Rejection from USNA 2022

[usna1985]

Rigor of high schools was discussed extensively in a thread on this forum earlier this year. You may want to search for it.

I would not say that someone from an inner-city school who is doing outstanding work will be disadvantaged as compared to someone from a top school doing outstanding work.

What hurts is attending a great school (or a terrible one) and not doing outstanding work. IOW, USNA does not generally take the view that someone who is "middling" at a top school would be at the top of a "middling" school.

Finally, agree with SWO that, sometimes, it is timing and luck in addition to credentials. It happens in life -- not always fair, but that's the way it sometimes goes.

 

[jaglvr]

that is why they require high school profile so they can put them on an even playing field

 

[ders_dad]

Yes - I think I actually may have started that previous thread.

I'm sure I'm overly sensitive to this topic of late because DS's school is facing a 17% across-the-board budget cut. They are going to layoff 4 of the six career counselors and there's talk of cutting back on AP and IB (they have been cutting AP class offerings over the last 6 years). They just cut the baseball program from C, B, JV, V to just JV and V and DS's best friend was cut yesterday to make room for a couple of outstanding freshman and sophomores. They absolutely have to preserve the remedial programs and english-as-a-second-language programs. A vast majority of SA appointees in our district in the last several years have come out of one outstanding (and well-endowed) Catholic School and one military school. Can't really doing anything about it now (beyond what he's doing - taking everything IB and AP he can and getting A's) but I do beat myself up that maybe we should have been more proactive and put him and his younger brother in private school. It is what it is.

I will continue to believe that DS will do the very best he can and hope for the best. I completely understand that it's way more than academics and their is luck as to competition and a lot of other things beyond anyone's control.

 

[Jeepman]

My BGO said she was really surprised that someone with my statistics and application was rejected

Keep in mind that individual BGO's don't see all the candidates --one can have great tickets, but if another candidate has better tickets in a given year, they get the Appointment. That's the nature of the competitive process.

And by the way, its why BGOs are not supposed to comment like that on turndowns. Quite frankly, last year, I had one of my candidates get a turndown that amazed me. Really good high school, superior academics and SATs, reasonable athletics and a truly superior (and innovative) Eagle Project but he too got turned down.
By comparison, a candidate that I have this year who IS getting sworn in on I day has better SAT's, similar level academics in a high school that is nowhere near as good, no Eagle Project and less athletics. Now this candidate is from a different and normally less competitive Congressional District but timing and luck have a huge impact.

May I ask what the "innovative" Eagle Scout project was? My younger HS sophomore is doing his Eagle Scout project this summer and he is narrowing his ideas down. Any ideas or thoughts you care to share would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[OldRetSWO]

Yes - I think I actually may have started that previous thread.

I'm sure I'm overly sensitive to this topic of late because DS's school is facing a 17% across-the-board budget cut. They are going to layoff 4 of the six career counselors and there's talk of cutting back on AP and IB (they have been cutting AP class offerings over the last 6 years). They just cut the baseball program from C, B, JV, V to just JV and V and DS's best friend was cut yesterday to make room for a couple of outstanding freshman and sophomores. They absolutely have to preserve the remedial programs and english-as-a-second-language programs. A vast majority of SA appointees in our district in the last several years have come out of one outstanding (and well-endowed) Catholic School and one military school. Can't really doing anything about it now (beyond what he's doing - taking everything IB and AP he can and getting A's) but I do beat myself up that maybe we should have been more proactive and put him and his younger brother in private school. It is what it is.

I will continue to believe that DS will do the very best he can and hope for the best. I completely understand that it's way more than academics and their is luck as to competition and a lot of other things beyond anyone's control.

