Thanks from a college reapplicant parent

[navyfamilyof4]

just wanted to say thanks to all the helpful and supportive people on this forum for helping to guide me and by DS over the past 2 years. I'm not sure I would have made it through this crazy process without the information i gained by your responses and by reading about the real-life experiences of others here. I wanted to briefly describe our sons journey in order to give information and hope to others that come here in the future.

DS applied to NASS 2 years ago out of the blue, and we literally had no idea what the Naval Academy was about at that moment. You want to do what? we said.
Just like everyone else here, he was a high achiever in school and an athlete too. his teachers and school administrators/mentors told him the Navy was the perfect career for him. he attended NASS in 2018 and that was that. it was his number one choice. He went thru the long application process, received 1 nomination and we waited. and waited. on April 15 he was notified that he was WAITLISTED So we waited some more. Around that same time he was also notified that he received a 4 year NROTC scholarship WHEW! (basic stats: 1580 SAT, 36 ACT, valedictorian, basketball 4 yrs, EC leadership, small private school, national merit scholarship winner). at this point it was May 1 and we had to accept admission to Plan B school, which was a top 5 engineering school and we switched gears to the NROTC world. he finally heard in late May that it was a NO from USNA and to "please reapply next year". DS wasn't really ready to think about that so he went full steam NROTC at Ga Tech. what an amazing experience this was for him. NSI was life changing. Navy roommates at school where everyone was just like him, studious and goal oriented. then i get a call mid semester that he loves Navy so much he thinks that full time military is likely the path for him. I'm reapplying he said. Sigh, I said. that's a lot of work during an already stressful 1st semester. he reapplied and received 3 nominations this time and some recommendations from his college professors that made me cry. Ga Tech makes him so happy, but what if he gets appointment? Well, he did. Last week he received the long awaited status update email (no call from any MOC). And he is conflicted. how does he give up being in his known happy place for the unknown? his rotc friends say DONT GOOOOO! his Lt. says we need you here. His parents said think on it, don't make a quick decision. take a trip to Annapolis and see if this offers you any clarity. that trip is scheduled for next month so we will see. I'm happy either way, although i am slightly leaning towards one outcome over the other. Mostly i want him to be happy in his college years but also to follow the path that leads to his best version of a career: leading others on a nuclear submarine. I have no military experience myself so i have no idea which path is best, are they equal in the end, only differing in the experience along the way?

And a million thanks to those here helping me along the way to give him advice on stuff i know zero about. and THANKS to the parents that have offered to have their MID meet with him on his visit next month to help him make that final decision and answer his questions.

And to future potential college reapplicants: Do it ! never give up on your dreams!

DS is not on this forum, but i'll say it anyway: good luck son, mama loves you.

 

[TexasAggie204]

I love this story.

Tough choice for your son. GT is a great school and I'm sure he'll do fantastic in the Navy and/or civilian career if he stays. However...

...there is NOTHING that can compare to the academy experience and the opportunities that he will have in the military as well as the civilian world if he attends the USNA.

Also, (not that it matter now, but) how did he not get an appointment last year??? Seems like they whiffed on a great candidate for the Class of 23. Anyhow, trust that God has a plan for your son and will direct him where to be.

 

[usna1985]

I had a similar experience with a candidate about a decade ago. Went to a "Tech" school, did VERY well, and was concerned about leaving a school and friends that she loved. Ended up attending USNA. Loved it. Graduated in top 50 of the class.

That said, it is "starting over" and doing another year of college. I think the overwhelming majority who do it have no regrets, but I'm sure there are some who stay at their civilian colleges who are extremely happy.

I would advise DS to think of/consider three things. First, he continued with his application. In my experience, those who are totally satisfied with their civilian schools pull their USNA applications along the way. Second, if he plans for a "life" in the USN, there is no better accession program than USNA.

Third and most importantly, DS needs to ask himself: If I don't accept the appointment, will I regret it? Or, conversely: If I leave GT, will I regret it?
I can only advise that, whichever path he chooses, Do NOT Look Back! For example, if he stays, he doesn't want to think, "Today is I-Day, I would have . . ." Embrace the decision, whichever it is, and make the very best of it.

 

[navyfamilyof4]

I love this story.

Also, (not that it matter now, but) how did he not get an appointment last year??? Seems like they whiffed on a great candidate for the Class of 23. Anyhow, trust that God has a plan for your son and will direct him where to be.

yeah this is a great mystery to me too LOL. it would have made this decision so much easier if the appointment was last year :S. but no regrets on a year of growth for sure. hes a different person today.

