<p>WOW!!! I am stressing so much. But anyway i am a jr. in High School So i can actually start application to the academy on the 1st of Feb. right. and then the nomination requirments start to open in march right? thanks. ADVICE?</p>
<p>Take the hardest classes you can and get the best grades you can. Be active in a school club, and participate in a school sport. Do your best to excell in all. Do not stess you have time, but stay positive and do your best.</p>
<p>yes you are correct, candidate kits are mailed out in mid june as well...</p>
<p>haha i just received my appt. friday so I can finally breathe, I know where you are coming from bud...</p>
<p>No worries :-)</p>
<p>jester54</p>
<p>As a mom, my first piece of advice to you is to focus your energy on studying, working out, and enjoying life. You pick the order! </p>
<p>I am watching my son apply to school and he has taught me so much about life and I am amazed by his ability to 'not stress'. Here's what I've learned about how to go about this process in a healthy manner:</p>
<p>Apply to all summer seminars at all academies. If you are accepted, attend them. Have a back up plan to attend something else that is just as enriching and fun.</p>
<p>Seriously search for colleges that have your ROTC program and major that interest you. Have your school counselor help you narrow down the list. My son started with 40 colleges that had the exact ROTC/Major combination. We cut that list to 20. The counselor helped further cut it to 10 based on knowing my son's personality and abilities. Visit as many colleges as you can. Write out your resume with Academic, Extracurricular, Service, Leadership. You will be amazed at the things you forget you did or won.</p>
<p>Make appointments to visit admissions, ROTC, and advisor/dept head in your major. Each time you talk about yourself think of it as practice for academy and nomination interviews. His list of 10 was cut to just one after summer college visits.</p>
<p>This gave my son a civilian college and the academy. Both colleges have different opportunites, lifestyles, positives and negatives. He's been admitted to the civilian college, received ROTC scholarship, school scholarship, etc. He was able to control part of this process himself by getting started very early! I cannot stress that enough. Apply as soon as you are able. You will have the weight of the world off of your shoulders once those aaplications are finished.</p>
<p>At the same time, starting now, collect what you will need for the academy application and the nominations. Request your health records from your doctor, decide who will write your recommendations. And, stay healthy! My son had an injury during varsity sports, so he had to delay his CFA. Force yourself to workout, practice the CFA test. As you master these exercises your confidence will increase.</p>
<p>Every step of the way, my son was of the mind that if it was meant to be, it will come. (I on the other hand am stressing every second of the day). I have decided that his attitude is much healthier than mine! He has accomplished alot in life and he looks at his resume as if it is normal. If I outlined further what he has done in, he would probably be upset. He is humble and quiet about his accomplishments. But, don't get me wrong, he is pleased with his life.</p>
<p>Take control of what you can control....let everything else fall in place.</p>
<p>Advice from a mom!</p>
<p>great advice singaporemom. I think something else that will help a lot is : STOP STRESSING! you are only starting your application. This should not be the stressful part, but the exciting part! Don't rush it; make sure your essay is really well-written, etc... Then, when you have months where you are sitting around senior year worrying about an issue with DoDMERB, or anxiously checking to see if you app. has gone before the board yet- this is the time to sit around and maybe stress a bit because you can't help it. For now, work hard during the rest of junior year and follow the advice from the knowledgable people on this forum. Oh, and stop making so many threads- people may get annoyed- just a little friendly advice.</p>
<p>The best thing to do is focus on what you can control, which is where you go from this point forward. I know it's hard not to stress, but if you put that energy into doing something productive that will benefit your application it will really pay off in the long run. There's still time to pull up your socks! :)</p>