USNA Issues and Guidance

[willp2022]

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

 

[usna1985]

First of all, I think you mean you're applying for the Class of 2022. In terms of the vision issue, you should follow up with DODMERB or with the person at USNA who handles medical issues. You will automatically be considered for a waiver, but I'm not sure whether your situation is waiverable.

Yes, you're competitive. So are several thousand candidates -- a lot more than the number of appointments. The first thing you need to do is figure out whether your medical condition can be waived (or is likely to be). Assuming so, if USNA considers you competitive enough to offer you an appointment, they will decide whether to waive your medical issue. Unfortunately, no one here can give you more reassurance. As with every candidate, be sure your Plan B is in place.

 

[GHTeam]

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Contact DoDMERB ASAP. Ask your assigned contact/tech about going for a second opinion. If it’s granted, you should seek out a reputable (the best) ophthalmologist. (Maybe in the meantime, get an appt scheduled!) Even if they tell you it’s not waiverable, do not give up. Perhaps there could have been something incorrect with your initial screening. Start there. Also, contact your Admissions Counselor for guidance. From my understanding, there is a waiver authority at USNA. Good luck and persist!

 

[willp2022]

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Contact DoDMERB ASAP. Ask your assigned contact/tech about going for a second opinion. If it’s granted, you should seek out a reputable (the best) ophthalmologist. (Maybe in the meantime, get an appt scheduled!) Even if they tell you it’s not waivable, do not give up. Perhaps there could have been something incorrect with your initial screening. Start there. Also, contact your Admissions Counselor for guidance. From my understanding, there is a waiver authority at USNA. Good luck and persist!

Thank you and I will contact them ASAP

 

[fast18s]

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion and send that information to DODMERB. You’ll need to send the actual optometrist report. Don’t ask them (DODMERB) to send you for a 2nd opinion, I think this will only prolong the process. Until USNA waiver authority actually denies the waiver, you may not know what the issue is, but if you contact your contact at DODMERB he/she may be able to tell you exactly who to call at USNA. DODMERB won’t be able to tell you specifics of the disqualifying condition because it’s now in the hands of the waiver authority.

This is the same issue DS had. We did exactly as I stated above when waiver was denied by waiver authority. There is no guarantee for an appointment if you successfully overturn the DQ, but it gives you a chance, especially if it’s wrong, as it was in DS’s case. You still have to be board qualified including academically and physically. It’s worth the fight. Good luck!

 

[willp2022]

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion and send that information to DODMERB. You’ll need to send the actual optometrist report. Don’t ask them (DODMERB) to send you for a 2nd opinion, I think this will only prolong the process. Until USNA waiver authority actually denies the waiver, you may not know what the issue is, but if you contact your contact at DODMERB he/she may be able to tell you exactly who to call at USNA. DODMERB won’t be able to tell you specifics of the disqualifying condition because it’s now in the hands of the waiver authority.

This is the same issue DS had. We did exactly as I stated above when waiver was denied by waiver authority. There is no guarantee for an appointment if you successfully overturn the DQ, but it gives you a chance, especially if it’s wrong, as it was in DS’s case. You still have to be board qualified including academically and physically. It’s worth the fight. Good luck!

Thank you, I'll schedule an appointment ASAP

 

[fast18s]

Thank you, I'll schedule an appointment ASAP

Let your optometrist know what is going on with DODMERB and how the Dept. of Defense contract optometrist indicated your eyesight is not correctable to 20/20. They may not understand the whole process like we do, but they'll get the gist. Ask the question "is my vision correctable to 20/20?" And be sure to leave with the actual report that states this and send it to DODMERB ASAP. Best of luck again!

 

[GHTeam]

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion and send that information to DODMERB. You’ll need to send the actual optometrist report. Don’t ask them (DODMERB) to send you for a 2nd opinion, I think this will only prolong the process. Until USNA waiver authority actually denies the waiver, you may not know what the issue is, but if you contact your contact at DODMERB he/she may be able to tell you exactly who to call at USNA. DODMERB won’t be able to tell you specifics of the disqualifying condition because it’s now in the hands of the waiver authority.

This is the same issue DS had. We did exactly as I stated above when waiver was denied by waiver authority. There is no guarantee for an appointment if you successfully overturn the DQ, but it gives you a chance, especially if it’s wrong, as it was in DS’s case. You still have to be board qualified including academically and physically. It’s worth the fight. Good luck!

Thank you, I'll schedule an appointment ASAP

Hello everyone. I am applying to the Naval Academy from California for the class of 2018. I have a few questions that I couldn't find answered on some of the other threads. I have completed my application and have received two nominations. One from my MOC and the other is presidential. I recently was looking at the DoDMERB website and they said that I was disqualified medically because of the following code "D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye."

I was wondering if anyone had guidance on the waiver process. I have worn glasses in the past and my vision was correctable to 20/20. Also, should I try and take another optometry exam?

I understand that they only consider competitive candidates for admissions. I was also wondering if I am competitive or not. Here is a little about me,

I am an Eagle Scout who has recently earned a bronze palm, Club President, Team Captain, 4-year varsity athlete, model united nations member, 3.4 gpa, 710 math 630 reading SAT, 17th in state for swimming last year, have had 3 jobs including lifeguard and an internship at a manufacturing institute. I have lived in 11 different places while my father was a career officer in the Army.