The congressional district that most of my schools are in as well as the school that my kids went to is largely a very wealthy area with a number of really good high schools as reflected by rankings in a statewide magazine and news service. In particular though, the high school in my town where SonOfOldRetSWO went to is no better than average for our county (probably below average) but SonOfOldRetSWO competed very well and had several noms (Congressional, Senatorial and Presidential) when he applied and he was able to validate a number of courses at USNA on his way to his Aero Engineering degree with extremely high grades.
What I'm getting at is that USNA works pretty hard to recognize the top candidates, even if they went to a not-so-good high school. An example of this is me as the high school that I attended is one of the worst in the state despite being under state control (and funding) . I still made it into USNA and, while academics were very tough for me at first, I eventually mae it to the top half of my class by the time I graduated.

 

[OldRetSWO]

May I ask what the "innovative" Eagle Scout project was? My younger HS sophomore is doing his Eagle Scout project this summer and he is narrowing his ideas down. Any ideas or thoughts you care to share would be appreciated. Thanks.[/QUOTE]
Most projects around here seem to revolve around trails, outdoor camping areas and the like. This project took a Police Pistol range that was basically a field with some simple target stands, rehabilitated it with a range building, etc and then created controllable moving targets for better/more realistic training. Accordingly, it is now not just used by the local cops but also by county SWAT teams and federal LE personnel in the area.

 

[USMAROTCFamily]

May I ask what the "innovative" Eagle Scout project was? My younger HS sophomore is doing his Eagle Scout project this summer and he is narrowing his ideas down. Any ideas or thoughts you care to share would be appreciated. Thanks.

Most projects around here seem to revolve around trails, outdoor camping areas and the like. This project took a Police Pistol range that was basically a field with some simple target stands, rehabilitated it with a range building, etc and then created controllable moving targets for better/more realistic training. Accordingly, it is now not just used by the local cops but also by county SWAT teams and federal LE personnel in the area.[/QUOTE]
Wow, that is really a MAJOR Eagle project!

 

[bman]

Yes - I think I actually may have started that previous thread.

I'm sure I'm overly sensitive to this topic of late because DS's school is facing a 17% across-the-board budget cut. They are going to layoff 4 of the six career counselors and there's talk of cutting back on AP and IB (they have been cutting AP class offerings over the last 6 years). They just cut the baseball program from C, B, JV, V to just JV and V and DS's best friend was cut yesterday to make room for a couple of outstanding freshman and sophomores. They absolutely have to preserve the remedial programs and english-as-a-second-language programs. A vast majority of SA appointees in our district in the last several years have come out of one outstanding (and well-endowed) Catholic School and one military school. Can't really doing anything about it now (beyond what he's doing - taking everything IB and AP he can and getting A's) but I do beat myself up that maybe we should have been more proactive and put him and his younger brother in private school. It is what it is.

I will continue to believe that DS will do the very best he can and hope for the best. I completely understand that it's way more than academics and their is luck as to competition and a lot of other things beyond anyone's control.

DD was in a similar position several years ago. She graduated from a high school which was on academic probation by the state because of its poor performance. In her case, I believe that helped her. If two students have similar standardized test scores, one coming from a high school with great academics and one coming from a high school with very poor academics, I think the one from the poor high school would get the nod as they have had to work work with less resources yet had the same results.

 

[Cdkd]

