Summer Seminar - did your kid come back excited?

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May 22, 2018
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My DS is departing for session 3 SS tomorrow. I am so excited for him, but I think he is a little nervous about flying across the country by himself and about what to expect this coming week.

I am curious - session 1 & 2 parents and attendees: what is your advice to my DS before he leaves on thriving at SS? Did you or your candidate come back excited, exhausted, uncertain about whether this if for them, resolute about attending? How did attending SS effect your feelings about the possibility of attending USNA?

Thanks in advance.
 
DS enjoyed it. Really liked his detailer and bonded with his squad. He was pretty sure about USNA before but is more resolved now. He was impressed by the fitness of many candidates. He loved the mock sea trials. He least liked death by pushups. He has a new interest in marine/naval engineering. He liked having new people to tell his jokes to. He was never homesick (didn’t expect he would be). Had fun with squad mates who had never seen snow. Was told he has an accent (think a certain Cohen Bros. movie). He said the place felt like home. Detailers told him that Plebe year just sucks but they have no regrets and glad they went through it. I heard s lot about how the cow is doing. He found out that with 2 older brothers getting yelled at is easily ignored.
 
Your DS is in for an amazing time. My DD is quite the adventurer, so I was more nervous than she about the flight, etc. Most likely your DS will have another NASSer on his flight. If not there will be several others waiting on the bus at baggage claim. My DD starting making new friends before she even left the airport. I would imagine his butterflies will be gone prior to getting on the bus for Annapolis.

It's hard for me to give advice since I did not attend. I would say meet as many people as possible. Have an open mind and do your best to see if this is where you want be/do. My DD loved it. Hopefully he is fit. I believe that will make the experience much more effective and enjoyable. She was up late journaling and hanging out with roommates. They awake to music blaring each morning at 05:30, so she slept more than usual the first two days back.

USNA was my DD number 1 prior to going to NASS. It has moved down the list due to career choices (she wants to be a surgeon), and USNA is not a fit for this type of career path. Just one of the reasons NASS is great. She loved it so much, she is considering changing her intended career path, to serve and hopefully attend USNA. She loved the Mini Sea Trials, competing in the CFA with others there also trying to perfom at their best. The class room experinece is a blast too apparently. My DD was heavy in Engineering and Physics classes.

Overall it is a first class experience and something he will never forget. I hope this helps.
 
DS had a great time as well. As der_dad stated, DS was impressed with the fitness level of many of the candidates. All of the guys in his room maxed Pull-ups and either maxed or came within a rep or two of maxing push-ups and sit-ups. He said you could tell who had trained and who had not.

I think he really enjoyed getting to meet all the new people. We live in the South so he has an accent and lots of other candidates asked him about it. He said the detailers were not too bad until sea trials day (where they yelled a lot). He really enjoyed the cyber and computer forensics classes and not so much nuclear engineering (his intended major).

Barely heard from him the entire week. We would get a couple of texts late at night and that was it. He came back more excited than ever and a little tired. I expect he sleeps in till noon today :)
 
DS loved the experience. I got a text mid-week that said he was rethinking his choice. But after getting a good night sleep there, he came home exhausted and fully in to go forward with the process. He commented that he was chatting with other kids while waiting for the bus to go to the airport he said many kids will not go forward and that many said they will continue the process. So the summer session has met its goals to help the kids figure things out if this is the career path for the kids. He did say that the midshipmen and women were happy to be there and that it helped a lot with his decision. If they were miserable and showed it, well then he would reconsider. I kept telling him that it was his decision, not mine to make.
DS wore his Naval Academy hat while going out there and that was a magnet for the other kids to approach. I think 4 or 5 kids were on his flight into Annapolis.
 
We live in California and my DS was nervous about flying cross country. However, at the airport, he met a couple other nasters who were also on their way. When they landed, he met up with more nasters. Because they were early and had time to kill, they ended up hanging in the USO lounge. They were all having such a good time chatting that the midshipmen had to come find them.

While at the Academy, I received no texts from him. My helicopter instincts kicked in and I just knew he was bored/hurt/sad. Turns out, he didn't text because he was so busy and was having too much fun.

When he got home, the first thing he put up on his snapchat/instagram/whatever was that this was the school for him.

His story might be a little different because he was already 98% sure he wanted to pursue a career as an officer in the Navy.

Overall, he had a fantastic experience.
 
I just got back from NASS. It was great, I had a lot of fun. I think my favorite day was sea trials, even though I am still a bit sore from it. I knew that I wanted to go to the Naval academy even before attending summer seminar, but going to summer seminar just made me even more sure that the Naval Academy is my top choice. At the end of summer seminar, I was definitely tired but in a good way.
 
I went to the first session of NASS and it is definitely a unique experience. Going into the SS, the Naval Academy was not my top choice, however that shortly changed after going through NASS. If you’re not used to working out, then NASS PEP and Sea Trials will be tough but the key is to never give up. Overall it is a fantastic time and I’m sure your DS will love the academy and midshipmen!!
 
