Summer Seminar “Exit Interview”

OneLink96

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DD completed Summer Seminar 2024 and had a short “exit interview” with her SL. He gave her favorable notes and allowed her to ask questions about academy life. He was very encouraging as she became acquainted with and began to love the United States Navy, USNA, Raiders, globes, anchors, submarines, drill, etc. (you get the picture). Do SLs provide any formalized feedback toward candidates’ applications, or is SS just evaluated among the other activities within a particular candidate’s application?
 
NASS has no direct bearing on an application. It’s a marketing tool to spread awareness of USNA, as well as a training block for detailers (learning to write reports, evaluate their people, practice their leadership). Generally, a squad leader just completed their plebe year.

Of course it’s good to receive a positive write up. But it’s not going to have an impact on admissions decision to offer an appointment. NASS is not a screener for selecting and offering appointments. Most of the Brigade did not attend NASS.

Use the search tool for tons of past discussion about your question. Good luck to your DD!
 
Thank you for your reply and well wishes. We were not sure since her application became active at that time (and she waited patiently on CFA results from the administration day at SS). Regardless, it gave her confidence and a fond memory. The young man gave her incredibly specific feedback (well done, USNA). He had just completed his plebe year, but my daughter said he seemed so much older and collected than she and her fellow squad mates.
 
@OneLink96 if she has not received an invitation to CVW it can't hurt to reach out to Admission and see if there are any invites available, it's another great way to interact with the Mids and learn about the USNA. Our DD loved NASS too, and CVW closed the deal for her #1 choice. Best of luck to your daughter on this journey, it's a marathon I'm just trying to keep up....the forum helps a lot ;) !
 
The young man gave her incredibly specific feedback (well done, USNA). He had just completed his plebe year, but my daughter said he seemed so much older and collected than she and her fellow squad mates.
From DD's shipmates who served as SS detailers and leadership: The write-ups are used as a development tool for the detailers. The detailers are learning how to evaluate people and provide feedback. USNA does not use "practice" evaluations as admissions input. There are plenty of other inputs that are more uniform and reliable -- not to mention the fact that most successful candidates never attended SS.
 
From DD's shipmates who served as SS detailers and leadership: The write-ups are used as a development tool for the detailers. The detailers are learning how to evaluate people and provide feedback. USNA does not use "practice" evaluations as admissions input. There are plenty of other inputs that are more uniform and reliable -- not to mention the fact that most successful candidates never attended SS.
Though it may be a discouragement for DD, I wonder what percentage of successful candidates have attended NASS. As I understand, it is a dual-purpose training and recruitment tool. I wonder how many competitive and ultimately successful candidates are found via the program. (I have not searched the forum for this information, which may be readily available….but I’m new.)
 
If your daughter is encouraged, excited about apply, and is spreading her great experience, then the program did exactly what it’s intended to do. File it away as a motivator!! But don’t try and read anything into it.

Think about it, at this point, everything is self reported. Students haven’t supplied their transcripts, leadership activities, been through a medical exam, or interview with a BGO. They have applied and received a nomination (or not). There will be MANY NASS participants who don’t fully qualify for an offer. Some that never receive a nomination. And ones who don’t win their nomination slates.

To her point about an ‘older’ detailer/staff, could be. It still doesn’t mean anything. Perhaps it was a prior, who went through NAPS. So still just completed plebe year but is a good 3 yrs older than others (as an example). It’s these detailers that do the write ups. My oldest attended and had a detailer that had applied 3 times and was at the upper age limit. He is the one that inspired my son (bc of how hard he worked to get in).

This same son of mine was also a detailer. Responsible for the write up. He had an awful candidate (no way he would make it in as an MIDN according to my son), but my guy still found positives in his time with him for his write up.

It’s fully a marketing tool. Per BGO training. Are there kids that will ultimately receive an appointment? Absolutely!!! But a good performance will not make an appointment happen. There is no way it can…to many pieces of the ultimate appointment pieces yet to come.

