Service Academy admissions for a recruited athlete. Anyone btdt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Although the admissions officer for recruited athletes can help a bit, there are not free passes on nominations for every athlete at a SA. Our area is the hardest to get nominations, especially Virginia district 11. And your kid will have to turn down good offers from other places while they wait in that uncertainty. That's the hardest part in my opinion.

Recruited athletes are given nominations from other areas that don't use all of theirs. A kid from VA can use one from places like SD or UT. The nomination for a recruited athlete is actually the easiest part of the application

SOME recruited athletes can get this. Not all. And DOD could end it at any time.

I always wonder about people like you, who love to jump in and post with a nasty negative tone. Are you posting from a dingy dark basement? A mental institution?

Nope, I am posting on good faith not wanting anyone to have unrealistic expectations. Recruited athletes need to put in the work of seeking a nomination and need to take it seriously. It is a stressful time for cadet candidates.

^^ Oh to add, if you really have the academy experience you want to claim you do by posting on this thread, you’d know how much interaction and guidance there is from ALO, coaches etc. IME, if they want a kid, they are all over them to help with this process. Pretty sure their knowledge is more current than yours…

Plenty of contact, plenty of encouragement-- no 100% guarantees

Maybe not, but it seems that a not insignificant percentage of people want to only post about the negatives. Like you. There are a lot of sad creatures on the college board who do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t be fooled by a nice email from a coach. It is still hard for a recruited athlete to get into the academy and u to me they have to be able to do the school work to stay. It is not an easy college experience

Who would ever think it would be easy? But for the right kid, it’s an amazing opportunity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ROTC mom of an Ivy c/o 2029 here. I would use LTC Rob Kirkland's website. He is a wealth of knowledge!!!!!

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the best thing your kid can do is a recruiting visit. He'll get to stay with a current player, attend classes, and live a day in the life of a mid/cadet. Tell him to ask as many questions as possible while there. He should find out fairly quickly if it's the right fit for him.

Dc has been to a number of visits…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although the admissions officer for recruited athletes can help a bit, there are not free passes on nominations for every athlete at a SA. Our area is the hardest to get nominations, especially Virginia district 11. And your kid will have to turn down good offers from other places while they wait in that uncertainty. That's the hardest part in my opinion.

Recruited athletes are given nominations from other areas that don't use all of theirs. A kid from VA can use one from places like SD or UT. The nomination for a recruited athlete is actually the easiest part of the application

SOME recruited athletes can get this. Not all. And DOD could end it at any time.

I always wonder about people like you, who love to jump in and post with a nasty negative tone. Are you posting from a dingy dark basement? A mental institution?

Nope, I am posting on good faith not wanting anyone to have unrealistic expectations. Recruited athletes need to put in the work of seeking a nomination and need to take it seriously. It is a stressful time for cadet candidates.

^^ Oh to add, if you really have the academy experience you want to claim you do by posting on this thread, you’d know how much interaction and guidance there is from ALO, coaches etc. IME, if they want a kid, they are all over them to help with this process. Pretty sure their knowledge is more current than yours…

Plenty of contact, plenty of encouragement-- no 100% guarantees

Maybe not, but it seems that a not insignificant percentage of people want to only post about the negatives. Like you. There are a lot of sad creatures on the college board who do this.

I think that honesty is more helpful to prospective students than false statements that tell them it will be easy. It won't be easy; it will be worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although the admissions officer for recruited athletes can help a bit, there are not free passes on nominations for every athlete at a SA. Our area is the hardest to get nominations, especially Virginia district 11. And your kid will have to turn down good offers from other places while they wait in that uncertainty. That's the hardest part in my opinion.

Recruited athletes are given nominations from other areas that don't use all of theirs. A kid from VA can use one from places like SD or UT. The nomination for a recruited athlete is actually the easiest part of the application

SOME recruited athletes can get this. Not all. And DOD could end it at any time.

I always wonder about people like you, who love to jump in and post with a nasty negative tone. Are you posting from a dingy dark basement? A mental institution?

Nope, I am posting on good faith not wanting anyone to have unrealistic expectations. Recruited athletes need to put in the work of seeking a nomination and need to take it seriously. It is a stressful time for cadet candidates.

^^ Oh to add, if you really have the academy experience you want to claim you do by posting on this thread, you’d know how much interaction and guidance there is from ALO, coaches etc. IME, if they want a kid, they are all over them to help with this process. Pretty sure their knowledge is more current than yours…

Plenty of contact, plenty of encouragement-- no 100% guarantees

Maybe not, but it seems that a not insignificant percentage of people want to only post about the negatives. Like you. There are a lot of sad creatures on the college board who do this.

I think that honesty is more helpful to prospective students than false statements that tell them it will be easy. It won't be easy; it will be worth it.

Look at the OP. 'Anyone btdt?" was the post title, and then this below....


"I have heard all the usual criticisms of service academies, all the reasons my dc has no shot, etc. So all you anti SA warriors can save your fingers from typing.


I’m looking to hear from people whose DC have had athletic recruiting experiences at service academies, what the process was like, etc. And of course if your dc ended up there, what they like or don’t like about it."

You apparently have nothing to offer that is responsive to the question, so why would you bother posting over and over? (and clearly you have on this chain)

[Anonymous]

Only what 2% of people play professionally

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although the admissions officer for recruited athletes can help a bit, there are not free passes on nominations for every athlete at a SA. Our area is the hardest to get nominations, especially Virginia district 11. And your kid will have to turn down good offers from other places while they wait in that uncertainty. That's the hardest part in my opinion.

Recruited athletes are given nominations from other areas that don't use all of theirs. A kid from VA can use one from places like SD or UT. The nomination for a recruited athlete is actually the easiest part of the application

SOME recruited athletes can get this. Not all. And DOD could end it at any time.

