<p>My junior S is interested in the Naval Academy and has been accepted for a Summer Seminar (Session 3).</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend a good primer on the application process? I have glanced at the various threads here and have taken a look at the Academy web page, but there are quite a few things I don't understand.</p>
<p>So...where do we start? Is there a book that explains the process or a thread here on CC that I didn't read closely enough? Any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I’m not really the best person to answer this question, but here is something I just have to say after I saw your name and the fact that you’re from the same state as me.</p>
<p>GO BLUE!! :D</p>
<p>Hi! I think reading these forums, the Naval Academy site and asking questions is the best you can do. I would recommend checking your Senators and Congressman’s websites and see if they will be hosting an Academy Day in your area. That is a great program to attend and there will be representatives from each service academy with admissions information, ROTC information, and also information on obtaining a nomination.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you are aware of the other forum–it is very helpful, too and has a search feature.</p>
<p>[United</a> States of America Service Academy Forums - Powered by vBulletin](<a href=“http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php]United”>United States of America Service Academy Forums)</p>
<p>There is a book that people recommended. I don’t remember the name and my son did not use it, but I think it is available on Amazon.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your son!!</p>
<p>Here you go. A great primer on this process. </p>
<p>The Naval Academy Candidate Book: How to Prepare, How to Get In, How to Survive (Paperback)
by Sue Ross (Author) </p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> The Naval Academy Candidate Book: How to Prepare, How to Get In, How to Survive: Sue Ross: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Academy-Candidate-Book-Prepare/dp/0979794315]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Naval-Academy-Candidate-Book-Prepare/dp/0979794315)</p>
<p>$18.95 and postage on Amazon</p>
<p>Or if you know someone who can get access to the Visitors Center Gift Shop or Midstore, it’s available there. A really great start on unraveling this riddle … 
</p>
<p>Your son needs to find out who the local Blue & Gold Officer (BGO) is in your area and contact him/her now. My understanding is that he will fill your son in on everything he needs to do at this time and in the future.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>Visit both your senators and congressman’s web site. They will have instructions on there for applying for a nomination, when it can be done and when the due date is. Have son get that information so that if they have an early due date (one of ours was September 20th) your son can ask for recommendations before summer break so the teachers can have them completed when they return to school.</p>
<p>Also, some states do an Academy Day, sponsored by the congressional delegation Our State doe this in May - find out if your state has one as there will be reps from the B&G, parents clubs Alumni and Academies there. Good resource to talk to people. Find out if your state or area has an active Parents Club. You can call them, most will be very willing to talk to you from a parents perspective. This information can be found at <a href=“Login - www.usna.com”>US Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation - www.usna.com;
<p>My Mid worked on his USNA application starting right after NASS. He was lucky as he had requested his English, Math and GC recs before the end of school and all three completed them over the summer. His package was completed in early August, with DoDMRB physical scheduled early September. He had his nomination packages done early September. This way all things Academy were completed and he had the fall to work on all the civilian apps.</p>
<p>As profmom notes, and we’ve heard this so often, her Mid took a very crucial step at a very optimal moment. Those recommendations can become real bugaboos to getting this done. Great advice to be offered right now!</p>
<p>One anecdote: The USNA Admissions Office sends the form via email …ONLY. And not infrequently, school filters will prevent the email being allowed, dare I say, “admission” to the school’s network. It can be treated as spam.</p>
<p>The lesson: Stay in careful touch with this as it has potential for derailing the train, at least momentarily.</p>
<p>And the message I harp on? THE single most important and controllable variable for candidates?</p>
<p>Get it done early, ASAP, or sooner. </p>
<p>It’s simple math and the reality that there are only so many spots and they are offered on ROLLING admissions. Which statistically means equally qualified candidates completing all items in August or September have a better chance of a yes than those doing so in January even though both have beat the “deadline.”</p>
<p>There is a temptation to perceive the USNA process like secular “early acceptance” or “early admission” procedures and then regular admission where essentially all apps in that phase are reviewed at the same time.</p>
<p>^^^ Funny story there… When the applicant fills out their activities part of the application USNA asks for a GC verification of the information - via email. </p>
<p>He hit the USNA send button - within minutes his GC had it, as he was online at the time and turned it around if a few minute and Son had confirmation. All in a matter of 15 minutes. </p>
<p>I know people have indicated that certain schools spam filters seem to hold this all up. I guess I am surprised that any educational institution would spam emails coming from a .edu address. Maybe something school IT people should be asked about as it is getting so that much of the admissions processes at most schools are being done electronically.</p>
