WCS and Disciplinary Issues

[SAProspect]

Does anyone know if a disciplinary issue would result in points deducted from a candidate's WCS? I had to go before a character review commitee for a suspension from freshman year and wonder if that would result in the deduction of points from my WCS?

 

[usna2025]

i'm in the same boat as you. i looked at it as a positive thing because they were interested enough to request additional information. the way i see it, if they weren't seriously considering you they wouldn't bother asking for more information. to answer your question, i think it depends on the nature of the incident.

 

[justdoit19]

Admissions is reliably vague in how all their magic happens. If you are deemed to be the one they want, you will be the one they appoint. I’ve never heard of a point for cause deduction to a WCS for XXX discipline issue. I believe it would be a more whole person look at you overall. VS 3 points deducted for an ‘in school suspension for smoking’ kind of thing. As I understand your question.

My youngest was appointed late, from the waitlist. I assumed he was ‘next in line’ from his point total. In a training I attended, admissions spoke specifically to this point, saying that even from the waitlist, they don’t necessarily go by score. There are still other things they must consider, that go into to those last few appointments.

Clear as mud?? The takeaway, imo, is that going before a review board is a more in-depth look at a competitive candidate they want more info about. The outcome of that review board will have an impact. Your answers, contrition, circumstances surrounding the event, etc will be looked at in whole towards your application. That’s how I believe it works...perhaps you go into the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ pile so to speak. You have probably already been scored at that point, and have survived thus far!!

It’s not over until it’s over. And you cannot change the past. Hang in there and try to not obsess over the questions rolling around in your brain.

 

[THParent]

I agree. I think that the tipping point would be the outcome of that review board. You wouldn't have been asked to attend the review had they not been pretty close to pulling the trigger on giving you an offer. Otherwise, your application would have gone in the bin with the rest of the "better-luck-next-times".

If you do end up getting an offer, you may want to think of this as the last "pass" that you're going to get.

 

[A6E Dad]

It absolutely could result in points being deducted.
The character review board happens BEFORE your record is reviewed by the Admissions board. If there is something in your record the raises question, it will be reviewed and a recommendation will be made by the Character board. After that, the Admissions board will review the full record and will determine 'qualified' or 'not qualified'. It's not a final check before a decision is made.

The admissions board, in addition to determining qualified/not qualified, can also adjust the WPM. They can add or subtract points for subjective things that the quantitative measurements don't capture. Those are called RABs (recommendation of the board). It could be plus or minus, and could be enough to put someone at the top of the slate, or move them to the bottom, but usually isn't a major change. The admissions board does not make a decision about who does and does not receive an offer. The board only determines 'qualified' and defines the final WPM value. The offer decision happens later during the slate review, or when choosing the final spots from the national list of fully qualified candidates. That is why a candidate could be found 'fully qualified' in October, but not have a decision until April.

After all the slate winners are determined, there are still a few hundred spots that are offered at the end of the cycle. By law, the first 150 go to the ones at the top of the list, ranked by WPM. After that, USNA picks and chooses who it wants to fill out the class based on whatever factors they want.

btw - USNA uses a WPM (whole person multiple), not WCS, just a different term for basically the same thing