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Dad made him restart West Point
The notebook weekend
Patrick Dowdell was 18 and in his first year at Iona after being waitlisted at West Point. He came home that weekend for a barbecue and birthday cake, since his brother's birthday is September 10. His father, FDNY Lieutenant Kevin Dowdell, encouraged him to start the application process all over again.
Kevin loved history and was excited at the prospect of his son attending the academy. He also knew Patrick had been interested in the military since playing army as a kid. Patrick thought it was a reach and did not believe he had a real shot, but getting close made it feel possible.
September 11 and after
Kevin dropped him back at college on Sunday, then worked a 24-hour shift from Monday night into Tuesday, September 11. Patrick did not know his father had been at the Trade Center until much later that night. After that day, he was determined to see the application through, and he graduated from West Point in 2006.
How do waitlisted applicants get into West Point?
West Point admits qualified candidates who have also earned a nomination, and a waitlisted candidate may receive an offer if admitted candidates decline. Candidates who are not offered a place are sometimes invited to the Military Academy Preparatory School, and others spend a year at another college and apply again. Applicants can reapply, and many successful cadets did so after an earlier rejection or waitlist outcome.
Why does West Point require a nomination?
The academy was founded in 1802, and the nomination system spreads its cadets across the states and districts of the country. Members of Congress are the main source of nominations, and each member can have up to five cadets attending at one time. Nominees then compete on academic record, fitness, and leadership for the places available. The vice president and the president have nomination slots of their own.
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