Cancelling MOC interview

runorrun

5-Year Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2014
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Hi everyone! Today I found out that I have received a "Competitive Alternate" nomination from one of my MOCs. I received an LOA back in September contingent upon a nomination and medical waiver. Since I now have this Nom from a senator, does this mean I should cancel my other MOC interviews? Or, because I didn't get the principal nom, should I still go through with the other interviews? I believe the other two MOCs use a competitive slate.
 
Personally I'd go. You're not in until you're in. Furthermore, suppose that the medical waiver doesn't come through in time. If you re-apply next year, you have one more MOC who knows who you are. This happened to my son, he's now USMA 2017.
 
sean007 - Thank you for the input! If I may ask, what was your son DQ'd for?
 
I am not sure I would go. The reg is you just need a nom and you have it in hand right now. I would instead contact the office by phone and politely thank them for their opportunity to interview, but declining. You can state that to be fair to your peers you don't want to take another spot on another slate since you already have the guaranteed spot with the current nomination in hand.
~ I think they will remember him just as much next year for being professional and considerate.

There are some MOCs that are so competitive they state to their candidates if they receive a nomination to contact them because they will not submit their name for consideration since the MOCs have agreed not to do duplicate nominations. VA, NY,TX, CO, CA, FL all come to mind.

Finally, if it does become a DoDMERB turn back, since the OP has an LOA this year, I would be surprised if they weren't again next year. If they had to go to college next year for the medical turn back, I would assume that they would do NROTC. Thus, if they got the LOA again, and add in the ROTC nomination they would not even need an MOC nomination. Now should they still apply for the MOCs next year? Yes, but still they would be okay.

Remember, a DoDMERB. Exam is valid for two years. They would not take another exam next year. The DQ would still be on their records and I am not sure if they would reverse the waiver next year, so they would be standing in the same position medically. They might, and maybe somebody here may have had a DQ waived a year later, and that is something you might want to explore.
 
sean007 - Thank you for the input! If I may ask, what was your son DQ'd for?

The short version of my son's travails:

He was interviewed by all three MOCs and got his initial nomination from Senator X. He was then DQ because of an allergic response to walnuts. He re-applied the next year and got a nomination from Congressman Y. He told me the first thing the nominating committee said was "haven't we seen you before"? Apparently, being determined to get into an SA is a good thing.
 
Get every nom you can. You are not at I-day yet and for all you know a horrible mistake has been made by some bureaucrat in admissions. Forget taking away some slot from somebody else. Screw them-----they are your COMPETITORS, not your buddies. Use the system to its fullest and let the system deal with itself. Do you want to go or not?
 
I want to clarify my position.

I am going on the assumption that the portal has changed and USNA will be sending the BFE this week. If not, than I am with other posters. Move forward until the BFE is in the mailbox!

However if the BFE is in your mailbox tomorrow or Saturday, than I stand by my position.
1. You have the BFE, they are no longer your competition.
~ The candidate that gets charged to the MOC is your peer. They will be your brethren at the SA.
2. I believe that the committees interviewing candidates look at the WCS like USNA. Your record will speak for yourself. Plus, typically interviewers will pepper questions at you.
~ Candidate runorrun, it shows us here that you turned down your interview last year. Please tell us why we should give you the nomination this year?
~~ I contacted your office when I received my nomination from MOC A and told them as an LOA recipient I felt it was only honorable to remove my name since I filled the nominatiin requirement. However, other hurdles presented themselves and I am back again.

What interviewer seeing their stats would not honor them for esprit de corps if their stats are strong enough? Are anyone of ypu willing to say that the committee will play favorites and place a candidate with a lower PAR on the slate over the OP because the OP contacted the MOC the year prior and said:
Thank you for the opportunity, but currently I have the BFE in hand and would like another candidate to have the opportunity.
~ If the answer is yes they will, than you are all more cynical than me in this process. I believe because many of the posters here sit on the interview boards they would respect that and admire your actions.
~~ Okay, let me say, I would! I would admire that you put the service above you. You could have had three nominations, but because you pulled your name you allowed USNA to have more candidates to choose from to fill the class.

I am with everyone if the candidate did not have an LOA and a nomination in hand, but I don't see why to move forward if the BFE is in hand.

Runorrun,

My advice is to call your Admissions contact or at least your BGO before canceling. If they say yeah, we are finalizing the BFE, than why go?

You have a medical waiver issue, but that has no impact on the appointment process. DQ is a DQ!
~ Sean's DS got a waiver a year later, if I read their post correctly, but waivers are case by case. What is the waiver you need? Color deficiency is not easy. Asthma? Knee surgery?

This may all be moot if in the end your medical issue will never be waived. If you have researched the issue and you need at least two years to be waived, yet you are only 12 months out....than heed Sean's advice and do it.
 
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Pima - thank you for the very extensive advice. I will think about everything and contact my BGO and Admissions Counselor before making the final decision to cancel or not. My medical waiver is needed for Myopia exceeding -8.00 diopters. From my research (primarily on this site), I have found that waivers are truly on a case-by-case basis. If you or anyone you know has had personal experience with this DQ, I would be very interested in hearing what the process was like for you!
 
Pima - thank you for the very extensive advice. I will think about everything and contact my BGO and Admissions Counselor before making the final decision to cancel or not. My medical waiver is needed for Myopia exceeding -8.00 diopters. From my research (primarily on this site), I have found that waivers are truly on a case-by-case basis. If you or anyone you know has had personal experience with this DQ, I would be very interested in hearing what the process was like for you!

Last I checked the number was -6.00 for USNA. Waiver is possible; I got one. Every case is different, but cooperate with the process, respond in a timely manner, and you'll get through it.

Don't cut those lines until you have the BFE. Literally, the blue folder with the letter from a three-star physically in your hands.

Don't get comfortable. You're not done until you're in whiteworks on I-Day, signing your oath in front of an officer. And from that point onward, you still won't be very comfortable.
 
Our DS had this very same scenario. He had a LOA and a nomination from our Congressman. He was scheduled to interview with our Senator, but declined. Before he declined however, the staffer from the Senator's office went over EVERYTHING with our DS to make sure he ACTUALLY did have a nomination and a LOA. Even though he declined the Senator's interview, that staffer was very helpful and diligent to make sure that he did actually have everything that he needed before she "let" him decline the interview.
 
So...does anyone know for sure if anything on the USNA portal changes when offered an appointment or is it simply a matter o being surprised by the BFE?


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If anything changes, it does so after you receive the BFE. It (or a call from your MOC if you happen to get one) is supposed to be a pleasant "surprise."
 
From what I remember from my other two, nothing on USNA changes. There isn't anywhere on the portal to reflect appointment status. Mine heard nothing from USNA from October BFE until Permit to Report packages were sent out in early April.
 
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