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Could an Ex-pat like me get in?

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Clina

Registered User
First let me make one thing clear: Despite being born in London and growing up here, I AM a US Citizen, that is not the issue. Both of my parents are US Citizens, and I have a US pass port, a US certificate of birth abroad and a mile long paper trail in the US Embassy in London to back it up. (sorry to be so touchy on the subject, but the online recruiters keep on telling me I'll need a green card, deaf people that they can be).

Now that that matter is cleared up (hopefully beyond all discussion), I'll explain a bit about my self, in the hope that you wonderful and helpful people out there can give me some input on what my chances are at the moment, and what I can do to improve them.

For the basics, I am a 16 year old girl in the English equivilant of my Junior year in High school, thinking of doing an Engineering Major, aming to become an officer involved in either the nuclear program, cryptology or general maintanence (what ever I seem best at). I know that it is a bit early to be working very hard on Academy applications, but concidering the extracomplications I thought it wise to get the ball rolling early.

Academically, I like to think that I have what it takes (I know that it is arrogant, but just humor me). I have not had the chance to take SATs or PSATs yet (I still have to organise that), however my grades in the English national exams are enough to make my school confident that I have a very good shot at Cabridge, which has an exchange program with MIT, to put this in an American prospective. They do not really go in for ranking you against your class in the English system, so that is a bit hard to translate, however I am definately in the top 5th in a school with an entrance exam that aims to select people from the top 25% percent of the country (with sometimes aruguable success).

For sport, I row with my school (I think you call it 'crew'), and have done so sense I was about 11. I am currently Joint captain of the boats, and I have coxed or bowseered every type of rowing or sculling boat on the river , my favorite being Bowsteering coxles quads or fours (they FLY!). At the moment, I bowsteer a Pair on the Thames Tideway (if that means anything to you) 3 times a week, plus two land training sessions. Will this get me points with the USNA sports people?

For other Extra curicular activities, I sing in the Choir, I play the Double bass in the school Jazz band, I serve the cominity for 2-3 hours every Saturday morining doing volutary work in a Charity shop, and I am working towards a Duke of Edinbourgher Gold award, which invlolved three 4 day trecks (two practice and one examined), proof of doing a sport, service and skill for at least a year each (all menioned above) and a residentiat project, where you go a live for two weeks with complete strangers and do a community project. I also tutor two younger girls in Math during what is left of my spare time.

I'm sorry to have writted such an essay, but I thought it best to give you as much information as I could in the hopes that that would mean that you could give me the most helpful advide.

I am BEGGING you to put your two cents in!
ANY AND ALL ADIVCE IS VERY MUCH APPRICIATED!
 

slasher

OCC 186 Bound
Well, Clina, yours is certainly a unique situation, isn't it?! That said, being a U.S. citizen (were your parents diplomats, military, etc.?) you are certainly eligible to apply for the USNA.

I don't want to speculate on your chances of being accepted, but you appear to be on the right track. Your academic credentials are good and you have plenty of extra-curriculars. Keep that up. Keep focus on engineering, mathematics, and the hard sciences (physics, chemistry, etc.) as they are the fields of most interest to the navy, and are essential to selection.

The only aspect I see that may be an issue to you is the fact all Academy applicants must be nominated by either a Congressman or the President. And the Congressmen will choose the best applicants out of their own constituencies. Perhaps someone with more insight into the process will pitch in their advice. Try to get in contact with an academy applicant liasion, I believe they're called "Blue and Gold Officers." Speak with someone at the embassy and they can probably help you out.

Best Wishes
 

smittyrunr

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
The Academy will recruit, especially women, for any of the varsity sports. Check out USNA's website to get in touch with the coach. Your Junior year is not too early to get the admissions preocess going, even if you were are a regular American high school. The admissions office itself will also be a good place to get information about exactly what process you might need to go through, rather than a Navy recruiter. Admissions can put you in touch with the formentioned Blue and Gold Officer as well. Just so you knnow, you would not be able to go directly into Crypto or a general maintenance billet striaght out of the Academy. As a women you would be eligible for a Nuclear Surface job. (You would serve 18 months onboard a conventional Navy ship, then go to Nuke power school, and then to an aircraft carrier for another 18 month to 2 year tour). Your grades and extracurriculars sounds like you would be a strong candidate- Best of luck.
 

