<p>what is the deal with summer seminar / iaw / leaders / whatever they call it?</p>
<p>i applied for all three summer programs my junior year of high school. i got rejected from wp and usafa. i got into the navy one.</p>
<p>fast forward a few years and i get into usafa and wp, but not navy.</p>
<p>i believe that the summer seminars have no bearing on admission to any of the academies. i want to expose the lie that going to those things help you get in. what yall think?</p>
<p>8,</p>
<p>Some reasons the summer programs are valuable include:</p>
<p>1) High school students can get a flavor of life at a service academy. It certainly won't be like a typical plebe summer, but it's a good look in the window.
2) Because of performance at a summer program some high school students will receive an LOA. That will take much of the pressure off the nomination process.
3) Some will discover that this really isn't the college experience that they want. That's a valuable lesson to learn before going through the admissions process and accepting an appointment.</p>
<p>I have always heard that acceptance to the summer programs is even more competitive than receiving an appointment. Although attendance at a summer program is an academy's indication of interest, it is certainly not the end-all be-all. An academy can determine that they are not truly interested in a candidate based on demonstrated behavior or performance. On the other hand, it is a time to "show your stuff" and potentially improve your file.</p>
<p>Finally, there is no lie on the part of the academies that attendance at a summer program give you an edge in the process. On the other hand, they are quick to admit that if a candidate is not selected for a summer program they should continue with the process. The academies are filled with cadets/mids who did not attend a summer program. Therefore there is no lie to expose, but more likely just a rumor.</p>
<p>The Navy summer seminar has more slots available than the west point seminar so, obviously, west point has to be more selective. That, however, does not carry over into actual admissions so it is not uncommon to get into NASS but not west point's IAW and then get into west point and not annapolis.</p>
<p>2) Because of performance at a summer program some high school students will receive an LOA. That will take much of the pressure off the nomination process</p>
<p>no. that'ss a lie! at least, i think that's a lie.</p>
<p>8 - </p>
<p>MOT speaks the truth. For some candidates, their conduct at SLS in combination with their preliminary app will result in an LOA. Before an application's been submitted.</p>
<p>i got an loa in early sept after the SLS, I think it helped, but it was not automatic,</p>
<p>I was in touch with my admissions officer who I had an interview with while i was up there, and there was a while when I did not meet the criteria, while others got their loas in august. the crieria changes frequently, I was told, so I sent my 6th semester transcripts in before requested( big hint...) and I eventually did get one</p>
<p>go to sls no matter what, it is fun, and informative</p>
<p>At an admission briefing I attended the admissions rep that addressed us was proud of the fact that all of the SLS participants that he had from his district had been offered appointments this year. I'm not sure if early LOAs (July) are only given to SLS participants, but attending can only help - assuming you don't mess up while you are there.<br>
Son received his early LOA based on the candidate questionaire, 6 semester transcript, CFA and cadet interview at SLS.</p>
<p>8:</p>
<p>It's been posted several times that attendence at West Point SLS is not mandatory for an LOA. I believe however, that a number of early LOA recipients (by early I mean in July and August before completing thier formal application) have found that attendence at SLS, along with a strong SLS application, did make a distinct difference.</p>
<p>A good question to have answered is: How many early LOA's were received by candidates who did NOT attend SLS?</p>
<p>Looking at the limited poll of 24 accepted candidate responses that MOT started (excluding the civil prepsters): 8 had LOAs but did not attend SLS, 3 attended SLS but did not have LOAs, 8 attended SLS and had LOAs, 5 did not attend SLS and did not have LOAs. </p>
<p>Aspen's question would be an interesting one to have answered. Maybe the 8 candidates who received LOAs but did not attend SLS, and the 8 who attended SLS and received LOAs would share with us when they received their LOAs.</p>
<p>I got an LOA in late October and did SLS. I got my LOA a week after my medical clearance came in, for some reason i think that was the deciding factor.</p>
<p>LOA's are not held until DODMERB results are in (at least early ones weren't). There were candidates who received LOA's in late June/early July who had no DODMERB or formal application in (and were not recruited athletes)--all they had was a 6th semester transcript and attendence at summer seminar. SLS may have a greatr bearing on whether an early LOA is granted rather than a later one.</p>