<p>I posted on the DoDMERB board that I dislocated my patella at lacrosse practice. Thanks to RetHM for being part of those boards. I was scheduled for the February CVW and could not make it. Over a two week period I have left two voice messages for the RO and sent two e-mails. I was hoping that I could be rescheduled for the March CVW. When I left a voice message for the February CVW the RO replied promptly. Since I have yet to hear back from him in two weeks I am concerned that I am being blown off. My parents told me that I was just being paranoid and that it is a busy time of year for them. I want to believe them. I am sitting here with my leg propped up, post op knee scope. My girlfriend just left and I have all these scenarios going through my head. Thanks for letting me vent to the only people, with the exception of my parents, that understand what I am going through.</p>
<p>Your parents seem to be wise folks. Pay close attention to them. ;)</p>
<p>And don't fret about your girlfriend. She'll probably come back. Especially if you're USNA material. And she's smart. :cool:</p>
<p>Keep email and calling your RO and if you don't hear back directly from the RO soon, call the Admissions Office. My friend's son had terrible time getting return calls or emails from his RO and had to resort to calling the AD Office a couple of times. Don't assume they're 'just busy'. You have to be persistent.
Dealing with the USNA Admissions Office can be frustrating, but don't let them off the hook!! The RO's are JO's usually coming off an operational tour and sometimes they don't realize the importance of their job. Not all are that way, but some are and it's been a problem in the past.</p>
<p>Yep, we had to nag the life out of them, too. Don't worry about it. Many people who are now at the academy have told similar stories on this board.</p>
<p>We had sent emails and left voice mails to my sons reg dir. later to find out that he was transferred out of the admin office. Call the admissions office and talk to who ever answers the phone and explain your situation. They should be able to take care of it for you. We had nomination interview conflicts the week my son was to attend CVW.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. Whistle Pig I should clarify that my girlfriend had just left to go home and that I should stay away from the computer after taking pain meds. I am not really as insecure as my post sounds. USNA is my dream and I was feeling down after surgery. I am sure that the RO and admissions are very busy. I will keep sending e-mails and leaving voice messages.</p>
<p>
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Dealing with the USNA Admissions Office can be frustrating, but don't let them off the hook!! The RO's are JO's usually coming off an operational tour and sometimes they don't realize the importance of their job. Not all are that way, but some are and it's been a problem in the past.
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<p>This is an unfair and invalid attack. Throughout my Naval career I have never worked with a more professional group of people. Please be advised that the person making this accusation is also the same person who claims that her father and uncle chopped to class while the remainder of the Brigade was marching.</p>
<p>
[Quote]
Don't assume they're 'just busy'. You have to be persistent.
Dealing with the USNA Admissions Office can be frustrating, but don't let them off the hook!! The RO's are JO's usually coming off an operational tour and sometimes they don't realize the importance of their job.
