serviceaboveAll
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Some did not even report that day, so their plans have changed. Some were medical turn backs, and a few dropped during the day.
USMA Class Size 2024?
- Thread starter Roadking
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Some did not even report that day, so their plans have changed. Some were medical turn backs, and a few dropped during the day.
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Even for those who are truly on board with their application and excited to receive an appointment and thrilled to joining the Long Gray Line, there is horror and dread that builds along with the excitement as R-Day approaches. Every year there are kids that won't exit Ike Hall to start the process. Also, there are health checks on R-Day--talk to your kid about what it means to report 'headaches' 'allergies' 'anxiety' or other health related things. R-Day is built up as so mysterious and frightening. Take everything you have ever known and been very good at, and in one day, one 60 second good-bye you are back on the bottom, getting yelled at, worried about failure, not knowing what is expected or you. It is a huge risk.
As the parent of two cadets and as a neighbor and friend to the parents of other cadets, the candidates can become quiet and reserved as the date approaches. It is horrible to watch and #1 Son's gf ghosted him the night before R-Day and I was finally like, "Put down your electronics and go to sleep." This withdrawing, or need to have a game face contributes to one of our favorite debates on whether to bring a big entourage for R-Day.
Last, if you are seriously planning a head and live near USMA, you can remove some of the mystery by joining in for the Cadet for Day, Practice R-Day--but the future applicant has to be a Sophomore or lower. You cannot do it if are a rising senior.
As the parent of two cadets and as a neighbor and friend to the parents of other cadets, the candidates can become quiet and reserved as the date approaches. It is horrible to watch and #1 Son's gf ghosted him the night before R-Day and I was finally like, "Put down your electronics and go to sleep." This withdrawing, or need to have a game face contributes to one of our favorite debates on whether to bring a big entourage for R-Day.
Last, if you are seriously planning a head and live near USMA, you can remove some of the mystery by joining in for the Cadet for Day, Practice R-Day--but the future applicant has to be a Sophomore or lower. You cannot do it if are a rising senior.
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Excellent insights by @DrMom
There is also the relentless build-up around the appointment - the school is excited to have an appointee, mentions in the local press or even a TV interview, family excitement, veteran family members sharing sea/war/air stories with pride and expectations about another family member in uniform and at a prestigious service academy, parents proudly sharing news and wearing SA sweatshirts, getting invitations from the local SA Parents Club. Meanwhile, a candidate who has been so used to competing for years, for grades, class standing, awards, athletic leadership positions, for advanced programs, and then for noms and appointments, getting caught up in the thrill of the chase, may have tried to squash that tiny voice saying “the more I know about this and the closer it gets, the more I realize I really, really don’t want to do this. How did I get here? How do I stop this speeding rollercoaster I seem to have gotten on?” It’s like the bride or groom, completely caught up the run-up to the wedding, and then starting to think about the actual marriage that will follow.
There are always appointees every year who have that moment of clarity, late in the day that it is, where they find the courage to tell everyone the truth and act on it. Of course, some don’t, and leave at a later point, or the saddest to watch, the ones who let themselves self-destruct through grades, conduct or military performance, and get themselves separated, because they can’t or won’t gather the strength to say “This is not my path, I will now work on another way forward.”
This is not common, but it does happen. There are the usual normal transient misgivings and apprehension, but it can occasionally run deeper than that.
There is also the relentless build-up around the appointment - the school is excited to have an appointee, mentions in the local press or even a TV interview, family excitement, veteran family members sharing sea/war/air stories with pride and expectations about another family member in uniform and at a prestigious service academy, parents proudly sharing news and wearing SA sweatshirts, getting invitations from the local SA Parents Club. Meanwhile, a candidate who has been so used to competing for years, for grades, class standing, awards, athletic leadership positions, for advanced programs, and then for noms and appointments, getting caught up in the thrill of the chase, may have tried to squash that tiny voice saying “the more I know about this and the closer it gets, the more I realize I really, really don’t want to do this. How did I get here? How do I stop this speeding rollercoaster I seem to have gotten on?” It’s like the bride or groom, completely caught up the run-up to the wedding, and then starting to think about the actual marriage that will follow.
There are always appointees every year who have that moment of clarity, late in the day that it is, where they find the courage to tell everyone the truth and act on it. Of course, some don’t, and leave at a later point, or the saddest to watch, the ones who let themselves self-destruct through grades, conduct or military performance, and get themselves separated, because they can’t or won’t gather the strength to say “This is not my path, I will now work on another way forward.”
This is not common, but it does happen. There are the usual normal transient misgivings and apprehension, but it can occasionally run deeper than that.
