<p>Make sure your son/daughter is taking ownership of the process…it is their application process…they will need help making contacts, etc. but make sure you checking in with them regularly to be sure it is what they want. Don’t be afraid to ask questions directly to your regional admissions officer and BGO…there is a lot of incorrect info floating around. The handbooks are available online at the USNA bookstore. Read them. Folllow the directions on everything you are asked to do. It was very straightforward.</p>
<p>popeyesmom has hit on the most important thing of all. It’s very easy for a teen to feel unintended pressure to apply to the SAs. I didn’t realize the extent to which my daughter felt that way until after she came home fro NASS two years ago. Before NASS, she was simply curious about USNA, but afterwards, she really took the bull by the horns, so to speak, and she completely took ownership of the process. The only good reason to attend a SA is if the candidate really wants to be an officer in the military.</p>