Clina

Registered User
In case you are wondering, Slasher, my parents are simple Civilians, who (for a very compicated set of reasons) decided to live in England. However, we do go to the US for all of the English Summer holliday (which starts and ends about a month later than yours), and while there my Father works for the USN's Oceongraphy department helping them modle the world's ocean temperature (or something like that).

It looks like I'll either have to apply to the Vice President or try and get my Grandfather (who lives in Mississippi) to contact his congressman to get a nomination, or at least that is how I read the websites. I could be in trouble, sense as I understand it, both of these areas are highly competitive.

It also seems that there isn't a Blue and Gold officer for the UK (suprise surprise), so I'll have to contact the main office directly, and hope there is someone near by.

It is good to know that I have a reasonable shot at getting in, and I had not thought of applying via the athletics department. Thankyou for your adivice so far, but any more will still be appreciated.

BTW thanks for the info on careea paths
 

Penguin

Respect the WEZ
pilot
This has been covered previously in other topics, but given the unique situation, I thought I'd bring it up again. In addition to congressmen and the Prez, there are some others that are able to nominate to the Academy. The first that comes to mind is any Medal of Honor recipient. There may be others (ambassadors??) Keep up the good work, and as mentioned above, your junior year is definitely NOT too early to start. My best friend in High School, who later commissioned me into the Navy, started preparing to go to an Academy practically from his first day in High School. He couldn't do much besides get good grades early on, but at least he knew what he wanted and needed to do. He ended up at the Air Force Academy and now flies jets.
Also, if the USNA doesn't pan out, don't forget about NROTC. Many people on this site have had great experiences there, and the application process is much simpler. Good luck.

LTJG Garrison
 

BYPASS

Registered User
Penguin is right Clia. I have applied to the USNA but also for a NROTC scholarship. Even if I don't get the scholarship, I'll join through the college program and apply for a 3 yr. scholarship after a year. You might want to check into the Academy's Summer Seminar offered in June. It's a week long opportunity for you to see the USNA up close and expose you to everything that's offered, physically and mentally. I went this past summer and really enjoyed it. You can check out the seminar on the USNA website and even apply on-line if it's something that you're interested in. But, as mentioned earlier, do not forget about the NROTC program. I have heard nothing but good things about it.
 

Clina

Registered User
Much as I would love to go to the summer seminar, it is during english term time, and I doubt my school would let me skip the English equivilant of my Finals, so that is sadly a non-option.

Sadly, the NROTC is another impossibility. My colledge fund was raided to send me to my current school, so the only American Colledges I can get into are the Military Academies, unless I get a practically full schollarship. Luckily for me, though, English Colledges are much cheaper (a whole degree costs roughly as much as a single semester costs in the US, and they are still complaining) and just as good (some here in the UK would argue better). If I do not get into the USNA or the USAFA (thinking of applying there too), then I will just try to get into Cambridge or one of my second choices, get a Masters in Engineering there in 4 years (in England, you only have to study your major, nothing else, so Master's take far less time), and then try and get into the OCS.

I have looked at the list of other sources of nominations, and the only non-politicion bassed one I could ever be eligeble for would be if my Father went MIA while working for the Navy. Sense the base he works at is miles away from the coast, let alone any hostiles, this dose not seem very likely (though it would make my life alot easier.... jj!)

Thankyou all for your sugestions. PLEASE KEEP THEM COMMING!! Any insight into the Navy 'crew', and my chances of getting in via that route would be espeically apreciated.
 

Alex Fowler

Registered User
If it's money you're worried about, NROTC is not an impossibility--if you are awarded a scholarship they will pay all of your tuition for 4 years, and on top of that, most state schools will cover your room and board (typically around 25-30% of the tuition costs at a given school). For instance, I am going to Boston College, a private university that normally costs just under $40,000 a year, for $8,000 a year. In other words, I will be getting my degree for less than most of my (non-ROTC) friends are paying for a single year of school.

Some private universities won't cover your room and board, so you may not be able to afford to go someplace like MIT or Stanford, but if you could get into Cambridge or USNA I doubt you'd have any problems getting into one of the stronger state schools such as Virginia, Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, Cal-Berkeley, Penn State, UCLA, or Maryland. These schools all have NROTC, all are academically among the elite in the US (Virginia, UC-B, and Texas probably being the best), and most if not all will cover your room and board if you have a NROTC scholarship, meaning you'd go to school for free.