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<p>There are four Regions and theoretically four directors. In case some of you don't realize it, there is a war going on. It affects everyone. There is a current program called Individual Augmentation. All shore duty commands in the Navy are being tasked to provide personnel to fill temporary billets in the Middle East and Afghanastan. It is affecting everyone. Most shore duty commands are being stripped to the bare bones. I think I saw on this forum where LT Jone's blog was linked. He is a part of this program. He is spending a year in the heart of Africa when he should be on shore duty working in Admissions. His billet is not being filled. Another person in the office is handling his responsibilities. There are many others. The CGO is understaffed. Many times, the Regional Directors are gapped. One Director handling half the country. Therefore this person is massaging 2000 + potentially qualified candidates. Also, the NASS applications are piling in. Probably 4000 or so in total. So we have a RD handling around 4000 files. Assume a 50 hour week which is probably an insult. 80 files per hour per week. Now let's throw in a few parents that are insisting that their candidate call the CGO weekly just to imply their dedication. And a few others to whom a voice message is not sufficient and insist on bothering someone, no matter if they are involved in that particular file, or not. We should all send them boxes of chocolate for Valentines Day instead of running off on invalid assumptions.</p>
<p>Right now I can personally speak for half the country. She knows the importance of her job and to say anything otherwise, I construe as an insult.</p>
<p>I think 69er has some very good points. The USNA handles an amazing mountain of information and detail, lending lots of opportunity for ball-dropping and toe-stubbing. And it's all done with a staff of officers, virtually none of whom are admissions professionals. For most, this is a stop enroute from one assignment to another. And especially in this time, the office may be chronically understaffed. We don't know.</p>
<p>We may tend to forget that there is another fundamental, important difference between USNA and virtually every other of the 5,000 higher education institutions ... Admissions is in fact essentially an "admissions" operation while others are predominantly a "recruiting" function, even the more selective U's. Most are selling, and USNA is buying, calling for different MOs. And perhaps to a lesser degree, even among the SAs, especially in these times, USNA is at the farthest end of the spectrum. </p>
<p>Still, there is no valid excuse for chronically failing to respond to a candidate's valid inquiry, even if that response is "sorry, we are unable to respond at this time," especially when those are precisely the ways candidates are invited and urged to communicate with USNA with any kind of question they may have. Relative to the universe of admission offices, administrivia does not seem to be the strong suit of USNA. If we're looking for an example, note the USNA admissions website has not been updated yet, nearly a year after the fact with the new majors that have already enlisted students. Different issue, same issue. </p>
<p>The bottom line though seems to be that little of this impacts the admission process aside from nurturing angst among, and indeed, frustration among our wannabes and their wannabe parents. </p>
<p>So yes, some slack is merited. Still, the example of "no response" would seem to be inexcusable at the end of the day. Everyone's busy. The admissions management ship could be tightened up, imo. If this behavior is desirable and intentional, then that should be indicated and explained. </p>
<p>But simply suggesting "they've got alot to do" as allowance for failing to communicate does not make it on the Yard or here.</p>
<p>Each Regional Director has a small staff which includes two civilians. My son has had five different regional directors since June. Some have been better than others in responding to e-mails. When candidates don't get a response from the regional director's they should try to contact the civilian staff; they are the professionals and the continuity.</p>
<p>The civilian staff on each team follows:</p>
<p>Region 1:</p>
<p>Examiner: Linda Rogers - 410.293.1809</p>
<p>Admin. Asst.: Whitney Duter - 410.293.1805</p>
<p>Region 2:</p>
<p>Examiner: Lori Kemp - 410.293.1807</p>
<p>Admin. Asst.: Sheri Bouslog - 410.293.1811</p>
<p>Region 3:</p>
<p>Examiner: Lynn MacDonald - 410.293.1808</p>
<p>Admin. Asst.: Joyce Brown - 410.293.1836</p>
<p>Region 4:</p>
<p>Examiner: Sylvia Garner - 410.293.1810</p>
<p>Admin. Asst.: Arlene Rustmann - 410.293.1840</p>
<p>GA, I think our USNA could use YOU on the admission staff! You're amazing. Good info.</p>
<p>First off, I don't think there is a question of not getting back to someone, the question is the timeliness of the response. You mention the end of the day. Maybe their schedule and definition of timely responsiveness and yours is not the same. </p>
<p>My response above was not to address your perceived ideas of how the office operates or whether management should tighten up, but the total irresponsibility of the assumption that the RDs did not understand the importance of their job. This truly irritates me.</p>
<p>And along the lines of irritation, when a knowledgable person presents facts, and a parent on the periphery responds with a "We don't know" it kinda wants to make one say "forget it" and allow these people to wallow in their own ignorance. But who will ensure that the candidates who come here looking for admissions advice instead of the pricing of houses in CA, will get valid and helpful information?</p>
<p>If anyone on this site has an issue with the staffing and responsiveness of Academy personnel, I would suggest instead that you write to your Congressman, Senator or the President and ask them to provide enough funding for the USNA to perform their mission with an adequate number of people in positions that are obviously understaffed. Unlike the civilian institutions you cite the USNA doesn’t have the ability to decide on their own to dip into a multi million or even billion dollar endowment to throw more personnel into the admissions office whenever they choose.
