stuck between a rock and hard place

bigcox

bigcox

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
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Aug 4, 2008
Messages
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i've applied to USNA, USAFA, and USMA and i just got rejected for a waiver to USNA due to a lower extremity issue (i wear foot inserts/orthotics) and one episode of sleepwalking after age 12. i've read that they will consider you for a waiver if you are normally competitive enough for admission, despite medical deficiencies. i've been in CAP for about 3 years now, gotten my Earhart and many other awards, got a 30 on ACT and am going to take it again on the 25th, got a 1200 on SAT and just got done taking it last weekend for hopefully a higher score, many national academic awards, National honor society, spanish honor society, debate, cross country, and track where i'll hopefully break the state record in discus. i've turned in all paperwork except for CFA, which i'll be doing two weekends from now. does anyone know if the above information is competitive enough to get a waiver from USMA or USAFA? if not, i guess i'll stick to applying for the regent's scholarship at nebraska and other ROTC programs. thanks for anyone's help. i appreciate the help this website has been. :thumb:
 
It certainly sounds like you have solid credentials, BUT there is no one on the Forums that has information that accurate that would assist you. Your best bet is to contact your Liaison officers that you are working with in your area OR the Admissions offices, to see if you will be in line for an offer of appointment. If you are, Admissions will direct actions for you to be processed for medical waiver consideration. :thumb:
 
I wear orthotics too, this year I was DQed but then after showign DODMERB the proper documents I was deemed qualified
 
Another great example. It's not the label of orthotics, it's how these were prescribed, used, and the effects they have on individuals that matter. Additionally, there's another significant DQ mentioned. That, may be on a continuum too. How severe is it and how does it manifest itself for bigcox. Each waiver authority will have to perform a "risk analysis" on the success of training, commission, and world-wide deployability after commission.:thumb:
 
bigcox - Please contact your USNA admissions officer - this person can explain to you exactly why you will not be considered for a USNA waiver. Larry is right - don't make assumptions here. If your condition or history does not allow for a waiver then it doesn't matter much what your credentials are.

At the same time - each academy operates under their own rules. It is entirely possible that you could have a non-waiverable DQ for one academy and receive a waiver for another academy.

From your brief summary - it looks like you are competitive for USMA - please call your Regional Admissions Officer. He is there to help you - they are wonderful people. If you need help contacting him - pm me.
Good Luck.
 
The stories here vary slightly; only the names are different. Last year there was a young man who was very "hooah." He thought he wanted USNA more than anything...in fact, last year was his second time applying there. He, too, had a history of sleepwalking. Of course, after he visited USMA, the deal was sealed. Could he have been happy at USNA if he'd received the waiver for sleepwalking? Maybe; I think most people will "bloom where they are planted." However, I speak w/ both he and his mother and I know he is very, very happy and content at USMA. Sometimes things happen for a reason. Sometimes what we see as setbacks are merely a larger hand guiding us in the right direction.
 
Waiver process timeframe

How long does the waiver process take? Son received DQ last week but will info will be presented to waiver board.....how long will that take?
 
It all depends on when/if the academy or program decides to seek the waiver. They all have different criteria. From what I was told, USMA admissions will seek a waiver for a candidate competitive for appointment or a prep program. They use the "but for" criteria. As in an offer is likely to be made, "but for" the dq.
Every case is different but as an example, my daughter was dq'd in Dec., she finished her application in Jan and USMA decided the first week of March to seek a waiver. A few weeks after she got the waiver she was made an offer.
Seeking a waiver is time consuming and expensive. At this point in the game - the academies are going after those with LOA's. For many candidates they will wait until after the nominations are in and make sure the candidate will receive a nomination.
 
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How long does the waiver process take? Son received DQ last week but will info will be presented to waiver board.....how long will that take?

