<p>I GOT AN LOA!!!! Now what to do...
I had kind of crossed West Point of my list after SLS because I have a pretty longterm girlfriend thing going and I could score some scholarships to some instate schools but now that I have recieved my LOA, my mind is just freakig out. I just want to run away from my life. Someone help me. I got my candidate statement back and was told to rewrite it because it was sloppy and had misspellings. I didn't tell my parents I was applying and wrote it at 2 AM one night. I was kind of hoping that it would end my West Point situation, but now that I got it back, it's just creating more of a problem. My rents still don't know that I got into West Point or even that I was still considering it. I'm just lost. I think I need a therapist, ha ha.</p>
<p>Dump the girlfriend.</p>
<p>Haha, that was a quick response. I think thats what it will come to when I go to school anyways. Maybe the fact that I am keeping up with my file is a subconsious message that I should go to USMA.</p>
<p>Omg they sent your candidate responses back cause they were sloppy but still gave you an loa??? hmm. Congrats though.</p>
<p>However, if you feel that uncertain about attending then don't. I dont mean to be an a** but there are tons of people who are certain they want to attend and have spent days writing and editing their candidate responses. If you are at the least bit unsure, then don't go. Its at least a 12 year commitment to the army.</p>
<p>yeah, the candidate response is dated one day after the loa and says if you dont turn it back in in two weeks then your sol</p>
<p>michaelburt--</p>
<p>Like a lot of people have been saying, if you don't truly want to go to West Point, then open up the spot for somebody else who really does want to be an Army officer with an academy education. If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to do a candidate overnight visit at USMA. I just returned from an overnighter and that was truly an unbelievable experience. To be honest, I saw the "human" side of West Point. All of the plebes look just like my friends and me; that was really fascinating...for some reason I imagined them to look a lot bigger, taller, stronger, and have an overall more piercing personality, but they are just average people...and the whole academy was not as "hard core" during the academic year as I thought it would be. Overall I got a relatively relaxed impression, and that was really encouraging.
I'll just reiterate myself--plan to make an overnight visit at all costs! Let your parents know; either (1) you'll go to WP and see that it is not for you, or (2) you'll go to WP and fall in love with the place. Then you can make a more informed decision about whether or not to attend USMA. Congratulations, and best of luck whatever you decide to do. Dump the girlfriend... ;-)</p>
<p>She is a bombshell though, and yes, I broke the news to my rents and I am scheduling an overnight this week. My dad about peed himself (he's a veteran of the US Army). My mom wasn't tooooo hot on the idea but she supports me. Thanks for the support guys.</p>
<p>you must have insane to get the loa... and have the cand statements bounced back...</p>
<p>michaelburt,</p>
<p>A new cadet left WP on R-Day this summer because he already missed his girlfriend too much. As you'll read in other threads, only 2% of high school relationships survive the 4 years at WP. This is a very grown-up decision that you're about to make. If you received an LOA, then you are indeed very special and West Point is highly interested in you. It's time to ask yourself some tough questions.</p>
<p>1)How badly do you want to become an army officer?
2)A ew years from now, what will you regret not doing - staying with your girlfriend or attending WP?
3)Can you discuss these goals with your girlfriend? (If not, that tells you something right away.) How will she react?
4)Is there a strong ROTC program nearby that will help you reach your goals?
5)Why have you applied to West Point? (Ask this one again.)
6)If you attend WP and decide to leave, can you face the fact that you didn't think it out thoroughly in advance?</p>
<p>I'm sure others can add additional questions, but this is a start.</p>
<p>I suggest you do your overnight visit with your eyes wide open. You're fortunate that your parents seem to be as supportive as they are with this sudden shock. Now keep them informed. And let us know how you're doing. Good luck and congratulations on receiving the LOA!</p>
<p>Yeah the girlfriend is a nonissue, I guess I just have to do some analyzing of where I want to be in life in 10 years. Thanks for the responses... I am looking forward to the overnight. I guess it's just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunities in front of me.</p>
<p>Michaelhurt:</p>
<p>Congratulations on your LOA.</p>
<p>As the other posters had recommended, take the time to vist USMA, talk with current/former cadets and determine if you are ready to make the commitment required to survive the West Point experience.</p>
<p>Although I wish you well, I don't want you to confuse the honor/prestige/excitment of receiving a West Point appointment with the desire/commitment to serve as an officer in the US Army. The rigors of the USMA experience challenge even the most commited cadets.</p>
<p>While you don't need to have a 100% certainty that being an Army officer is your calling, you should have more that a passing interest in the military.</p>
<p>Hope your girlfriend doesn't find out she's gone from a "pretty longterm girlfriend thing" to a "nonissue" in less than 24 hours.</p>
<p>Good luck on your journey.</p>
<p>Haha, I love my girlfriend but she wants the best for me and she says that I should chose what I want to do. Do I have to want to go straight into the infantry and be a jarhead to attend WP, in your opinion? I'm more interested in global affairs and I would like to be involved on the world platform on global issues, not necessarily infantry. I'm really interested in economics and stuff, but I am also a patriotic summabich. I think a visit will do me well. But at this point, I am really starting to lean toward usma.</p>
<p>There are no "jarheads" at West Point.</p>
<p>I think you have some "research" to attend to. Right now, I don't think you have a clue as to what you'd be getting into at West Point.</p>
<p>Good Luck.</p>
<p>no jarheads indeed. also, infantry officers are some of the brightest people in the army</p>
<p>"I'm more interested in global affairs". Uh. WP is the top in studies relating to global affairs. I feel sure that your Dad can tell you about "jarheads". You're gonna laugh when you find your assumptions are at the wrong Academy. Gotta ask.... How physically fit are you? Get your facts in order and begin physical training yesterday. No matter how tough you are, you're gonna need to be tougher (physically & mentally) at WP. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>michaelburt - Back in March you had WP as your top choice in a college.
Was your girlfriend the only reason you changed your mind after SLS, or were there other factors that influenced you?</p>
<p>Yes this is right. Well I went to National Outdoor Leadership School which opened my mind to some pretty crazy opportunities throughout the world. But my mind has come back around to WP as the most opportunity filled place on the planet. I am doin g a visit, howver, I think my girlfriend has had a big impact on my decision, whether I know it or not. I am very physically fit, I passed the CFA with flying colors and played varsity football and track and softball and other stuff. I just want whats best for me. When I'm on my deathbed, I don't want to be like "well I was too much of a pansy to handle WP so I settled for George Mason". I do know what I'm getting into, even though I may seem like I don't. That's why I reluctant about it. I am thinking WP is best for me though.</p>
<p>michaelburt - An overnight stay is probably a great idea. Have you completed all of the nomination and DoDMERB requirements? It sounds as if you have a few options to consider - Good luck!</p>
<p>I have some hurdles to overcome with DODMERB. I am turning in my nomination info this week.</p>
<p>"no jarheads indeed. also, infantry officers are some of the brightest people in the army"</p>
<p>Interestingly enough more than 50 percent of the top 10% of the class chooses infantry for when they graducate. My sls squad leader told us that.</p>