You just never know

I see it's the anxious season and it's fun to be a part of it but I have to tell you, I have no clue what the boards are smokin' sometimes when they hand out LOAs already. I'm a military brat and prior AF officer myself so I've been around this for decades too. After growing up knowing kids who went to academies and working on active duty with academy grads, hosting cadets, etc I thought I had a pretty good handle on what the formula is... ha ha. My son's had his paperwork in since early summer, was very motivated. His SATs are 770 math, 740 reading, (and he only took the SATs once - I mean he really is that smart -gets regular crap from MIT, stanford, etc), GPA and gazillion AP and Honors classes to match (air force academy rep said he completely maxed out on their academic formula), got the top possible grade of 5 on the AP calc AB/BC test so he could skip calc I and II in civilian colleges if he wanted to, gets multiple invites to USNA for official candidate visit trips, did the air force and navy summer seminars, has 'good enough' CFA scores, great recommendations, does the sports, some volunteer, job and leadership stuff, HE IS A REAL PILOT ALREADY AND IS WORKING ON HIS IFR TICKET, etc but no LOAs. He's a shade under 6 foot tall, 145 pounds, good lookin' in a interview suit, etc! All we have so far is a USNA letter saying he's met their academic standards. Ha, really? Too funny. Got a call from a retired AF 3 star yesterday who used to be the AFA superintendent asking us why with one MOC he didn't have the AFA has a first choice instead of second. He interviewed really well with the two MOCs so far but with one MOC I was told there were over 390 kids interviewed so it's really just too mind numbing if you do the odds making. Yikes. Oh well, felt good to ramble and vent.

All part of the fun of waiting. Out!

luckymacy said:

His SATs are 770 math, 740 reading
GPA and gazillion AP and Honors classes to match
5 on the AP calc AB/BC
did the air force and navy summer seminars,
has 'good enough' CFA scores,
great recommendations,
sports,
some volunteer,
job and leadership stuff,

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And every service academy is full of kids with the same resume. Really.

That's not a knock on your son.

The lack of a LOA should not be seen as a failing on his part, your part, or on the part of the academy admissions office.

Keep the faith, the LOA is not the goal.

When his appointment comes, none of this Early LOA BS will matter.

luckymacy said:

All we have so far is a USNA letter saying he's met their academic standards. Ha, really? Too funny.

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You are seeing a new USNA. Substantially fewer LOAs across the board. Luigi is correct. If your son goes to stanford, MIT, or even USAFA, there will be another of equal qualifications to step in and take his place. Also, a LOA sometimes confounds that nomination system. A MOC might not give a nomination since they feel the Academy will 'find' them one. A lot of extra work which, if they didn't give LOAs, would go away.

Mongo said:

You are seeing a new USNA. Substantially fewer LOAs across the board.

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Ha, well, no evidence of that in our area. Kid with decidedly lesser academics (no idea about the rest of the package) got one from our same HS from USNA. Can you point to a USNA published statistic to back up the 'substantially fewer' statement or is that just conjecture. At the parent meetings at USNA they never told us that. It'd be an interesting read.

No 'interesting read'. Just several very reliable sources. And it also makes a lot of sense.
I think someone overly concerned about not getting an LOA should look long and hard at their reasons for attending a SA.

Mongo said:

No 'interesting read'. Just several very reliable sources. And it also makes a lot of sense.
I think someone overly concerned about not getting an LOA should look long and hard at their reasons for attending a SA.

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I'm going to agree 100% here with Mongo.

FYI...USAFA (of the BIG 3 SA's) typically gives out the fewest LOA's. I know from personal briefings (I'm a rather senior ALO) that this year they're giving out even fewer LOA's and they said they had been told by their counterparts that they would also.

Why?

Because an LOA is risky. WAY too many times a student will receive an LOA and then "assume" (incorrectly) that they're a lock. They're NOT. They must still meet ALL the requirements for admission: nomination, CFA, DODMERB, academic performance for the REST OF THEIR SENIOR YEAR.

I highlight that last because at least for USAFA (I can't speak for the others) that is the NUMBER ONE reason students with an LOA are "not admitted" at the end of the cycle. Basically they "coast" to the finish line with the attitude of "I've got my LOA, I'm in, I can chill..."

And that is precisely what will get that LOA "yanked." GPA drops significantly, activities drop, etc. It sends a VERY bad message.

So USAFA has said: ENOUGH!

As Mongo does what I do, only for another SA, I would tend to believe what is said.

Lastly...your comment: "... Kid with decidedly lesser academics (no idea about the rest of the package) got one from our same HS from USNA." says it ALL! While your son's information that you posted here is superb, I can show you over a dozen on my candidate list for USAFA with similar backgrounds: NOT ONE has an LOA for USAFA. One has an LOA for USMA and none have LOA's for USNA (at least, not as of Thursday when I contacted all of them), oh yes, two have LOA's for USMMA (First I've heard of). The point being, and you said it perfectly: you/we have idea about the rest of the package. At USAFA we have the "Weighted Composite Score" and I'm assuming USNA/USMA use something similar. THAT is the decider and it takes into account EVERYTHING.

Forget the LOA...focus on the BFE!!! That is what you want to see!!!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

We have an applicant here who's application is part of the "WOW" group. (WOW - Walks On Water). That and a Presidential nomination, and no early appointment. Luckily he has also applied for congressional noms after we explained how risky it is to have just a presidential. Anyway, as Steve and Mongo and others have said; there are a lot of "WOW" applications out there. The LOA isn't important. The appointment is. And even then, the appointment shouldn't be the applicant's goal. The appointment is just an avenue and means of reaching your goals. Best of luck to your son. If he is truly the top of his congressional district and/or state, I'm sure that the academies will recognize that and he will be scored accordingly. mike.....

luckymacy said:

Got a call from a retired AF 3 star yesterday who used to be the AFA superintendent asking us why with one MOC he didn't have the AFA has a first choice instead of second.

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This should be your real concern. How does a retired individual have access to confidential data and why is he using it and his position to attempt to influence a potential candidate?

We also don't know his connection.

Now, why does that kid have two different "first choices" listed?