Foundation Program USNA

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basketball101

USNA Foundation '29
Joined
Feb 9, 2024
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Just got accepted into Foundation Program at USNA. Pretty bummed, but it's ok. Is anyone else doing Foundation? And what kind of schools are there? Are the kids high schoolers, or college kids?
 
Why are you bummed? You've been offered a golden opportunity. The Foundation will be in touch with you where you can decide what school best suits you. Your peers will be high schoolers that didn't not receive an appointment this go round. You'll have an opportunity to mimic the plebe curriculum. You'll be on your own for a year, and grow in many ways academically, physically and emotionally. Successfully complete your course of study and you're in. Don't be bummed like @Rach3 says. Be grateful! You have no idea how lucky you are.
 
Everything happens for a reason. This is a fantastic opportunity. You may have other fantatstic opportunities too, such as a NROTC scholarship.

Give yourself some time to digest it all. It's normal to be disappointed at not earning a direct appointment to USNA if that's your dream. At the same time, that dream is still very much alive! As others have noted, at the conclusion of this year's admissions process, there will be thousands of USNA applicants who will WISH they were in your shoes.

Please keep us posted on your ultimate decision, and good luck!
 
pa-outdoorsman said:
Everything happens for a reason. This is a fantastic opportunity. You may have other fantatstic opportunities too, such as a NROTC scholarship.

Give yourself some time to digest it all. It's normal to be disappointed at not earning a direct appointment to USNA if that's your dream. At the same time, that dream is still very much alive! As others have noted, at the conclusion of this year's admissions process, there will be thousands of USNA applicants who will WISH they were in your shoes.

Please keep us posted on your ultimate decision, and good luck!
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I will for sure! Yeah I'm gonna wait a while to decide. Just waiting on the status of my NROTC scholarship!
 
I'll try to put this in perspecitve. Almost exactly one year ago, DS got his turn down to USNA. At the time, we didn't have a plan B. We eventually did, with the help of these forums, but within a short time it had turned into plan C, which is where he is now, MMI. He would have jumped at a Foundation Scholarship for USNA. He's in a SAP program now, but self-prep. This may not have been your first choice, but it IS a great opportunity. I asked DS when he was home at Christmas if he'd be okay being offered a foundation scholarship for next year if it came down to it, he said he would because he understands what it means. You have an option for a great future. Definitely not a NO.
 
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WT Door said:
Why are you bummed? You've been offered a golden opportunity. The Foundation will be in touch with you where you can decide what school best suits you. Your peers will be high schoolers that didn't not receive an appointment this go round. You'll have an opportunity to mimic the plebe curriculum. You'll be on your own for a year, and grow in many ways academically, physically and emotionally. Successfully complete your course of study and you're in. Don't be bummed like @Rach3 says. Be grateful! You have no idea how lucky you are.
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Do you know if, at the prep schools, they do military training? Or if I'll be with other high school kids?
 
Another way to look at it: USNA decided that they wanted you, despite something that they think needs a little extra boost in order to rock it in the next class. Their other option was to say ‘no’ to you.

IMO, if USNA thinks you need something (and it could be anything, but is often strength of school, classes you have taken, academia, etc), then you need it for NROTC, too. And a prep year will get you all set to be the most successful student you can be.

Some argue a downside is the ‘extra year’. But, at regular college (ie NROTC), if you are pursuing a STEM degree, you are allowed/expected to complete it in 5 yrs. So the years are actually the same.

You will also polish up some academics and could perhaps validate some courses once you hit USNA, and open up your schedule a bit.

USNA thinks enough of you to save you a spot. And pay for this (perhaps there is some financial responsibility on your part). And you will be better prepared to join the class next year.

Its an amazing offer.
 
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mols.cast8 said:
Do you know if, at the prep schools, they do military training? Or if I'll be with other high school kids?
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Marion Military (where I teach), Georgia Military, and New Mexico Military all teach courses for college credit and have Corps of Cadets. All cadets at MMI are college students while there are HS students at Georgia and NMMI. In those schools the HS are not place in positions of authority over college students. The other military schools are high schools with an additional postgraduate prep program, where you participate in their military activities. These may also have college credit agreements with local colleges. Finally, there are non military prep schools that also participate in foundation scholars.