I some times wonder what is exactly USNA looking for in the candidate? Does USNA compare candidates in the same region or to different regions in the country? What type of leadership does USNA looking for captain of the sport team(s), student body officers, or scouts... I don't know! Each year the class size is about 1200 students. We do not know their stats on CFT, SAT/ACT scores, GPA, or athletic status except what posted on USNA website. We do not know which one is more important than the other. But after I read about the candidates from WA-5 whom received appointment for the class of 2021 I came into a conclusion that my DS has minimal chance to get in at this late of the game even though his stat is much more superior than last year candidates. May be he did not throw the BB more than 100 ft or not getting 1 minute run less than 6 minutes is the reason why we are still waiting. For any parent would like to compare DS/DD to the students received appointment in 2017, you would google under congresswoman service academy appointment 2017 in WA-5 to have some insight.
I have tremendous respect for this country and servicemen/women. With out you, my family and I would not be here. You gave me a lifetime opportunity to come here as a refugee teenager and now a medical doctor. I could not find any words good enough to show my appreciation. I think my DS is trying to do that for our family. But coming from a war torn country, witness my younger sisters died in front of me it is difficult for me to see him join the military. My heart says no but I still respect DS decision. If he receives the appointment, I am happy for him because he is happy. If not, he will find another way to serve this country. So to those are waiting, best wishes to any road that your DS/DD will choose for their future. Since we do have significant shortage of physicians in this country, I would love to see all of them apply for medical school after their undergrad studies. Believe me, medical school is easier than you thought if you have engineering background. It is a life long career and your DD/DS can serve in any branch of the military that they would like.

 

[ChoirDude]

Today we went from CPR to Not Nominated. My son is handling he news with more grace and maturity than I am and that makes me proud and my heart peaceful. He was awarded both Navy and Army
ROTC scholarships so will be moving forward at Norwich University.

 

[Keel-USNA]

Any TWE go out today?

 

[Old Navy BGO]

I some times wonder what is exactly USNA looking for in the candidate? Does USNA compare candidates in the same region or to different regions in the country?

Interesting query ..despite the efforts of some on the forum to understand or quantify every aspect of the Admissions process, I don't think there is any single, "exact" formula which guarantees admission. I've been doing this for over 15 years now...and I still surprised to see how the admissions cycle plays out sometimes. Despite putting all the qualifications into a computer , running it through some algorithm, and coming up with a Whole Person Multiple , or whatever its called these days, there has to be some degree of subjective evaluation. This is a competitive process, and an awful lot of very good candidates get passed over.

There are geographical differences.. By its nature (and law), USNA has to consider by region. I am not suggesting that a kid from North Dakota is less qualified, but the chances of Admission are better if there are fewer candidates. The exceptional kid in North Dakota stands out head and shoulders above his peers, while the similar qualified candidate from Virginia that is surrounded by a dozen peers who are virtually indistinguishable.

I hate to say it...there is some degree of luck. For example, luck in who you are competing with in your pool in any given year. If you have 700/700 SAT's in a given year,. and an otherwise identical candidate has 800/800 , you won't win that slate. However, its often been said that you make your own luck -- be the candidate with the 800/800, you don't have to worry about the guy with 700/700. I'm not saying you need 800/800 to get in -- USNA is looking for a well rounded candidate, with a mix of brains, leadership and athletics. I

 

[proudmom13]

I'm reading this forum and again I'm not sure why some kids get in and some don't. My thoughts are with those whose children really wanted it but didn't get it. My DS did get an appointment at USNA. For some background info that might help others, we go to an incredibly competitive high school in the northeast where most kids go to great schools, he has taken the hardest classes he could and has done well and did well on his SATs and SAT 2s in Math 2 & Physics. But I can't even say that got him in bc I know a boy two years ahead of him who didn't get in and his best friend who is also just as academically qualified is still waiting. When I re read his essay to USNA he talked about how, after he thought starting a men's volleyball program at his high school was the hardest thing he did, he realized the really challenge was creating a team and commanding respect (he was a junior and the only one who knew the game well after working w the girls team for years) from upperclassmen, teaching kids the game and keeping them positive despite a 0-17 season. I think it was that essay that did it. When your kid writes about themselves they need to cull from experiences that are relatable and that will serve them well at the academy. Just a thought. Good luck to all in the future and keeping my fingers crossed for those still waiting.

