<p>for parents of midshipman...what does the acceptance letter look like, how does it arrive?</p>
<p>For Class 0f 2010 - certificate of appointment in a blue USNA portfolio - as I recall US Mail but left at front door as too big for mailbox. Letter of acceptance with certificate.</p>
<p>Same for 2011. Big manila envelope with a blue, padded folder embossed with Academy crest, and as I recall was pretty much the same in 1980, when I got mine.</p>
<p>class of 2012-big manilla envelope. Inside-blue folder/document holder with nice picture of USNA on one side and Appointment letter signed by Sup't on other side. The Appointment letter states that you have until May 1st to make your decision. On back is form you have to fill out about any tattoos or body alterations you have. Also included is paperwork: dental-require you to send in panorex (X-ray which shows complete jawline-they prefer that you have your wisdom teeth out before you come.)
police record check-you have to get a background check from your local police dept, "intended to identify and disclose minor traffic and non-traffic violations of the law."
proof of U.S. citizenship-notarized copies of birth certificate or passport etc.
recommended physical training program-GET READY NOW!</p>
<p>For our son in 2004 we received a regular business sized envelope with the letter dated Dec. 12, 2004, stating that he had received an appointment to the class of 2008.</p>
<p>He didn't receive the big envelope with the blue folder until the BGO gave it to him in May. </p>
<p>He hadn't even received any noms from MsOC yet, and got in on one of the 100 Presidentials.</p>
<p>Just our experience.</p>
<p>The Academy representative for our MOC offered to "officially" hand our daughter the blue folder when her school does their senior awards ceremony in May. My daughter will not let that blue folder out of her hot little hands until that day, however! The high schools absolutely love to show off the service academies and NROTC/ROTC acceptances due to the fact that the amount of scholarship money they can advertise their graduates receive roughly doubles. I believe the figure cited is somewhere around $300,000.</p>
<p>^^^^^
The value of the USNA education exceeds $350K. It is the least expensive of the service academies compared to West Point and Air Force.</p>
<p>This year's USAFA appointment letter states a value of $387,000.</p>
<p>This past June, I sat next to the MALO from WP at the Scholarship Presentation Assembly for our HS. Super guy. We were both presenting appointments for our repsective schools. </p>
<p>During his presentation, he said the WP tuiton was valued at something like $420K because of all of the weapons the kids get to fire during their training. Ours was something like $285K at the time. My #2 son, now a USNA Plebe, looked at me afterward and said, "What the heck? I didn't know they got to blow stuff up at WP?" I said, "I told you to apply, d*****s!" :)</p>
<p>you said that to your son?!?! lol.</p>
<p>Yeah, he's a total pyro...plus, they were all over him to apply, sending him two or three letters about how good of a fit they thought he'd be. "Nah, I don't wanna go there..."</p>
<p>
[quote]
WP tuition was valued at something like $420K because of all of the weapons the kids get to fire during their training. Ours was something like $285K at the time.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If I can find the information again I will post it, but as I recall one of the largest components in the calculation of the apparent "cost or value" of a SA education involved the cost of use and maintaining the facilities. USNA has the smallest facility and grounds of the 3 major academies. I grew up next to WP and their grounds go on and on, nice gold course too. </p>
<p>Speaking of WP and pyro's I was into that as a kid as well and got a job at the WP museum during my senior year in high school. Spent a lot of time working on the restoration of weapons for the bicentennial displays; everything from revolutionary war cannons to a civil war volley gun. </p>
<p>If you like things that go bang, you haven't lived till you spend time in the museum arm's vault where they store all the stuff they can't possibly display. I got to handle everything from Lewis Machine guns, that were still as bright and shiny as the day they were made to custom sniper rifles made for the CIA. They had a scale model of the Paris gun that was huge and truly a work of art; brass and silver as I recall. Along with rotating through the displays a lot of the weapons were also used in support of classes that surveyed the armaments of the world. </p>
<p>When I was there cadets could even check out a weapon to study it... though I heard something about the policy changing shortly after some cadets checked out some fully automatic rifles, bought some ammo on their own and went to the range.</p>
<p>My BGO called me yesterday and said I received a LOA and said I should receiving a letter in the mail. But nothing came in the mail today =/. Should I be concerned? Also, when an LOA arrives what does it look like? Does it come in a regular envelope?</p>
<p>^^^^^
LOAs are 2 pages long and arrive in a business envelope.</p>
<p>regular letter with the nothing special. Except for these words. "You are guaranteed and offer of appointment..." Never even says LOA or letter of assurance anywhere on it...I am looking at Son's right now.</p>
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<p>3 "major" academies? :confused:</p>
<p>How do you differentiate between a "major" academy and a "minor" academy?</p>
<p>Why would USCGA and USMMA be considered "minor" academies?</p>
<p>size of student body.</p>
<p>hersheybear already provided the response that I would have offered, but I still wanted to add no offense meant Luigi, the discussion was focused around the costs associated with the USNA, USAFA and WP. My son applied to the CGA as well, it was one of his top 2 choices, major/minor was not a consideration and having said that I don't think the use of the word minor is even applicable or appropriate to differentiate between the size of the academies.</p>
<p>Cadets/Mids at each SA:
USMA: 4,347
USNA:4,479
USAFA: 4,524</p>
<p>USMMA: 927
USCGA: 996</p>
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<p>None taken. I'm sure you weren't trying to slight the USCGA and USMMA. </p>
<p>I was simply curious as to how someone would determine that, out of the five Federal Service Academies, only 3 would be considered "major." </p>
<p>(And if some were "major" then logic dictates that the others would be "minor.")</p>
<p>Using "size of the student body" is understandable, I agree that the USAFA/USNA/USMA student body is HUGE compared to the USCGA and USMMA.</p>
<p>But sometimes, due to their non-offensive / non-combat missions (humanitarian for the USCG and transportation for the MM's), their graduates, their current cadets and midshipmen, their supporters, their parents and families, and others familiar with their missions could take offense at being excluded. ;)</p>
<p>Perhaps 3 "major" academies and 2 "more exclusive" ones? :D</p>