Nomination as Competitive alternate

<p>remember, it doesn’t come in a “blue folder”. the folder is inside of a manila envelope. and mine came USPS priority.</p>

<p>Your MOC is told of your appointment about a week before it’s sent out so that he/she has the opportunity to call you to congratulate you. Some MOCs do, some don’t. Regardless, the appointment certificate is sent out. About a week after you receive it, your BGO is notified. We tell candidates we are the last to know, and we are.</p>

<p>Well, it’s over for my daughter - the thin white letter arrived yesterday. We’re still finding it hard to believe with all her qualifications (see #8) and two retired admiral recommendations. We’re beginning to wonder if the academy passed her over because she was given a 4-year NROTC scholarship to be used at either Tufts or Harvard. Too bad both schools rejected her and it can’t be used (see #16). Unreal…</p>

<p>Scholarships are not a factor, many candidates have both. The reality is the nom game, as you stated the other candidates for your MOC accepted the appt, than you go into the pool, if your WCS is too low for the pool, than there is no appt. It seems like she had great ECS, but what about her CFA, was it mediocre or low? Even 1 pt on the WCS will be the make or break for an appt. and the CFA is a part of the WCS. This is why I stress to everybody the CFA is something you have complete control over.</p>

<p>I am a strong believer in fate, if she is meant to be in the Navy and wants it bad enough she will be commissioned. Keep up the chin and know that it isn’t ever over until she decides it is!</p>

<p>So sorry user0001. It’s tough. After I got over the shock (received my letter Monday), I’ve decided that I want it badly enough to go through the whole application process again. I’m going to take the recommended courses, make As and Bs and hope for the best! What bulletandpima said is true.</p>

<p>Blacklab- glad to hear you will give it another shot. I know I sound like a broken record on this point, but 1/3 of each admission class comes in with a year or more of post-HS schooling under their belt.</p>

<p>Make sure to take Calc, Chem, English Lit and add in a good history course. Stay fit and get involved - leadership is still important. Get those grades. When you go back to your MOC for that nomination, make sure they know this is your second run at this- it speaks volumes as to desire and motivation! </p>

<p>All letters/appointments have gone out as of today. Best of luck to everyone, no matter where you land!</p>

<p>Thanks Navy2010. I have not contacted anyone yet about my rejection or my interest in re-applying. Should I call my BGO first? My Regional Director? Is it too soon? Is my first priority filling out the prelim app to get another candidate number? Thinking I should get letters of rec from my current high school teacher vice college profs. Wondering if I write all new essays for MOCs? I assume I complete everything except DODMERB since I believe it’s good for 2 years? Whew! Getting a little stressed just thinking about doing it all againl, on top of graduation, AP tests, starting college, etc! Excited, but nervous!</p>

<p>I am so glad you asked!</p>

<p>14 tips for you for the Class of 2014:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Yes, contact your BGO. Tell him/her you are going to reapply for 2014. </p></li>
<li><p>It is not necessary to contact your Regional Director, at least not right now, unless you have had ongoing contact this past admission cycle. </p></li>
<li><p>Fill out the preliminary application again; you will need a new candidate number for 2014.</p></li>
<li><p>You can get letters of recommendation from your current teachers, however it would be better to get them from your fall college profs. Remember, you will be evaluated this time around from your performance at College x-y-z, so you need to post great grades and make those teacher contacts.</p></li>
<li><p>Letters to MOCs: you may want to tweek your letters/essays a bit. My advice would be to let them know that you are applying for a second time, and be able to speak to what you are doing and how you are doing in your college. As I assume that will not happen until the Fall, you have a bit of time for this part.</p></li>
<li><p>Having said that, what you DO want to do is contact your MOC office and speak to the service academy nomination rep ASAP to let them know you will be reapplying to USNA next year, and ask if your application from this nomination cycle can be carried over to next year- some MOCs will carry them over, while others will not. I would not wait to do this as some MOCs purge quickly.</p></li>
<li><p>DoDMERB is good for 2 years. What will happen is that they will contact you once you have been given a new candidate number for 2014, to update your health and physical status.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t be nervous. You have done all of this already, so you already know the ropes! The best thing you can do for yourself is to set up a face-to-face meeting with your BGO(if that is at all possible) and take an honest look at your application from this past cycle to identify any weaknesses in your profile. Work diligently on correcting those.</p></li>
<li><p>Make sure to take the “right” classes at college- chemistry, calculus, english lit and a good world or US history course are the way to go. (that’s about 14 credits or so, so you might want to add in one more course of your choosing- a good writing course might help you out no matter what you do in life!) Do whatever it takes to do well in your classes.</p></li>
<li><p>Foster that relationship with the math and english prof- you are going to be asking them for a recommendation, so make a good first impression from day-1 and keep building on it. Make sure they know your goal and keep them in the loop.</p></li>
<li><p>stay physically fit, and don’t overlook finding someway to display your leadership. College and your class load will be a challenge- so don’t overload yourself with ECAs- but find one thing- either an ECA or a sport- that you can sink your teeth into and try and demonstrate some leadership there. You can also consider doing something over the summer.</p></li>
<li><p>STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. Lots of new-found freedom on US campuses- parties, girls, drinking, etc… lots of ways to get yourself distracted and off-course. Hang a picture of those plebes taking that Oath in T-Court on I-Day and put that right over your desk. Keep focused on your goal- every day.</p></li>
<li><p>Enjoy your college year. If you decide to stay put, allow yourself that and never, ever think it “second best”… it is just another road chosen! Put your college sticker on the car. Get involved. Enjoy the experience. </p></li>
<li><p>Last: take a deep breath and enjoy the rest of senior year. Take a few weeks off from “Navy” and catch your breath and get those APs and graduation behind you! Enjoy time with your friends before you all scatter here and there! And while it may seem like a long way off, 2014 is already knocking on Navy’s door, and the year will- and does- fly by in a heartbeat!</p></li>
</ol>

