Summer seminars for service academies now open

[Margaret in CO]

http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/nass.htm

http://admissions.usma.edu/moreInfo/summer.cfm

http://www.uscga.edu/display.aspx?id=14099

http://www.academyadmissions.com/#Page/Summer_Seminar

These are great chances to try out an academy to see if it appeals to you. Acceptance to SS does not guarantee an appointment, nor does not going mean you won't get an appointment, but going, succeeding and getting a good rec helps.

[AuntieM]

Thanks for sharing this! My sophomore will enjoy looking at these in consideration for next summer.

[unsinkable]

Margaret,

Do you know if having hypothyroidism is a disqualifier for the military?

Thanks!

[Mrs Mungo]

Do you know if having hypothyroidism is a disqualifier for the military?


In the army, only if it isn't controlled by medication (AR40-501). Some recruiters believe it's a disqualifier but it isn't. The other services may have different rules.

[Margaret in CO]

That's what I was reading last night, for a relative thinking of enlisting.

However, the academy DoDMERB process looked at it differently, at least it did 5 years ago. My dd was on thyroid medication for THREE months and it took six months and a trip to a pediatric endocrinologist before the paperwork was cleared up. She was told it WAS disqualifying but was allowed an Appointment because she was on such a short time. If they hadn't cleared her, we might had had to go the waiver route, but DoDMERB didn't hold out much hope for that.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

If you are interested in one of these programs, it is worth your student putting it on his/her calendar and applying as soon as the program opens. They tend to have rolling admissions and try for some geographic diversity. So if you are in a high population area where the military is popular, you may find it harder to get in.

Good programs and well worth the time, even if the student decides that a service academy is not the place for them.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

This is a summer program for rising 8-11th graders concentrating on science, technology, engineering and math. Applications run 1 February through 1 April. There is a link to the info on the sidebar of the main USNA page (http://www.usna.edu///homepage.php)

USNA also has summer sports camps (http://www.navysports.com/camps/navy-camps.html). These don't have any impact on admissions, but they can be a fun way to get to visit the academy. One of my friends has her younger kids enrolled in summer sports camps the same time that her older son is hoping to attend summer seminar.

I imagine that the other academies have similar programs.

[Margaret in CO]

Yes, dd did a running camp at AFA last summer.

[Mary in NJ]

Years and years ago, my husband attended one of the summer seminars. Ultimately, he was accepted to attend the Military Academy the next year. It is a great way to earn a bachelor's degree.

[Margaret in CO]

However, Go Navy, Beat Army! :D

[Mary in NJ]

However, Go Navy, Beat Army! :D

Actually, it is GO ARMY, BEAT NAVY!:lol:

[Margaret in CO]

My poor dd got so flustered as a plebe that she actually yelled that. She told me she thought her life had ended. It was a loooong day (and night) before she lived that one down!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My poor dd got so flustered as a plebe that she actually yelled that. She told me she thought her life had ended. It was a loooong day (and night) before she lived that one down!

Well, I'm about 20 years older and I did the same thing at least once. It used to get so boring squaring all those corners that sometimes you'd just start making crazy stuff up.

And then there was the time that my youngster tricked me into yelling the number of his class without the requisite 91-1, sir. And lets definitely try to forget the chalk drawing of USS Nimitz that we spent all weekend on, only to have someone point out that from the angle of our drawing, the 68 painted on the flight deck looked just like 89, the year of our dreaded second class. It was weeks before we lived that one down.

[Margaret in CO]

Ah yes, bulletin boards--the bane of Plebe existence.
This will make you smile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3UoV-f3dMs