DS went to NASS session 1 .., he was not planning on pursuing the applications but now he is going to continue. He also went to SLE...he think, he fit in well at West Point. But he don’t know much about being an Army. Dad is retired Navy and older brother is in CGA. Planning to proceed with the applications to both NA n WP.
Advice ... hydrates and get plenty of sleep!
 
Your DS is in for an amazing time. My DD is quite the adventurer, so I was more nervous than she about the flight, etc. Most likely your DS will have another NASSer on his flight. If not there will be several others waiting on the bus at baggage claim. My DD starting making new friends before she even left the airport. I would imagine his butterflies will be gone prior to getting on the bus for Annapolis.

It's hard for me to give advice since I did not attend. I would say meet as many people as possible. Have an open mind and do your best to see if this is where you want be/do. My DD loved it. Hopefully he is fit. I believe that will make the experience much more effective and enjoyable. She was up late journaling and hanging out with roommates. They awake to music blaring each morning at 05:30, so she slept more than usual the first two days back.

USNA was my DD number 1 prior to going to NASS. It has moved down the list due to career choices (she wants to be a surgeon), and USNA is not a fit for this type of career path. Just one of the reasons NASS is great. She loved it so much, she is considering changing her intended career path, to serve and hopefully attend USNA. She loved the Mini Sea Trials, competing in the CFA with others there also trying to perfom at their best. The class room experinece is a blast too apparently. My DD was heavy in Engineering and Physics classes.

Overall it is a first class experience and something he will never forget. I hope this helps.

I’m pretty sure your DD can go directly to Med School from USNA. I know few who did. But only very few can and would. Perhaps 3 per year. Maybe better and easier to go to Med School directly from ROTC Programs. You would have more time during summers to intern and study for MCAT. Some decide to go to Med School after serving first 3-5 years in line duty. And take the option of Navy paying for Med School and serve more time in the Navy. If you serve 8 years I believe you can use your post 9-11 Gi-Bill to attend grad school without committing more time to the Navy. But that might only give you 2 years of grad school tuition and you still need 2 more. Others with more experience on this please chime in.
 
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USNA usually has somewhere around 12-15 go directly to Med School. Most major in Chemistry. Usually 40-50 ish will start on this path and there is a lot of natural attrition. To be honest the 12-15 are usually close to all that are left at the end and most who want it get it. Yes they have to take the MCAT and many do summer internships at Bethesda. Some years 1-2 won’t eat into med school even though they got the service selection and have to get another assignment.

Many will also do 3-5+ years in the fleet then apply. I had many friends do this. There are lots and lots of old threads on this. Search function should help. One thing to note... like all things, it’s needs of the Navy. Just because someone wants to be a Cardiologist, it doesn’t mean there will be a slot when her class selects specialties. I had a good friend attend USMA and branched infantry. He got out of the Army and then took a bunch of extra courses at his community college like anatomy and took his MCATS. He then went to USUHS (DoD’s med school). He became a pediatrician. Did his residency then was sent to a Ranger Battalion to be their battalion doc (he was Ranger and airborne qualified already). He then completed a fellowship at a top notch hospital and is doing his payback at a very large military hospital using his skills helping out service members kids. I had another buddy who did 12 years in the Marines, complete Med school on his own and then go back as a Navy Doc. There are lots of paths to being a doctor.
 
DD did not attend SS, (we took her with us to China that year to visit her sister's country of birth), but I think her experience has some relevance. DD did travel from Seattle to make an official PSA recruiting visit to USNA during her junior year, and made one trip back on her own. She returned from her visits with good things to say about the USNA and the Mids in particular, but she was very "flat" about the USNA generally.

Over the months that followed her visit, it became clear that she was struggling to balance her affection/identification with the Mids vs:
1) A commitment to school and service that would govern her life for the next nine years of her life. Tough decision for a 17 year old!
2) A lack of info on what her life would look like as a naval officer.
3) Friends, Extended Family, Teachers, Parents of Friends, all of whom thought she was "NUTS" not to go to a Harv, Princ, Yale, USC, UW, Etc. (even-----Brown).
4) Giving up a the free-wheeling college experience her friends were so excited about.
.......................................................................................................................I think (I know) that #s 1 and 2 where the big hurdles for her.

I honestly think that there were times in the process when she would have preferred to have the USNA reject her application, taking this HUGE decision off the board.
After she pulled the trigger on her appointment she volunteered that she'd been afraid of how special her visits to USNA were to her.

She is USNA CL2020 now and "can't see herself anywhere but Navy," but it wasn't an easy decision for her.
 
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NASS is partly a recruiting effort to interest those who might not have otherwise considered applying to USNA. I think you find those on this forum who mostly enjoyed NASS or else they probably would not be participating here. I wouldn't use that to prove/disprove anything as some who attend NASS immediately realize USNA is not for them and move on to their other choices of colleges.
 
Cre
Your DS is in for an amazing time. My DD is quite the adventurer, so I was more nervous than she about the flight, etc. Most likely your DS will have another NASSer on his flight. If not there will be several others waiting on the bus at baggage claim. My DD starting making new friends before she even left the airport. I would imagine his butterflies will be gone prior to getting on the bus for Annapolis.

