More nominations, the better?

Hello all! And Happy Holidays from Maryland!

I just found out I got a nomination from my local congressman.

Under my nomination section of the Air Force online application, it reads:

Nomination Status

Status: Received

Nominators:

• Presidential

• Senator Barbara A. Mikulski

• Honorable Andy Harris

So as of now, I have my presidential, Senator, and Congressman nomination. 3 for 3! Is it true that the more the better for admission?

Thanks so much for your feedback!

-Sam

(Short answer)
Theoretically, it shouldn't matter whether you have one or six. You only need one nomination to get an appointment assuming you're competitive on that nominating source's slate.

(Long answer)
...However, being on more than one slate can give you more "opportunities" to prove yourself competitive to the academy relative to everyone else on that MOC's slate.
Consider the following:
Last year I got all of the nominations I was eligible for here in New York. I'd like to think that I was fairly high up on my representative's slate and moderately competitive on my Senators' slates. However, the candidate that got the appointment from my representative was a recruited athlete and the candidate that got the appointment from one of my senators was a falcon scholar at Valley Forge. These two candidates were virtually guaranteed an appointment from the start. So what I was really looking at was shooting for an appointment from my other senator's slate or a VP nomination. Neither of which happened and I got a Falcon Foundation Scholarship in June.
So it definitely can't hurt to be on more than one slate, but if you consider yourself extremely competitive nation-wide, you're just taking opportunities from other applicants to prove themselves competitive. In more competitive states the interviewers always tell you that if you get a nomination from another source to call them so they can give someone else a shot.
So in summary, if you're truly a competitive candidate it can neither help you nor hurt you.

Just remember that each MOC can only have 5 people in the academy at one time, and most submit a list of 10 names directly to the academy to get "racked and stacked." Usually the number one person on each slate gets the appointment.

Matt; what you say is "partially" true. There are 2 ways to receive an appointment. 1) From a nomination slate; and 2) From the national pool. So, the more slates you are own; e.g. 2 senators, 1 representative, presidential, vice presidential, ROTC, and some other military related slates; the more chances you have of receiving an appointment for that slate. Imagine it's like a lottery ticket. You only need one to win, but the more you have, the better your chances are of winning.

If you don't receive an appointment from the slate you're on, you will then be put into the national pool. Once in the national pool, it doesn't matter there how many nominations you received. It's simply your name, application, and a composite score. This is where you are simply racked and stacked against all others in the national pool, and the academy will take the amount that they need to fill the class. In other words, they give out the mandatory appointments first; one from each MOC slate submitted. Then, the academy chooses how many of the Presidential, VP, ROTC, and other military related to give appointments to. (Not to exceed the maximum number allowed). Then finally, they will take the remainder they need to fill the class, from the national pool. And for what it's worth, NONE of the appointments that come from the national pool, count towards a senator or representative's maximum of 5 constituents at the academy.

As for your senator/representative, each of them have a CHOICE on how to present their slate of 10 names. The can choose to simply give the academy 10 names and let the academy rank them and choose 1 for an appointment. The MOC could instead choose to rank their slate of 10 names themselves. If they do this, then the academy has absolutely no choice whatsoever in who to give an appointment to. As long as the nominee is 100% qualified, the academy MUST give the #1 person on the MOC's list the appointment if the MOC "Ranked" the list. Doesn't matter if the #1 has the lowest score of all 10 on the list. The 3rd method is a combination of the 2. The MOC list's their #1 choice, and the other 9 are ranked by the academy. So, if the #1 listed is 100% qualified, then the academy MUST give them the appointment. If they aren't qualified, then the academy can take from the other 9 based on their ranking.

Now there are some other variables. e.g. If the person given the appointment decides to turn it down, technically, the academy is suppose to go back to the list and take the next person. But I won't go into that here and now. That gets really complicated. But the answer to the OP's question isn't simply yes/no. That's because the question really isn't if it's better. The more nominations you get, the more chances you have at receiving an appointment. Again; it's like a lottery ticket. If you only have a representative, then you have "2" chances of receiving an appointment. That representative's slate, OR, the national pool if you don't get the rep's slate. On the other hand, if you have a nomination from the representative, 2 senators, a Presidential, a Vice Presidential, and an ROTC; then you have "7" chances at receiving an appointment. (The 6 I listed plus the national pool).

Quick questions concerning appoitments. When an appoitment is offered, does the selection board have to "pick/commit" to a nomination source, or do the have the opportunity to switch the nomination source to help another candidate and the appoitment puzzle?

It is not uncommon for the academy to change.nomination sources. The individual once offered the appointment will get.the appointment, but which nomination is used can still be decided later by the academy. E.g. you have a presidential nomination and receive an appointment. But you are also on your senators slate. The person who got the appointment on the senators slate decides to turn it down. The acafemy might choose to make your appointment from the senators nomination and give your appointment slot with the presidential to someone else in the country.

Many mocs are getting wise to this and that's why many are starting to rank their slate. Some, if you get your appointment early, before their interviews, wony even give a nomination to someone with an appointment already. Just so the academy cant switch around.

navy said:

Quick questions concerning appoitments. When an appoitment is offered, does the selection board have to "pick/commit" to a nomination source, or do the have the opportunity to switch the nomination source to help another candidate and the appoitment puzzle?

Click to expand...

Yes, as Christcorp said above. Our son received three nominations and accepted his appointment under one senator's nomination in December. Afterward, his nomination source was changed first from one senator to the other senator, and then a month later was changed to our representative as the Academy fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

Stealth_81

Is there a way to know who the nomination was assigned to? My DS had only a senate nom (the MOCs talk and don't overlap at all) but we know of at least 2 others on the same senate slate who were accepted at USAFA and are there. It really doesn't matter, just curious.

If u only have 1 nomination, then you know. They can't use a nomination if you don't have one. Remember, if you didn't get the appointment from the slate of your nominator, and you went to the national pool and got an appointment, those don't count against the rep or senator. You have to have a nomination to be in the national pool, but again, those appointments aren't charged to anyone.