USNA application review/DODMERB

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Seastar

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Does the board look at applications that aren't yet medically qualified ? Im hoping they look at the application, say "WOW, we need this young man ", see that it is medically disqualified and request additional documentation/information, waiver granted, and then offer an appointment. So my question is.... what is the sequence of events if initially medically disqualified? Thanks for any help in this long process.
 
The Board determines whether you are qualified ("scholastically") or not independent of your medical exam. Many candidates haven't even taken their medical exams when the Board reviews their record. If you have a medical issue that needs a waiver, one is automatically "requested."

USNA then starts deciding on offers of appointment. So, for example, let's say you are the "winner" of your MOC slate but need a waiver. USNA's medical folks then review the medical issue and decide whether to give you a waiver. Typically, they don't need additional information -- DODMERB has already decided whether or not you're qualified medically. If you're not, you can only be appointed on a medical waiver and that decision rests with USNA.

Note, however, that waiver determinations aren't made in a vacuum. In some cases (e.g., colorblindness), there's a limit on the number of entering mids who can be colorblind. For other conditions, it's about your ability to be commissioned into the unrestricted line (URL). USNA can't take in too many folks who have to go restricted line/staff corps due to medical issues or they won't fill their URL line quotas at commissioning. So, if the top 300 candidates for a class all needed medical waivers and couldn't commission URL, I can guarantee you that some of those won't be appointed.

It's a complex process. Thus, if you need a medical waiver and cannot commission URL, you have a higher hill to climb than someone who is fully qualified medically. That said, some medical conditions may still allow commissioning into the URL and, even for the others, quite a few are admitted each year.
 
Your application will first go to a board to make sure you are 3Q. Once you are 3Q, then you go to the admissions board.
 
My son had shoulder surgery in the Fall of his senior year for a football injury. He was scheduled for surgery the day before his DODMERB exam so he was "medically disqualified" while he went through the application process. Since we were waiting for him to heal, there really wasn't anything I wanted to send in yet. DODMERB specifically said not to send them anything until they asked for it. When he was cleared in March and I had his complete medical record, I snail mailed it to the address I found. I figured someone would upload it or throw it in the trash and re-request if necessary. Fortunately, his portal flipped to a conditional appointment a day or two later while the records were in transit. The waiver came through within a week or two which was a big relief.

DODMERB was crystal clear that they don't do the waivers first. It makes sense when you consider the amount of work that would go into medical review of applicants that might not even receive an appointment. That said, I can vouch that it is a very stressful process even in the most straightforward of circumstances. I have no insights other than our experience. Good luck!
 
navy2022VA said:
Your application will first go to a board to make sure you are 3Q. Once you are 3Q, then you go to the admissions board.
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No- The Admissions Board makes the determination of whether your are "Qualified" -- one of the 3 Q's (CFA and Medical being the other two Q's). The Admissions "Q" is where the Grades, SATs, Athletics , Leadership are rolled into a WCS and candidate is determined to be Qualified. The Admissions Q is determined independent of DODMERB; in fact many candidates (particularly those who complete their application early and quickly ) have the Admissions Board Q prior to completing DODMERB.

Needless to say, there are a lot of candidates who are Qualified, and 3Q, but then Noms & Appointments has to make the determination of who, among all the 3Q candidates , gets appointed by matching up the best candidates to the respective Nominations (i.e. "winning the slate"). Nom and Appointments is kind of a jigsaw puzzle, with the objective of seating the best qualified class within the constraints of the Nomination system.

For those that are CPR , and wondering why they haven't received the BFE or TWE even though the application was submitted in July last year, the Application has already been reviewed, and has made a determination on the Admissions Q. The BGO knows, but is not supposed to tell you--SO DON'T ASK. The big delay for those CPR is not getting before the Admissions Board, but rather waiting for all other applicants from your MOC slates to have submitted their applications and getting reviewed to determine the Q. Only then can Noms and Appointments get to work and chose whom among the many 3Q candidates with nominations gets the appointment.

As an aside, many of the questions on this forum seek to delve into the inner workings and decision making process for Noms and Appointments, and while most of the responses are well intentioned, and perhaps mostly accurate, with maybe a few exceptions on the Forum, I'm really not sure any of us truly understand how Noms and Appointments does it magic. I know its not a focal point of BGO training, and frankly not something I get to concerned with, as it is outside the control of Candidates, their parents or BGO's. I can say with some degree of confidence (based upon 15+ years as a BGO) , the system is usually pretty good at picking the best 3Q candidate for appointment to USNA,
 
Old Navy BGO said:
navy2022VA said:
Your application will first go to a board to make sure you are 3Q. Once you are 3Q, then you go to the admissions board.
Click to expand...

No- The Admissions Board makes the determination of whether your are "Qualified" -- one of the 3 Q's (CFA and Medical being the other two Q's). The Admissions "Q" is where the Grades, SATs, Athletics , Leadership are rolled into a WCS and candidate is determined to be Qualified. The Admissions Q is determined independent of DODMERB; in fact many candidates (particularly those who complete their application early and quickly ) have the Admissions Board Q prior to completing DODMERB.

Needless to say, there are a lot of candidates who are Qualified, and 3Q, but then Noms & Appointments has to make the determination of who, among all the 3Q candidates , gets appointed by matching up the best candidates to the respective Nominations (i.e. "winning the slate"). Nom and Appointments is kind of a jigsaw puzzle, with the objective of seating the best qualified class within the constraints of the Nomination system.

For those that are CPR , and wondering why they haven't received the BFE or TWE even though the application was submitted in July last year, the Application has already been reviewed, and has made a determination on the Admissions Q. The BGO knows, but is not supposed to tell you--SO DON'T ASK. The big delay for those CPR is not getting before the Admissions Board, but rather waiting for all other applicants from your MOC slates to have submitted their applications and getting reviewed to determine the Q. Only then can Noms and Appointments get to work and chose whom among the many 3Q candidates with nominations gets the appointment.

As an aside, many of the questions on this forum seek to delve into the inner workings and decision making process for Noms and Appointments, and while most of the responses are well intentioned, and perhaps mostly accurate, with maybe a few exceptions on the Forum, I'm really not sure any of us truly understand how Noms and Appointments does it magic. I know its not a focal point of BGO training, and frankly not something I get to concerned with, as it is outside the control of Candidates, their parents or BGO's. I can say with some degree of confidence (based upon 15+ years as a BGO) , the system is usually pretty good at picking the best 3Q candidate for appointment to USNA,
Click to expand...
Thank you for your explanation, it makes much more sense than what someone told me I was under the impression that 3Q was 1. Scholastic 2. Fitness 3. Medical.
 
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