Why Apply to Many Branches?

FØB Zero

Enthusiastically American
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
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Out of curiosity, why would some applicants apply to several SAs that do not share similar environments/career options? Is there not one significantly preferred branch he/she/you would aim for (i.e. if, hypothetically, you apply to 2 SAs, but prefer the AF, why not just aim for ROTC/OCS/SA/Enlistment Air Force for the long term?)
 
Again, outside my area of expertise, but I state at All Academy Days...if you are interesting in serving your country, apply to a few Academies, a few ROTC programs, and a few civilian schools. It's better to be a Senior in Mar...you applied to 9 programs...and you have 9 letters of acceptance. Now, you are in the driver's seat to choose the one that you want. If you apply to just one....well, that's self-explanatory.

A few years ago in SC, the young lady wanted to only apply to the USNA. I convinced her to apply to NROTC. She didn't get an offer to USNA and got a full 4 year scholarship to Clemson. :wiggle:
 
Again, outside my area of expertise, but I state at All Academy Days...if you are interesting in serving your country, apply to a few Academies, a few ROTC programs, and a few civilian schools. It's better to be a Senior in Mar...you applied to 9 programs...and you have 9 letters of acceptance. Now, you are in the driver's seat to choose the one that you want. If you apply to just one....well, that's self-explanatory.

A few years ago in SC, the young lady wanted to only apply to the USNA. I convinced her to apply to NROTC. She didn't get an offer to USNA and got a full 4 year scholarship to Clemson. :wiggle:

Thank you! (Love the story:thumb:)
 
our honor and privilege to serve :wiggle:
 
My son has a condition which we knew would require a tough medical waiver. He was interested in serving in the military in any color uniform and has a wide range of interests in different services. He applied to multiple SA's and multiple ROTC national scholarship programs hoping that one of them would work out - thankfully USNA came through with the waiver and the appointment.
 
All well said. However some locations the MOC/Sen will only allow a nomination to one SA. In those case it may be hard to justify applying to more than one. That doesn't affect rotc though.
 
Govfam - Exactly. That's why the smart applicant will have already applied to a number of Academies, long before the nomination season even starts. For those states that do work together, the applicant is already in front of the game. For those states that don't work together, the applicant's opportunities are even greater.

I'm old. I didn't like school. My version of the GI Bill was decades ago. I earned 2 Master's degrees and spent down to the $1, my entire benefit. Not because I suddenly liked school, but because I followed the premise of "I'd rather have it and not use it....then need it and not have it. The concepts are the same :wiggle:
 
All well said. However some locations the MOC/Sen will only allow a nomination to one SA. In those case it may be hard to justify applying to more than one. That doesn't affect rotc though.

This is the situation I am in. My area is very competitive (my siblings and friends over the yrs got 1 nom each when they applied to multiple), so in my case, I thought I should apply to only my top choice where I see myself serving best. But with @MullenLE ’s advice, makes me want to apply to more. What do you both recommend if it’s likely I will get only 1 nom?
 
Same boat here with our state. My DS applied to two despite knowing he can only get one nom. Never know when a rule may change. Doesn’t hurt to apply to more, but apply to number 1 for sure and hit alternate plan A schools, and focus on rotc maybe before putting the time into applying to a second SA if the likelihood of getting nom is Isn’t there. Hope that helps, best of luck to you.
 
There are many reasons, but a big key is the desire to serve. For as different as the branches are, there are some core principles that are still the same.

Many applicants are patriotic minded, achievement oriented problem solvers who seek to lead others in team success for a common goal.

Does that description have a particular slant towards any branch? It may capture some of the student's "why" and the "how" can vary. Most of us cant change our "why", but we can adapt to the "how."

In my case, I wanted to be an attorney - and every branch has them. I ended up a cyber officer --- and shocker -- every branch has them. For a large number of career specialties, there is overlap between branches and the idea of applying to several SA isn't all that surprising when you think of it that way.
 
I applied to the USAFA and USNA. My primary interest is to serve in the military- any branch- and I believe I will be most successful in an Academy. It will prepare me the best to serve with the excellent education and leadership skills/opportunities. I do slightly prefer the USAFA, simply because my main interest is in Cyber Operations and the USAFA has the best program for that. However, if I got accepted to the USNA and not the USAFA, I would choose USNA any day over the AF ROTC.
 
