Reapplication

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GoArmy22

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Nov 29, 2016
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Sadly I did not get in this year, but I am reapplying; at the crux of it all, I want to serve in some way or another.

I have already talked to my RC at WP and my BGO at Annapolis about what materials I need to submit in terms of reapplying, but if any of you all have experiences/tips/advice you would like to share about the process, please let me know (you can PM me too).

I am currently in a crisis of deciding which academies to apply for next year. I am looking at USAFA, USMA, and USNA. I applied to USMA and USNA this year, but the nominations didn't work well in my favor when I applied to 2, as I had to take risks which ultimately led to me not getting into either one. The area I am in is, in itself, super competitive, so if possible I'd like to narrow it down to applying to just 1 or 2 academies. I have the most insight on West Point because I went to their SLE and my sibling goes there.

I want to major in International Relations (my BGO provided wonderful insight in this from experience) and most likely major in French. I am also brushing up on Korean. Politics/law related is hugely an interest to me as well. I want to branch in Intelligence, but if I get in, I really want to look into everything available and be open-minded. I am unsure of which academy will provide the best opportunity for me in this area, as I feel like all academies would. Any insight/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated in terms of helping me find the right academy choice for this study.

Ultimately, I am trying to "hurry up and wait", submitting everything as early as I can and avoiding all the mistakes I've made this time around. I've struggled and crawled through the waiver process for my knee once already, so I'm glad DODMERB is valid for 2 years. I want to see if I can visit the academies (though Colorado may be difficult I can visit the others), speak to Admissions in person if possible, and get a REAL look at each academy, the good and the bad. Even though I have some insight on West Point, I still want to see if I can visit because I know there are tons of 'gray' days that I never saw at SLE.

Here's one thing I'll definitely avoid for next year: maybe when my Senator asks me where I'm applying, I won't freeze up and say West Point (which is ingrained in my speech due to having family go there) but will instead be formal and say the United States Military Academy.. I was so glad to hear I still got that nom.

Again, any insight/experience/advice/tips are greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance :)
 
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If you'll search the threads, you'll find many on reapplicaton. Are you doing ROTC at your plan B? That would be another source of a nomination. Here is what my son did as a reapplicant:
  • Attended a senior military college and participated in their ROTC (UNG)
  • Retook the SAT
  • Completed entire file by Oct 1
  • Met with cadet command to discuss nomination
  • Got involved in rigorous cadet-related activities on campus
  • Took a class load harder than advised, but mirroring USMA plebe schedule
  • Made excellent grades in all classes
  • Worked out non-stop to improve CFA
  • Stayed in touch w/ RC, asking for additional suggestions for improving file
He received his appointment in Feb. of his Freshman year. He wanted to serve, so the ROTC program was going to be his #1 if his second try didn't gain him admission. He didn't act like he was only there for a year--he put his heart and soul into it, as if that was his #1 school. Good luck to you.
 
Nothing wrong with saying West Point. Although the squids object to referring to their school as Annapolis.

When applying to multiple academies you do need to be a bit lucky in getting either multiple nominations, or in getting a single nomination to the school you have the best shot at getting an appointment to. I don't know if there is any way of predicting that though. The stars need to align.

Good luck.
 
purpledog394 said:
I want to major in International Relations (my BGO provided wonderful insight in this from experience) and most likely major in French. I am also brushing up on Korean. Politics/law related is hugely an interest to me as well. I want to branch in Intelligence, but if I get in, I really want to look into everything available and be open-minded. I am unsure of which academy will provide the best opportunity for me in this area, as I feel like all academies would.
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I attended NASS last year and one of the things they talked about referring to military intelligence is that you can't actually branch right to it from the academy. There is a select commissioning route that goes from SWO to intelligence but it is often taken by the top midshipmen. I don't know about the Marine Corps side of things though. So if you are really thinking about Military Intelligence as a branch West Point might be the better fit. Obviously your mind may change but this is just a bit of info that might help your decision.
 
purpledog394 said:
Sadly I did not get in this year, but I am reapplying; at the crux of it all, I want to serve in some way or another.

I have already talked to my RC at WP and my BGO at Annapolis about what materials I need to submit in terms of reapplying, but if any of you all have experiences/tips/advice you would like to share about the process, please let me know (you can PM me too).

