Has USAFA started mailing out TWEs?

I really hate to bring this up, but I figured that I might as well start considering the prospect of not being accepted to the Academy this year. In such case, have other applicants/candidates already been notified of the Academy's "Thanks, but no thanks" responses? ie. Do TWEs get sent out alongside BFEs? Ultimately, is no news good news?

I don't know about the TWE's, but I did speak to our MOC's office yesterday. She spoke to the Academy that morning and was told they are still doing appointments and expect to for the next 2 weeks yet. I would think the TWE's wouldn't go out until the class is filled??

We have augmented our mailbox....only BFE's are allowed. Anything smaller? Return to SENDER! Keep the faith...anyone who is waiting at this point is an awesome individual. Don't forget that!

Our rejection letter last year was dated April 1st (it also said they would let us know if there was an opening prior to BCT), Falcon Foundation offer then showed up April 3rd.

Would they still send the TWE that soon if you were close to the cut-off line with a high chance of a spot opening for you, from others declining appointment?
I thought the TWE would be the end, but it seems like there's a glimmer of hope if they just send it to everyone below their line.

I happened to have a conversation with the folks in USAFA/RRS again today...so I asked...for what they would tell me.

"...ALL candidates should know their status by early April."

IOW...they are still picking...I was told the process is going SLOWLY because of the limitations on the class size.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

I understand that the appointment process is time-consuming, with many 3Q candidates, they may be on different slates, and as they are charged to slates, it takes their names off other slates opening up spots for the next highest WCS. It sounds like a big puzzle. But it is objective, correct? Meaning that the highest score on the slate HAS to be chosen (assuming at this point they're only looking at 3Q candidates). There isn't the possibility of subjectivity is there? The board can't say "let's go with this candidate" for some intangible reason can they? And even when they get to the national pool (after all MOC, VP, Pres. etc slates have been filled) isn't it by score only? Above this number get appts., below don't? All these months of reading these forums, you would think I would have this process down pat by now!

I hope I don't screw this up too bad. It is mostly done by highest WCSs get the appointments, but I think that admissions can really do whatever they want to make the class they want. My dad was an ALO, and he said that he's heard of the academy bargaining with MOCs to take someone on their slate instead of taking their principle nom. And if Timmy the basketball star has a WCS of X and Johnny Eagle Scout has a score of X-1, they can still pick Johnny Eagle Scout instead of Timmy basketball star for "intangible" reasons that they see. Maybe they like Johnny's leadership. Maybe Timmy admitted to smoking marijuana. Maybe Johnny comes from an Air Force family. Maybe they already have their basketball team filled.

So for the most part we can live in peace believing that principle noms always get appointments, and the highest WCS will win; all that is true most of the time. But there are weird exceptions, admissions will make the class how they want.

P.S. and as an added note, I'm kind of counting on intangibles to win me an apppointment at this point. My ALO told me my WCS is about 95% of what it needed to be for her to confidently tell me i'm "competitive". But my dad was an Air Force officer, and an ALO, and my recommendation letters were from Military guys and a West Point grad. According to my ALO and my dad, these are the things that might help to push me over that line.

I'll give my two cents: How the board assigns a WCS score involves quite a bit of subjective decision making. If your MOC submits an unranked slate (which most do) then s/he is saying..."Here you choose one of these ten. Doesn't matter to me which one...these are my best ten". At that point the board can select any one on the list for whatever subjective reason they choose. Hopefully they select primarily on WCS score at that point, but there is no guarantee and
like RyWalk said "admissions can really do whatever they want to make the class they want".

Just out of curiosity; did one of your MOCs tell you that you were on the top of his list?

aglages said:

Just out of curiosity; did one of your MOCs tell you that you were on the top of his list?

Click to expand...

Was that question for me? Either way, I didn't get a MOC nomination. I'm in a tough district with a lot of applicants. I'm relying on my Presidential nom

aglages, if your post was for me, my son wasn't told by either MOC (senator and rep) that he was on the top of their lists--they each did a competitive slate. But he was given an indication by someone else where his WCS fell in relation to the total. We'll see hopefully soon how that relates to getting an appt. or not!