<p>What is this CVW I have seen in some of your posts? What does it stand for?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Candidate Visit Weekend.
Invitations for them were sent out, in my case several months ago. They have visits once every month for prospective candidates who are triple qualified or would-be triple qualified.</p>
<p>Candidate Weekend Visits.</p>
<p>-edit-</p>
<p>Is it true that these invitations are only sent to qualified candidates?</p>
<p>Candidate Visitation Weekend when the candidates are matched with plebes (or, in our son's case, a youngster) and they spend Friday in classes and then Saturday shadowing the mid. They get a cot in the mids room. I really don't know the details, since I wasn't there, but I am sure there are many here who can fill you in. :) If you want to go and you are a candidate talk to your BGO about it.</p>
<p>Don't know, but our son had his appointment before his visitation.</p>
<p>HA! That's funny! 1 Acronym, 3 different answers! And they wonder why the different branches can't communicate~We're all talking about Navy and we still have differing versions! :) At least they all mean basically the same thing! Phew!</p>
<p>Yes CVW invites are only sent to qualified candidates.</p>
<p>Well, that is very good news.</p>
<p>My logic would allow me to think that it is for qualified candidates, but when I called USNA last time, the lady explained to me that the selection process is completely random, which didn't make any sense to me. Anyway, my letter states that it is a "Candidate Weekend Visit," so the acronym CWV is right.</p>
<p>according to the usna catalog, it says that it is by invitation only and for "highly competetive candidates" that are comeptetive for an appointment. if anyone wants more info tours and cvws... pg 30 of the usna catalog. hope that helped.</p>
<p>This question was asked while our son was attending a CVW- the explaination was that it was for "highly competetive candidates" (those triple q'd or highly likely to be), and from those numbers, selected at random. They hold about 6 visits a year- 3 in the fall, 3 in the early spring- and invite approx 100 or each- hardly enough to accomodate everyone. It is true that the CVW is by invite only.</p>
<p>For those of you just starting the process, there are other ways to "visit" the academy (other than the information session-tour-day visit). Consider applying to summer seminar (apply starting Feb 1 on-line during your JUNIOR year), and also consider attending one of the summer sports camps that are offered at USNA- they run anywhere from 3 to 5 days and you live/eat/sleep in Bancroft, get to see the plebes go through some of their summer paces, and get to see a bit more than what is offered "on the tour." If you are at all interested in playing a sport at USNA, attending a summer sports camp also allows the coaches an opportunity to see you play. Lastly, if you are being recruited, most coaches have a "recruit" day for their top prospects- not an overnight stay, but an informative day never the less; contact the coach regarding this possibility.</p>
<p>As far as being recruited by a varsity coach at USNA, my daughter's Official Recruit Visit this fall consisted of arriving at the Yard early Friday morning, meeting with coaches, attending classes with a member of the team, shadowing the mid all day and evening, (classes, meals, marching, team practice), going out in town for dinner, staying with the mid in her room both nights, team practice on Saturday, football game Saturday evening, and departing for home early Sunday morning. There were many recruits there from other sports those 2 days, so our experience has been that an official recruiting visit consists of more than one day.</p>
<p>I, too, strongly urge any high school student to attend a USNA Summer Sports Camp (that's what started this whole thing for our daughter), and to apply for Summer Seminar. Of course, if you can do it, attend a Navy football game! They are some of the most impressive events ever witnessed!</p>
<p>You are correct in that official visits may be arranged through the coaches- by NCAA rules, cannot exceed 48 hours- shadowing to practice is great, but participation is prohibited. Most coaches have, however, a "top prospect" day that is one day, and does not count against your NCAA 5 official visit limit- which still allows for participation in a CVW- best to contact the coach and see what can be arranged as it may differ between sports and where you are on their interest list.</p>
<p>if one were to have a principal nomination, would he or she be put in the pool of those offered the weekend visit?</p>
<p>Actually, nominations have little to do with CWV invitations. They are arranged by your Regional Director based on your scholastic qualifications. However, your BGO can request one for you or you can call your regional director to request an invitation. Normally you would have to be in the top 1000 or so in qualifications to receive an invitation, and probably only ~half of those have actually been sent already</p>
<p>Dad2b: You seem to know so much about allof this! Do you think that attending the CVW gives you any more points toward getting an appointment? I know others have posted that it is a totally not required activity, but I have read that the mids in charge at NASS do rate the kids, so I wondered if your host at the CVW would rate his guest--like ask some questions and feel him out as to motivation, etc. then fill out a questionnaire afterwards.</p>
<p>We are kind of going crazy wondering about the appointment although he is busy with school,friends, girlfriend, and has other things to occupy his time. Which is what I need to do!</p>
<p>Although my son has a great back-up plan, and I would be able to see him more often than I would if he went to USNA, it would be exciting for him, as this is what he really wants.</p>
<p>I keep reading those numbers in the profile of last year's class, and I know that my son, being triple q'd with a nomination is in that batch of around 1800, ~1500 of which will get offers, so could be one of the 300 or so weeded out. The numbers get even more tight when you figure that so many are women, some from NAPS, some from active duty service, some with Presidential and LOA's, about 15 recruited athletes, some minority, and on and on and on, the category he fits into gets smaller and smaller!