I always wonder about people like you, who love to jump in and post with a nasty negative tone. Are you posting from a dingy dark basement? A mental institution?

Nope, I am posting on good faith not wanting anyone to have unrealistic expectations. Recruited athletes need to put in the work of seeking a nomination and need to take it seriously. It is a stressful time for cadet candidates.

^^ Oh to add, if you really have the academy experience you want to claim you do by posting on this thread, you’d know how much interaction and guidance there is from ALO, coaches etc. IME, if they want a kid, they are all over them to help with this process. Pretty sure their knowledge is more current than yours…

Plenty of contact, plenty of encouragement-- no 100% guarantees

Maybe not, but it seems that a not insignificant percentage of people want to only post about the negatives. Like you. There are a lot of sad creatures on the college board who do this.

I think that honesty is more helpful to prospective students than false statements that tell them it will be easy. It won't be easy; it will be worth it.

Look at the OP. 'Anyone btdt?" was the post title, and then this below....


"I have heard all the usual criticisms of service academies, all the reasons my dc has no shot, etc. So all you anti SA warriors can save your fingers from typing.


I’m looking to hear from people whose DC have had athletic recruiting experiences at service academies, what the process was like, etc. And of course if your dc ended up there, what they like or don’t like about it."

You apparently have nothing to offer that is responsive to the question, so why would you bother posting over and over? (and clearly you have on this chain)

I am absolutely not saying that kid has no shot. I am saying in my btdt experience that prospective candidates need to start early and take the nomination process seriously. They need to prepare themselves for the stress of uncertainty and be willing to turn down solid offers from other good schools while they wait. And they need to decide if they'd be willing to do a year of prep school instead of direct admission if that is the eventual path offered (and if they wouldn't be, have a backup plan)

[Anonymous]

My kid is in plebe summer now at USNA. One roommate and a squad mate are recruited athletes, and the physical aspects are a challenge even for them. I don’t have any insight on the recruiting process, but simply want to share that the physical demands are extremely high and tailor to all-around military fitness, not just specific technical skills for a sport. Just so your kid is aware that he/she won’t be only playing their sport, but will also be swimming, climbing obstacles, running through the woods, endless pushups, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in plebe summer now at USNA. One roommate and a squad mate are recruited athletes, and the physical aspects are a challenge even for them. I don’t have any insight on the recruiting process, but simply want to share that the physical demands are extremely high and tailor to all-around military fitness, not just specific technical skills for a sport. Just so your kid is aware that he/she won’t be only playing their sport, but will also be swimming, climbing obstacles, running through the woods, endless pushups, etc.

Interesting. How’s your dc doing? Have you spoken to them much? You must be proud!!

Dc is generally aware of the physical demands (he’s visited each academy for overnights, so he’s had some exposure) but it will be good to remind him of them again. He now works out for 3-5 hours a day between lifting and practice, so he’s very confident, but a reminder won’t hurt. He lives for physical challenges so I’m hoping he takes to it.

USAF is still on the list and they tend to be less intense physically. That was a negative for dc when he visited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although the admissions officer for recruited athletes can help a bit, there are not free passes on nominations for every athlete at a SA. Our area is the hardest to get nominations, especially Virginia district 11. And your kid will have to turn down good offers from other places while they wait in that uncertainty. That's the hardest part in my opinion.

Recruited athletes are given nominations from other areas that don't use all of theirs. A kid from VA can use one from places like SD or UT. The nomination for a recruited athlete is actually the easiest part of the application

SOME recruited athletes can get this. Not all. And DOD could end it at any time.

I always wonder about people like you, who love to jump in and post with a nasty negative tone. Are you posting from a dingy dark basement? A mental institution?

Nope, I am posting on good faith not wanting anyone to have unrealistic expectations. Recruited athletes need to put in the work of seeking a nomination and need to take it seriously. It is a stressful time for cadet candidates.

^^ Oh to add, if you really have the academy experience you want to claim you do by posting on this thread, you’d know how much interaction and guidance there is from ALO, coaches etc. IME, if they want a kid, they are all over them to help with this process. Pretty sure their knowledge is more current than yours…

Plenty of contact, plenty of encouragement-- no 100% guarantees

Maybe not, but it seems that a not insignificant percentage of people want to only post about the negatives. Like you. There are a lot of sad creatures on the college board who do this.

I think that honesty is more helpful to prospective students than false statements that tell them it will be easy. It won't be easy; it will be worth it.

Look at the OP. 'Anyone btdt?" was the post title, and then this below....


"I have heard all the usual criticisms of service academies, all the reasons my dc has no shot, etc. So all you anti SA warriors can save your fingers from typing.


I’m looking to hear from people whose DC have had athletic recruiting experiences at service academies, what the process was like, etc. And of course if your dc ended up there, what they like or don’t like about it."

You apparently have nothing to offer that is responsive to the question, so why would you bother posting over and over? (and clearly you have on this chain)

I am absolutely not saying that kid has no shot. I am saying in my btdt experience that prospective candidates need to start early and take the nomination process seriously. They need to prepare themselves for the stress of uncertainty and be willing to turn down solid offers from other good schools while they wait. And they need to decide if they'd be willing to do a year of prep school instead of direct admission if that is the eventual path offered (and if they wouldn't be, have a backup plan)

Interesting, thank you. What academy and sport (if you’re comfortable disclosing) did your dc get recruited for? When was this?

I’m wondering if there’s a difference across sports. I know a recruit for rugby and one for soccer, and both had a fairly breezy process in comparison to most applicants. The soccer kid was committed very early, and the nom was lined up for him. He’s a very good player but not a total super star.