My 21 year old DS is in his second year at USCGA, and is doing extremely well and loving it. He had his sights set on an SA or a strong NROTC school since his sophomore year in HS. I am very happy for him. He is where he is meant to be.
My 18 year old DS, a HS senior, has outstanding credentials (even better than his older brother), and has all of his applications in and is poised to make some decisions. As I survey his schedule and reflect on who he is, I am having second thoughts on his preparation for going to an SA. He has been to the summer sessions, and gets plenty of feedback from his brother, so he is not traveling blindly. The issue I have is his HS career has been at warp speed, and while he has the accomplishments and the grades, I cannot help to wonder if he should take a true gap year to catch his breath via a local 4-year school and do some of the things he says he has an interest in (being a chef, working on muscle cars, fishing, taking a leadership at the homeless shelter he worked at in HS--all while taking 12 college hours and getting his ACT score in the 34-36 range, which he is capable of). I have started this dialogue with him, and while he was a little shocked at first, he actually thanked me at the end of our conversation and I could see him exhale.
I share this because with the holiday season perhaps we should, as parents, take a step back from our own competitiveness and projections and have an honest conversation with our aspiring officers. Let's face it, if they go to an SA the next 9 years are going to be owned by someone other than them. When I look at my 18 year old senior, I see so much potential. He is very self driven and competitive, and I have faith that if he took a gap year he would make it noteworthy for all schools to notice when he reapplies next year. Of course, I would be there to gently guide him when need be.
I wanted to share this as a parent who has been through the SA process. One thing I can say is that when your kid sets his sights on getting into an SA early enough and is serious about it the credentials they build are mind blowing, and in my case both of my boys built good credentials (my older son got the NROTC and offers from Michigan, UVA, UNC, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Cornell, and Notre Dame but chose the USCGA). So, even if they back off their short term focus for a year, they have learned so much along the way and have not only knowledge but some wisdom they can pull from as they consider what it is they truly want.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
My 18 year old DS, a HS senior, has outstanding credentials (even better than his older brother), and has all of his applications in and is poised to make some decisions. As I survey his schedule and reflect on who he is, I am having second thoughts on his preparation for going to an SA. He has been to the summer sessions, and gets plenty of feedback from his brother, so he is not traveling blindly. The issue I have is his HS career has been at warp speed, and while he has the accomplishments and the grades, I cannot help to wonder if he should take a true gap year to catch his breath via a local 4-year school and do some of the things he says he has an interest in (being a chef, working on muscle cars, fishing, taking a leadership at the homeless shelter he worked at in HS--all while taking 12 college hours and getting his ACT score in the 34-36 range, which he is capable of). I have started this dialogue with him, and while he was a little shocked at first, he actually thanked me at the end of our conversation and I could see him exhale.
I share this because with the holiday season perhaps we should, as parents, take a step back from our own competitiveness and projections and have an honest conversation with our aspiring officers. Let's face it, if they go to an SA the next 9 years are going to be owned by someone other than them. When I look at my 18 year old senior, I see so much potential. He is very self driven and competitive, and I have faith that if he took a gap year he would make it noteworthy for all schools to notice when he reapplies next year. Of course, I would be there to gently guide him when need be.
I wanted to share this as a parent who has been through the SA process. One thing I can say is that when your kid sets his sights on getting into an SA early enough and is serious about it the credentials they build are mind blowing, and in my case both of my boys built good credentials (my older son got the NROTC and offers from Michigan, UVA, UNC, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Cornell, and Notre Dame but chose the USCGA). So, even if they back off their short term focus for a year, they have learned so much along the way and have not only knowledge but some wisdom they can pull from as they consider what it is they truly want.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.