USMA Day Vist

sdsmom

sdsmom

5-Year Member
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Mar 11, 2017
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We are taking DS to USMA next week for a day visit. He has started an application for C/O 2022 and we are trying to do our college visits this spring before his senior year football season starts. FFR suggested the day visit while USMA is in session as the best experience. We have visited WP many times over the years as my father and grandfather are both graduates (both long since passed away) but this will be our first visit as the parent of a candidate! :) Does anyone have any pointers or suggestions before we make the trip? Will we meet our RC? Is the RC the person who handles the electronic file? They said that we will have some time with an admissions rep and I am wondering if he or she will be able to look at SAT scores, transcripts, etc for a few minutes to give him an idea of where he should focus his efforts going into the summer. Thanks in advance :)
 
Yes. After the morning briefing you will be taken on a tour. After the tour you come back to the admissions office, and there will be whatever RC is on duty for the briefing to meet with the candidate. Parents are allowed in as well, and the RC will pull open the candidates file on the computer and answer any questions. Feel free to ask anything. They are very candid and open. We did this multiple times actually, and each time were amazed how mush we were told, including the numbers of the top competition in our district, and what my son needed to get up to in order to prevail over the others in our district.
 
I'm so glad I just read this! DS is also applying for 2022. We visited WP his sophomore yr bc he was so passionate about it and it was drivable. That summer we did USNA & USAFA. I figured we didn't need to do WP again but now reading this makes me think otherwise! Now he has so much more to actually show & speak about. Spring sports started Monday so I wish I had done it the beginning of March!
 
Let me add one more thing. If you have the option as to when you go and do the visit, I would choose to wait a bit, and that way the RC will have a better perspective for what the competition is. Right now the other candidates may not have much in their file, so the RC will have little too offer in terms of a comparison of candidates.

Just a thought.
 
brovol said:
Let me add one more thing. If you have the option as to when you go and do the visit, I would choose to wait a bit, and that way the RC will have a better perspective for what the competition is. Right now the other candidates may not have much in their file, so the RC will have little too offer in terms of a comparison of candidates.

Just a thought.
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Thank you so much for all of your input! I was thinking it may be too early in the process and they may be too busy with the 2021 class. BUT we wanted to get in while school is in session and before my son's football season starts in August. Sounds like we may be able to make another this fall when football is over!
 
serviceaboveAll said:
Would you suggest Fall? Or is Nov/Dec too late?
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I would say late enough in the summer that most applicants will have their packages pretty much in, so the RC can compare ACT/SAT scores, grades, athletic and leadership accomplishments. In our case the RC literally asked my son if he knew certain kids, and although he didn't say this kid has these scores, he did say: right now there is one kid who is higher than you and a few others who could still pass you if they boost ACT and you don't. The candidate in front of you has these scores, and is a Reaplicant, which will also give her a boost. The two behind you are right behind you, with these scores, and one has a perfect CFA, and Captain of varsity football team..... He told my son what he needed to do to be confident on an appointment. Scores for ACT, CFA, and other suggestions. He also really motivated my son like I have never ever seen my son motivated before. My son was on a vision quest after that, and flew by the other applicants. By the next time we visited WP he was golden for a spot, and we kind of knew it. We asked the RC then where he still could improve, and the guy said, honestly, you are pretty solid all around, but nit picking I would say your class standing is below top 10%. When we came for his overnight our RC asked us to come to his office and told my son he had an appointment.

The RC's at WP are extremely open and helpful.
 
There are also regional events with the RC. My son met his RC in early November at a briefing 1.5 hours from our home. Son went to SLE and had missed school for a CVW in September so he didn't want to miss more school. The regional event gave him one on one time with his RC. The events can be accessed on the admissions page to the right side for events in your area.
 
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Would it be best to try to go while school is in session or late summer? Or even September/October?
 
One suggestion would be to go in Nov/Dec when it's cold, gray and the wind is howling off the Hudson. It will give your DS an interesting perspective. Our son did the day visit on a day like this and I think it even rained a little. After the visit he was sure it was the place for him.
 