You may want to go to https://www.usna.com/asp-partner-schools and check out the links at each of the schools to see which ones fit you best.

If you have other questions, feel free to drop me a message.
 
Physicsguru said:
Marion Military (where I teach), Georgia Military, and New Mexico Military all teach courses for college credit and have Corps of Cadets. All cadets at MMI are college students while there are HS students at Georgia and NMMI. In those schools the HS are not place in positions of authority over college students. The other military schools are high schools with an additional postgraduate prep program, where you participate in their military activities. These may also have college credit agreements with local colleges. Finally, there are non military prep schools that also participate in foundation scholars.

You may want to go to https://www.usna.com/asp-partner-schools and check out the links at each of the schools to see which ones fit you best.

If you have other questions, feel free to drop me a message.
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Thanks for your message! I still haven't gotten over the rejection from the academy, so I'll look into it later. I just don't know if I am that committed to stick around and wait for another year
 
mols.cast8 said:
Thanks for your message! I still haven't gotten over the rejection from the academy, so I'll look into it later. I just don't know if I am that committed to stick around and wait for another year
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USNA didn’t reject you. They said, ‘we believe enough in you, that we are willing to invest even more in you.’ One year in the scheme of things is nothing. In fact it’s a year of maturing. Even commissioning a year later is a year of maturing. Look at the USNA site as they list all the Foundation schools. There military and non-military. Some will provide college credits and more focused on a prep year with those post high school graduation. There are lots of options. Northwest Prep is very popular program but one semester long. Then kids head out to take a semester of college courses. All these programs prepare candidates extremely well. You meet the requirements you will get in the next year.
 
mols.cast8 said:
Do you know if, at the prep schools, they do military training? Or if I'll be with other high school kids?
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Cross posted with @NavyHoops

You got some good advice and a nice steer @Physicsguru guru.

Let me clarify a tad from my original post. Your peers will be students - not high schoolers - that will be functioning as college freshmen. Why not look at the Foundation offer as a delay in achieving the goal you originally set – to attend the Naval Academy and serve as a commissioned officer. Admissions sees something in you. Here are the silver linings you may not see because your presently “bummed.” No more sweating out this year’s admission cycle like those others are doing now. It is done. No need to continually check your portal. You now have a concrete offer and an avenue to get to USNA. Do well at the Foundation school and you are in there bigger than Dallas. Some of your application from this year will rollover and will be kept open for the Class of ’29. DoDMerb will still be good. So, for now, take time to assess your disappointment. Reflect and give it time. Then decide. If you are not sure you can stick around and wait another year, maybe USNA isn’t the place you really wanted. Good luck.
 
WT Door said:
Cross posted with @NavyHoops

You got some good advice and a nice steer @Physicsguru guru.

Let me clarify a tad from my original post. Your peers will be students - not high schoolers - that will be functioning as college freshmen. Why not look at the Foundation offer as a delay in achieving the goal you originally set – to attend the Naval Academy and serve as a commissioned officer. Admissions sees something in you. Here are the silver linings you may not see because your presently “bummed.” No more sweating out this year’s admission cycle like those others are doing now. It is done. No need to continually check your portal. You now have a concrete offer and an avenue to get to USNA. Do well at the Foundation school and you are in there bigger than Dallas. Some of your application from this year will rollover and will be kept open for the Class of ’29. DoDMerb will still be good. So, for now, take time to assess your disappointment. Reflect and give it time. Then decide. If you are not sure you can stick around and wait another year, maybe USNA isn’t the place you really wanted. Good luck.
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Well said. I will also add that if you have this much of an issue with disappointment, the military might not be the place for you. I can't speak for the Navy, but in the Marine Corps it is almost a part of daily life.
 
WT Door said:
Cross posted with @NavyHoops

You got some good advice and a nice steer @Physicsguru guru.

