Personally, I like to wait as long as possible (hence the awareness for all the reminders) because I find that to do an early one it often turns out to be a lesson on how to apply. Since this is all available to the candidate on-line, I use their success in doing so as a gauge of commitment. So if I do it late in the process, the discussion is more relavent to what I am actually looking for.
That seems very smart to me.
You're exactly right. I'm no BGO, but I
do get a lot of questions from high school students who are interested in applying to the academy. They always seem to ask, "What do I have to do?"
I kind of give them the Reader's Digest version of what is necessary but I always emphasize that they have to actually do the research on what it takes. The admissions catalog is excellent and answers 90% of these questions.
"But how do I get a nomination? What do I have to do?"
Again, I tell them that their senators and congressman all have websites. On each of those websites is a link to the "Service Academy Coordinator".
Everything that they have to do to earn a nomination is outlined. Go there ... read it ... do it. There is no
one answer. Each is bit different.
As a BGO, doesn't it tell you something about a candidate when they ask super basic questions that are easily available through the normal application process?
Didn't somebody in this forum (a BGO) once ask a candidate what they think they might want to major in - and they answered "Civil Engineering"?
The Naval Academy doesn't even offer that major! West Point does, however. The kid obviously hasn't take any time to review the Naval Academy's academic curriculum.
"What about the Naval Academy interests you the most?"
"I want to be a lawyer, like that JAG guy on TV. Didn't
he go to the Naval Academy?"