 

[navyfamilyof4]

I had a similar experience with a candidate about a decade ago. ....

That said, it is "starting over" and doing another year of college. I think the overwhelming majority who do it have no regrets, but I'm sure there are some who stay at their civilian colleges who are extremely happy.
.

the curriculum requirements at a Tech school when added to the Naval Science requirements is 9 semesters anyway you cut it, so the USNA path is just adding 1 semester in my mind. just a few months differential really.

 

[Hopeful Plebe Mom]

Thank you for sharing your story. DS sounds like an amazing candidate for any path he would choose and you guys are wonderfully supportive parents. I too, have found this site to be an invaluable source of info and comfort. We are still on the bus, waiting to hear from USNA but I would love to hear updates on how your story plays out!

 

[StPaulDad]

If it makes you feel better, no one can take away his experience at the civilian school so if he jumps to USNA he'll end up with both.

 

[Wickets]

Georgia Tech is one of the top 10 engineering schools in the country but the USNA is a "one of a kind" opportunity for a prospective Naval officer. Congratulations on your DS having 2 great choices. If he chooses USNA he'll have to endure PLEBE summer and PLEBE year but he will be stronger for it. Good luck. I have a feeling that once he visits again he will accept his appointment then and there.

 

[DKTKT]

First off, Congrats! A great decision to get to wrangle!

Kind of silly, but doesn't hurt to try sometimes... I have heard it suggested to make a tough decision by flipping a coin. Not that you stick with the resulting decision necessarily, but when you do it, your gut responds to the result. Whether you feel disappointed or happy with the result of the flip tells you something about what you really want.

FWIW My hubby was Navy enlisted, and was always ready to point out to our DS that his favorite commander in the Navy was from NROTC. But DS left his happy situation in NROTC for USNA, and could not be happier with his decision. <shrug> Ursula: "Life's full of tough choices, idn't it?"

 

[Norfolk63]

Georgia Tech is one of the top 10 engineering schools in the country but the USNA is a "one of a kind" opportunity for a prospective Naval officer. Congratulations on your DS having 2 great choices. If he chooses USNA he'll have to endure PLEBE summer and PLEBE year but he will be stronger for it. Good luck. I have a feeling that once he visits again he will accept his appointment then and there.

With a year of GA Tech NROTC under his belt, plebe summer and plebe academic year will be a cake walk for your son. And he'll be following in the footsteps of Jimmy Carter who did the exact same thing. Go for it!

 

[williamsdr3]

just wanted to say thanks to all the helpful and supportive people on this forum for helping to guide me and by DS over the past 2 years. I'm not sure I would have made it through this crazy process without the information i gained by your responses and by reading about the real-life experiences of others here. I wanted to briefly describe our sons journey in order to give information and hope to others that come here in the future.

DS applied to NASS 2 years ago out of the blue, and we literally had no idea what the Naval Academy was about at that moment. You want to do what? we said.
Just like everyone else here, he was a high achiever in school and an athlete too. his teachers and school administrators/mentors told him the Navy was the perfect career for him. he attended NASS in 2018 and that was that. it was his number one choice. He went thru the long application process, received 1 nomination and we waited. and waited. on April 15 he was notified that he was WAITLISTED So we waited some more. Around that same time he was also notified that he received a 4 year NROTC scholarship WHEW! (basic stats: 1580 SAT, 36 ACT, valedictorian, basketball 4 yrs, EC leadership, small private school, national merit scholarship winner).

He sounds like a great kid - are you from a super competitive district or have any inkling why he wasn't appointed the first time around? Congratulations such wonderful news.

 

[navyfamilyof4]

He sounds like a great kid - are you from a super competitive district or have any inkling why he wasn't appointed the first time around? Congratulations such wonderful news.

there was a college reapplicant on his MOC slate last year that was appointed so that was one thing we are thinking. could have been his basketball throw was only 65 feet, so who knows LOL.

 

[usna1985]

Every year, there are terrific candidates who don't receive appointments. Sometimes there is a "reason" (I put it in quotes b/c we may not all agree it's a good reason -- i.e., a C+ in AP Physics). Most often, it's being the victim of the numbers game -- too many highly qualified candidates and too few spots. And sometimes, IMHO, USNA just gets it wrong. Admissions is not an exact science in any sense.

