues... just do as @BBBRRRTT says :wiggle:
 
My oldest daughter tore her ACL in May of her senior year. She was not attending a SA, but was a committed recruited athlete. She ended up taking a gap year because so many dominos fell as a result of her injury. Having lived through that, our DS will contact his Plan B and pay a deposit.... just in case. Anything can happen between now and August.
 
coasttocoast said:
Many highly successful people just in life attribute their success to not having a backup. Because, when you feel like quitting you don't want to have the mentality "it's fine, I can just switch to my plan B". Having no safety net will help you push through it. Or, if something out of your control dqs you, remember God has a plan, there's something better in store for you. Plus the ethical issues... just do as @BBBRRRTT says :wiggle:
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I disagree. Many successful people are there because they plan for contingencies.

If you start a business, you have a cash balance set aside to cover unforeseen expenses so that the first setback doesn't knock you out.

If you file a flight plan, you have to file alternate arrival airfields because you need options if your intended destination isn't available. Whatever your beliefs, no one is going to fill your fuel tanks up to get you back to where you started (unless there is a Stratotanker nearby and you have an AR receptacle, but I digress).

Having a backup school available in the case of an Academy appointment is much more that just deciding not to finish BCT. Many of the scenarios for not finishing are out of your control. Sitting idle for a year because you had no other plan isn't going to help. People should be in charge of their own destiny.

Also, if you quit simply because you know that there is a plan B, you really didn't want to be there in the first place.

Stealth_81
 
Thank you, @Stealth_81, you bring up excellent points that I agree with, and I believe I was too vague with my first message. Perhaps it's all the podcasts and Ted talks I've been listening to lately on the psychology of successful people, but I felt the need to add to the discussion the psychological aspect of a backup plan.

As you mention, crisis planning should not be overlooked, whether as an entrepreneur, a pilot, in terms of natural disasters, or other uncontrollable potential circumstances you may find your self in.

However, my thought is crisis won't happen for the majority of people. And, if every reader here were to create a contingency plan... well that's why there's that agreement in the common app. However, as it is our human nature, we fear being stuck "in a pickle".

With regards to outcomes based on effort, I just wonder how the performance quality would be affected when an individual is in the throes of BCT caught up in the head game, and they see a shiny plan B (possibly full-ride) with their name on it that will also lead to becoming an officer. I believe a contingency plan, mentally, would be a distraction from the plan A. Not because they didn't really want plan A, but because it would add a whole other level to the challenge every cadet already goes through.

There's a study by Jihae Shin and Katherine L. Milkman in which two groups of participants were asked to unscramble sentences. Both groups were told that if they did well on the task, they’d be given a free snack (motivation enough for me) or the chance to leave the study early, but one group was also instructed to brainstorm other ways they could get free food or save time later in the day in case they didn’t perform well. The groups that had backup plans did less well on the task. Shin says “When performance is effort-based, having a backup plan can cause you to put in less effort and demonstrate lower performance.”

In regards to school plans I agree that if someone really wanted to be somewhere, it would be a classic do-or-die where a plan B wouldn't even be in the picture. If the goal really is to become an officer, and not attend a specific school, there are potential plans A-Z that are a lot shinier that will take you to that goal. That is where the mental fortitude would truly be tested. In addition, a spot would be taken away from another deserving candidate. Thus, I fear a safety net could cause greater harm than potential good.

One of my favorite quotes is by Patrick Ness, and I believe it fits here: "It's not how we fall. It's how we get back up again." I guess my point with regard to outcomes based on effort is: don't have a plan B because you may never realize the highest potential of what you may otherwise achieve. But, if you happen to fail, don't squander the opportunity to take hold of your life and get back up stronger.

Just food for thought, as they say. I wish all those strategically planning the best of luck!

I think it would be really cool to study the performance of those with a Plan B vs. without in an environment designed to break people down such as a BCT.
If you're interested, here's a link to the study in the July 2016 issue of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes: https://news.wisc.edu/research-shows-backup-plans-may-keep-you-from-achieving-your-goal/

Cheers!
 
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My daughter went to Navy but had a full ride at another nice school. She deferred her acceptance for the semester, and continued the deferral for 3 more just in case. She was a late appointee and had paid all fees for the other school and they offered to let the deferral ride in case her plans changed: it was above board and a great contingency.
 
The real Plan B is the same talent and drive that earned an appointment in the first place. I have never heard of a case where someone's life was derailed by not having a Plan B college waiting for them. Nice to have your 2nd choice waiting in the wings, but not critical.

SA's almost always offer appointment in the next class to those injured before or during summer training. Those that are no longer medically qualified or decide not to continue with the SA, have numerous opportunities to advance themselves with little loss of momentum.

Without doubt, it is wise to think ahead and consider "what if" scenarios. Every successful military officer plans for contingencies and understands risk. If an appointee chooses to commit to a Plan B without the college's knowledge, part of that consideration should include developing responses to inquiries that may arise from the Plan B or the high school.
 
DD was fortunate to receive an early appointment. When she told other institutions, 2 soon wished her well and guaranteed her acceptance for 2 years. This negated the need to put a Plan B into action. But one does not have to spend much time on SAF to find sad stories of **** happening between June and July. And for the institutions to put forward a code of conduct boggles the mind. The games they play with admissions, tuition, fees, grading, scheduling, eligibility, etc. suggests they should look in the mirror. To put this into context, we are discussing elite schools who will have no trouble replacing a few students with others just as qualified. I have been robbed and extorted by these bandits. If they really cared about the students, they would understand.
 
The position of the institutions is logical and understandable, even if it seems tyrannical. There is a concept in law called the "Aggregate Principle" that states that a small action by itself does not have a substantial effect, but all of the small actions considered together, "in the aggregate", have a substantial effect.

Colleges would have no problem replacing a few students in June or July. They would have considerable difficulty managing yield and filling thousands of openings created in August by students no longer needing them as a Plan B.
 
jl123 said:
The position of the institutions is logical and understandable, even if it seems tyrannical. There is a concept in law called the "Aggregate Principle" that states that a small action by itself does not have a substantial effect, but all of the small actions considered together, "in the aggregate", have a substantial effect.

Colleges would have no problem replacing a few students in June or July. They would have considerable difficulty managing yield and filling thousands of openings created in August by students no longer needing them as a Plan B.
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There is also the responsibility of an aggrieved party to mitigate his damages. If an student breaks his contract, they pluck another kid off the waitlist and there is zero harm. These schools sit on billion dollar endowments and gladly take taxpayer funds every year, yet are vultures. I have no sympathy for them.
 
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