The idea of service usually comes first, and is influenced by exposure to military members in the family or in other ways, through JROTC or Sea Cadets or CAP, through military-themed movies (Top Gun!), through summer SA programs. At this point, it’s a relatively undeveloped germ of an idea. Then it becomes time to actually apply, which means finally buckling down to reading all the material on the SA.edu website, the primary source, and realizing it would also be prudent to research the dozens of actual career paths available out of each SA. There is also the factor of not wanting to close a door on a path while all that information is still swirling around in a brain trying to make sense of it all. Sometimes it takes a SA visit to settle the path one way or another. Applying to multiple SAs, for some, allows them to methodically work through their options and determine their best fit over a months-long process

Even in states that only allow 1 nom to 1 SA for 1 applicant, there is the possibility of the elusive VP nom, or a Superintendent’s discretionary nom. As is often said here, if you don’t apply, there is a 100% chance of not getting in.

It is also perfectly fine to apply to one, and only one, if the passion and focus lie in one direction. For me, having grown up on a coastal barrier island, around small boats and the smell of salt air and seeing large bodies of water every day, I couldn’t imagine serving anywhere else except the Navy (though I wish I had known more about the CG at the time). Land-locked bases in the middle of nowhere? Dirt? No. 😁
 
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Good points, forgot about VP nom (Does that nom for more than 1?). For us it was aerospace and only two SA’s had that.
CG has a cyber program too. No nom needed for CGA appt. worth looking at as well.
 
This is the situation I am in. My area is very competitive (my siblings and friends over the yrs got 1 nom each when they applied to multiple), so in my case, I thought I should apply to only my top choice where I see myself serving best. But with @MullenLE ’s advice, makes me want to apply to more. What do you both recommend if it’s likely I will get only 1 nom?

FOB Zero,

Applying to only your top choice is very risky, and I wouldn't advise it if you have any interest in other SA's. Though we didn't know it at the start of the process, my son is in a competitive district that seems to only issue one nomination. Applying to only his top choice (for many years) USMA would have meant that he didn't get into an SA that year. He had an LOE from them authorizing an overnight visit "for our most competitive candidates" and thought he was in good shape but USMA Admissions advised just a couple of weeks before Congressional interview that he was unlikely to win his slate (in so many words - took a few emails/call to get to this understanding) and that they recommended he list USMA last out of his SA rankings for nomination. Big, big hint. Fortunately, USNA had moved up in my son's esteem anyway about tied with WP after overnight visits to both. He shifted USNA to first choice for his preferences for his nomination at the last minute, got the USNA nom, and thankfully got the waiver and appointment from USNA as well. Additionally, his USAFA candidacy (no nom any way but had hoped for possible VP nom) cratered along the way after congressional nominations were set when they denied his medical waiver.

Many things can go wrong - don't put all your eggs in one basket unless you truly feel it is xx SA or Plan B. civilian college or bust.
 
My son's friend applied to USNA and only USNA. He had several family members that were graduates and it was a family tradition. Navy or bust. The year he applied with my son our congressman had two spots available at USMA. We know at least the top 3 candidates on the USMA slate were medically disqualified.

The friend didn't receive an appointment to USNA and went on to Plan B.
He enrolled in AROTC without a scholarship at his civilian college and loves the Army.

The moral of the story is that he more than likely would have received an appointment to West Point if he had just applied. He was a solid candidate and the stars had lined up for him. The congressman had two slates available and he actually had trouble finding a qualified candidate.
 
Unless you are only considering 1 SA, and won't consider the others, it's worth your while to apply to ALL the ones you'd consider going to. I applied to both the USAFA and USNA, as those were the only two branches I was considering joining. (My grandfather is Navy, my father is a Marine, I couldn't exactly go to West Point, could I?) I'm glad I applied to both, because I was rejected from the USNA but the USAFA offered me a spot in their prep program which I happily accepted. USNA had been my top choice but I'm more than happy (ecstatic, to be honest) with the USAFA!
 
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