Your comment about "withdrawing" is interesting. A month back my son's NJROTC instructor pulled me aside saying he was worried about my DS. Couldn't pinpoint anything he was failing to do, just an overall "feeling" that something was off. Naturally this sends me into a mini panic wondering what is going on with my DS, an already reserved sort to begin with. I took him aside and shared the concerns from his instructor and he told me that there wasn't anything going on other than he has been a little short with his peers, busy trying to finalize applications, and tired of all the essays asking him to lay out his entire life when he's barely 17. In short, he said he was just trying to start "withdrawing" from not only some of his unit responsibilities and passing them to the juniors, but also trying to get those around him prepared to handle stuff without much more of his input as he feels that once he lands wherever he does, he won't have much time for that.
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@ChoirDude not sure that is the same. Your kid's timeline is a lot longer than the week or days before a major change. You could see him 'withdrawing' in the weeks before graduation and commissioning. However, sounds like your kid has a plan and that you all had a good discussion. The incoming cadets or soon to be college freshmen anywhere often go through a 'soiling the nest' phase, too--or if they did not make themselves and everyone else miserable, they may never be able to leave. (We did not have this with the two West Pointers, but #2 Son who attended civilian college made everyone miserable the summer before he matriculated.)
usma2021
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I wish I would have known this before DS reported for Rday, I kept thinking why he was so different, sometimes acting like a jerk...he later told me he so worried to the point he couldn't sleep. At Beast, he said many nights he was too tired to sleep. He started doubting his own decision to go to WP, wondering what his friends at home were doing (probably playing games)...fast forward he is now in his second semester of his cow year!
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Thanks @usma2021 (you must be one of my sister moms!) I had read about it. My Captain America told me that he would stare at the ceiling at night with silent tears running down his face at Beast--regretting all of his life's choices. He felt obligated to put a happy spin on things for me, I guess. Before the Baby started I told him, "It is normal to regret everything--even Capt Am would lay in bed silently weeping. You are supposed to feel confused and like a failure, just don't quit. Keep going." So, yes, hopefully the kids will know that it is normal, that they are supposed to feel worried, nervous, anxious, confused, and at risk of failing. It is part of the process.
USMAGRAD1988
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I still clearly recall laying in my “New Cadet” bed the evening of July 1st, 1984 (R-Day Class of 1988). Not only was it EXTREMELY depressing, but I couldn’t stop sweating because of the blistering heat (no A/C in Ike Barracks back in those days). I had an older brother at West Point (Class of 1985) and I had wanted to attend the Academy since freshman year in HS. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and yet the entire 6 weeks of Beast Barracks truly sucked in every aspect and I regretted being there every single day for that entire period. Beast Barracks is designed to separate the wheat from the chaff. My class was large (1500 on R-Day), but we only graduated 938 four years later (we lost 100 classmates during Beast Barracks). Don’t quit....Don’t quit...Don’t quit....
West Point does a much better job selecting candidates these days, which is why entering classes are significantly smaller. They know the new cadets who show up on R-Day are the best of the best and really want to be there. Rest assured that while your DS or DD may have doubts or concerns leading up to R-Day (and well into Beast Barracks) these will quickly dissipate once the academic year starts. 47 months go by in a hurry....
West Point does a much better job selecting candidates these days, which is why entering classes are significantly smaller. They know the new cadets who show up on R-Day are the best of the best and really want to be there. Rest assured that while your DS or DD may have doubts or concerns leading up to R-Day (and well into Beast Barracks) these will quickly dissipate once the academic year starts. 47 months go by in a hurry....
Same experience, DS also a 21
If you passed your CFA, that's an indication that you have the physical capability to get through beast. Do your best to be in top physical condition from now until then. You still have plenty of time to prepare. You don't want to wing it. A huge part of getting through beast is mental also. Don't take anything personally and conquer each day as it comes. You will all be going through the same thing and your classmates will be there to support you. Embrace the "suck" as they say. LOL!
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Well, not necessarily.You can pass the CFA with an 8-minute mile yet struggle mightily at Beast because you’ll have to run a lot more than a mile a lot more often than you think at a faster pace than you anticipate. You can pass the CFA with a 30-second hang yet find yourself struggling at Beast when it comes time to do obstacle courses and the like. No matter how you do on the CFA, don’t get complacent. Keep working out and show up at Beast in tip-top shape. No one ever showed up at Beast and said “I was overly conditioned.”
Well, I did not say he would get through Beast if he passed the CFA, I said passing is an "indication" that he has the physical "capability" to pass. That's why they have the CFA and why they have minimum passing scores. It means they are capable of getting through the physical portion of Beast with additional effort. I also said to continue to prepare to be at your top physical condition and don't wing it. You just reiterated what I said.
DeepWaters
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How long has the 4400 cap been in place? Is this something that changes every few years?
Thank you.
DeepWaters
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Does the cap just include the total at USMA, USNA and USAFA? Or are Coast Guard and USMMA included also?