<p>I have already been accepted to USAFA and USMA summer seminars and am still waiting to hear from USNA. My question is, has anyone gone to or heard about someone going to all three seminars. I think if I did it, it would be a great experience and I am still on the edge about which one I want to go to, so I think this could help me make that decision. Or is going to all three looked down upon and I would just be absolutely dead by the end of it. </p>
<p>Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>It's been done. If you want to give it a shot, go for it.</p>
<p>I have an appt. to USAFA but only got accepted to the USNA Summer Seminar last summer. I knew some kids there who went to all three and they said that it was a great experience and would recommend it because you get a look at each academy in depth and it definitely does help with the selection on which one is your first choice. If you can go to all three, then I would suggest it. Good job and good luck! :D</p>
<p>It can be done and it has been done. There were a few people from my element who did both USAFA and USNA, no USMA though. If you're ambitious enough, go for it. In reality from what I heard people say before, for the most part they're the same. USAFA relates a bit more academically, USNA is a bit more physical throughout the week, but I have heard USAFA's Doolie for a Day is a bit more realistic. In any case you'll get a little bit of insight into the life of a service academy. The only thing that stops most people is the cost of all of it. Each program is 350 I believe, plus spending money and transportation, so for some it might be a fiscal strain.</p>
<p>I only went to USAFA so i'm basing most of this off of what I've heard other people say. I would definitely recommend you make it a priority to go to the one(s) you have a higher interest in.</p>
<p>I think this is interesting ancetodal data and bears repeating here. Soaring Son went to the USNA and Coast Guard seminars. He reports that the Coast Guard seminar was much tougher both physically and mentally than the one at USNA. It was not a "fun" experience, but a good and realistic "learning experience." Now that all is said and done (except for recognition!) he reports it really gave him very good insight on how basic would be. So, don't count out the USCGA for an excellent summer experience.</p>
<p>hahaha, to add on to what soaring dad said, i knew people who went to usna's summer seminar, and while they had fun, it was very physically demanding.</p>
<p>ours here, though it was almost 2 years ago now for me, was not so much physical at all (maybe the first half of the last day). they tried to give us a taste for classes, and i remember being absolutely exhausted by the 2nd to last day (now that i reflect upon it, my tiredness level at that point was about what it was all during basic, lol). it was more of a summer camp and a one-on-one q&a with a cadet than anything.</p>
<p>i still keep in touch with 5 of my element mates (out of 9 people total), and 1 is one of my best friends here.</p>
<p>i'd say, do all 3 if you want to-you'll not really have a summer to yourself, but you'll make good friends and get, if nothing more, a taste of each academy.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your input. I live basically between USNA and USMA so I am really only paying travel expenses to USAFA which should not be too bad plus the cost of the seminars. I have a lot of money saved up from working, plus my parents said they could help me out with some of it. </p>
<p>The only thing is that I will be missing the last 3 weeks of school basically. So I have been talking with guidence and stuff, trying to figure out a way to make it all work. I'll still have the rest of my summer left after I get back though. :) </p>
<p>Has anyone else had to deal with missing school and finals and stuff. How did you make it work??</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>I already spoke to my guidance counselor and got assurance from them that if i get accepted and pick a seminar week that occurs during our exam week, then they will work with me to reschedule my exams. i would probably take some early and take some upon return. </p>
<p>i have a different question: if accepted, which notification comes first - email or letter in the regular mail ? </p>
<p>thanks, KB</p>
<p>I got an email from my ALO for summer seminar before I got the pack in the mail.</p>
<p>Same for me. My ALO emailed then came the official packet.</p>
<p>I didn't get an email or a letter in the mail. The only notification I got that I was accepted was the status page.</p>
<p>Ditto to what Falcongirl said. My son never got any email or regular mail notification. Only the status page. Although he did get an email confirmation once we sent them the money that it had arrived.</p>
<p>Incidentally, Drumsrock - he got his confirmation of session 2 at West Point today in the mail. Did you submit yours yet? Have you heard back from them? He's still hoping to do all three, but waiting to hear from Navy.</p>
<p>Random question, but I applied last Friday to 3 of the academies seminars (USNA, USAFA, and USMA). Do you know how long it generally takes to hear back from the academies?</p>
<p>My son applied to USMA's on Dec. 16 and received a letter about a week later dated Dec 17th accepting him for it. He applied to USAFA right when the window opened Dec 2, but didn't hear back until around Jan 20th. However, he was actually out there for a candidate visit on Jan 13th and at that point he was told no acceptance letters/emails had been sent out yet. I think they didn't even start looking at anything until after the holidays. Lately on the boards here I've heard some people say they heard back in about 2 weeks from USAFA. As far as I know, no one on this board or the other one we visit has heard anything back from USNA yet. Some folks from last year said they heard by late Feb; others not until April!</p>
<p>don't go to USNA. its not worth it.</p>
<p>lol. j/k. i would recommend it if you can and want to. figure out which service and academy fit you best, then go from there.</p>
<p>Thanks for the posts. I applied to USAFA's SS, but I doubt I'll go to that one since its over 1,500 miles away. Just wanted to get my name in the mix. USNA and USMA are more realistic for me when it comes to Summer Seminars.</p>
<p>DolCi I live in Philly and am also far away from USAFA. The way I look at it is that this may be the only oppurtunity for me to visit USAFA and see what it is like until later down the road for Canididate Visitation stuff. Take advantage of the opportunity. I know from where I live that I can go visit USNA or USMA any weekend I want to. </p>
<p>Just a different way of thinking about it. Take it or leave it.</p>
<p>Marciemi... I have not mailed my stuff yet because I am still waiting to hear from guidence that has to talk to the principle who has to talk to the distric to see if I can leave for that long of a time. Very stupid if you ask me, it is really starting to annoy me. You would think that they would encourage something like this. And I am not sending any money until I know that I will be able to attend that week.</p>
<p>true statement, drumsrock. i'm in socal (and thus not close to any academies), but ss was a good chance to go and see the campus in person (for me, for the first time).</p>
<p>i suppose if you've already been, that wouldn't be such a big deal.</p>
<p>I'm mildly close to USAFA but i had already been there (plus i didn't get into SS) but I went USNA partly because I had only been there once and it wasn't that good of an expirience aka it didn't thrill me to be on campus like at USAFA. But USNA is WAAAAY far away so it gave me an opportunity to see it up close. The same might also apply for you, just my thoughts.</p>
<p>I was accepted to USAFA and USMA, but I'monly going to USAFA. That's partly because I only have an interest in the Air Force, and partly because I don't think I would get much more benefit by going to two of the sesssions as opposed to one. Not to mention I've already taken a lot of classes they offer, and I'm not sure if I could avoid overlapping classes. But that's just me, if you have an interest in all of the military branches it might be worth it.</p>