<p>If you go to West Point, plan on being commissioned an Army officer.</p>
<p>dictatoranna: dbluecap is giving good advice. If you go to USMA, plan to be an Army officer.</p>
<p>For the West Point Class of 2004, only 4 of the approximately 1000 graduating cadets took part in the inter-service transfer program. 2 went to Air Force, 1 to Navy and 1 to Marine Corps.</p>
<p>Alright. I was just wondering about it because I think someone in the past (marines4me?) was trying to decide between USMA and USNA, wanted to be a Marine, but chose USMA because of the training (I think).</p>
<p>Have you considered US Merchant Marine Academy? Upon graduation you can go active duty in any branch of the military.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.usmma.edu%5B/url%5D">www.usmma.edu</a></p>
<p>My son just had his BGO interview last weekend. It was 2 1/2 hrs long (his part) and our part was 30 minutes. He said that he wanted to get the application in before the "board" starts meeting this month. It was very thorough and he didn't ask only the typical "why do you want to attend USNA?" Also, he has been in touch with the NROTC people as well.</p>
<p>Oh, there are no more printed catalogs. They have completed switched to an on-line version for this year.</p>
<p>I had my B&G interview about 2 weeks ago. He showed me the standard video (it was shown at NASS). He asked why I wanted to go and how I first became interested with USNA. His main concern was checking what I had done in terms of completing my application and telling me that it would be good to get it in sooner than later. I found my B&G officer rather boring and the interview was such, I was making all efforts to make it a little better but with little success. I also find that my B&G officer gets really irritated when I call or email with a question and then he won't take the time to find out the correct answer.</p>
<p>You should, perhaps, consider that the BGOs are [1] volunteers and [2] may have other applicants or life issues to deal with. While your application may be THE most important thing to you in your life at the moment, it may not be so for for the BGO. Perhaps, for example, the BGO is equally bored with you or, in fact, actually does consider your questions irritating. That would be unsettling.</p>
<p>The BGO is an important part of the interview process; I don't think they can necessarily get you in--in the case of a marginal application--but, I suspect, they can certainly keep you out. </p>
<p>Just recognize that the adult--and military--world does not always revolve around meeting your needs.</p>
<p>I am aware that the world doesn't revolve around me and I do agree with you.</p>
<p>Darn right! It revolves around me! ;-)</p>
<p>too funny! LOL!!!</p>
<p>Sandiegodude1607:<br>
On a serious note....our son's BGO was a lawyer...talk about intimidation and getting to the heart of the matter...
but our son read somewhere that the relationship was a "golden" one and not to take it for granted...
he didn't...
sure he asked questions, but only those he couldn't find the answer to after researching for himself....he read not only the Candidate Handbook and USNA catalogue, but he researched on-line, read books like "absolutely American" and the "History of the US Navy)....read Brief Points and Reef Points.....he visited the academy and asked lots of quesitons...not only with Admisisons, but with the mids themselves.....when he did have a question for the BGO that he just couldn't find the answer to generally they were those that sometimes the BGO would not even know but his BGO ALWAYS took the time to find out and get back to our son...</p>
<p>over the course of time (almost 2 years)...many conversations, meetings, phone calls, letters....the relationship turned out to be the "golden" one we read about....
his BGO gave such a touching speach at the Senior Awards Assembly that we had tears in our eyes we were that proud...he recalled events from his very first meeting with our son and his "first impression"....
and then came to his graduation celebration....</p>
<p>i think it is up to you to make the connection....if its not as warm and fuzzy as you would like, just keep at it...but with meaningfull stuff (not fluff that just is an annoying waste of time)...do your reasearch....don't allow yourself to be asked a basic quesiton about the academy that you SHOULD know the answer to just by reading the catalogue....they will know if you are interested in it or not fairly easily...it is their job to discriminate between those genuinely interested and those just going through the motions....</p>
<p>they can be your greatest ally (ours was) or they can stop the process dead in its tracks....
in the end its up to you</p>
<p>having said all that, best of luck going forward!</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the advice.</p>
<p>I must say, Sandie, that you take constructive criticism very well! That trait will stand you in good stead at USNA! Keep your ears (well, in this case, your eyes) open and absorb everything you can (as you seem to be) and you will be prepared.</p>
<p>Thank you very much, i definately will</p>
<p>Just another note on BGO relationship. My daughter is still two years out, will be class of 2011, god willing, but she's already established a good relationship with her BGO. In this case the BGO is a local judge who is a retired Navy Captain. We went to an Academy Day presentation and the Captain was actually bragging about my daughter to other members of our Civil Air Patrol unit. We're not taking anything for granted, but I'm sure that's a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>One of the problems is that I did get to know my BGO pretty well during the beginning of my junior year; however, I moved to Texas a few months ago and so I have a new one.</p>
<p>During my son's interview, the BGO said that 3 kids dropped on the 1st day of plebe summer because they "didn't realize that USNA was a military academy". He couldn't believe that they got all the way through the process and still didn't know what it was all about and that someone didn't notice the candidates lack of understanding. My son's BGO went into depth about what the USNA experience is really like and asked a lot of questions trying to determine if my son would fit in there.</p>
<p>On a separate note, he had the physical yesterday. It was about 1 1/2 hours and pretty in depth. He asked at the end of both the physical and the eye exam how he did and they told him their determination. So, it doesn't hurt to ask!</p>
<p>Oh, I almost forgot, the BGO said that it seemed like the plebes this year failed the physical fitness testing at a higher rate than any year previously. I don't know if this is true but he spoke a lot about this as well.</p>
<p>Oregon Mom - I have read some discussions from AFA BCT cadre saying they had more failures in PFT than in recent years as well. I think it underscores the need to keep training - especially after getting that hard earned appointment.</p>