Mid in Isolation - AMA
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McGiffin1882
USNA '25
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2020
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- 7
What are some of the biggest things you did in preparation for I-Day?
The way I see it there are 3 ways to prepare for I-Day: physically, mentally/emotionally, and logistically.
For physical preparation I stuck to a consistent workout schedule. When the Permit to Report Packet comes out, there will be a recommended exercise routine that goes day-by-day for about 14 weeks leading up to I-Day. I highly recommend following this, as well as adding in other things to supplement your weaker areas. Personally, I struggled a lot with distance running so I started building a running base in March and built it up all the way to I-Day. The biggest thing is to start small if you're not a runner so that you don't get injured. My runs went from 1.5-2 miles all the way up to almost 8 at the max within those months. I also recommend running a few practice PRTs to simulate the true experience.
Mentally and emotionally the last few weeks leading up to I-Day will be weird. Your friends will be getting ready for the summer, and making a lot of plans that you won't necessarily get to take part in. It sucks, but I promise your summer will be a lot more worthwhile. My biggest advice is to make time to be with the people who are important to you. You want the last times you see people before I-Day to be special, so don't get distracted by all the preparations you need to go through and end up regretting how you spent your time. On that same note, a lot of people aren't going to understand what I-Day and Plebe Summer really means to you and what you're actually going to be doing, which can be frustrating. Just be patient and enjoy your time with the people who mean the most to you.
Logistically you're going to be hit with a lot. Get your paperwork done early and have it organized. I made a master list of when each document was due, if it had to be mailed ahead of time, where it had to be mailed, etc... This part of the process will be time consuming, but put in that time now to save yourself a lot of hassle on I-Day.
milmomsomeday
5-Year Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2016
- Messages
- 165
What's been your hardest class so far? Was it easy to connect to those who could help you get through it?
Are there any things you wish you knew at the start of high school or anything that you could do at the start of high school to make yourself an even better candidate? I'm in 9th grade right now but I'm still very interested in the Academy and I want to improve my chances as best I can.
So far the most difficult class for me has been cyber. I took a little bit of programming in high school, but not enough to really get me through the course without a lot of effort on my part. That being said, there are a lot of available resources available for everyone to utilize, and it's as simple as asking for EI from your professor, joining a study group Google Meet, or finding someone who has taken the class before who can help. There are a ton of resources available for academic help.
The biggest thing I wish I'd done at the start of high school was get involved. I didn't know I wanted to attend a Service Academy until after my sophomore year, and I wasn't in any clubs for my first two years of high school. Although I was able to gain an appointment, I spent a lot of my last two years scrambling to get stuff together and gain leadership experience. Find something you're interested in and do something with it. If there's a way you can tie in community service with it as well, you'll be in a really good spot.
Another thing to keep in mind throughout high school is to develop good relationships with your teachers. Especially as you get to your junior and senior years, as they will be the people writing your letters of recommendation and filling out evaluations. I was fortunate enough to be very close with a few of my teachers in high school and they were able to supply additional letters of recommendation to submit with my application.
What was your timeline for your application (NASS/Pre-Candidate application submission date, actual application date, appointment offer date, etc.), and when do you think I would be getting updated on my admission status?
FYI: I completed all of my application parts (except for my nomination ) on 10/08. I've also gotten a CVW email.
FYI: I completed all of my application parts (except for my nomination ) on 10/08. I've also gotten a CVW email.
Here is my full timeline:
Completed NASS Application/Precandidate Questionnaire: January of junior year in HS
Medical Exams: Late August/Early September
Completed Application: Mid-October
Medical DQ: Early November
LOA: Early November
Nominations: Late December
Request for Additional Medical Info: Late December
Second Medical Appointment: Late December
Waiver Approved: Mid-March
Full Offer of Appointment: Mid-March
I really can't say when you should expect to hear back. It depends on a multitude of factors, especially with everything that is going on this year. I happened to hear very soon after I completed my application, but even then it wasn't a full offer of appointment and I had a long process to complete. Most people do not hear back as soon as I did, I happened to submit at a time where a lot of applications from my region were being reviewed. The best advice I can give is not to read into how long your wait is, it will only stress you out and at a certain point the entire situation is out of your control.
What is the average weighted GPA for those admitted? I've seen on some websites that it is 3.8 but that seemed a bit low for weighted, so I assumed it was unweighted. If you don't know, what was your weighted GPA if you don't mind sharing?
Old Navy BGO
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2012
- Messages
- 4,615
I don't think USNA reports GPA stats ... GPA calculation and reporting varies widely between schools, which makes comparison difficult and reporting virtually meaningless. SAT/ACT scores are standardized , and have more weight. Class Rank is also considered.
I'm not sure on average stats, that tends to change with each class year. GPA is a hard one to consider average on since it's not standardized across the board. Personally, my GPA was a 4.13/4.33 unweighted (my school didn't do weighted GPA).
militarymom2020
Member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2019
- Messages
- 60
Hello.. I am supposed to go visit my son but he is in isolation right now. Do you happen to know how long the isolation period is if you tested negative? Does the first day start the day of contact or the day of isolation move in ? This is his 2nd bout in isolation and last time he was let out in 11 days but now they are telling him 14 which is well past my trip. Also, are you able to receive any packages or food from outside ? Any info would be extremely helpful Thank you in advance
Computerman21
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2019
- Messages
- 172
Can you test out of plebe cyber?
I don't personally know anyone who has, and doing so is pretty rare but I have heard about some plebes with a really strong or extensive cyber or computer science background that are able to work it out with their academic advisers
Are candidates allowed to resubmit CFA scores? My DD's PE submitted the wrong scores to the wrong SA (i.e. 1.5 mile run for USCGA to USNA).
My DD is struggling with pull-ups and push-ups. What is the minimum passing score for the two events? Her BB Throw is outstanding and sit-ups are great. She's working on decreasing the mile time to as close to 7:30 as possible. She's currently at 8:10. However, she has not been able to do any pull-ups or hang for more than 20 secs. and only pushing out 30 push-ups. She trains 5 days a week. We will begin training for pull-ups with negatives daily for 5-10 minutes. Her goal is at least 2 pull-ups. #fingerscrossed
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
- Messages
- 20,553
Search for Stew Smith’s dam CFA training routines and YouTube videos. He’s a USNA grad and former SEAL, now a fitness professional.
Does your DD have a pull-up bar installed in a handy doorway, attempting pull-ups every time she goes by?
For women, grip strength is often overlooked as a contributing factor to successful pull-ups. Add exercises to address that, get one of those hand-squeezer things to do while sitting around. That was a turning point for me years ago when I attempted pull-ups.
Thank you, I will pick up the two items today (we are stationed in Japan) and check-out the videos. Thanks again!