You could do math and figure out the Brigade percentage. NASS is small in scope and there are 4,500-ish in the Brigade. About 1,250-ish appointments each year.

Good luck to your DD. It’s a LONG process. There is value in going through it whether an appointment is received, or not. Tons of growth.

An aside: a CVW also will have no impact on her selection for an appointment. Its goal is to help kids decide if USNA is a good fit for them via shadowing a plebe for a couple days. The experience provides a look into the life of a MIDN student. NASS is more of a ‘camp’ atmosphere that highlights USNA and its uniqueness (ie: running a mock sea trial, experiencing physical fitness evolutions, a bit of military instruction, etc).

These are marketing opportunities for USNA. And opportunities for students to get exposure and then spread the word of their (hopefully) amazing experience. Hence increasing applications, especially from areas that perhaps don’t have a lot of exposure. Like the Midwest, for example.

Glad she had a great time. Both of my guys attended, stayed in touch with their squad mates, and ultimately were the only ones who received appointments from their squads. Which doesn’t mean they were tagged and received an appointment via NASS, rather it demonstrates that NASS is not a predictor of an appointment.
 
Things change all of the time, but at least a few years ago, NASS squad leaders did fill out evaluations. That said, this is primarily for the benefit of the SLs (learning to write evals, which you do a lot as junior officer). In terms of the attendees, they CAN help a tiny bit if the SL says the person was motivated, a good team member, tried hard, was reasonably fit, etc. They could potentially hurt if the person was the opposite (whiner, non-participant, not good team member, totally out of shape, etc.).

USNA recognizes that the people completing these evaluations were plebes a few days earlier. Thus, they don't carry much weight -- they definitely will not make or break an application.

A decent number of NASS attendees receive appointments. But it's not a "stepping stone" or even a block to check for an appointment. As with CVW, it's an opportunity for candidates (or would-be candidates) to learn about USNA. Those who go to the trouble of applying for NASS and attending NASS are generally highly motivated to complete their application, etc. So there is a correlation. But some folks who attend NASS hate it and never apply and some apply but aren't sufficiently competitive.

So why does USNA offer less competitive folks a chance at NASS? As we constantly explain, it's a RECRUITING TOOL. USNA hopes that folks will go back to their communities, schools, churches, Scout troops, teams, etc. and talk up USNA. Even if the attendee isn't super-competitive, maybe some of the folks s/he talks to will be.
 
I wonder how many competitive and ultimately successful candidates are found via the program.
I don't think I have seen this information published , and for good reason, USNA doesn't want to discourage good candidates that don't get accepted. NASS is an awareness /marketing program -- and they can only take a fraction of those that apply. Selection is not necessarily based on the "best applicant" . As I've said before, the kid who grew up in Annapolis /NORVA going to USNA football games, visiting the Yard, etc. isn't the target audience.
 
DD completed Summer Seminar 2024 and had a short “exit interview” with her SL. He gave her favorable notes and allowed her to ask questions about academy life. He was very encouraging as she became acquainted with and began to love the United States Navy, USNA, Raiders, globes, anchors, submarines, drill, etc. (you get the picture). Do SLs provide any formalized feedback toward candidates’ applications, or is SS just evaluated among the other activities within a particular candidate’s application?
SL's will write "evaluations" in the MIDS module, however the weight of these on the application is little to none. They also get ranked on a scale of 1 - 5. Again, your application to USNA is much more important than a quick evaluation from a youngster that has only been with your DD for a week.
 
Best forum ever!

Thank you ALL for the information. I possibly obfuscated a point or two in a follow-up response and wish to clarify:

1. DD was highly encouraged by everyone and everything at NASS itself. She has put forth what I think is a great effort in her application and secured nominations, and finds USNA to be head and shoulders above Plan B (which she has cultivated but with much less vigor). I was merely interested in the statistic of % of NASS attendees who ultimately receive appointments (even if it is quite low, which might discourage her just by the odds).