I am currently in a crisis of deciding which academies to apply for next year. I am looking at USAFA, USMA, and USNA. I applied to USMA and USNA this year, but the nominations didn't work well in my favor when I applied to 2, as I had to take risks which ultimately led to me not getting into either one. The area I am in is, in itself, super competitive, so if possible I'd like to narrow it down to applying to just 1 or 2 academies. I have the most insight on West Point because I went to their SLE and my sibling goes there.

I want to major in International Relations (my BGO provided wonderful insight in this from experience) and most likely major in French. I am also brushing up on Korean. Politics/law related is hugely an interest to me as well. I want to branch in Intelligence, but if I get in, I really want to look into everything available and be open-minded. I am unsure of which academy will provide the best opportunity for me in this area, as I feel like all academies would. Any insight/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated in terms of helping me find the right academy choice for this study.

Ultimately, I am trying to "hurry up and wait", submitting everything as early as I can and avoiding all the mistakes I've made this time around. I've struggled and crawled through the waiver process for my knee once already, so I'm glad DODMERB is valid for 2 years. I want to see if I can visit the academies (though Colorado may be difficult I can visit the others), speak to Admissions in person if possible, and get a REAL look at each academy, the good and the bad. Even though I have some insight on West Point, I still want to see if I can visit because I know there are tons of 'gray' days that I never saw at SLE.

Here's one thing I'll definitely avoid for next year: maybe when my Senator asks me where I'm applying, I won't freeze up and say West Point (which is ingrained in my speech due to having family go there) but will instead be formal and say the United States Military Academy.. I was so glad to hear I still got that nom.

Again, any insight/experience/advice/tips are greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance :)
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I am a reapplicant and going to be a part of the c/o 2021. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
 
I think the most important thing for re-applicants is to remember that there is not one "approved" solution to getting an appointment. The first thing is to evaluate the reasons you didn't make it the first time and the possibility of improving those areas. You may be able to improve your test scores but your high school GPA and class profile cannot be changed. Following up with your RC can help give some of those answers but a honest self-evaluation will tell you the same thing. You also should keep in mind that there are no guarantees as things change from year to year and the things you do need to support your bigger goals of college and a career.

If you have below the published average grades, test scores, leadership experiences, etc; you will have to do extra catch up work to improve those areas from high school.

ROTC gives you the ability to compete for another nomination and appointment source. This can be done regardless of your ROTC scholarship situation.

Everyone does agree that you need to keep take a challenging course load in college and do well. You also need to keep demonstrating your leadership and athletic ability through extracurricular activities.

I can tell you that my DD took a different approach than @mom3boys DS did but they both ended up at the same place. Here are some of the differences but I think the overall guidance is similar. Do what works for you but do it well.
  • ROTC at a non-SMC college
  • Did not mirror a plebe schedule; No, English, History or Calculus, replaced with additional chemistry, two biology classes and associated labs
  • Did not re-take ACT; test scores were already above published averages
  • Completed file in January
  • Did well in challenging courses; do not need a 4.0 but anything under 3.0 will make the path difficult
  • Competed as a DIV I athlete and in an additional Club sport
  • Active in ROTC demonstrating the ability to lead
  • Active in Campus based organizations
Recent data and briefings from USMA and USNA show that between 25-30% of entering cadets have a year of post high school education.

The other thing to remember is to enjoy your Plan B. Do not spend your first year at college thinking about wanting other things. These are the best days of your life and live them fully.
 
USMA 1994 said:
The other thing to remember is to enjoy your Plan B. Do not spend your first year at college thinking about wanting other things. These are the best days of your life and live them fully.
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+1
This is critical. My DS never did reapply as he felt it would just delay his goal of commissioning by another year. He loves his college, taught snowboarding on the weekends, and is a great fit in his battalion.

In his case, plan C became plan A+.
 
I am reapplying as well. I sent emails to both my RC and FFR asking for advice on how to improve my file and didn't get a response from either of them. For someone who isn't a Division 1 caliber athlete, does anyone have any suggestions for athletics beyond ROTC?
 
purpledog394 said:
I applied to USMA and USNA this year, but the nominations didn't work well in my favor when I applied to 2, as I had to take risks which ultimately led to me not getting into either one.
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You're getting some very good insights and well meaning advice as noted above but help us understand this comment about "risks that ultimatley led you to not getting in" . Not quite following that...can you clarify so that some can put a finer point on it?
 