<p>It’s not always that the filters think they are spam. The teacher’s computers sometimes don’t know what it is so they place an error message before he or she opens it (Generally for NROTC), so older teachers that are more wary of getting viruses will not open the message or send the recommendation back via email, and Whistlepig’s advice is crucial. The Academy’s work on a rolling admissions process so get everything in early. Also, one last thing, talk to any alumni that you can around your area. I was lucky enough to know Paul Galanti through my church, and he let me meet with him a few times to talk about the admissions process and life on the Yard in general.</p>
<p>Hi UMDAD,</p>
<p>You mention looking a little at the USNA web site. In case you haven’t found it yet, there is a nice page that outlines all the steps for admission, and it gives links to pages that offer more details about each step. Here’s the link to the overview:
[USNA</a> Admissions - Steps for Admission](<a href=“http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/steps.htm]USNA”>http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/steps.htm)</p>
<p>As mentioned in an earlier post, The Candidate’s Guide is a very good source for information. It has a lot of info about both the admissions process, and what it’s like to be a Midshipman. Your son needs to know as much as possible about the path he may be choosing.</p>
<p>UMDAD and other prospective candidates,
As others have already mentioned:
-your members of Congress websites (representative and senators)
-The Naval Academy Candidate Book (invaluable resource)
-Naval Academy website-admissions</p>
<p>and I would add the United States Naval Academy catalog. It’s available online, but I would call Admissions and request a hard copy if your son is really serious about applying.</p>
<p>[USNA</a> Catalog Downloadables](<a href=“http://www.usna.edu/Catalog/]USNA”>http://www.usna.edu/Catalog/)</p>
<p>Pre- Step 1…get a giant accordian file folder…keep track of EVERYTHING</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Confirm teacher recommendation request before the end of the school year. Get the teacher’s email addresses. Ask if they will have access to their school email during summer. Get their personal email addresses, so student can confirm with them when they requested the online recommendation…same with counselor</p></li>
<li><p>Request all medical records from doctors. This will get you the information for the DoDMERB (Dept of Defense Medical Review Board) physical. Go through it, organize it, understand it. You will be asked for everything!!</p></li>
<li><p>Online, there is a candidate fitness exam. Download it, practice it.</p></li>
<li><p>Visit the website for each senator(2) and congressman (1). Print off the instructions for applying for a nominaton. There is alo a nomination for the office of VP. <a href=“http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/documents/vpreslett.doc[/url]”>www.usna.edu/Admissions/documents/vpreslett.doc</a> Print it, mail it in.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Find out which congressman needs letters of recommendation, find them, confirm with them and make it easy for them to send in the letters. ie…give them a list of instructions including proper titles of the congressman, etc, stamped envelopes, the works…and a deadline!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Attend summer session. If he likes it, continue with the process.</p></li>
<li><p>Complete online application as soon as possible.</p></li>
<li><p>Schedule DoDMERB as soon as they allow it. You will probably be informed online. Fill out what they need (this is where those doctors records come in play)</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to other colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to ROTC </p></li>
<li><p>Recommendation letters…are they in?</p></li>
<li><p>Nominations…are the applications complete?</p></li>
<li><p>DoDMERB…an outstanding issues?</p></li>
<li><p>Take the Candidate Fitness Exam as soon as you are ready.</p></li>
<li><p>WAIT patiently.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Regarding the medical records. For how far back in personal history must we collect the forms? We’ve moved quite a bit over the years.</p>
<p>My son did DoDMERB and the questons basically ask for specific problems…like asthma, head injury, surgeries, that type of thing…if the accident or illness occured at a young age you still must document it. Go back in time and try to figure out who your child saw…call them now if you can to get the ball rolling. We’ve moved 15 times and were able to track down records. Every doctors office…call to ask for archived medical records…has been very helpful. Smetimes you need to fax them back a form. Would be helpful if you had a fax machine for this. :)</p>
<p>The earlier you start everything, the better. Then you can feel calmer about the whole thing.</p>
<p>Here’s the tabs we used for the file folder:</p>
<p>DoDMERB: Doctors’ Records
DoDMERB: Physical
DoDMERB: Status
CFA (Candidate Fitness Assessment)
Application - Academy
Application - ROTC
Resume and Transcripts
VP Nomination
Senator 1 (Name) Nomination
Senator 2 (Name) Nomination
Congressman (Name) Nomination
Liason Officer
Viewbook
Summer Session
Misc</p>
<p>Has something changed with Medical? We never had to send one item from a Doctors office. He filled out the questionnaire - gave dates for broken bones, surgery and EMR visits. Went took the physical and was cleared. DoDMERB never requested that we send anything to them.</p>
<p>Profmom:
The medical records help one to remember, so that the DoDMERB form can be filled out accurately.</p>
<p>If (When?) a “remedial” is requested, time is not wasted trying to get the records from they physician documenting the information to send to DoDMERB. One will have the whole stack and be able to find exactly what is asked for and copy and send on. If a waiver is necessary, the medical records supporting the request will be available (to copy and send). It saves a lot of time, especially if there are multiple doctors, and/or multiple relocations.</p>
<p>Just be sure to document what is sent, and to whom. Always retain a copy of whatever you send. If lucky enough to get an appointment, bring a copy of medical, especially immunizations, to I-day. “just in case”.</p>
<p>Good Luck to all.