Let me clarify a tad from my original post. Your peers will be students - not high schoolers - that will be functioning as college freshmen. Why not look at the Foundation offer as a delay in achieving the goal you originally set – to attend the Naval Academy and serve as a commissioned officer. Admissions sees something in you. Here are the silver linings you may not see because your presently “bummed.” No more sweating out this year’s admission cycle like those others are doing now. It is done. No need to continually check your portal. You now have a concrete offer and an avenue to get to USNA. Do well at the Foundation school and you are in there bigger than Dallas. Some of your application from this year will rollover and will be kept open for the Class of ’29. DoDMerb will still be good. So, for now, take time to assess your disappointment. Reflect and give it time. Then decide. If you are not sure you can stick around and wait another year, maybe USNA isn’t the place you really wanted. Good luck.
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Thanks for the information. In the scheme of things, I don't think a year is bad at all. Just having to wait again kind of stinks. I'll wait on it, and update you guys later. thanks for telling me this, because it makes me feel a lot better lol
 
mols.cast8 said:
Just got accepted into Foundation Program at USNA. Pretty bummed, but it's ok. Is anyone else doing Foundation? And what kind of schools are there? Are the kids high schoolers, or college kids?
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Pretty bummed ? You have been granted/earned an opportunity that my DS and so many others would embrace. I would embrace it, and if bummed, would use it as motivation. However I’m not in the advice business, nor any of that, so use or discard
 
mols.cast8 said:
Just got accepted into Foundation Program at USNA. Pretty bummed, but it's ok. Is anyone else doing Foundation? And what kind of schools are there? Are the kids high schoolers, or college kids?
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... so I beg your pardon in advance in thinking that the post above is not for real. The word "accepted" is a misnomer. I can guarantee that the Admissions Officer "offered" the Foundation Scholarship, or "Golden Ticket" to I-Day Plebe Summer. The time between offered and accepted into Foundation can take up to three months. The retired Captain/O6 from the Foundation would interview the candidate and parents to provide background information of the program and assess the candidate. If the candidate and/or parents have doubts as projected in the original post, then this is the time to clear the cobwebs with the good Captain. Assuming that the interview went well, the Captain will request financial information such as tax records to determine the family's share of the tuition. An upper middle class family more than likely will pay 30% of the tuition; school 20%; and the foundation picking up the rest. After sending the required financial documents, the Captain will then send a financial
binding-contract to be signed by the family, school, and foundation. Once the contract is fully signed, then the candidate is officially in or "accepted" in the USNA Foundation Program.
 
Just curious, is Foundation Program a better option than NROTC scholarship? What's the USNA admission chance between the two as re-applicant? If FP is not 100% guarantee since one will still need to secure nomination, what will happen if you don't get in and but also declined NROTC scholarship from previous round? So after FP, one will be advised to re-apply to both USNA and NROTC? Is it possible to re-apply to NROTC as awardee who previously declined?
 
hopefulmama1218 said:
Just curious, is Foundation Program a better option than NROTC scholarship? What's the USNA admission chance between the two as re-applicant? If FP is not 100% guarantee since one will still need to secure nomination, what will happen if you don't get in and but also declined NROTC scholarship from previous round? So after FP, one will be advised to re-apply to both USNA and NROTC? Is it possible to re-apply to NROTC as awardee who previously declined?
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... so I am not tracking at all. USNA admissions offer Foundation Scholarship to those they want but could use an extra academic review. Most candidates, not all, after receiving the rejection letter, do end up in NROTC however. The Captain in Foundation will tell Scholarship recipients to not getting in trouble with the law, avoid making Cs, and apply for all the nominations including the VP -- few requirements to get in the next USNA class.
 
severn said:
... so I am not tracking at all. USNA admissions offer Foundation Scholarship to those they want but could use an extra academic review. Most candidates, not all, after receiving the rejection letter, do end up in NROTC however. The Captain in Foundation will tell Scholarship recipients to not getting in trouble with the law, avoid making Cs, and apply for all the nominations including the VP -- few requirements to get in the next USNA class.
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Thanks for the reply but sorry my questions are not answered
 
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