2. I believe her SL was actually a 19 yo mid but his bearing and deportment made him seem much older than my 17 yo DD. I believe his manner, professionalism, and toughness made her even more desirous of this opportunity. She came home a different person looking for opportunities to better herself and mature.
 
Interesting contrast to USCGA's AIM program. DS1 went there, and the cadre (equivalent of detailers) were rising 2c cadets. Same group that runs Swab Summer. Their evaluations did get included in your file if you apply, and a stand out performer (good or bad) could influence their decision. A reasonable performance at AIM didn't help or hurt you. DS1 said one kid in his company was "that guy" and probably killed any chance of admission as a result (from the way he described it, that would be richly deserved).

Mind you, USCGA doesn't require a nomination, so application is maybe a little more straightforward and a bit different. AIM is also less outreach and more legit trial run for those interested in attending, so the focus is very different.

When he's old enough DS2 will, if still interested in a SA, apply to all 4 summer academy programs. Likely will attend 2, whichever of the "big 3" summer seminars he gets into (or pick 1 if he gets into more than 1) plus AIM, assuming he has the option.
 
...I believe her SL was actually a 19 yo mid but his bearing and deportment made him seem much older than my 17 yo DD. I believe his manner, professionalism, and toughness made her even more desirous of this opportunity. She came home a different person looking for opportunities to better herself and mature.
The military does that to people. The transformation from civilian to military is almost violently fast. The change in teenagers after that first year is staggering.

To be clear, it's a good thing. ;)
 
2. I believe her SL was actually a 19 yo mid but his bearing and deportment made him seem much older than my 17 yo DD. I believe his manner, professionalism, and toughness made her even more desirous of this opportunity. She came home a different person looking for opportunities to better herself and mature.
In general, 19 year old adults who have spent a year away from home at college (military or civilian) will seem more mature than a 17 year old high schooler.
 
In general, 19 year old adults who have spent a year away from home at college (military or civilian) will seem more mature than a 17 year old high schooler.
Good observation (though I have seen some pretty sloppy 19-year-olds). I was simply trying to clear up a misconception (stemming from my lack of clarity) that her SL actually was much older than a typical mid just completing plebe year.
 
Former NASS Battalion staff here (Firstie that oversaw the detailer staff). For those not aware, NASS is a leadership development training for MIDN, and includes writing evals (which is part of being an officer... you also get evaluated yourself). You can tell which candidates would probably do well and others that would need to work hard to get themselves prepared to be a Plebe next summer. Plus, there are candidates who come and they figure out USNA, SAs, or the military are not what they are looking for, and that is fine! We only spend a week with the candidates, so it is also tough to really give a solid appraisal. Plus, this is not the first applicant cycle for Admissions and they do their job at a professional level. We are just MIDN who know a little bit about USNA, the Navy/USMC, and we don't know what went into our personal Admissions decisions that gave us the opportunity to become a MIDN.

Also, NASS is not a prospective appointee experience; it is an outreach tool. USNA targets underrepresented populations in the Brigade (such as nobody applying from northern North Dakota as a hypothetical). Admissions brings them to NASS, shows them what USNA is all about, and the candidate goes back to tell their friends and family about their experience with the hopes of bringing in more applicants in later cycles. Sure, there are your 6.8 GPA, 3200 SAT, found the cure to cancer kids who NASS will take since giving the cold shoulder to those applicants might yield a non-application from them and maybe their friends. 40% or so of Plebes attended NASS, but remember, it is for outreach. It is like saying 10% of enlistees went to the state fair because their first recruiter engagement was at the pop-up tent next to the funnel cake stand. There are plenty of Plebes (like yours truly) who were a NASS rejectee and made it to I-Day (and I ironically detailed the program). Heck, there are even people who didn't learn about USNA until the fall of their Senior Year, and they made it.
 
Love those GPA/SAT stats! :cool:

Again, best forum ever. Great information. Good perspective on NASS within the broader scope of USNA goings-on. DD is bearing up great playing the waiting game.
 
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