Our DD needs to decide if she will reapply to a SA, apply for ROTC (tomorrow is class registration), or just give up.
She applied and had nominations for USAFA and USNA. She had a strong application but was slammed with a list of med DQs that was too much to overcome given the time. We thought she'd be able to explain things to the waiver authority. But, after receiving a letter that a waiver was requested, the WA said "no waiver" but with no AMI requested and so no opportunity to explain anything to them. Applicants are told to answer many yes or no type questions (under a threat of being in big trouble if they do not) but those often do not present an accurate picture. When the negative waiver decision came, there was also no explanation to plan a way forward.
She was crushed by all this after watching military and SA videos for a year and planning her future. She scrambled to get more college applications completed and is now enrolled in a state college. Because of Covid, schools had so many more applicants it was fortunate she was even accepted which only added to the stress/frustration. She still wants to be an officer but has a number of questions. It's a ton of work and quite honestly, the med portion, especially toward the end, left us perplexed and frustrated.
1. Is it normal that she would get waiver denied based on no opportunity to explain anything (Some DQ items could have been easily explained away had she had the opportunity.)?
2. If a waiver is needed, is ROTC different/easier?
3. We assumed (based on reading instructions) that MERB or WA would tell us what AMI to pursue so we did not do anything without being told because it seemed like guessing would be stupid. We were shocked to get a denial letter with nothing additional requested and no explanation why, especially considering there were things on the list that should not have been a big issue (ex. discontinue use of an orthodontic retainer a month early).
4. Does timing matter? In other words, if she submitted the same stuff early in the cycle, would she get the same answers as late in a cycle?
5. Is there anyone who can look at her situation and give her candid advice? It would have been great to get an explanation as to what exactly was denied and why (similar to how the VA documents compensation decisions) so a candidate understands what they can and cannot do. Given the amount of effort and commitment to be competitive in the SA process, better feedback seems reasonable and necessary.
Respectfully and thank you.