<p>Greetings!
Congratualtions on your Daughter or Son getting accepted to attend the USMMA!
Here are just a few notes I made during my exciting time gettin my son to KP:</p>
<p>1.Make Reservations for Indoc and Parents weekend now. </p>
<p>2.Son loved the Inn At Great Neck. He was able to hang out with other candidates the night before. Actually a great hotel, but it will be packed. We ate out at the local restaurants and loved it. There is a Bagle Shop close by that was great.</p>
<li><p>LEAVE EARLY on InDoc. All that stuff about NOT being first…We almost didn’t make it due to the traffic.</p></li>
<li><p>Take pictures of your candidate at the gate, Get everyone in on the picture, someone will help.</p></li>
<li><p>LET YOUR CANDIDATE WALK THROUGH THE GATE AND TELL THEM TO NOT LOOK BACK! AND DON"T YOU MOM’s and DAD’s follow. My son said it made it easier. Walk around the campus a little while and then go by the gym to see what’s happening. There are a lot of tears there and it doesn’t help your candidate.</p></li>
<li><p>Plan to stay all day trying to get a look see of what everyone goes through. It really is fun. Mids in uniform are all around and willing to talk…ask them anyting!</p></li>
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<p>7.Bring your camera, but the best will come from the roaming KP photographers.</p>
<p>If i had it to do over again I would have had a prearranged signal so that I would have known which company he had been assigned to. It would have made it possible to at least find the right company so you could stand behind them as they lined up for the march into Delano Hall. All they would have to do is discreetly display 1,2,3,or 4 fingers as they come out of the gym. In years past they would line up on “the grinder” facing Delano and the companies were numbered from right to left 1, 2 Band 3 and 4. Things may be somewhat different this time because of the construction, but, if you know which company he is in someone will know which one is which. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a glimpse during that all important moment when they turn around and give a final wave goodbye. Also, knowing which company they are in will make it a LOT easier as you search the web site like a deranged stalker for photos of your candidate. Don’t ask me how I know that :)</p>
<p>it’s been a couple of years, but one thing that Son said helped- we went up a four days early and spent a lot of time in the city. It will be a while for a plebe to get out and see “normal” life again, so it was a good experience for him to see everything.
also, letters from home really help. I sent him one each day of Indoc. (designed a newsletter - kept it light and encouraging. with color picts). there is a delay in getting mail, so send the first one the day before indoc, from great neck.</p>
<p>APE…we did the same. Went up a few days early and made a family vacation out of it. Let our son pick a Broadway play. </p>
<p>When the Candidates come out on the grinder (which is suppose to be back to normal by Indoc), they will hold up their fingers which indicates which company they are in. The problem is that you have to be over there watching to see what number they hold up.</p>
<p>Also, bring a pair of binoculars so you can get a better look at the various points your child will be going outside :)</p>
<p>one thought for the parents- don’t be shocked when you see your son/daughter on the grinder. they may have a scared look on their face and they will have less hair than when you last saw them a few hours prior.
the signal is a good idea. have them take off their hat and wave it (when they all are asked to turn and wave to the parents) at that point, they all look essentially the same.</p>
<p>oh, and get used to checking this forum for the first few months on a daily basis. lots of helpful advice!</p>
<p>Are you going off of new information or are you using the same policy as every year? Every other year the campus has not been closed for I Day, it has only been restricted. Guests in years past have been able to go to certain areas and attend certain events on I Day including the noon muster. </p>
<p>If things have changed then by all means correct me; however, I wouldn’t pass on some bad gouge otherwise. After that day the campus is then closed to the public for the rest of Indoc.</p>
<p>According to the 2013 Logging In book, there will be the same coffee reception at the museum with tours of the waterfront/chapel area. The Superintendent’s briefing will be at 11. Parents get one last chance to try to pick out their candidate at lunch muster and the campus is closed to visitors at one p.m.</p>
<p>We were lucky last year. One of the mids helping out went and found out our daughter’s company for us. We waited and watched her come out of the far end of O’Hara. That is a good time for your candidate to signal the number of their company. We wandered around a little and actually watched her arrive on the grinder with her sea bag of issued uniforms, get yelled at, and be directed to her barracks. That was the last we saw of her. She was at the far end of the company and too short for us to find her at lunch muster. Still, the tour was great. The two 1/C gave great information, patiently answered questions and generally reassured parents.</p>
<p>I-Day will be the same. Campus will close in the afternoon directly after Lunch Muster (which will be outside somewhere) if the grinder is not finished by then.</p>
<p>If you are not from the immediate area, I heartily agree with coming a day or 2 early and touring around NYC & seeing the sights as well as Long Island. Not required, but I was surprised that my ds hadn’t seen Rockefeller Center or gone to a show - only Times Square & various pubs - until we went together during year 2 parents weekend. Year 1 -he was starving and tired. But he looked great!</p>
<p>The best(worst part) was the pictures on the web site. Even though they looked scared, you somehow knew they were being taken care of. Which gave me a sigh of relieve. I lived for those pictures everyday. Don’t send anything that will make them stand out. Unfortunately my son and I found out the hard way.</p>
<p>So what was it that made your son stand out? I remember last year one young lady showed up in a nice dress and heels…she soon had on white socks with her heels. Not sure that was such a good idea. I also remember a guy with some color (blue or green) in his hair. Not sure that made much difference after the barbershop…</p>
<p>I know one mom, and you know who you are, who sent a card to their son full of glitter and confetti…when he opened it the stuff went all over the place and all over the floor. Needless to say he was busy cleaning for a long time trying to get up little tiny pieces of glitter. :D</p>