RedDragon said:
One suggestion would be to go in Nov/Dec when it's cold, gray and the wind is howling off the Hudson. It will give your DS an interesting perspective. Our son did the day visit on a day like this and I think it even rained a little. After the visit he was sure it was the place for him.
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Lol. But your son is from the west side of Michigan. Our Michigan kids like cold, howling miserable weather.
 
caralinzz said:
Would it be best to try to go while school is in session or late summer? Or even September/October?
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Depending on how close you live, go both. I'd probably go in the last half of the summer. You would probably get a decent perspective by then.
 
brovol said:
Depending on how close you live, go both. I'd probably go in the last half of the summer. You would probably get a decent perspective by then.
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I live about 15 hours away by car, all the way down here in south Georgia, so two trips is not ideal because we are a very busy family constantly involved in everything. I visited last summer and went on a tour, but now that I've applied to SLE and been accepted and I have started my application, is it even necessary for me to do this or will I be able to meet my RC at SLE?
 
brovol said:
RedDragon said:
One suggestion would be to go in Nov/Dec when it's cold, gray and the wind is howling off the Hudson. It will give your DS an interesting perspective. Our son did the day visit on a day like this and I think it even rained a little. After the visit he was sure it was the place for him.
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Lol. But your son is from the west side of Michigan. Our Michigan kids like cold, howling miserable weather.
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Yep! 4 seasons in 1 day or should I say 3...you can forget summer:)
 
I would let a little time pass to get the most value out of the visit. If you go in July, the weather may be better but most applicants just be opening packets. The deadline to submit will not be to February. By October, they should have a pretty good idea on who is serious about completing applications.

Waiting some may also find your RC closer to your home. They routinely travel to areas for admission events. My DD met her RC at a high school in Houston and he covered all of the same things.

I would try and find the Regional Field Force Rep and ask if they have any events scheduled or how often they get the chance to host them.
 
caralinzz said:
brovol said:
Depending on how close you live, go both. I'd probably go in the last half of the summer. You would probably get a decent perspective by then.
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I live about 15 hours away by car, all the way down here in south Georgia, so two trips is not ideal because we are a very busy family constantly involved in everything. I visited last summer and went on a tour, but now that I've applied to SLE and been accepted and I have started my application, is it even necessary for me to do this or will I be able to meet my RC at SLE?
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Sorry but I can't answer the question about SLE, as my son never attended SALE. He didn't decide to apply to the academies until end of junior year of HS and too late.
 
USMA 1994 said:
I would let a little time pass to get the most value out of the visit. If you go in July, the weather may be better but most applicants just be opening packets. The deadline to submit will not be to February. By October, they should have a pretty good idea on who is serious about completing applications.

Waiting some may also find your RC closer to your home. They routinely travel to areas for admission events. My DD met her RC at a high school in Houston and he covered all of the same things.

I would try and find the Regional Field Force Rep and ask if they have any events scheduled or how often they get the chance to host them.
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I like the idea of October @ I think timing would work for DS too. There's a good chance he will have surgery in begin of Aug so by Oct he should be be back ( or close) to resuming full activity ( fingers crossed). I'm I right to think that DS showing up w/ a glaring medical issue could raise eyebrows & red flag him? So that's why I think we should hold off until Oct/Nov.
 
serviceaboveAll said:
I like the idea of October @ I think timing would work for DS too. There's a good chance he will have surgery in begin of Aug so by Oct he should be be back ( or close) to resuming full activity ( fingers crossed). I'm I right to think that DS showing up w/ a glaring medical issue could raise eyebrows & red flag him? So that's why I think we should hold off until Oct/Nov.
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Honestly, they will know whether or not he is there with the sling about the injury. My son was up front about his surgery from the beginning and even wrote one of his USNA essays about what he learned from adversity about the injury. Son attended CVW 2 days post sling removal and was unable to participate in PT and it was not an issue.
 
serviceaboveAll said:
I like the idea of October @ I think timing would work for DS too. There's a good chance he will have surgery in begin of Aug so by Oct he should be be back ( or close) to resuming full activity ( fingers crossed). I'm I right to think that DS showing up w/ a glaring medical issue could raise eyebrows & red flag him? So that's why I think we should hold off until Oct/Nov.
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Not quite the same, but I went to my nomination interview in a very competitive district with my arm in a massive balloon-like contraption only a few weeks out of surgery and it turned out fine. Of course it wouldn't be optimal to visit while on the DL as he likely wouldn't get the full experience (depending on the type of visit), but they know that injuries will get better.
 
Thank you! I know they will be aware of surgery bc of DoDMERB exam but good to know for either nomination interview or SA visit that it would be judgement free (medically, at least...lol).
 
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