One thing is for sure- it will take longer than you wish it would - and I don't mean to be facitious with that. The wait is frustrating. If your son has an LOA it will be quicker than if he does not. That is about the only "sure" piece of information in the mix. However don't let that be discouraging in the least as you must remember very few candidate have an LOA :) Keep watching the DoDMERB website for changes in dates or such for clues that his file has been reviewed- but it will take some time (weeks...to start with). I hope this has helped a little. :smile:
 
One thing I should add - Dodmerb will post online AND mail a notice that an academy or program to which you applied is seeking a waiver. Watch for this notice. Nothing will happen until you get it.
Once the decision has been made to seek a waiver - the wait can be very short, a matter of days or there may be more remedials - namely in the form of medical tests. Do NOT delay with these and be aggressive in the follow up - get Mr Mullen on board.
 
Thanks for the replies. His Admissions Officer called last week and spoke with him, telling him that his application was going before the Admin Bd. and that a request for LOA for him was gonig to be made and that it looked good. The next day he checked the DODMERB site and saw that he had a DQ (which he expected but knew it was waiverable). So last week was good news and then not so good. He had already responded to the Remedial with a letter, etc. but when he saw the DQ and knowing he had the waiver process to wait out..... Thanks for the advice. I think the worst part is everyone asking, "Has he heard anything?" and not wanting to go into too much detail. Well meaning, but the agony of waiting and then trying to keep up all the stuff he is involved with - well - it isn't anything new now, is it! Lots of candidates have been through this process. :wink:
 
When Mr. Mullen pops in here I may be corrected but the DQ you are now "seeing" is the formal piece of what his remedial response most likely was for. (I am assuming here since you said he sent a letter). It took some time before we actually saw DQ appear- it seems sometimes like it is in reverse order - we saw remedial, then DQ, then remedial, etc. But in any case it sounds like your son is in a great spot with the recommendation for an LOA :smile:- tell him to be happy on that account.

The wait is by far the most awful part of this endeavor (for now). Well meaning family and friends continually ask "Have you heard, Do you know..." and it only serves as a reminder. If it helps you feel better, we waited until May last year :eek:- talk about stress - lol. I'm sure you will not be waiting until then. We also are talking about a waiver and an appeal so that lengthens it even more.

Hang in there- read the board. That can help too :)
 
the thing is... is that i don't personally have a history of sleepwalking. it happened only once about 2 years ago at a Civil Air Patrol function. i went through about 9 cans of soda and I got two hours of sleep the night before. no wonder i sleptwalked. anyone would if you had a sugar-high and no sleep. i am kicking myself right now for reporting such a minor incident that could well have cost me acceptance to an academy. i explained it on the remarks section of the medical application, but apparently it never got through. it was just the wording of the question that got to me, i'm guessing. also, the orthotics were simply a preventative measure for distance running; i need them only for long distances like 6+ miles and since wearing them, my feet have adjusted from flat to an arch. i can attest that no hinderance has occured since my stress fracture (over 2.5 years ago), and the bone is COMPLETELY healed.
 
by the way, i wanted to say thanks to everyone's replies, especially Mr. Mullen's. the wait is pretty long; i've been checking my account on DoDMERB to see the day by day activity. it said something peculiar that a "remedial" was sent again, does anyone know if you can receive two remedials, because i already sent in medical paperwork for my stress fracture for my first remedial. i wonder what the second is all about?
 
Did you say you were from Nebraska?

I'm from Omaha. I also have flat feet, and wear orthotics, but I was deemed qualified. (Never had an injury to cause it, and my arches aren't bad)
 
well, i had the stress fracture from running in normal shoes, and then after the bone recovered, i was given custom orthotics for my feet. and yes, i'm from fremont, NE. i go to fremont high school.
 
From bigcox -"""by the way, i wanted to say thanks to everyone's replies, especially Mr. Mullen's. the wait is pretty long; i've been checking my account on DoDMERB to see the day by day activity. it said something peculiar that a "remedial" was sent again, does anyone know if you can receive two remedials, because i already sent in medical paperwork for my stress fracture for my first remedial. i wonder what the second is all about?""""

I would wonder too, but I can tell you this, there's no one on the Forums that can answer that question....especially me....when I don't know who you are or what are the specifics of your case....so, I'll assume you're here for social purposes, so, we'll see what answers folks come up with:smile::smile:
 
Thank you Mr. Mullen

Thank you so much! You gave us clear, concise and easy to understand answers for our particular case. If we had not contacted you, we would have had to wait, wonder and wade through trying to understand our next steps. Thank you again.:smile:
 
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