Plan B school after you're accepted??

yooungpilot

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Mar 19, 2016
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So I've received an appointment (and accepted), but I was wanting to ask a question for those who may be experienced at this point! I know there is a very small chance that I could get injured during basic and they then tell me to come back the next year...so should I keep a "Plan B" school in mind? How do most work that aspect? I obviously don't plan to get injured, but my parents want me to investigate what I should do if I were to get injured or anything that would take me out of basic. Thank you!
 
So from what I've read, it's a very good idea to keep a backup school. I have heard you basically get an LOA to come back next year, and they want you to maintain a plebe-year like schedule of rigorous courses and athletics, etc. My Plan B is a Big State U where I have some scholarships offered. I'm sure some others will weigh in too.
 
There 2 schools of thought regarding this issue. Some feel that it is a safety to have just in case, and some feel having the safety net is wrong if you have no intention to do plan B. It is a personal decision and most colleges will request a deposit to hold that plan B in place, and for some that could be a nice bit of money that the school will not refund in case you do not make it there in the fall.

If you keep plan B in place I would suggest you contact the admissions office about plan B options at that college. Some colleges will work with the student. For example, they may say that they will hold your spot until 1st day of school even though you are at the AFA and refund your deposit as long as you contact them by X date.

Remember this is not only about being injured between now and I Day, but between now and completing BCT. There have been rare occassions where kids do not make it through BCT due to medical reasons beyond their control.
~ I can recall 1 twisting their knee as they got off the bus at I Day...immediate turn back that day. Another contracted Guillain Barre Syndrome @ 3 weeks in, and because they would miss the max sick days allowed for BCT was sent back in early Aug. A third went to a HS graduation party a week or two prior to reporting where they were playing volleyball, nothing competitive, just family fun hitting the ball around with the folks/cousins and friends, and broke their wrist in a fluke move. They never made it to I Day since they were going to be in a cast until Aug.

In all of the cases they had contacted their plan B school prior to going to USAFA and were able to start the fall at that school instead of having to go to the local CC. That is to me the thing about keeping plan B and being proactive. Some will say that you are taking a spot at the college from another kid that really wanted it as their plan A. I do not see it that way at all. Colleges are like the SAs, they offer more appointments/admissions than the number they expect to matriculate, thus, you did not take anyone's spot.

Congrats and good luck.
 
Thank you, both, very much! I will definitely contact my Plan B school to get something arranged to where they know my situation. I don't want to think about being injured, but it's a possibility that's out there. Thanks again!
 
Wondering how the cadets who accept the appointment will have the time to decline their plan B after they get to the academy since they have limited time and access to things. Any ideas? Plan B is a safety net in case of injury before basics.
 
DS wrote a postdated letter relinquishing his Plan B spot at our flagship state university, and I emailed it to admissions a week after I Day. (This was for USNA, but the idea is applicable to any SA.) I also called admissions to confirm receipt since the email address they had on file was his. We relinquished his deposit, but if I recall correctly it was $400, so we weren't too upset about that.

Hope this helps.
 
DS wrote a postdated letter relinquishing his Plan B spot at our flagship state university, and I emailed it to admissions a week after I Day. (This was for USNA, but the idea is applicable to any SA.) I also called admissions to confirm receipt since the email address they had on file was his. We relinquished his deposit, but if I recall correctly it was $400, so we weren't too upset about that.

Hope this helps.

That is exactly what my DS did, too. He had the email and a letter all done ahead of time.
 
When is Acceptance day? The problem with NROTC at the college he was admitted in and was awarded his NROTC, is the NROTC paperwork states that once you attend a SA, even for one hour and drop out, you have voided your NROTC scholarship. So how are people having a plan B with NROTC??? It seems impossible once our kids leave for BCT.
 
When is Acceptance day? The problem with NROTC at the college he was admitted in and was awarded his NROTC, is the NROTC paperwork states that once you attend a SA, even for one hour and drop out, you have voided your NROTC scholarship. So how are people having a plan B with NROTC??? It seems impossible once our kids leave for BCT.
Acceptance Day is tentatively 9 AUG. Yes, ROTC falls through once at USAFA (at least AFROTC for sure), so the backup plan probably means participating in ROTC without a scholarship. That's where the outside scholarships come in.
 
But you should wait until after Acceptance Day to make sure they make it thru BCT.
Yes, to clarify, our DS sent the letter after A-Day (USMA). His plan was that he would go to the Plan B school utilizing his full-tuition merit-scholarships he had been awarded there and enroll in ROTC, no longer having that scholarship in his back pocket since that would have been voided after reporting on R-Day.
 
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