<p>and #15: for good luck-
USNA loves fighters. How bad do you want this? How determined are you to make it happen? How hard are you going to work to improve in every aspect of your whole person score? Your CFA? Your leadership? HOW MOTIVATED ARE YOU??? Make sure USNA - your BGO- your college Profs- your MOC - make sure they ALL see that AND, more importantly, they can all speak to that! </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

<p>Wow! Thank you so much Navy2010! I’m pumped just reading all that. I’m also less stressed because I feel like you broke the HUGE elephant in front or me into bite-sized pieces that I can accomplish and now know how to prioritize! That’s a huge motivator right there! I’m excited and less nervous! Can’t thank you enough!</p>

<p>Oh, one more thing I keep thinking about but forget to ask here is, “How is it that someone could get an appointment on I day?” Am I at all in a position to be that person? I know you don’t know the answer relevant to me specifically but if all rejections and appointments are sent out, who is it that gets an appointment that late? Must be someone who got rejected, right?</p>

<p>some years USNA compiles a small wait list- how many end up in that class ranges from 0 to who knows- but a small number it is. A few years back- will venture it was for the class of 2009, there were some last minute add-ons that actually got added on after I day, about the first week into plebe summer. It sent up a huge wave of excitement that appointments were still being offered.</p>

<p>It has not happened since, insofar that once I-Day comes, that’s it. </p>

<p>As for last minute appointments prior to I-Day:
all appointees must have their acceptance card in my May 1. That is true at most colleges nation-wide. USNA will know at that point just how many will show up to I-Day, take a few that decide at the last minute not to come. The admissions office will also have a better idea how “full” the class is, and if the targeted number has been reached. They already know they will lose a few over plebe summer, although that number has been dwindling each year. </p>

<p>Bottom line: I guess anything could happen- I could wake up and find out I hit mega millions- but it is not very likely, and I will save my dollar for another day. I suggest you do the same thing. Celebrate your college- where are you going? Get the sticker and put it on the car. Get the sweatshirt and get involved. Be happy. Enjoy it. Even if you do get into USNA for 2014, there will be times you will look back at your year of “Freedom” and trust that it will bring a smile to your face! So enjoy it. </p>

<p>Do keep in mind, that if the goal is to be an officer in the US Navy or Marines Corps, (which should be the goal), there are other ways at arriving at the same place. USNA is one, for sure, but there are other ways to get to your goal outside of Annapolis. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

<p>OK, thanks…so what I’m hearing is that everyone who applied has received a rejection or appointment and there is no wait list. So it is someone who received a rejection, who might get a last-minute appointment. I’m not counting on it, just wanted to clarify. It’s something I was always a bit confused about and meant to ask someone about.</p>

<p>One more question that I inadvertently omitted from the 4/16/09 post. I read somewhere (don’t remember if it was on this forum or in a book), that I should take the SATs again. Do you concur? I could definitely improve. Whether I will or not, is another issue, but wondering what your thoughts were on this. The highest I got on SATs was 600 on both Math and CR, totaling 1200. The highest I got on ACTs was a composite of 27, 29 English, 30 Reading, and 26 Math.</p>

<p>There are some candidates who have received a “wait list” letter. I have no idea how many, but reports on this forum and another indicate that some were issued. IF there is a need to add more appointments to fill the class (USNA receives more “no thanks” to its offer of appointment than it expects; for example if a candidate is appointed to multiple service academies), then appointments will be made from the wait list. </p>

<p>The “wait list” offers will probably be made after May 1 (the universal acceptance deadline), if at all. In my son’s class, they admitted 9 plebes two weeks into plebe summer, but that was an anomoly. </p>

<p>If you received the thin white envelope, go to plan “B” for September, and decide if you want to travel the road to military service via USNA or an alternate route. Only you can decide.
Best wishes to all.
CM</p>