Recruited athlete question

Keep in mind how the overall admission process works. The board does not meet and vote "yes" or "no" on an appointment. They basically say qualified and move to the next step in the process based on your WCS. Being a recruited athlete will help your WCS as you should do very well in the athletic component and you probably get a few extra points if the coach checks the "recruited" box on your application.

You have to be 3Q and have a place to be "charged" to. There are no unlimited slots and while the "Blue Chip" is a mystery you can make some safe assumptions that these individuals are slotted as additional appointees if they do not win their nomination slate. Many different interest are competing for these last few slots and they are rationed based on the perceived importance to the academy. Football or under-represented diversity candidates probably have more weight than the track coach.

All coaches would like a team of 5 Star recruits at the beginning of each recruiting season but as the process moves along, they start balancing what they can get into the program. I have a daughter who has been a preferred walked on at two different Division I track programs in the last two years. She is not one of these 5 Star recruits but when the coaches do not get these super stars they still need to fill the team. While she may never make the NCAA Finals, she has helped her team compete and done well for herself.

To answer your final question, there are no guarantees till you have an appointment as there are many different things that influence the process.

That completely answers my question, thank you so much!

The real question is what nominations do your currently have and how competitive of a candidate are you? That will give you a good idea at your chances
 
The real question is what nominations do your currently have and how competitive of a candidate are you? That will give you a good idea at your chances

I live in northern virginia which coordinates noms; got a senatorial which my bgo said was the first time any of his candidates had gotten senator’s since he’d been a bgo. In the national pool I’d consider myself competitive, but in a state like Virginia.. it’s hard to say.
 
Instead of taking jabs at my intentions, I would advise you to contribute your efforts into helping others on this forum. I intend to serve in the Navy for life, thank you.

You’re getting some good feedback here in terms of the posts about various aspects of the process. Just hang in there!

I am sure you have invested time and effort to ensure a service academy, with its total immersion military lifestyle and minimum 5 years of obligated service, is the right fit for you. Every year at USNA, there are recruited athletes and others who did selective listening and are surprised/appalled/resistant to wearing uniforms, not having civilian clothes or cars for the first year or so, with their ability to leave the Yard severely restricted during the week and no summers completely off, plus watchstanding, marching and all that military stuff. They are not happy, they don’t adapt, and often they leave. That’s why there is so much encouragement on here to go to NASS, do CVWs, attend STEM and sports camps, visit the Yard, to increase the chances of making an informed decision. While organized sports are a big part of USNA life, the mission is to produce warriors to serve in the Fleet or Corps.

And, the good news is, you don’t have to serve in the Navy “for life!” If you serve 20-26 years, which is a classic full career length, you leave active service in your 40’s, not yet teetering on the edge of the grave, and will usually go on to 1-2 more careers after that, with multiple jobs in the civilian community. I am on my 4th job in the corporate sector after 26 years in uniform, and plan on a third career shift in the next decade to work for a veteran non-profit organization supporting women veterans in transition.

Just be open to the journey and assess your situation after 5-8 years, when you and the Navy are on familiar terms. Many who think they are headed for a full career find their priorities change and they have things they want to do as civilians. Others surprise the heck out of themselves (and their USNA classmates) by staying for a full career instead of “5 and dive.” You don’t have to think about any of that for many years. If you get an appointment, start your journey and see where the road takes you.
 
You’re getting some good feedback here in terms of the posts about various aspects of the process. Just hang in there!

I am sure you have invested time and effort to ensure a service academy, with its total immersion military lifestyle and minimum 5 years of obligated service, is the right fit for you. Every year at USNA, there are recruited athletes and others who did selective listening and are surprised/appalled/resistant to wearing uniforms, not having civilian clothes or cars for the first year or so, with their ability to leave the Yard severely restricted during the week and no summers completely off, plus watchstanding, marching and all that military stuff. They are not happy, they don’t adapt, and often they leave. That’s why there is so much encouragement on here to go to NASS, do CVWs, attend STEM and sports camps, visit the Yard, to increase the chances of making an informed decision. While organized sports are a big part of USNA life, the mission is to produce warriors to serve in the Fleet or Corps.

And, the good news is, you don’t have to serve in the Navy “for life!” If you serve 20-26 years, which is a classic full career length, you leave active service in your 40’s, not yet teetering on the edge of the grave, and will usually go on to 1-2 more careers after that, with multiple jobs in the civilian community. I am on my 4th job in the corporate sector after 26 years in uniform, and plan on a third career shift in the next decade to work for a veteran non-profit organization supporting women veterans in transition.

Just be open to the journey and assess your situation after 5-8 years, when you and the Navy are on familiar terms. Many who think they are headed for a full career find their priorities change and they have things they want to do as civilians. Others surprise the heck out of themselves (and their USNA classmates) by staying for a full career instead of “5 and dive.” You don’t have to think about any of that for many years. If you get an appointment, start your journey and see where the road takes you.

Thank you so much for this, I do realize my mind will change PLENTY throughout the coming years, and I am excited for it! I am open to opportunities that may emerge with a 5-and-dive, etc. As of now, I have attended NASS, a sports visit, casual campus visits, and have had siblings go through the USAFA, USCGA, and USNA, as well as civilian college, and civilian college w/ NROTC. (If you counted right, I have 5 siblings!) and have gained different perspectives of each. As of now, I have done all I can to ensure this commitment is one I want, and hearing stories like yours reassures this! I appreciate the feedback!!
 
Thank you so much for this, I do realize my mind will change PLENTY throughout the coming years, and I am excited for it! I am open to opportunities that may emerge with a 5-and-dive, etc. As of now, I have attended NASS, a sports visit, casual campus visits, and have had siblings go through the USAFA, USCGA, and USNA, as well as civilian college, and civilian college w/ NROTC. (If you counted right, I have 5 siblings!) and have gained different perspectives of each. As of now, I have done all I can to ensure this commitment is one I want, and hearing stories like yours reassures this! I appreciate the feedback!!

... didn’t realize I used “as of now” twice.. I’m disappointed in myself [emoji23][emoji28]
 
It could be they are competitive, but there just isn’t room for them in the class. This can and does happen, especially with those from competitive areas. They may have great stats but fall 6th on a slate, yet not quite make the top 150 in the national pool. Most of us who have been around here awhile have seen some stellar candidates not get in and some we scratch our heads at. None of us can give you a firm answer. All you can do is wait and let the process play out.
 
Back
Top