 

[Harva]

I'm reading this forum and again I'm not sure why some kids get in and some don't. My thoughts are with those whose children really wanted it but didn't get it. My DS did get an appointment at USNA. For some background info that might help others, we go to an incredibly competitive high school in the northeast where most kids go to great schools, he has taken the hardest classes he could and has done well and did well on his SATs and SAT 2s in Math 2 & Physics. But I can't even say that got him in bc I know a boy two years ahead of him who didn't get in and his best friend who is also just as academically qualified is still waiting. When I re read his essay to USNA he talked about how, after he thought starting a men's volleyball program at his high school was the hardest thing he did, he realized the really challenge was creating a team and commanding respect (he was a junior and the only one who knew the game well after working w the girls team for years) from upperclassmen, teaching kids the game and keeping them positive despite a 0-17 season. I think it was that essay that did it. When your kid writes about themselves they need to cull from experiences that are relatable and that will serve them well at the academy. Just a thought. Good luck to all in the future and keeping my fingers crossed for those still waiting.

I am also wondering the same about why some kids get in and some don't. I know kids who have prepared for years (held leadership roles, captain of athletic teams, excellent ACT scores and grades, took challenging classes, etc.), visited USNA, went to CVW and summer seminar and did not get in or are still waiting to hear. In their essays, some of these kids included things similar to what your son included and discussed their goals in serving for years beyond their required service. Yet, I know some kids who had never entertained the thought of applying or even had a desire to visit, but they are there because they were recruited athletes and have no interest beyond receiving a free education and doing their required service. Also, there are other kids who at the last minute applied because a friend did, got an appointment, and went sight unseen with the thought of "trying it out". I am sure all of these kids had qualities USNA was looking for and are excellent midshipmen, but my heart goes out to all of the kids who have worked so hard for years and did not get an appointment. It is often difficult to understand why things don't work out in our favor, but it is important to remember everything happens for a reason. For some, maybe overcoming this obstacle will give those even more strength to overcome a much larger obstacle in the future. Maybe this path ending will open a much more rewarding path. For others, maybe not getting an appointment this year will make them even more determined to get an appointment next year and they will work harder than they ever thought they could. For all of the kids who prepared for years and received appointments, for those who did not get an appointment, and for those still waiting- your parents are proud of you- proud of your ability to make good decisions to stay on a focused path to achieve your goal and proud of your hard work and the work ethic you have developed. I will continue to think positive thoughts for all!

 

[Bill P]

@Harva = So well put. Just blocked and copied sending it to DS who you described very well. Solace is that DS has great, exceptional even, Plan A(ii) but dreams of USNA waining . . . .

 

[ussaX2]

Agree - well put!

All I can say is it isn’t over till its over...

DD’s first attempt for USAFA resulted in a TWE, and then 30 days later a Foundation Scholarship offer came in. She accepted, went to a Texas prep school for a year and is now finishing her Junior year at USAFA.

DS’s first attempt for USNA resulted in first being wait listed... then TWE. He went to NROTC for a year and was then offered a USNA appointment on his second year application.

I am amazed more at the commitment and perseverance of these two kids than anything. Yes, its great they ultimately both are where they wanted to be - im telling you they worked there buts off after HS to get there.

Its overwhelming how dedicated and committed they were to the ultimate goal of an appointment - and an additional year of hard work and focus to get there.

Your journey is not over yet - even when you get the first TWE... I used to always ask the kids as they were growing up - how bad do you really want it?

Hang in there, you will be amazed at the options and doors that will open up.

 

[AF6872]

DS received TWE twice. Went another route and is now Lt. USNR. Commissioned on the USS Constitution. There is always a way and it ain't over till the fat lady sings.

 

[goblueDad]

@ussaX2 - great post. I will share with my DS who is going the NROTC route after getting a TWE.

 

[LIVEINTHEMOMENT]

Here we go. TWE. DD wanted to keep options open. USMA it is. GO ARMY BEAT NAVY!!!

 

[Futurecowboy99]

Received my twe from Usna(3rd choice) just now. I still have usafa(2nd choice) and usma(1st choice). I’m not too worried about those two options because Usna never received my act scores(31) which were significantly higher than sat scores(1270).