It's hard for me to give advice since I did not attend. I would say meet as many people as possible. Have an open mind and do your best to see if this is where you want be/do. My DD loved it. Hopefully he is fit. I believe that will make the experience much more effective and enjoyable. She was up late journaling and hanging out with roommates. They awake to music blaring each morning at 05:30, so she slept more than usual the first two days back.

USNA was my DD number 1 prior to going to NASS. It has moved down the list due to career choices (she wants to be a surgeon), and USNA is not a fit for this type of career path. Just one of the reasons NASS is great. She loved it so much, she is considering changing her intended career path, to serve and hopefully attend USNA. She loved the Mini Sea Trials, competing in the CFA with others there also trying to perfom at their best. The class room experinece is a blast too apparently. My DD was heavy in Engineering and Physics classes.

Overall it is a first class experience and something he will never forget. I hope this helps.

I’m pretty sure your DD can go directly to Med School from USNA. I know few who did. But only very few can and would. Perhaps 3 per year. Maybe better and easier to go to Med School directly from ROTC Programs. You would have more time during summers to intern and study for MCAT. Some decide to go to Med School after serving first 3-5 years in line duty. And take the option of Navy paying for Med School and serve more time in the Navy. If you serve 8 years I believe you can use your post 9-11 Gi-Bill to attend grad school without committing more time to the Navy. But that might only give you 2 years of grad school tuition and you still need 2 more. Others with more experience on this please chime in.
USNA usually has somewhere around 12-15 go directly to Med School. Most major in Chemistry. Usually 40-50 ish will start on this path and there is a lot of natural attrition. To be honest the 12-15 are usually close to all that are left at the end and most who want it get it. Yes they have to take the MCAT and many do summer internships at Bethesda. Some years 1-2 won’t eat into med school even though they got the service selection and have to get another assignment.

Many will also do 3-5+ years in the fleet then apply. I had many friends do this. There are lots and lots of old threads on this. Search function should help. One thing to note... like all things, it’s needs of the Navy. Just because someone wants to be a Cardiologist, it doesn’t mean there will be a slot when her class selects specialties. I had a good friend attend USMA and branched infantry. He got out of the Army and then took a bunch of extra courses at his community college like anatomy and took his MCATS. He then went to USUHS (DoD’s med school). He became a pediatrician. Did his residency then was sent to a Ranger Battalion to be their battalion doc (he was Ranger and airborne qualified already). He then completed a fellowship at a top notch hospital and is doing his payback at a very large military hospital using his skills helping out service members kids. I had another buddy who did 12 years in the Marines, complete Med school on his own and then go back as a Navy Doc. There are lots of paths to being a doctor.


@CrewDad @NavyHoops Thank you for your thoughtful insight. My DD will be very excited to hear the paths to being an MD are a little more viable. I estimated as much, but these real world examples will help illuminate this concept to her. I truly appreciate your insight.
 
You are very kind. Navy doctors are one of the best doctors and well respected in private practice. Residency can last 4 years post MD. You won’t make big bucks until you have completed residency. Through the Navy, she can complete her residency on the Navy’s dime. It’s a win win. 12 years in school and apprenticeship is the hard part. Very proud your daughter is willing to go the miles to commit to practice.
 
DS went to SS a couple years ago, I will NEVER forget his phone call to me as he was leaving the yard for the airport to come back home - it went something like this - and in a voice so hoarse he had to almost shout to get sound to come out of his throat!!...

“THIS IS WHERE I BELONG... I DONT CARE WHAT IT TAKE OR WHAT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET HERE - THIS IS MY FUTURE!!!!”

And more and more in that same line - im getting goose bumps just now remembering that amazing phone call - and probably even more so because after being waitlisted and then receiving a TWE his first application year, went to NROTC - and is now a P2B ready to raise his hand in 9 days, 9 hours and 33 minutes.

It sparked a fire that has been burning strong and kept him going -
 
i could have written most of these posts above. NASS confirmed (hard) what by son already suspected: that the USNA is where he belongs. he will do whatever it takes to make it in. so thankful for the opportunity to attend the SS. I received very little communication and he came home dog tired, he was impressed with the fitness of all the other people which drives him to train harder. he also really liked the classroom portion and the professors that he met with. and loved his squad and leader.
 
According to my DS who is at summer seminar now, Stew Smith the Navy Seal workout guru (whose videos my son used for CFA training) led exercises at NASS yesterday AM!
 
My DD was in SS1 and came back super excited! She loved everything about the experience-even the food! I am a little worried that she doesn't want to even look at other schools! Her application is in and waiting to start the interview process. She will take the ACT again to increase her math score. Small world story, one of the boys in her squadron was a friend of one of her best friends that had moved away! Go Navy Beat Army!
 
My DD was in SS1 and came back super excited! She loved everything about the experience-even the food! I am a little worried that she doesn't want to even look at other schools! Her application is in and waiting to start the interview process. She will take the ACT again to increase her math score. Small world story, one of the boys in her squadron was a friend of one of her best friends that had moved away! Go Navy Beat Army!

Did she get to schedule her DODMERB yet?
 
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