<p>What rank was he/she and how helpful were they in your decision to pursue the Naval Academy?</p>
<p>I felt that mine was the difference maker and a source of encouragement.</p>
<p>Mine is a LtCol but he hasn't even responded to any emails. My own initiative, commitment, and dedication to the Academy is what makes that decision for me. It's truly a great school.</p>
<p>Mine was a USMC Warrant Officer. I remember him being helpful, but not overly so. He was a very friendly guy, though. Came to my HS graduation (in uniform) to present me with my NAPS appointment.</p>
<p>Wow...that's actually quite meaningful. Sounds like something you'd see on TV with a Naval Officer presenting an appointment in person. Sounds like the crappy movie Annapolis! :o (What a horrible movie)</p>
<p>My BGO never served in the Navy, but he has a son that attended the Naval Academy. He has been extremely supportive in helping me decide between the Naval Academy and West Point.</p>
<p>TMac!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>Why would you even THINK about going to West Point? GET OUT OF THIS FORUM NOW!</p>
<p>Just kidding...yea blue and golds really seem to be a lot of help. I'm still trying to get my hands on one.</p>
<p>My BGO was amazing. My first interview was about 30 minutes of us conversing and me answering questions....the other 2.5 hours was him telling my parents and I sea stories.</p>
<p>He's been extremely helpful in letting me know what's up. I've called him probably every other week for the past two years to give him quick updates on what's up, and ask him any questions I have. He even entertained the idea of flying out to Seattle (from Houston) to present me my appointment in front of the Husky Battalion.</p>
<p>My BGO is a retired LCDR Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. He was very knowledgeble in USNA experience and guided me through the process, although he couldn't help me with some of the admission questions. Also he is literally my nextdoor (street) neighbor.</p>
<p>Your BGO should be able to answer basically everything about USNA, especially admissions. That's their primary focus. The process itself is found on the website so that's the easy part. It's convenient that he could provide support for you from right down the street. :)</p>
<p>Well I completely understand why he couldn't help me with some of the stuff. I'm sure all of his previous candidates weren't naturalized citizens so it probably was his first time trying to help me out (Australian citizen) with the admissions process that has citizenship as its prerequisite. I was medically DQed last year and stopped the process altogether because I didn't rebut. This year, getting nominations was the hardest thing because I wasn't a citizen. Not to brag but although I had 780 Math SAT, 1400+ composite, 2 competitive sports, top 5% GPA and 25 something extracurriculars with leadership positions in most of them, I was subsequently turned down by most congressional sources all because of citizenship issue. Only one Senator didn't turn me down and he gave me nominations to USMMA, USNA and eventually I was even offered a USAFA slot. Throughout the process, I kept in touch with my BGO the most and although he couldn't directly intervene, he encouraged me throughout and told me to never give up if becoming a military officer was truly what I had wanted. I kept close contact with him for 2 years now, so when I told him that I had a conditional USNA appt.(made full once I get naturalized) and that I will be getting a citizenship on early June, he was very very happy for me and we were both very excited. He's an all-around great guy and having him as my BGO and knowing that he attended USNA and had a successful life just made me even more eager to attend the school. This turned into a really long story but it's just a testament of having a great BGO and how much it makes a difference in the application process.</p>
<p>That's awesome! Congratulations! Glad to have you in the States!</p>