Summer Leadership Seminar question

Caddyboy

5-Year Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2011
Messages
11
My school year ends in late June, which means I would need to take a week off from school. I am fairly certain that my school would excuse the absences given the nature and prestige of SLS. My concern is missing time so near finals. Has anyone had this problem, and what do you recommend? Thanks!
 
The SLS sessions last year were in late May and early June. If your finals week is at the end of school in late June like mine, you'll have a couple of weeks in between.

There's also a bit of downtime during SLS where you can study for your finals. I brought prep books for Calculus and Chemistry and worked through them during SLS, NASS, and the transit periods between the two.

Some schools will also give you a choice of taking your finals earlier, later, during the summer, or at the start of the next year. It really depends on what you can work out with your teachers and school administration.
 
Thank you nuensis, I appreciate the advice. Did you enjoy the SLS week? Is West Point in your future plans?
 
Well I didn't go to SLS, but I went to Boys State the very last week of my school year, during finals. I took some of my finals before and some after. It's obviously dependent on your school/teachers but I'm sure they would understand.
 
Well my school said I could go and then one of my teachers told me she wouldn't make exceptions for me for the tests...so I couldn't go. That sucked. Basically, just check with you teachers (not just your guidance counselor) to make sure you can work out something with them while you still have time.
 
Thank you nuensis, I appreciate the advice. Did you enjoy the SLS week? Is West Point in your future plans?

SLS was a great experience. It helped me decide my desired major and career field.

It also helped me decide that I did not want to pursue a career in the Army, which was why I attended SLS and NASS in the first place: to decide.

SLS is the opportunity to get all of your questions answered by cadets, professors, admissions officers, and Army officers from every branch of the Army. Make sure you take advantage.
 
Last edited:
Well my school said I could go and then one of my teachers told me she wouldn't make exceptions for me for the tests...so I couldn't go. That sucked. Basically, just check with you teachers (not just your guidance counselor) to make sure you can work out something with them while you still have time.

Not telling anyone to be a trouble maker, but this teacher sounds unreasonable. The decision like that should be made by school officials, not just one teacher.

Simply, there are exceptions.

If I had to take a guess this teacher might have been anti-military or lazy.
 
I had to take off a week of school. From my experience as well as what I heard from my squad-mates, as soon as you mention where you will be for the at week it won't be an issue. Also, a teacher isn't allowed to deny you the opportunity to make up school work if you are out of school for a pre-approved and excused absence. As far as school work is concerned.... I was in almost all AP classes and after the AP exams in May.... Well, we don't really do anything. So it wasn't an issue for me personally. SLS was one of the greatest weeks of my life and my experience there really solidified my decision to attend an academy. From everyone I have listen to about the week, it is really an indicator one way or another as to whether this is something you truly want to spend a large portion of your life doing. Very few people come out of SLS ambivalent.
 
My cadet wouldn't even consider taking that much time off from school. He had several AP classes, projects, and American Legion baseball going on. He had visited West Point several times, taking advantage of the day visits, so he was confident in his choice of USMA. He never gave his decision another second's thought and didn't feel he missed anything by not attending SLS.

A friend's son did SLS and NASS this summer and realized that he did not want to attend a service academy so attendance at the summer seminars can work both ways.
 
Back
Top