NAPS for what?

S

SWO28

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My academics are pretty good, I have taken 9 APs and all honors classes with a 96.2 weighted overall average (my school doesn't go over a 100). I may be fine with academics but could you be offered admissions to NAPS if you lack athleticism where although you qualify, you have low scores the CFA? I am a varsity athlete but I just keep doing bad on the CFA, please let me know if NAPS is an option for me. Thank you!
 
kjm28 said:
My academics are pretty good, I have taken 9 APs and all honors classes with a 96.2 weighted overall average (my school doesn't go over a 100). I may be fine with academics but could you be offered admissions to NAPS if you lack athleticism where although you qualify, you have low scores the CFA? I am a varsity athlete but I just keep doing bad on the CFA, please let me know if NAPS is an option for me. Thank you!
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Not typically, but never say never. Honestly, get in shape, practice the test - that is the answer. If the CFA is a struggle, you will struggle on the PRT. The standards are much higher.
 
NAPS is for those who the academy identifies as potential future leaders but those that may need more academic foundation. Typically doesn’t have anything to do with physical deltas.

It’s early OP, if you are not nailing the CFA, practice. We perform like we practice. Do more. Make this a priority and practice the CFA in order with times.

If a CFA is a challenge, plebe summer and PRTs will kick your a$$ and be a burden on your time.
 
Computerman21 said:
You’ll get sent to NAPS if you have a bad CFA but a good everything else.
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OldRetSWO said:
How many candidates have you seen this happen to?
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I can answer SWO's question...from my experience, NONE !
Is it possible, sure ..but frankly I suspect that CFA rarely what gets someone in , or keeps someone out.
Sure, there could be a really good candidate that simply can't do a pull up...but learning to do a pull up doesn't take NAPS.
 
NAPS is there to improve academics for those the Academy wants, but feel could use some work (to include sports recruits). Or for those that have been out of school for a bit, and need a refresher.

It is not the other way around. If you have stellar academic scores, and have other deficiencies, sending you to NAPS isn't going to fix that. That person will more than likely get a TWE.
 
Hi! I think my question can go under the "NAPS for what?" category ;).
We are located in a competitive district. DS has back up plans (applying to NROTC) but would rather attend NAPS if offered. If he has strong academics (4.9 weighted, 1550 SAT), passed CFA and pretty good EC's etc, but somehow does not get a nomination because there are so many strong candidates in our area, will they offer him NAPS? He probably doesn't need the academic support, but he would love to be there if he doesn't get in due to lack of nomination this year.
 
USNA advises all candidates to apply for every NOM for which there are eligible. A MOC NOM isn't the only way to get a NOM. NAPS is primarily for an additional year of academic work where admissions thinks that would better prepare the candidate for USNA as others have mentioned above. It isn't a consolation prize for those who didn't get an appointment.
 
Mcchen said:
If he has strong academics (4.9 weighted, 1550 SAT), passed CFA and pretty good EC's etc, but somehow does not get a nomination because there are so many strong candidates in our area, will they offer him NAPS
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Probably* not... NAPS is not intended to be an alternative means of entry for a runner up...

Historically, the purpose of NAPS was to provide Fleet Sailors and Marines and opportunity to brush up on academics before entering the Academy. NAPS is probably still the most common point of entry from the Fleet, but is also used to help build up the academic base of candidates that USNA sees good potential in.

* There are exceptions to every rule , I'm sure that somewhere, sometime, USNA used NAPS to get someone in because they didn't have a Nomination, but look at it this way -- If someone isn't in the top 10 of a MOC applicant's pool, is that person going to be competitive enough that USNA is going to jump over the MOC nominees and send them to NAPS. Doesn't make much sense to me
 
Mcchen said:
Hi! I think my question can go under the "NAPS for what?" category ;).
We are located in a competitive district. DS has back up plans (applying to NROTC) but would rather attend NAPS if offered. If he has strong academics (4.9 weighted, 1550 SAT), passed CFA and pretty good EC's etc, but somehow does not get a nomination because there are so many strong candidates in our area, will they offer him NAPS? He probably doesn't need the academic support, but he would love to be there if he doesn't get in due to lack of nomination this year.
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DS went to USNA for CVW. All his 3 roomates (plebes) were not directly appointed from high schools. 2 of them went NAPS and one went to college a year earlier. The two went to NAPS, one was a state champion athlete the other served in the military.

So your DS can try go to college first -- then if he still has USNA in his heart, then apply from college.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
* There are exceptions to every rule , I'm sure that somewhere, sometime, USNA used NAPS to get someone in because they didn't have a Nomination, but look at it this way -- If someone isn't in the top 10 of a MOC applicant's pool, is that person going to be competitive enough that USNA is going to jump over the MOC nominees and send them to NAPS. Doesn't make much sense to me
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Thank you, that's helpful. I was thinking of the hypothetical scenario where a very competitive applicant pool has 15 excellent highly qualified candidates that would be successful at USNA but only 10 can be picked. I guess NROTC would be the path for those who are qualified but without the nomination then? I know I'm overthinking; DS hasn't even had his interviews yet. Just mapping out the contingency plan(s)!
 