And even if you can't afford the room and board at a private college, ask if they offer to cover room and board for ROTC students--I know for a fact that Tulane and Boston University (the school I have to commute to for NROTC activities) do, and Vanderbilt covers most of it. So ask around.

My advice would be apply to USNA and USAFA, apply for NROTC and AFROTC scholarships, apply to some schools in the US that you'd be able to afford to go to if you got a ROTC scholarship, and also apply to a couple of schools in the UK just in case you don't get a scholarship or get into either of the academies.

Good luck and e-mail me (fowleral@bc.edu) if you have any questions about NROTC.
 

Penguin

Respect the WEZ
pilot
Fowler is right on the money regarding ROTC. University of Michigan is another school that will pay your room and board. They actually recruited me after my name was published on the list of scholarship recipients. With regard to the USNA, have you been to their website? You mentioned talking to recruiters, but not the academy sites. There is some info regarding USNA sports recruiting, and info on US citizens living abroad. Also, find out if your parents still file a federal tax return. I know you've lived abroad for a long time, but they may still do this. Usually, when you live overseas, you fill out a tax return (IRS 1040 or other)for the U.S. Gov. There is an additional form where you show that you already pay taxes to the foreign government. Bottom line, if they are filing a tax form, you probably have a U.S. address, however old, that MIGHT get your foot in the door with a Senator/Congressman. Hope this helps, but it probably doesn't apply if they are official expatriates. You've obviously got the motivation, you could be a welcome addition to the Military family, so keep trying.

LTJG Garrison
 

McNamara

Copilot, actually.
pilot
You sound like a great candidate, and it's good that you're already preparing for the admissions process. A quick word of advice, though: don't talk to any Navy recruiters. Talk to the Academy, through crew coaches and also the admissions office. My dad's a B&G officer and I know the director of admissions there, so if you want I can give you his phone number so you can ask him the tough questions.

By the way, I have a friend from New Zealand who had similar circumstances. If you want I can give him a call and ask how he got in. He's currently in primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, so that shows that even a Kiwi can achieve his goals in the U.S. Navy! ;)

Good luck, and let me know if I can help in any way.
 

BYPASS

Registered User
Fowler,
How long did it take after applying for a NROTC scholarship before you were notified? I'm beginning to think I didn't make it since I finished my app. in August and haven't heard anything yet.

Clia,
Not all universities offer room and board through the 4-yr. scholarship, so make sure you research carefully.
 

Alex Fowler

Registered User
Bypass, I submitted my application in May of my junior year of HS and found out I got a scholarship the last few days of February of my senior year. You've got some time :)
 

Clina

Registered User
I appreaceate the advice, and if I was in the US, I would probably apply for NROTC as a backup. However, for a complicated set of reasons I have basically decided that unless I get in to the USNA (or the USAFA, I'm thinking of applying there too), I will stay in England to get my degree. Remember, Cambridge has the best Enginering depatment in the UK, and is probably in the top 10 in the world, and I have a fairly good shot at getting in, while there it is very unlikely that I would be able to get the scholarship I would need to go to it's equivilant in the US and it would be an enourmus hassle to try. While I am willing to go through that to apply for the Academy, if i do not get in, I would much rather stay in this country and get a Master's degree in four years time, then try and get on OCS. The advice is apreciated, but on that subject I have already made up my mind.

McNamara: Yes to both, PLEASE! It would help tremendosly to get in contact with the USNA Admissions people and to another ex-pat who has already managed it. Thankyou so much for your help!

Generaly, though, all adivce is very helpful PLEASE KEEP IT COMMING!
 

T.M.Gray

Registered User
Clina,
Please take a look at the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy (www.USMMA.edu). You sound like a good candidate for them. They offer degrees in engineering and a commission in the Navy Reserve on graduation. Many grads accept active duty commissions in the armed forces. They are recruited by all services: Army, Navy, Marine Corps., Air Force and Coast Guard. They typically send 15 to 20 SNAs and SNFOs to Pensacola each year. And they have a decent crew team. Check my post "America's Best Kept Secret" under "Academy" on this forum.
If you are interested contact LCDR DeRosa in the admissions dept. He can help you figure out the best way to find a congressional appointment. Good luck: "Acta non verba."
 
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