Sydney C. said:
You're getting some very good insights and well meaning advice as noted above but help us understand this comment about "risks that ultimatley led you to not getting in" . Not quite following that...can you clarify so that some can put a finer point on it?
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I am guessing that may be a reference to the candidates rating of Academy preference with the MOC's, on the applications and during interviews. My son applied to USMA, USNA, and USAFA, and that was how he ranked his preferences because USMA was his strong first choice. But by the time he had his interview for the last MOC, he knew he already had multiple nominations to USMA, and thus asked to make USNA his first choice during the interview. They accommodated, but he did not get a nomination from that senator, because he already had one for each Academy, and two from USMA. But there is a bit of a calculation that needs to be made by those who apply to multiple Academies. Even if you prefer one Academy over another, if you believe that you are less likely to either get a nomination or an appointment to your first choice, you may decide to put your chips in a different basket.

Sometimes these kids know the competition pretty well, and may try to game the process a bit. I am not critical of that; just saying.
 
BSCAR said:
I am reapplying as well. I sent emails to both my RC and FFR asking for advice on how to improve my file and didn't get a response from either of them. For someone who isn't a Division 1 caliber athlete, does anyone have any suggestions for athletics beyond ROTC?
Click to expand...

My son did ROTC at a SMC...he joined a really badass group that was physically demanding.
 
BSCAR said:
I am reapplying as well. I sent emails to both my RC and FFR asking for advice on how to improve my file and didn't get a response from either of them. For someone who isn't a Division 1 caliber athlete, does anyone have any suggestions for athletics beyond ROTC?
Click to expand...


You will be exposed to numerous new opportunities when you show up for orientation this summer at your college. There are club sports, intramurals, ROTC based activities (ie Ranger Challenge, color guard), student government, religious based ministries, service groups, and the list goes on and on. Look to participate in things that you enjoy and do not jut focus on what could help your application.
 
Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice. I have decided to enroll in ARMY106 (ROTC) at my backup school and have decided to reapply to just West Point. After thinking long and hard, I have decided that joining the Army is where I want to see myself in the future. I plan on studying to retake the ACT over the summer, getting in the best physical shape not just for the CFA but in case I get in, meeting with my RC, working hard my first year in college, and listing USMA for all of those MOC interviews. I'm not sure how civilian colleges would handle me having to leave on a Friday to get those MOC interviews done, but I'm sure I'll find a way.

@Sydney C. , I think @brovol explained most of it. For one of my senators, I could only list one academy, and for others I had to list the preferences in order which led to me having to pick and choose, trying to strategize which way would get me both noms.

I believe about 25-30% of each incoming class is reapplicants, and I'm trying to find more stats on how ROTC noms work.

Thank you all again!!
 
Sounds like a solid plan. Re-applicants actually have preference over first timers as far as admission, assuming all other things are equal. It shows commitment, dedication and desire. More importantly, doing a year of college will help you in a big way during your Plebe year. One of my son's roommates was a re-applicant, and is outpacing my son academically by a lot. He is near the top. Not only does having the same classes two years in a row help, but that year of general maturity and learning how to be a disciplined college student makes a huge difference.

Good luck, and keep your nose to the grindstone.
 
Does anyone have that picture of the USMA plebe course schedule? I wanna look at it before I select classes so I can model my course load after USMA's.
 
If you want to serve, consider the Air Force Academy. Can't speak for this year, but last couple years their application numbers were way down and they were actively recruiting. Locally, there were far less competing for a Congressional nomination as well. My DS first choice was USMA but would have been willing to serve in any of the service branches.
 
@BSCAR Here it is from the USMA Redbook. If you google that phrase you can get the entire academic catalog but it is nothing extreme; Calc I, Chemistry, History, English Comp, elective. The challenge is everything else associated with your plebe year. I would be sure to balance what a plebe schedule looks like to what will help you graduate in four years if you do not make it. There is no reason top repeat courses because it looks like a plebe schedule. Most applicants have AP classes that help them test out of the basics. If you test out of a typical plebe course, look to replace it with what follows in the academic program.

upload_2017-5-30_16-2-23.png
 
@brovol I agree. The academics was actually the part that I was extremely concerned about being prepared for. A year at college will help me in that aspect by a lot. @1mountaintop Understood. I'll do some research now.
 
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