Plus, we keep wondering how many slots our MOC do indeed have. Not knowing what your competition is, makes one wonder.</p>
<p>Another question: There is a set number of spots open for each state, I guess, based on what slots the MOC have. I am wondering if they wait until all the nominations are in for that state before deciding on the offers of appointment? Or do they fill that MOC's slots as each one turns in the noms?
So many questions, forgive me!</p>
<p>Navymom2b -
I just try to help out with what I have learned (mostly via online searches) in the eleven months since my son (out of nowhere) asked me if USNA was a good engineering school. The rest is history. Anyway, I'll answer anything you ask as best I can....</p>
<p>I have read that visits to the academy can add points to your file. Whether there is a formal slot for those points or they are just part of the subjective 'sludge' points the board can add to your WPM (whole person multiple) score, I can't verify. Also, anything that helps demonstrate your (son's) motivation can add 'points'.</p>
<p>During CWV, both the 'drag' and the hosting midshipmen are supposed to fill out questionnaires on the visit. Im sure the midshipmen evaluation is considered. The candidate questionnaire is an opportunity to speak back to your regional director concerning the visit and could also influence the board in the end. I would just go for it seek out an invite and attend, especially if you think your son may be marginal toward attaining one of those ~500 coveted male appointments right out of high school. Think about it .that is probably more competitive than most of the top colleges and doesnt even include all the medical and physical requirements!</p>
<p>Nomination restraints definitely play into his chances. After all, when it really comes down to it Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and Rhode Island combined for example, send ~20 kids to USNA each year. So that is really what the competition is VERY Tight competition indeed. A presidential nomination can help out, along with multiple nominations from MOCs, but in the end, your son must stand out enough to get one of your states coveted slate positions. Dont be shy to test any political connections also. Everyone likes to believe they got in without help but what is most important is your sons desire to attend and his attaining an appointment. So dont let anything stop the quest if the desire is strong.</p>
<p>I can only guess on the slate stuff. For instance, I believe that your congressman is usually your best shot. But if your district is more smart and military prone than your state on average maybe a Senator or presidential can really make the difference. It is all in the numbers, and they vary from year to year Im sure. 70-75% of the MOCs let the academy decide who gets the slot appointments. So really, it is how you stand in your USNA file compared to your district/state/presidential nomination pool that makes the difference between getting and not getting that appointment.</p>
<p>I know my sons appointment was filled before our states slate was complete. His congressman called to congratulate him, so I assume that it was his congressmans slot that is being filled but I cant confirm this (he also has a presidential nom). The standard procedure (so Ive read) is to give the MOC 3 days or so advance notice of the appointment. But I dont know if they would do that regardless of whether my son is using that particular MOCs slot (or just want to give the district MOC the chance to congratulate regardless I mean, its not like the President is going to call!). Also the congressman wanted to know if my son was going to accept (imagine they want to know NOW!...the nerve) ;) Of course they want to know so they can get one of the other noms in if your not going to accept .make sense of course.</p>
<p>Aww, I never got any call about my Appointment! </p>
<p>Dad2B, has your son made any decisions yet about where he's going? I know he's gotten into USNA and MIT....was he looking anywhere else? If we both turn down USNA, we might both end up in the same NROTC unit at MIT! Lol.</p>
<p>Hi Shawna -
I was wondering on the call stuff. Maybe that is how you can tell that your are filling a presidential slot? Don't worry, you'll have plenty of chances to have that appointment ring true if you accept. How about having some Navy Captain or Marine Colonel present your appointment at your high school graduation! Or, if your to shy for that...at your graduation party. ;)</p>
<p>Yeah, it could be real funny..."Harvard AND MIT admits shrugg cambridge schools for USNA" LOL! </p>
<p>No, my son has not begun his 'formal' decision process. He's got offers to visit several people at MIT - both former students in research now and professors, NROTC folks, etc. Not sure if he will take the time soon however. He may ask for another CWV, but likely only if USNA is losing ground in his thinking. He does not like taking time off from high school (CWV was the first day he had ever missed in HS).</p>
<p>He's got a LOT of people telling him 'of course your going to attend MIT...right?' and he is pretty sick of that. I don't think he has had one person tell him USNA over MIT. (pretty sad, actually...especially those anti-military types (teachers included!).</p>
<p>My teachers and people at school are the same EXACT way! They're all saying "Of course you're going to Harvard, right?" Especially because it's just expected that you go at my school; we got 14 in early to Harvard and usually get 20-30 in total per year, and hardly anyone turns it down. The ones who DO want me to go to USNA are my sisters, although in that case I think they just want me to set them up with some Navy guys...lol. I mean, the people who tell me Harvard make very valid points, but I don't like that they just "expect" me to automatically go there. The school's going to throw a fit if the class president turns down Harvard. But of course, that isn't affecting my final decision, it's just the environment I find myself in. Ahhh, well. Just have to spend more time at MIT NROTC, and if I'm still stuck, see if I can do a track team visit to USNA.</p>
<p>Good luck with your son's decisions; keep me updated on what he decides! Gotta keep track of fellow Massachusettians...(if that's a word!)</p>