Thin Letters & Wait Listers Check This

[K-Mom]

There is a one-year academy prep program in Kerrville, TX where you earn college credit at Schreiner Unversity and prepare yourself in other ways to not only gain acceptance to an academy, but excel once you get there. Program takes both academy sponsored students and non-sponsored students.

Great alternative to going to your second choice college and trying again. Here you are under the leadership of a former USNA grad and professor. ALL students in the program are trying again and that's the focus here.

Check out theses links to try for your spot in an academy class of 2012:
www.greystoneprepschool.net
http://dailytimes.com/story.lasso?ewcd=204331c142ac021c

Good Luck from a parent who's been there!

 

[USNA69]

The academies' foundation programs are very successful and highly worthwhile, taking academically substandard candidates and preparing them to compete successfully at their respective academy. USAFA and USNA send approximately 100 students each year to these programs while USMA participation is about half of the above quotas.

I am speaking primarily of USNA but the same general rules apply overall. The academies enter into agreements with certain qualified prep schools which usually grant discounts for entering students. Greystone is only on the USNA list, which is about 30 schools, as opposed to USAFA's five schools, and USMA's only two.

I am almost positive that all the endorsed schools would be agreeable to taking non-scholarship students and placing them in the same program with the scholarship students. So anyone interested in doing so should definitely shop around.

The real question is whether it is in the best interest of a non-scholarship student to attend a prep school. I really don't think so.

Foundation candidates have been before the board, determined to be academically deficient, and, with successful prep school completion, "guaranteed" an opening in the following class. This is not so for the student attending on his own. He is not entirely sure of his reason for rejection, and even if so, will have his package be observed by an entirely new board. He doesn't have the 'guarantee'. If unsuccessful, he is then in the position of being in an unsustainable environment with untransferable credits.

USNA itself recommends pursuing a backup college curriculum. This is usually less expensive than a private prep school, equally satisfies the Academy requirements, and provides a perfect backup plan.

The only advantage I can see is that some ex-college students who have tasted the sweet nectar of college freedom become quite jaded when subjected to plebe year and a military prep school may have caused their attitude while at the academy to be a little more positive. But that decision process is a part of maturing so I think it too can be ignored.

Attending a prep school on one's own dollar?? Think long and hard. Attending prep school as a Foundation candidate. The best deal going, with exception probably to NAPS/MAPS/AFAPS. IMHO.

 

[K-Mom]

Part of what makes Greystone unique, for those without academy sponsorship, is that you take your classes at Schreiner University. The credits are absolutely transferable if you do not gain acceptance at an academy. Your courses are Honors Calculus, US History, Chemistry, Writing and Rhetoric, and Economics.

Ten members of this years class were attending without sponsorship: 6 Recieved at least one academy acceptance, 2 Wait Listed and 2 I'm not sure about.

The school does lean heavy on the Navy side, however students have been accepted at all the other academies (except CG, I think). Not everyone has gone on to the Naval Academy.

It's an alternative that those who didn't get into an academy. The advantage of Greystone over a local university is the professional assistance for re-applying and all the physical and other training that will prepare students. It can be pricey, but it's worth a look.

 

[USNA69]

It's an alternative that those who didn't get into an academy. The advantage of Greystone over a local university is the professional assistance for re-applying and all the physical and other training that will prepare students. It can be pricey, but it's worth a look.

Over 4000 total candidates enter successfully each year without the benefit of "professional" assistance. Also if they require the same assistance for physical and other training to place them on the level of all the other unassisted candidates, perhaps they don't belong at a SA. Remember, this is just the training to get them in. Once there, they are on their own.

I agree that I misspoke in re the transferability of courses. What I meant to say was that all the courses might not be fully transferable in to the course of study at whatever university the unsuccessful candidate might enroll.

 

[Zaphod]

I moved the thread to this forum since it is dealing with a USxA alternative.

 

[jamzmom]

A thought about thin letters...

It is a cryin’ shame that academies can’t accommodate all the qualified kids who apply. For those who are getting rejection letters, you need to back up and understand that it isn’t necessarily because you weren’t “academy material”. Not enough seats, so the powers to be have to pick & choose and it might have been that you missed out by the thinnest hair. Don’t let it get at your self-worth. You were well equipped enough to apply to the best of the best dreams you’d picked for yourselves. If you ended up with part II instead of Part I of those dreams, its just a different path you’re going to follow, with no less dedication on your part and with much admiration on ours. Because, at the end of the day, you’re the type of kids who are gonna rock our world some day soon. You stepped up to the plate to be leaders and this is what will shine through no matter where you land. I’m sorry that you didn’t get your first choice but I’m darn glad there are kids out there like you to go do big things in the world. Where would we be otherwise? If you choose to re-apply to an academy, don’t let anyone naysay you. Reach your goals no matter what or where they are.

Pep talk no good? Ok, come over & I’ll hold my puppy so you can kick him. Chin up & carry on.