Thin White Envelope

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Fergusnr

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Jan 6, 2016
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So I received the "Thin White Envelope" today. It was dated last Wednesday but my Field Force Interview was on Friday.

Anyhow, what steps can I take now to start the reapplication process?

Also, how can somebody develop their athletic participation as a graduating senior?

Question for second time applicants - what is the best advice you received when you reapplied?

I received an Ike Skelton scholarship - should I accept it and see if I could participate in Self Prep at a JMC? Or should I try for a normal 4 year civilian school?

Any advice will help so thank you in advance.
 
I am an accepted reapplicant this year. My advice is...
1. Talk with your RC (this summer, not now when they're very busy) and your FFR. Ask them for advice specific to your application for the c/o 2021. Tell them you want in and that you're going to go hard until you are.
2. Take their advice and fix what needs to be fixed.
3. Use your reapplication to your advantage. In your essays and interviews, show that your reapplication displays your dedication not only to going to West Point, but more importantly be becoming an officer.
4. If you haven't already, try and get an ROTC scholarship. Best back up plan to be honest. Love my battalion and will be sad to leave. If you don't make it in again, you have a great plan B. Also, it shows dedication toward becoming an officer.
5. Participate in intramural or club sports. I was going to try out for my school's rowing team, but ended up a part of my battalion's Ranger Challenge team (favorite part of the year so far to be honest). Definitely helped my application. If you can't participate in sports, try martial arts. If that doesn't work, try hard to max the CFA.

Best advice I got was from calling my RC last summer and asking what I needed to do. He gave me a lot of applicant specific advice on to why I wasn't accepted.

Been in your shoes before. It sucks. But keep working hard and pressing forward. A TWE isn't necessarily a "never," but rather a "not now."
 
Fergusnr said:
So I received the "Thin White Envelope" today. It was dated last Wednesday but my Field Force Interview was on Friday.

Anyhow, what steps can I take now to start the reapplication process?

Also, how can somebody develop their athletic participation as a graduating senior?

Question for second time applicants - what is the best advice you received when you reapplied?

I received an Ike Skelton scholarship - should I accept it and see if I could participate in Self Prep at a JMC? Or should I try for a normal 4 year civilian school?

Any advice will help so thank you in advance.
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Dear Fergusnr,
I am so, so sorry. My son received the dreaded TWE last April from USNA (he had only applied to USNA last year) and although he got in to some great civilian colleges, he wanted to "focus and try again" so he self-preped and recently received offers to both USMA and USNA. He didn't do a lot differently but he said applying the second time around was just easier because he "knew how to do it"! :) He also spoke with his contact person and that was very helpful. Once he got to prep school he took the hardest schedule offered including multivariable calculus and a very high level college chemistry class and I would assume that helped his application strength as well. As mentioned by JakeFromWisco, apply for ROTC scholarships too. It's a lot of work but the extra interviews will help your confidence and if you receive an ROTC scholarship, it will take a lot of pressure off of you for your remaining interviews. Needing more athletic participation may be tough to add at this point. And to answer your final question, the best advice he received was actually from someone on this forum and they said something like...don't let the TWE define you and bring you down, instead use it for fuel and try again! Great advice! My son taped the rejection letter to the back of his service academy reapplication binder and he told me he read it often and that obviously helped. GOOD LUCK and try again! :)
 
There are a so options to take advantage of for you. Take a look at civilian prep schools as a free agent. Also, thing about attending a JC and taking classes that are similar to Plebe year and enroll in sports at that school. There will be posts here to help you out. If you do take the JC path make sure to take a Calc, Chem w/lab and advanced english class.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
It's probably too late for the ROTC scholarship. However, depending on your rank on the NWL, you might be offered a ROTC scholarship. When my son applied for c/o 2018 and got the TWE, a few weeks later he received an offer of a 3 year ROTC, even though he had not applied for it. He joined the corps of cadets at a senior military college. The plan all along was to reapply (Jake has great advice; listen to it), but he also made a place for himself at the SMC in case that was going to be his home for 4 years. As it turned out, the reapplication process went well, he received a ROTC nom, and is now "enjoying" plebe year with the class of 2020. Approximately 30% of each class at WP is made up of reapplicants. If you want this, stick with it.
 
Fergusnr said:
So I received the "Thin White Envelope" today. It was dated last Wednesday but my Field Force Interview was on Friday.

Anyhow, what steps can I take now to start the reapplication process?

Also, how can somebody develop their athletic participation as a graduating senior?

Question for second time applicants - what is the best advice you received when you reapplied?

I received an Ike Skelton scholarship - should I accept it and see if I could participate in Self Prep at a JMC? Or should I try for a normal 4 year civilian school?

Any advice will help so thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Fergusnr said:
So I received the "Thin White Envelope" today. It was dated last Wednesday but my Field Force Interview was on Friday.

Anyhow, what steps can I take now to start the reapplication process?

Also, how can somebody develop their athletic participation as a graduating senior?

Question for second time applicants - what is the best advice you received when you reapplied?

I received an Ike Skelton scholarship - should I accept it and see if I could participate in Self Prep at a JMC? Or should I try for a normal 4 year civilian school?

Any advice will help so thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
I am sad & excited to hear your news. Sad ~ you can't go this year, but excited~ you will go next year! That said, the worst part of this is repeating over & over to friends & family about what happened. Few years ago my niece did not get into top liberal arts college W**** College, she hated telling people her story over & over, worst was watching her friends go off to college and talk endlessly about college life. She decided to teach English in Japan, she enjoyed it so much she stayed for 2 yrs then reapplied, she got in easily with over 70% scholarship!! Not only was she better prepared but more confident & had better relationship with her prof & TAs. Don't give up! God has a plan for you, this is not a rejection but a redirection, you will succeed next year! I know it!!! It's just one year to improve yourself, wish all graduating high schoolers had 1 yr off before going to college;)
 
Blessedmom said:
I am sad & excited to hear your news. Sad ~ you can't go this year, but excited~ you will go next year! That said, the worst part of this is repeating over & over to friends & family about what happened. Few years ago my niece did not get into top liberal arts college W**** College, she hated telling people her story over & over, worst was watching her friends go off to college and talk endlessly about college life. She decided to teach English in Japan, she enjoyed it so much she stayed for 2 yrs then reapplied, she got in easily with over 70% scholarship!! Not only was she better prepared but more confident & had better relationship with her prof & TAs. Don't give up! God has a plan for you, this is not a rejection but a redirection, you will succeed next year! I know it!!! It's just one year to improve yourself, wish all graduating high schoolers had 1 yr off before going to college;)
Click to expand...

Another Plan 'C' becomes Plan A+++ :thumb:
 
All,

Thank you for your input. I have received the Ike Skelton Early Commissioning Program (ECP) Scholarship through ROTC. I am undecided on if I should decline this and try for a 3 or 4 year scholarship. I have been accepted to Miami University (OH) and Xavier University.

The USMA forum probably isn't the right place to ask this but is it possible utilize a Junior Military College's Self Prep Program while on the ECP scholarship?
 
Sorry to hear of your obstacle. It sounds as if you have the right attitude and that surely will be in your favor when you re-apply. Best wishes!
 
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