Every time I read a thread in which an applicant is encouraged to call admissions or their AO weekly or in some cases even daily, I cringe. As parents and applicants this is one of the most important decisions many of us will face, now and in the future. It’s a very important decision that required all the participants to jump through countless hoops and challenges to get to this point. This process and the anticipated outcome, is very important to every applicant and supportive parent. I’m sure every member in Academy admissions understands this and is likely frustrated by their work load and the subsequent impact it has on their ability to communicate with all of you. We have to temper our enthusiasm and expectations with an understanding that each one of us is one of thousands of applicants and parents that all feel the same way; we all want answers and we want them now from people that are charged with getting us through the system. I have no problem holding people accountable for their actions when they have enough control over the situation to effect change in a meaningful way and fail to do so. I don’t think that would be a fair characterization of this situation or the USNA admissions personnel.</p>
<p>Wow! Our RO is great; she gets back to the boy w/in 24 hours or if she can't, she has someone get back to him. </p>
<p>That disheartens me to hear that people didn't have as good as experience with their RO.</p>
<p>Thanks rjrzoom57. Your eloquent and factual post says it all. i am bowing out.</p>
<p>Walk in their shoes.... Me thinks I shall wait about a week before sending another e-mail or make another phone call. Thanks for enlightening me on this subject. When it comes to the USNA I find any wait a difficult wait. But wait I shall.</p>
<p>There are 4 regions? Divide 50 states amongst those and that's a heck of a load! I'd be swinging from the chandeliers! I can manage two kids, a husband, and dog, plus at my job, I have one person to deal with at a time (surgery- the person on the table). </p>
<p>I can't imagine the workload or stress.</p>
<p>The Regions are divided as follows:</p>
<p>Region 1:</p>
<p>CT, DE, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WV</p>
<p>Region 2:</p>
<p>FL, GA, MD, NC, PR, SC, VA, DC, VIRGIN ISLANDS</p>
<p>Region 3:</p>
<p>AL, AR, IL, IN, IA, KS, KT, LA, MI, MS, MO, TN, TX, WI, CITIZENS ABROAD</p>
<p>Region 4:</p>
<p>AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MN, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY, AMER. SOMOA, GUAM, MARSHALL ISLANDS</p>
<p>Each region has approximately the same number of applicants.</p>
<p>Yes, but let's say there are approx. 10,000 applicants per year. Divide that up four ways, that's still A LOT of people to have to manage. </p>
<p>I'd run and hide in a corner, cover my eyes, and ask someone to tell me when it was over (you should see me at scary movies). :p</p>
<p>Thank God there are actually people who WANT to do this. There are jewels in their crown in heaven, that's for sure!</p>
<p>69 .. "at the end of the day" is meant rhetorically. Not literally. Sorry I failed to clarify.</p>
<p>But go back to the original post. 2 weeks is too long and sorely unreasonable when a timely response is needed. And rj, I don't agree that this has anything to do with endowments, Congressional allocations, or taxpayer $, either. Sound like a democrat. (;) jk,jk) If you're alleging they are unable to perform, then the admissions mission needs to be addressed. Or at least the invitation to call or email with any question. This has to do with responding in a responsible, reasonable way. Not about mission or $$, imo. And responding to the manner in which the USNA has directed all candidates to communicate with them. </p>
<p>I concur with 69 that the attack on the office and officers is unfair. The issue is not to attack them (we don't know why they've not responded) but to suggest that it is not at all unreasonable to expect a response within 2 weeks to 4 messages from a candidate in need of a timely response. That is neither unreasonable nor unfair.</p>
<p>Again, if they are unable to respond for whatever reason, then respond and say so. There is no excuse for doing less, imo.</p>