USCGA Application Question

walkerkanwalk

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Joined
Sep 24, 2020
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I saw on bears den that the application for the Class of 2026 opened today. I started my application but I can't continue it because it says you must be 17 on June 28, 2021 to apply. Does this mean I can't apply? I just got out of my Junior year of HS. My 17th birthday is in a couple of weeks. Do I need to wait until I turn 17 to apply?
 
I saw on bears den that the application for the Class of 2026 opened today. I started my application but I can't continue it because it says you must be 17 on June 28, 2021 to apply. Does this mean I can't apply? I just got out of my Junior year of HS. My 17th birthday is in a couple of weeks. Do I need to wait until I turn 17 to apply?
Based upon what you are seeing on the application/web, you may not be eligible. One would expect that the eligibility requirements are correct and that if the information is correct you will not be eligible this cycle. But, that seems wrong to me since I had thought you could begin at the academy provided you are 17 years old and you will be 17 long before your class would begin. My suggestion is that you should reach out to USCGA admissions to check whether you will become eligible for this cycle or are already eligible to begin the application.
 
The requirement reads "17-22 by May" so this could just be a typo. Call Admissions to confirm, but my daughter turned 18 just before I Day this year and it was no problem so I can't imagine you'd be much different.
 
I was wait-listed for 2025, I tried to "re-apply" today, (that is to open a new application for 2026) to get started on it early.
It still has my 2025 application, showing as submitted un-editable.

I suspect it said "you must be 17 on June 28, 2021" (Swearing in day) for the 2025 application cycle.
(You have to be 17 to enlist / swear in)
I presume they have yet to reset the website and application cycle.
Once that is updated I would expect it to say "you must be 17 on June 27, 2022"
 
I saw on bears den that the application for the Class of 2026 opened today. I started my application but I can't continue it because it says you must be 17 on June 28, 2021 to apply. Does this mean I can't apply? I just got out of my Junior year of HS. My 17th birthday is in a couple of weeks. Do I need to wait until I turn 17 to apply?
I'm excited to hear that you're among the 200+ students who have already started their applications to the Class of 2026! There was a short period of time yesterday morning where some text fields were still displaying Class of 2025 information, so please let me know (you can reply here or send me a pm) if you're still seeing the outdated information after refreshing or logging in/out of your application. Applicants to the Class of 2026 must be 17-22 years old on June 27, 2022.
 
I was wait-listed for 2025, I tried to "re-apply" today, (that is to open a new application for 2026) to get started on it early.
It still has my 2025 application, showing as submitted un-editable.
From our application homepage/login screen:

If you previously created an AY account to apply to our AIM Program, you can and should use that account to apply for direct entry to the Academy; however, if you previously applied for direct entry to the Academy, you must create a new account using the "Create Account" tab in order to reapply for admission this year.

Please ensure you're reading/following all provided instructions, even if you believe that you're familiar with our application from when you previously applied, since some questions/requirements have changed this year. Glad to hear you're reapplying and starting so early!
 
I was wait-listed for 2025, I tried to "re-apply" today, (that is to open a new application for 2026) to get started on it early.
It still has my 2025 application, showing as submitted un-editable.

I suspect it said "you must be 17 on June 28, 2021" (Swearing in day) for the 2025 application cycle.
(You have to be 17 to enlist / swear in)
I presume they have yet to reset the website and application cycle.
Once that is updated I would expect it to say "you must be 17 on June 27, 2022"
Hi Gus--glad to see a familiar face from last year's circle--we are going to reapply too--good luck to both of us--hope this journey will be a great one for us
 
From our application homepage/login screen:

If you previously created an AY account to apply to our AIM Program, you can and should use that account to apply for direct entry to the Academy; however, if you previously applied for direct entry to the Academy, you must create a new account using the "Create Account" tab in order to reapply for admission this year.

Please ensure you're reading/following all provided instructions, even if you believe that you're familiar with our application from when you previously applied, since some questions/requirements have changed this year. Glad to hear you're reapplying and starting so early!
Yes, Thank you Objee. I saw that shortly after posting my above response. I realized I might be missing something because I was already logged in. My pattern since December has been to go straight to the Application page. This is what I did because I falsely presumed I knew what I was doing.

Due to the fact that I was already logged in, and went straight to the application page, I bypassed full "Apply Now" login page with that message and never actually saw the instructions.

I suspected I was probably missing a step or some information. I tried it from a different browser, where I was of course logged out by default, and I saw the full Create Account / login page with the instructions.

I am squared way now, and started a new app.
Going through this whole process has certainly been teaching me to read the detailed instructions, even if I think I know them.
 
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Yes, Thank you Objee. I saw that shortly after posting my above response. I realized I might be missing something because I was already logged in. My pattern since December has been to go straight to the Application page. This is what I did because I falsely presumed I knew what I was doing.

Due to the fact that I was already logged in, and went straight to the application page, I bypassed full "Apply Now" login page with that message and never actually saw the instructions.

I suspected I was probably missing a step or some information. I tried it from a different browser, where I was of course logged out by default, and I saw the full Create Account / login page with the instructions.

I am squared way now, and started a new app.
Going through this whole process has certainly been teaching me to read the detailed instructions, even if I think I know them.
One of the innumerable lessons a JO learns:
“The devil is in the details.”
 
Hi Gus--glad to see a familiar face from last year's circle--we are going to reapply too--good luck to both of us--hope this journey will be a great one for us
Tenacity and continued growth will carry weight and tend to play well in this process. No outsiders can guarantee results, or prescribe a winning formula because in the end selection is not just about you in isolation… that said tenacity and continued growth have definitely served others well in getting over the hump during past cycles.
Go for it with all you’ve got and best of luck!
 
I saw on bears den that the application for the Class of 2026 opened today. I started my application but I can't continue it because it says you must be 17 on June 28, 2021 to apply. Does this mean I can't apply? I just got out of my Junior year of HS. My 17th birthday is in a couple of weeks. Do I need to wait until I turn 17 to apply?
Must be a typo unless they changed the rules. Contact your AO and ask. My DS didn't turn 18 until after he reported and DW and I just had to get a minors document notarized.
 
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