CM</p>
<p>^^^ Just asking as in our case we did not need the records to fill out the forms accurately. With one pediatrician, a healthy kid there was no need in our situation to request medical records up front. Everyones situation is different. I was just asking as it was presented as if everyone has to send in medical records and that is not the case - or at least was not three years ago.</p>
<p>As far as bringing the shot record to IDay LOL he did and got all the shots again!</p>
<p>Yes, having all medical records is really ONLY necessary if you or your son/daughter has had an illness, surgery, or accident that is likely to require a waiver. For instance, if there is a history of childhood asthma, the likely remedial (from personal experience) would be to “Provide all medical and hospital records from birth.”</p>
<p>We went ahead and got the records since we have moved many times, broken bone, and actually a few things we had forgotten about since birth. It made the forms to ill out go very smoothly and I had back up incase requested… Didn’t need any followup, but I was happy to have those in my hand just in case rather than scrambling for them later. The more you do ahead of time the easier the process will be. It seems to go very quickly once summer session is over.</p>
<p>To quote Singaporemom: “1. Confirm teacher recommendation request before the end of the school year. Get the teacher’s email addresses. Ask if they will have access to their school email during summer. Get their personal email addresses, so student can confirm with them when they requested the online recommendation…same with counselor”</p>
<p>Many, many school districts’ email systems have firewalls that will not allow email from USNA. This was a snag for us last summer, early fall. And the teacher recommendations and registrar information must be submitted via email on a form that USNA sends those folks when you provide their email addresses. Try to get their personal email addresses if possible. Explain the hang up in advance.</p>
<p>The senators and representatives applications are often quite extensive. And each is slightly different. Of course, the first hurdle is correctly completing all the application parts and getting it submitted on time. That expanding file is key.</p>
<p>When you ask teachers, scout leaders, etc for a rec letter or to fill out an evaluation form (our senators used evaluation forms), provide those folks with a resume of your activities, awards, etc. Also provide them with some verbage detailing what USNA is looking for: you’ll find this in detail in the book recommended above (get the book!) That way their letters, evaluations of your candidate are targeted at what USNA wants. And they don’t have to remember the details of your accomplishments. </p>
<p>Something I have not seen recommended yet in this thread: Visit USNA. Parent and child. During Academic Year if at all possible. Summer Seminar is fantastic, but kind of a recruiting tool. Attending USNA is a huge decision. Son and I went homecoming weekend of his jr year. We toured, talked to lots of alumni (many classes have reunions that weekend), we walked and walked and walked the yard. Ate at the Drydock Grill. Went to the game. Got tickets off stubhub and sat with the class of '62. Great experience. Walked around the yard some more. </p>
<p>If you cannot get there during ac year, consider meeting your kid after summer seminar concludes and spending a few days. I went to homecoming game, hubby went after summer seminar. </p>
<p>Once our kiddo got farther along in the process, he went on a Candidate Visit Weekend (CVW). I went along and attended the parent sessions and spent more time on the yard.</p>
<p>You might find it helpful to get on this forum and the service academy forums and scroll back to one year ago and see what topics were going on with applicants who are now farther along in the process.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>