I agree on the flipping the coin approach -- though I think of it as an envelope. If you open it and the school you'll attend next year is written on a paper inside, what is your immediate reaction when you read it?

In any event, as others have said, two great choices and no doubt the OP's kid will do great with either option.

 

[Dr. Strange Love]

.
Well. Jed from the Beverly Hillbillies “... was shootin at some food, and up through the ground come a bubblin crude .... Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.”

Why are some folks so lucky and others aren’t so lucky? I don’t know. I don’t think about it too much any more. I pray twice a day — evening before I go down, and morning right when I awake — because I don’t understand a lot of things in this world.

I do know for certain that you cannot graduate from the USNA if you do not apply for admission.
.

 

[LAmomUSNA23]

My DS was in a very similar situation. Rocked it in high school- had a stellar application for Class of 2023... he was wait-listed too and received TWE June 11th — we all were devastated! He decided to reapply and received his appointment Jan 27th!! He is beyond thrilled to be in the class of 2024.. it’s all timing..He’s going to LSU and enjoying “college life” saw some pretty awesome football, making good grades, spending lots of quality time with friends and family!! Looking back it could not have worked out any better for him though it wasn’t “the plan”. We have no control and have no regrets!! USNA is where he wants to be! GO NAVY!

 

[Norfolk63]

My DS was in a very similar situation. Rocked it in high school- had a stellar application for Class of 2023... he was wait-listed too and received TWE June 11th — we all were devastated! He decided to reapply and received his appointment Jan 27th!! He is beyond thrilled to be in the class of 2024.. it’s all timing..He’s going to LSU and enjoying “college life” saw some pretty awesome football, making good grades, spending lots of quality time with friends and family!! Looking back it could not have worked out any better for him though it wasn’t “the plan”. We have no control and have no regrets!! USNA is where he wants to be! GO NAVY!

Your son's year at LSU will pay huge dividends when he shows up for I-Day. Trust me! (Send PM if you ever need).

 

[fullspeedahead]

My DS was in a very similar situation. Rocked it in high school- had a stellar application for Class of 2023... he was wait-listed too and received TWE June 11th — we all were devastated! He decided to reapply and received his appointment Jan 27th!! He is beyond thrilled to be in the class of 2024.. it’s all timing..He’s going to LSU and enjoying “college life” saw some pretty awesome football, making good grades, spending lots of quality time with friends and family!! Looking back it could not have worked out any better for him though it wasn’t “the plan”. We have no control and have no regrets!! USNA is where he wants to be! GO NAVY!

Congratulations to your son!! January must have been pretty exciting for him, especially seeing as LSU won the national championship : )

 

[yearofsunshine]

My DS loves his college too and NROTC, but he reapplied for USNA. We're still waiting for an answer. Congrats to your son. Such a tough decision. Mine reapplied because he said he didn't want to have any regrets about not reapplying. As parents I think we have our own ideas which are often different from theirs.

 

[Harva]

Every year, there are terrific candidates who don't receive appointments. Sometimes there is a "reason" (I put it in quotes b/c we may not all agree it's a good reason -- i.e., a C+ in AP Physics). Most often, it's being the victim of the numbers game -- too many highly qualified candidates and too few spots. And sometimes, IMHO, USNA just gets it wrong. Admissions is not an exact science in any sense.

I agree on the flipping the coin approach -- though I think of it as an envelope. If you open it and the school you'll attend next year is written on a paper inside, what is your immediate reaction when you read it?

In any event, as others have said, two great choices and no doubt the OP's kid will do great with either option.

just wanted to say thanks to all the helpful and supportive people on this forum for helping to guide me and by DS over the past 2 years. I'm not sure I would have made it through this crazy process without the information i gained by your responses and by reading about the real-life experiences of others here. I wanted to briefly describe our sons journey in order to give information and hope to others that come here in the future.

