State Quotas?

Bill1899

5-Year Member
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Nov 14, 2011
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I attended a service academy college fair this weekend and the KP representative had a printout that showed my state was currently 1 over on its allotment of students but 6 were scheduled to graduate this coming spring. Can anyone explain what that means for applicants to the Class of 2017.

Thank You.
 
It means that if everyone from your state is graduating, they will be admitting at least one to the incoming class so they have someone from each state. It's good to be from ND or WY rather than NY.
 
There are no state quotas other than replacing the opening/s from the graduating class. Admissions makes the final decisions.
 
There are no state quotas other than replacing the opening/s from the graduating class. Admissions makes the final decisions.

Explain your response, as that is not what Federal Law states.

Federal Law mandates that USMMA selects appointees in proportion to their representation in Congress.

Members of Congress nominate individuals for appointment to USMMA. The number of positions in an entering class at this service academy are allocated by regulation issued by the Secretary of Transportation. Under the regulation, each Senator, Representative, Delegate, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico may nominate 10 candidates to compete for admission to the academy. Individual applicants from states are appointed to the academy in proportion to the state’s representation in Congress. The regulation allocates four vacancies to nominees from the District of Columbia and one vacancy each to nominees from Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. The allocation of positions by state and territory is listed in Table 2. The regulation states that nominating officials may select individuals for nomination by any method they wish, including a screening examination.

Code:
Table 2. Distribution of Seats Available for Congressional Nomination to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, by State

State Seats State Seats State Seats
Alabama 4 Kentucky 2 Ohio 8
Alaska 1 Louisiana 4 Oklahoma 2
American Samoa 1 Maine 2 Oregon 3
Arizona 3 Maryland 5 Pennsylvania 10
Arkansas 2 Massachusetts 5 Puerto Rico 1
California 19 Michigan 7 Rhode Island 2
Colorado 4 Minnesota 3 South Carolina 4
Connecticut 4 Mississippi 3 South Dakota 1
Delaware 1 Missouri 3 Tennessee 4
District of Columbia 4 Montana 2 Texas 13
Florida 10 Nebraska 2 Utah 2
Georgia 5 Nevada 2 Vermont 1
Guam 1 New Hampshire 2 U.S. Virgin Islands 1
Hawaii 2 New Jersey 6 Virginia 5
Idaho 2 New Mexico 2 Washington 5
Illinois 9 New York 15 West Virginia 2
Indiana 3 North Carolina 6 Wisconsin 4
Iowa 4 North Dakota 1 Wyoming 1
Kansas 3 Northern Mariana Islands 1

(e) Appointments. (1) The Administrator shall make appointments to fill the vacancies allocated pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section from among qualified nominees, in order of merit, from each geographical area. The order of merit shall be established according to the procedure as specified in §310.57(b). Such appointments first shall be made from among residents of each geographic area listed in paragraph (b) of this section. Thereafter, appointments shall be made from among residents of each geographic area listed in paragraph (b) of this section. Thereafter appointments shall be made from among remaining qualified nominees (national alternates) in order of merit regardless of the area of residence.

Source: 46 U.S.C. 51302 46 CFR 310.53.

:cool:
 
In short, the number of nominees accurately represents the states based on population. A state with congressional seats, can send 150 nominees, a state with 4 seats sends 40. The school is not required to accept on this basis, but only on the basis of merit. It would seem to make sense that "on average", over time, all states are fairly represented based on the number of congressional districts.

The real "secret" of the admissions process is not likely to ever be revealed, as is the case with most colleges.
 
In short, the number of nominees accurately represents the states based on population. A state with congressional seats, can send 150 nominees, a state with 4 seats sends 40. The school is not required to accept on this basis, but only on the basis of merit. It would seem to make sense that "on average", over time, all states are fairly represented based on the number of congressional districts.

That's not what the law says. It says "appointments (not nominations) shall be made in proportion to the state's representation in Congress.

Yes, each MOC gets to nominate 10 each year and a candidate can apply to every MOC in his state (the boundary being the state not the district).

Only after they have appointed in that proportion can they appoint from the national list (by merit) regardless of geography,
 
There is no law. It is only a policy/guideline.

I don't think that's exactly true. The law (46 C.F.R. § 310.53(b), appears fairly specific as to how appointments are to be offered. But if you read the findings of a lawsuit on this subject filed by 4 applicants from Wisconsin that was rejected in the Fed Dist Court on Long Island - the judge found that the method of offering appointments to alernates from the merit list is ambiguous in the law and has left it to the DoT to interpret and execute in filling the class. In short- while they are directed to make intial offers of appointment in proportion to the relative size of the states, they have the latitude once those offers have been made (and rejected) to fill remaining positions from a National order of Merit

http://www.dot.gov/ost/ogc/Domine.pdf
 
Yes, each MOC gets to nominate 10 each year and a candidate can apply to every MOC in his state (the boundary being the state not the district).

What if you are attending and residing at a college that is not in your home state? What determines your state of residency?
 
That is based on tax returns. If you are still a dependent who's "home" is with your mom and dad, then that is your home state, and the place from where you would seek MOC Nomination. I'd not worry so much about which state you are from and getting appointed based on quota. That is something you cannot impact, or ever get god visibility of. Kick butt on your GPA, essay and LOR, and good luck
 
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