Why so few TWEs reported?

[wnsham96]

I see most reporting portal status changes if they've been accepted (or have conditions that need to be met). I haven't seen any reporting a TWE yet (at least, those who have a nom). Is that normal? Do most turndowns get sent out only after 4/15? Or maybe applicants just don't want to share ... just pondering while waiting ...

 

[Capt MJ]

You’ll start seeing short posts:
“Denied. Plan to re-apply. Off to Plan B.”

Or:
“Turned down. Peace out.”

Or:


As the offers peak, so will the reports of turndowns. I think many never return. Too hard to see happy posts, especially if they were sure they got in and didn’t bother with back-up plans.

 

[Gnarlygoat27]

There have been a few sprinkled here and there. Some with great positive attitudes about the future but I think @Capt MJ is right. A lot don’t come back to share - understandable.

 

[Frozen7]

I see most reporting portal status changes if they've been accepted (or have conditions that need to be met). I haven't seen any reporting a TWE yet (at least, those who have a nom). Is that normal? Do most turndowns get sent out only after 4/15? Or maybe applicants just don't want to share ... just pondering while waiting ...

I was wondering the same thing- my DS received the dreaded TWE from USMA at the end of February. (He had a nomination and had received a letter from USMA in early Feb. saying he was fully qualified. Agrahh!)

USNA is his first choice and his portal still says Complete- Pending Review, but I am super confused because he didn't get a nomination for USNA so therefore isn't eligible for an appointment? I would think he would have been told no by now. . .

I agree (as always!) with Capt MJ. It feels horrible to be one of the "not this year's" and can be hard to come back at times and hearing about all the yesses, but knowing how hard everyone has worked it makes me so happy for the ones who make it in. I can just feel their joy and I am in awe of them I also think it's good for the others who don't get the news they had hoped for to hear about similar situations and the options others take after the big no. This is a wonderful community with so much support if you are willing to look and listen.

Best of luck to you wnsham96! I'm rooting for ya!

 

[Mayfielddog]

This waiting is so difficult but such is military life so I am told. Have heard nothing from USNA for months. End of Feb from USMA heard added to National Waiting List. About to pay deposit for other option as time is getting short on those due dates. Although there is no "no" from any academy yet, glad there are other options and plans to reapply next year should a spot not be available this year.

 

[BlueHen2005]

I wouldn’t be surprised there’s a much lower number of 3Q candidates at this point compared to most years at this time due to DoDMERB issues.

 

[justdoit19]

I was wondering the same thing- my DS received the dreaded TWE from USMA at the end of February. (He had a nomination and had received a letter from USMA in early Feb. saying he was fully qualified. Agrahh!)

USNA is his first choice and his portal still says Complete- Pending Review, but I am super confused because he didn't get a nomination for USNA so therefore isn't eligible for an appointment? I would think he would have been told no by now. . .

I agree (as always!) with Capt MJ. It feels horrible to be one of the "not this year's" and can be hard to come back at times and hearing about all the yesses, but knowing how hard everyone has worked it makes me so happy for the ones who make it in. I can just feel their joy and I am in awe of them I also think it's good for the others who don't get the news they had hoped for to hear about similar situations and the options others take after the big no. This is a wonderful community with so much support if you are willing to look and listen.

Best of luck to you wnsham96! I'm rooting for ya!

Did he apply for the VP nom?

 

[justdoit19]

This waiting is so difficult but such is military life so I am told. Have heard nothing from USNA for months. End of Feb from USMA heard added to National Waiting List. About to pay deposit for other option as time is getting short on those due dates. Although there is no "no" from any academy yet, glad there are other options and plans to reapply next year should a spot not be available this year.

Some colleges/universities will refund deposits if you are upfront with them.

USNA and USMA are seperate and independent of each other. USNA states that ‘by April 15th’ most will know. So 4 more weeks. They aren’t behind. There are a LOT of moving pieces….that intersect with other moving pieces. It’s a complicated process. And you are in it, until you aren’t.

If you get in, I promise you won’t care about the deposit that’s lost, if it’s not refundable 😉

Good luck to you!!

 

[wnsham96]

USNA is his first choice and his portal still says Complete- Pending Review, but I am super confused because he didn't get a nomination for USNA so therefore isn't eligible for an appointment? I would think he would have been told no by now. . .

Best of luck to you wnsham96! I'm rooting for ya!

Yes this makes me even more curious. Is USNA just filling in all the pieces, then they'll send out the TWEs to everyone that didn't fit in the puzzle? (This is a rhetorical question obviously ) I'm not complaining about the process ... it is what it is ... just something to talk about while we all wait anxiously for news ... any news ...

And thank you @Frozen7 for the support! My DS has been to CVW in Annapolis, and also visited USAFA (we live about an hour away, so why not?) - and both times everyone was strongly encouraged to keep applying. One student even said that the only reason you won't get in is if you give up so we've always seen this year's whole application process as (probably) one stepping stone to get to USNA. Maybe DS will get an appointment. Maybe he'll get into NAPS. Maybe he'll get a NROTC scholarship and reapply next year. Or the next year.

It's a process, and right now my DS is willing to go the distance. If he gets in this cycle, it just speeds up the timeline.

 

[docrottdc]

Is USNA just filling in all the pieces, then they'll send out the TWEs to everyone that didn't fit in the puzzle?

I have no special insight, but I can share my DS experience. It was around this time last year that he got the notification in his portal with a turndown. He had an approved CFA, 2 nominations, and passed DoDMERB. Looking back, it was shortly after semester 7 grades were received and most likely it was a poor AP course grade that resulted in a rating of not academically qualified. Likely this rating was the reason for the earlier notification.