I know this is a lot of information to process but USNA is my top choice and I need help with waiver information and competitiveness for USNA.

Thank you!

Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion and send that information to DODMERB. You’ll need to send the actual optometrist report. Don’t ask them (DODMERB) to send you for a 2nd opinion, I think this will only prolong the process. Until USNA waiver authority actually denies the waiver, you may not know what the issue is, but if you contact your contact at DODMERB he/she may be able to tell you exactly who to call at USNA. DODMERB won’t be able to tell you specifics of the disqualifying condition because it’s now in the hands of the waiver authority.

This is the same issue DS had. We did exactly as I stated above when waiver was denied by waiver authority. There is no guarantee for an appointment if you successfully overturn the DQ, but it gives you a chance, especially if it’s wrong, as it was in DS’s case. You still have to be board qualified including academically and physically. It’s worth the fight. Good luck!

Thank you, I'll schedule an appointment ASAP

 

[GHTeam]

When you fax the vision results to DoDMERB, follow up right away to make sure it’s in their hands. It’s very important that it doesn’t sit for weeks w/o it being reviewed. It’s a slow process. The sooner you can get the appt with a very well qualified eye professional (preferably an ophthalmologist), the better. Let them know that it’s urgent that you are seen, if you encounter difficulty getting an appt within the next few business days. It’s always good to follow up and check your status regularly. It can take several weeks to resolve. I know first hand how frustrating this is. Don’t give up! Good luck.

 

[DesertCaliMom]

You can also email your DODMERB technician and ask to email rather than fax documents. DS was allowed to do this for an administrative remedial and his paperwork was uploaded within 3 days.

 

[willp2022]

When you fax the vision results to DoDMERB, follow up right away to make sure it’s in their hands. It’s very important that it doesn’t sit for weeks w/o it being reviewed. It’s a slow process. The sooner you can get the appt with a very well qualified eye professional (preferably an ophthalmologist), the better. Let them know that it’s urgent that you are seen, if you encounter difficulty getting an appt within the next few business days. It’s always good to follow up and check your status regularly. It can take several weeks to resolve. I know first hand how frustrating this is. Don’t give up! Good luck.

I actually had a follow-up appointment today and they found that I am correctable to 20/20. I just emailed the DoDMERB technician. Thank you for your help!

 

[willp2022]

You can also email your DODMERB technician and ask to email rather than fax documents. DS was allowed to do this for an administrative remedial and his paperwork was uploaded within 3 days.

I actually had a follow-up appointment today and they found that I am correctable to 20/20. I just emailed the DoDMERB technician. Thank you for your help!

 

[GHTeam]

You can also email your DODMERB technician and ask to email rather than fax documents. DS was allowed to do this for an administrative remedial and his paperwork was uploaded within 3 days.

When you fax the vision results to DoDMERB, follow up right away to make sure it’s in their hands. It’s very important that it doesn’t sit for weeks w/o it being reviewed. It’s a slow process. The sooner you can get the appt with a very well qualified eye professional (preferably an ophthalmologist), the better. Let them know that it’s urgent that you are seen, if you encounter difficulty getting an appt within the next few business days. It’s always good to follow up and check your status regularly. It can take several weeks to resolve. I know first hand how frustrating this is. Don’t give up! Good luck.

I actually had a follow-up appointment today and they found that I am correctable to 20/20. I just emailed the DoDMERB technician. Thank you for your help!

Fantastic!

 

[Ravens]

Just an FYI, even with your follow up appointment finding you as correctable to 20/20, the DODMERB site will not change. They will complete your review and change your status to Pending Waiver. However the DQ for D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye will still be listed. For some reason even though you sent in additional AMI disputing the original findings, they won't change it. They will leave it up to the actual Academy to review and make a determination. The Academy will see the additional AMI that you send in and make their own determination.

 

[willp2022]

Just an FYI, even with your follow up appointment finding you as correctable to 20/20, the DODMERB site will not change. They will complete your review and change your status to Pending Waiver. However the DQ for D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye will still be listed. For some reason even though you sent in additional AMI disputing the original findings, they won't change it. They will leave it up to the actual Academy to review and make a determination. The Academy will see the additional AMI that you send in and make their own determination.

Thank you, I was not aware that DoDMERB doesn't change their status even if reputes previous status. Should I do anything else on my side after I send it in to DoDMERB? Should I contact the academy?

 

[GHTeam]

Just an FYI, even with your follow up appointment finding you as correctable to 20/20, the DODMERB site will not change. They will complete your review and change your status to Pending Waiver. However the DQ for D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye will still be listed. For some reason even though you sent in additional AMI disputing the original findings, they won't change it. They will leave it up to the actual Academy to review and make a determination. The Academy will see the additional AMI that you send in and make their own determination.

Thank you, I was not aware that DoDMERB doesn't change their status even if reputes previous status. Should I do anything else on my side after I send it in to DoDMERB? Should I contact the academy?

In my DS’s case, DoDMERB did change his status, and it was for a very similar disqualifying situation. He called and followed up regularly with his tech. If his tech wasn’t available, he would find someone else to assist him. It was resolved at the DoDMERB level. He also kept his Admissions Counselor in the loop. I would suggest having a conversation with your DoDMERB tech and take good notes. You will also find a flowchart located on the left side of the DoDMERB website that might be helpful. Hang in there and persist.