Mcchen said:
Thank you, that's helpful. I was thinking of the hypothetical scenario where a very competitive applicant pool has 15 excellent highly qualified candidates that would be successful at USNA but only 10 can be picked. I guess NROTC would be the path for those who are qualified but without the nomination then? I know I'm overthinking; DS hasn't even had his interviews yet. Just mapping out the contingency plan(s)!
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I specifically asked admissions at CVW if my son could get an offer to naps.

I was told my son’s academics were too strong to be considered to naps.
 
Mcchen said:
Hi! I think my question can go under the "NAPS for what?" category ;).
We are located in a competitive district. DS has back up plans (applying to NROTC) but would rather attend NAPS if offered. If he has strong academics (4.9 weighted, 1550 SAT), passed CFA and pretty good EC's etc, but somehow does not get a nomination because there are so many strong candidates in our area, will they offer him NAPS? He probably doesn't need the academic support, but he would love to be there if he doesn't get in due to lack of nomination this year.
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Make sure he applies for the VP nomination. If he is a strong candidate with no other nominations, USNA will see that and consider him for it. My DS is at USMA because of the VP nom, and he is thriving there. By thriving, I mean he loves it. And hates it 😂.
 
Mcchen said:
I guess NROTC would be the path for those who are qualified but without the nomination then?
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As others have said, the “prep” in NAPS is for academic preparation, e.g. a place for those with otherwise strong credentials but who would benefit from more academic preparation.

(In very rare cases, the SA can “find” a nom for an otherwise stellar candidate. Emphasis on “very rare.”)

So the path for candidates who are 3Q without a nom is indeed NROTC, from which they can earn their butter bars directly or reapply for USNA. There’s also OCS following college, though that can be a narrower path. There are different ways to earn that commission — none necessarily better than the others.
 
Mcchen said:
Thank you, that's helpful. I was thinking of the hypothetical scenario where a very competitive applicant pool has 15 excellent highly qualified candidates that would be successful at USNA but only 10 can be picked. I guess NROTC would be the path for those who are qualified but without the nomination then? I know I'm overthinking; DS hasn't even had his interviews yet. Just mapping out the contingency plan(s)!
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Agree with the above: your excellent GPA will rule out NAPS if no nomination is forthcoming.

If you don't receive a nomination, your best option is to attend college for a year, taking courses that mirror the plebe's first year at the Academy, and reapply. Ensure you achieve excellent grades to demonstrate your ability to succeed in college. You'll need to submit your first-semester grades as part of the reapplication process. Additionally, participating in an NROTC program during this time will further strengthen your application, and you can always apply for the NROTC scholarship. However, this limits your college choices to those with an NROTC program. Alternatively, you could self-finance a year at one of the Academy's prep foundation schools.

This approach demonstrates your seriousness and determination to attend the Academy. Additionally, use this time to address any CFA weaknesses. @IronmanDaremo's son followed this route. After getting the dreaded TWE on his first attempt, his son attended college and reapplied. He is now a youngster at the USNA.

Having a backup plan is essential. Assume you won't receive an appointment the first time, which is what we did. My daughter applied to USNA, the NROTC scholarship program and ten universities with NROTC programs. She received a nomination from our congressman despite being from a hyper-competitive district and waited and waited for a decision. She received a NROTC scholarship and admission to her top-choice university in mid-January of this year. As a result, we were planning for her summer NSI in Chicago and her first year living on campus, all while preparing for her reapplication to USNA. It wasn't until April that she received a final decision from the Academy.

Essentially, we lived in two parallel universes: 1) Applying to USNA and fulfilling all requirements, and 2) Applying to other colleges with a plan to reapply to USNA during her freshman fall semester.

Your goal should be to have one or more acceptance letters in hand from good schools before you hear the final decision from the Academy.

​

 
Mcchen said:
Thank you, that's helpful. I was thinking of the hypothetical scenario where a very competitive applicant pool has 15 excellent highly qualified candidates that would be successful at USNA but only 10 can be picked
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The fallacy of this scenario is that USNA is going to admit 10 from this highly competitive pool. Each MOC can have 5 Midshipman allocated to them attending USNA at any one time. Most MOC nominate up to 10 for each for slot using the competitive alternate process, meaning that USNA picks which of the 10 is admitted under that MOC slate. Yes, more than one of the ten can get admitted using other Nom sources but probably rare that more than a few from each MOC slate make that cut. Thus, if a Candidate isn't in the top 10 of a particular MOC pool, Admissions wouldn't be pulling someone from the 10-15 group for NAPS over someone in the 5-10 group.
 
Mcchen said:
Thank you, that's helpful. I was thinking of the hypothetical scenario where a very competitive applicant pool has 15 excellent highly qualified candidates that would be successful at USNA but only 10 can be picked. I guess NROTC would be the path for those who are qualified but without the nomination then? I know I'm overthinking; DS hasn't even had his interviews yet. Just mapping out the contingency plan(s)!
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That’s also what makes a SA appointment so competitive.
 
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