This year, he has improved his application in a number of ways and so far, no turn down.

so, no news means still alive. Literally good news 😀

 

[IronmanDaremo]

The fact that he is still CPR this late without a nom makes me infer they are interested still. They are putting the puzzle together, and there may be a unicorn nom they can find him if they really want.

I've been through that process with my son in his first cycle. Ended up getting the TWE on the big notification day, which was completely what we were expecting.

 

[usna1985]

Looking back, it was shortly after semester 7 grades were received and most likely it was a poor AP course grade that resulted in a rating of not academically qualified. Likely this rating was the reason for the earlier notification.

First, one grade in one course is extremely unlikely to be “disqualifying” if the academic record is o/w strong. Second, I wouldn’t make the assumption it was the one course that made the difference. USNA asks for 7th semester grades for some candidates as an extra data point. In some cases, they may want to see those grades if they do have “concerns” in a particular area. For example, is the candidate trending upward or downward in math courses. In other cases, 7th semester grades may have no influence — the candidate gets a TWE simply because other candidates were more highly qualified.

Historically, many candidates get TWEs from mid-March through mid-April. And some get appointments.

Also, you CANNOT read anything into how USNA acts vs. the other SAs. Each does things its own way in its own time. Good or bad news from one SA has zero bearing on how or when another SA will act.

 

[Kentucky9]

To all the applicants who have scratched and clawed, laid it all on the line at the expense of so much….to complete the process…they deserve empathy. This and future classes will have Covid and it’s ill effects in common. So the isolated without access, who were even more isolated as a result of Covid but done everything with all they could…rejection is more than the normal letdown.

 

[Frozen7]

Did he apply for the VP nom?

Yep- he applied for the VP nom, to both our senators and MOC. Our MOC is who gave him the nom to USMA.

 

[usna1985]

This time of year is always hard. Most of the folks on this site are super-achieving, hard-working, all-around great young men and women. For many, college admissions represents their first real "rejection" in life as most won't get into every college to which they applied. I didn't. I think my parents were more "upset" than I was.

Ironically, had I been accepted to a particular civilian college, I probably would have attended -- and my life would have been very, very different. I went on to lots of success but also lots of rejection. Some of it my doing and a lot beyond my control. As we older adults know, it's part of the cycle of life -- which isn't always "fair."

We "long-timers" on this site (as well as those of us who serve / have served as BGOs) observe the highs and lows of appointments and TWEs every year -- some of us going on 2 decades. We understand the pain of a TWE. But we also know that the best thing to do -- the only realistic thing to do -- is to be discouraged for a bit then pick oneself up and move on to great success.

 

[justdoit19]

And all adults know that as devastating as this news may be, 5/10 and more yrs down the road, it will be only a memory of how you got to where you are. A tiny blip on your life radar. A story.

 

[Jabor3]

Oh boy. Re 7th semester grades... my son asked admissions back when guidance was sending them all out if they needed them too, and they said no. He did fantastic in physics and calculus etc too and probably would have been thrilled to send them! But they said didn't want them. Sooo it was fun for me wondering what that meant. "No thanks we can already plainly tell you are amazing" vs "No thanks there's nothing can help you now". 😂 Ahhh waiting...

 

[IggyMom23]

Oh boy. Re 7th semester grades... my son asked admissions back when guidance was sending them all out if they needed them too, and they said no. He did fantastic in physics and calculus etc too and probably would have been thrilled to send them! But they said didn't want them. Sooo it was fun for me wondering what that meant. "No thanks we can already plainly tell you are amazing" vs "No thanks there's nothing can help you now". 😂 Ahhh waiting...

I hear you about overthinking…DS is a candidate for USNA and USMA. USMA requires 7th semester transcript and college counselor submitted mid February. Then sometime before the USNA deadline, DS asked his admissions officer how to submit 7th semester grades, and that’s when he was told it is only if requested. DS responded, are you sure, they are pretty awesome (I’m paraphrasing 😜). Response reiterated, thanks, but we’ll let you know if we need them. Cut to 2 days ago when DS and I were talking, and he mentions that his college counselor told him he sent his transcript to USNA when he sent them to USMA, obviously thinking it was required and that he was helping. Cue to me freaking out about USNA not thinking he followed directions, etc and I asked DS if he followed up and explained what happened. He very maturely said that he weighed all options for damage control and thought it was best to let it be and that what was done was done and he didn’t want to make it worse. It was then I realized I should chill out and live my life…but then here I am on the forums again so who knows 🤷‍♀️😆. I’m working on it.

 

[Capt MJ]

I hear you about overthinking…DS is a candidate for USNA and USMA. USMA requires 7th semester transcript and college counselor submitted mid February. Then sometime before the USNA deadline, DS asked his admissions officer how to submit 7th semester grades, and that’s when he was told it is only if requested. DS responded, are you sure, they are pretty awesome (I’m paraphrasing 😜). Response reiterated, thanks, but we’ll let you know if we need them. Cut to 2 days ago when DS and I were talking, and he mentions that his college counselor told him he sent his transcript to USNA when he sent them to USMA, obviously thinking it was required and that he was helping. Cue to me freaking out about USNA not thinking he followed directions, etc and I asked DS if he followed up and explained what happened. He very maturely said that he weighed all options for damage control and thought it was best to let it be and that what was done was done and he didn’t want to make it worse. It was then I realized I should chill out and live my life…but then here I am on the forums again so who knows 🤷‍♀️😆. I’m working on it.

I prescribe the Cocktail or Bacon thread.

 

[Coffee22]

I prescribe the Cocktail or Bacon thread.

Ha! Funny you should mention it. I got lost in the candy bar thread yesterday. Reeces pumpkin butts have my vote all the way for chocolate to PB ratio.