DS applied to NASS 2 years ago out of the blue, and we literally had no idea what the Naval Academy was about at that moment. You want to do what? we said.
Just like everyone else here, he was a high achiever in school and an athlete too. his teachers and school administrators/mentors told him the Navy was the perfect career for him. he attended NASS in 2018 and that was that. it was his number one choice. He went thru the long application process, received 1 nomination and we waited. and waited. on April 15 he was notified that he was WAITLISTED So we waited some more. Around that same time he was also notified that he received a 4 year NROTC scholarship WHEW! (basic stats: 1580 SAT, 36 ACT, valedictorian, basketball 4 yrs, EC leadership, small private school, national merit scholarship winner). at this point it was May 1 and we had to accept admission to Plan B school, which was a top 5 engineering school and we switched gears to the NROTC world. he finally heard in late May that it was a NO from USNA and to "please reapply next year". DS wasn't really ready to think about that so he went full steam NROTC at Ga Tech. what an amazing experience this was for him. NSI was life changing. Navy roommates at school where everyone was just like him, studious and goal oriented. then i get a call mid semester that he loves Navy so much he thinks that full time military is likely the path for him. I'm reapplying he said. Sigh, I said. that's a lot of work during an already stressful 1st semester. he reapplied and received 3 nominations this time and some recommendations from his college professors that made me cry. Ga Tech makes him so happy, but what if he gets appointment? Well, he did. Last week he received the long awaited status update email (no call from any MOC). And he is conflicted. how does he give up being in his known happy place for the unknown? his rotc friends say DONT GOOOOO! his Lt. says we need you here. His parents said think on it, don't make a quick decision. take a trip to Annapolis and see if this offers you any clarity. that trip is scheduled for next month so we will see. I'm happy either way, although i am slightly leaning towards one outcome over the other. Mostly i want him to be happy in his college years but also to follow the path that leads to his best version of a career: leading others on a nuclear submarine. I have no military experience myself so i have no idea which path is best, are they equal in the end, only differing in the experience along the way?

And a million thanks to those here helping me along the way to give him advice on stuff i know zero about. and THANKS to the parents that have offered to have their MID meet with him on his visit next month to help him make that final decision and answer his questions.

And to future potential college reapplicants: Do it ! never give up on your dreams!

DS is not on this forum, but i'll say it anyway: good luck son, mama loves you.

just wanted to say thanks to all the helpful and supportive people on this forum for helping to guide me and by DS over the past 2 years. I'm not sure I would have made it through this crazy process without the information i gained by your responses and by reading about the real-life experiences of others here. I wanted to briefly describe our sons journey in order to give information and hope to others that come here in the future.

DS applied to NASS 2 years ago out of the blue, and we literally had no idea what the Naval Academy was about at that moment. You want to do what? we said.
Just like everyone else here, he was a high achiever in school and an athlete too. his teachers and school administrators/mentors told him the Navy was the perfect career for him. he attended NASS in 2018 and that was that. it was his number one choice. He went thru the long application process, received 1 nomination and we waited. and waited. on April 15 he was notified that he was WAITLISTED So we waited some more. Around that same time he was also notified that he received a 4 year NROTC scholarship WHEW! (basic stats: 1580 SAT, 36 ACT, valedictorian, basketball 4 yrs, EC leadership, small private school, national merit scholarship winner). at this point it was May 1 and we had to accept admission to Plan B school, which was a top 5 engineering school and we switched gears to the NROTC world. he finally heard in late May that it was a NO from USNA and to "please reapply next year". DS wasn't really ready to think about that so he went full steam NROTC at Ga Tech. what an amazing experience this was for him. NSI was life changing. Navy roommates at school where everyone was just like him, studious and goal oriented. then i get a call mid semester that he loves Navy so much he thinks that full time military is likely the path for him. I'm reapplying he said. Sigh, I said. that's a lot of work during an already stressful 1st semester. he reapplied and received 3 nominations this time and some recommendations from his college professors that made me cry. Ga Tech makes him so happy, but what if he gets appointment? Well, he did. Last week he received the long awaited status update email (no call from any MOC). And he is conflicted. how does he give up being in his known happy place for the unknown? his rotc friends say DONT GOOOOO! his Lt. says we need you here. His parents said think on it, don't make a quick decision. take a trip to Annapolis and see if this offers you any clarity. that trip is scheduled for next month so we will see. I'm happy either way, although i am slightly leaning towards one outcome over the other. Mostly i want him to be happy in his college years but also to follow the path that leads to his best version of a career: leading others on a nuclear submarine. I have no military experience myself so i have no idea which path is best, are they equal in the end, only differing in the experience along the way?

And a million thanks to those here helping me along the way to give him advice on stuff i know zero about. and THANKS to the parents that have offered to have their MID meet with him on his visit next month to help him make that final decision and answer his questions.

And to future potential college reapplicants: Do it ! never give up on your dreams!

DS is not on this forum, but i'll say it anyway: good luck son, mama loves you.