Waiting for the bus...

amcollier

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2019
Messages
50
Does anyone else have a constant feeling like they are waiting for something, hoping that a BFE or notice to check the portal will come in? Back in the day, we used to call it "waiting for the bus". It is the constant nagging feeling in the back of your head, eating up bandwidth and generally making things feel less than awesome.

My DS has been focused on getting into an academy since we took a cub scout trip to USAFA when he was in the 5th grade. He's got a solid resume, he's applied to everything except MMA (the majors just don't do it for him since he wants to get into space), DODMERB is done, and he even got nominated for all four academies from a very generous MOC. Now though, the waiting game is killing me. He's rocking out his senior year, and he's trying to "be present" with his friends, knowing if an academy acceptance doesn't appear, he'll end up going to one of the dozen solid civilian colleges that have accepted him (he got offered a type II through AFROTC and he meets with NROTC this week).

I know the pressure must be getting to him and he's doing his best to hold up. I know pretty much all of you are in the same line, waiting for the same bus so I wanted to whine about it for a minute. I don't want to complain near him because I don't want him to lose hope. I am hopeful - wildly optimistic even - but dang, man! The wait is tough!
 
Does anyone else have a constant feeling like they are waiting for something, hoping that a BFE or notice to check the portal will come in? Back in the day, we used to call it "waiting for the bus". It is the constant nagging feeling in the back of your head, eating up bandwidth and generally making things feel less than awesome.

My DS has been focused on getting into an academy since we took a cub scout trip to USAFA when he was in the 5th grade. He's got a solid resume, he's applied to everything except MMA (the majors just don't do it for him since he wants to get into space), DODMERB is done, and he even got nominated for all four academies from a very generous MOC. Now though, the waiting game is killing me. He's rocking out his senior year, and he's trying to "be present" with his friends, knowing if an academy acceptance doesn't appear, he'll end up going to one of the dozen solid civilian colleges that have accepted him (he got offered a type II through AFROTC and he meets with NROTC this week).

I know the pressure must be getting to him and he's doing his best to hold up. I know pretty much all of you are in the same line, waiting for the same bus so I wanted to whine about it for a minute. I don't want to complain near him because I don't want him to lose hope. I am hopeful - wildly optimistic even - but dang, man! The wait is tough!


Your DS might want to read up on this guy before he writes off applying to USMMA because he thinks there isn't a path into space after graduation.

 
Your feelings are normal. Much of this process is also a mind game. At the very LEAST it’s been something a person has worked daily (for the most part) on for 18 months. Or had the SA ‘tab’ mind open for that long...on your mind.

The part I’ll remember from 3 years ago, is the actual PUSH of the accept button. After all that attention to detail. Applying. Writing. Follow up. Wondering. Pondering. Checking. Rechecking. Rechecking the recheck. Answering questions. Emails. Follow up. On and on and on....after ALL THAT, it comes down to pushing ENTER. Maybe in jammies. On a weekend. No pomp and circumstance. A very boring, blah “ENTER”.

Seems like the skies should part, fireworks should go off..horns and confetti. But it’s a blah, uneventful “ENTER” button push. That ‘ya do a gazillion times a day.

I hope you get to see what I mean!! Good luck!!
 
Seems like the skies should part, fireworks should go off..horns and confetti. But it’s a blah, uneventful “ENTER” button push. That ‘ya do a gazillion times a day.

Yeah I'm hoping he'll be excited if/when an acceptance comes though. He's gotten accepted to some great civvie schools (Embry-Riddle and Purdue among them) but he's not really excited about them since he's so focused on the academies. He's trying to keep it cool, which I understand!
 
Great analogy. Been waiting for the bus since summer. Unfortunately, DD now expecting bus to run her over since more than half of appointments have been offered including our state. :eek2:🚎 She's thinking of becoming a youtube sensation selling makeup and other cosmetic products. :help:
 
Great analogy. Been waiting for the bus since summer. Unfortunately, DD now expecting bus to run her over since more than half of appointments have been offered including our state. :eek2:🚎 She's thinking of becoming a youtube sensation selling makeup and other cosmetic products. :help:

youtube has been good for this girl. College, who needs it?
 
Exactly!!!! That's what she's thinking. Should have sent her to cosmetology school instead of wasting time with STEM subjects!
We went through the same with my son who "was a lock" for USNA football until Coach Johnson and Coach Kelly his recruiting coach dropped him like a hot rivet. It was abrupt, rude, and painful. Oh he could have continued the pursuit of attending but had his mind and heart set on football. There was much anguish and gnashing of teeth and bitterness, wondering why and how this could happen to a kid with his resume.

He matriculated to and through five schools before graduating. He spoke of enlisting and I was ready to drive him to the airport at one point. His mom, my wife, said no. If you want to join do it as an officer, she said. But you are going to graduate college. He did graduate and did join. I still sometimes wonder why. It's all good though. Now anyway. It all turned out just fine.
 
That's hysterical! So I'm wondering how the whole thing actually does down. We're looking only at USMA, as I know other SAs have been more active with appointments by now. In Admissions, do they one day just upload mass appointments for the first big wave and then the candidates wake up to the purple button? Last yr USMA Admissions posted a pic of BFEs ready for mailing but I'm assuming that happened after the purple button and/or possible call from MOC? Seems like one day the Appointment thread is just going to have a ton of entries in it and that is how we will know that the first wave has started. Seems odd just waiting for the nebulous end of January...
 
Don't knock it. I went to beauty school out of high school. I also went to Harvard Business School. I'm now retired from business, but I still do hair. ;)

Carry on.
Oh I absolutely agree! I want her to open a Sephora-like store, bring in the big bucks, and then make sure I have an exceptional retirement plan (after I paid for private school for what seems like a hundred years). :bang:
 
Does anyone else have a constant feeling like they are waiting for something, hoping that a BFE or notice to check the portal will come in? Back in the day, we used to call it "waiting for the bus". It is the constant nagging feeling in the back of your head, eating up bandwidth and generally making things feel less than awesome.

My DS has been focused on getting into an academy since we took a cub scout trip to USAFA when he was in the 5th grade. He's got a solid resume, he's applied to everything except MMA (the majors just don't do it for him since he wants to get into space), DODMERB is done, and he even got nominated for all four academies from a very generous MOC. Now though, the waiting game is killing me. He's rocking out his senior year, and he's trying to "be present" with his friends, knowing if an academy acceptance doesn't appear, he'll end up going to one of the dozen solid civilian colleges that have accepted him (he got offered a type II through AFROTC and he meets with NROTC this week).

I know the pressure must be getting to him and he's doing his best to hold up. I know pretty much all of you are in the same line, waiting for the same bus so I wanted to whine about it for a minute. I don't want to complain near him because I don't want him to lose hope. I am hopeful - wildly optimistic even - but dang, man! The wait is tough!


We are with you 100%!

Sent DS to UC Berkley this weekend to stay with a high school friend who is now a freshman there. All he could talk about when we picked him up at the airport was how he is (now) willing to reapply to USNA next year if it does not happen this time around. I think it is good to focus on the positive side(s) of any Plan B's out there, so if a rejection does come, the other options are lined up, appealing and ready to go.
 
Appointment threads already have tons of entries! Getting late in the process in my opinion.
USMA doesn't yet. Waiting for the first big wave. I know the other SAs have been active. Just wondering how it happens.

Good luck and hang in there! Everyone really has until May (June even??) until the doors are closed!
 
Maybe...unless a TWE comes first. I think the academies know who they want at this point. Just a matter of shuffling nominations around.
That is probably true, but many will choose another SA or ROTC school and free up that spot to be offered later. :).
 
Back
Top