The dreaded NWL .....

buff81

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...... or is it?

Reading various posts over the past few days, it seems as though there is a lot of confusion regarding the NWL.
Understandable.
There are 2 uses of the acronym, NWL, which adds to the confusion.

1) The use of 'NWL' in the 3Q letter
Everyone who is 3Q'd goes on a NWL.
Yes, even those of you who have your appointment right now, were on the NWL.
Once the MOC nomination slates come in, the obvious slate winners are pulled off and given offers.
Also, once they determine who gets the Service Connection slots (Presidential, ROTC etc), those are pulled off also and given offers.

2) The use of 'NWL' in the US Code (Title 10)
Once the slot winners from MOC and Service Connected noms are determined, the class is not full. MOC and Service Connected slots add up to about 841 slots.
The US Code allows for 2 additional ways to fill the class.
a) By law, WP must appoint 150 from the NWL. These are called 'Qualified Alternates.' These 150 are those with MOC noms who didn't win their MOCs' slates.
Since the NWL is one big competitive slate, everyone is listed top to bottom by WCS ( this is why you continue to update your file until the file completion deadline at the end of FEB).
Therefore, the top 150 by WCS, non MOC slot winners, get the NWL slots.
b) WP can then throw out the WCS and appoint candidates who help them round out the class. This must be done at a ratio of 3:1 MOC noms to Service Connected noms. These are called 'Additional Appointees'

This is my best understanding of the NWL.
I seriously doubt that the selection of appointees happens in this exact order. It is too complex of a shell game determining which slot a candidate gets.
If you have multiple noms, you may think you have X slot, but you may not. Some of these slots are not determined for awhile.

To conclude -
being on the NWL is a good thing. It means you are 3Q'd.
If you don't get a MOC slot, then you can compete for one of the 150 NWL slots as a Qualified Alternate.
If you don't get a MOC or Service Connected slot, then you can be appointed as an Additional Appointee.
 
Good laydown of the decision framework and NWL clarification. Sticky-worthy!

Somewhere along the way, probably near the end, those who have successfully completed the SA-connected prep school, get appointed to the class. They have to finish their prep year successfully, though I suspect those who are handling prep well, may get theirs earlier. Civ-preppers get folded in. Those coming from enlisted ranks are added. Throw in the handful of foreign nationals and the last cats and dogs, and the class will just about be set. Works about the same for all SA, with some variations for USCGA and USMMA, when it comes to noms and prep.
 
As an applicant who has not received an appointment with multiple nominations, I choose to simply not worry about the mechanics behind selection.

Whatever will be, will be
 
As an applicant who has not received an appointment with multiple nominations, I choose to simply not worry about the mechanics behind selection.

Whatever will be, will be

Some people find comfort in knowing as much as they can about the process while others prefer not. To each his own.
My purpose with this thread was to clear up misinformation (and there was a lot) about the NWL and to provide the little that I do know about it - for the ones who want to know.
 
...... or is it?

Reading various posts over the past few days, it seems as though there is a lot of confusion regarding the NWL.
Understandable.
There are 2 uses of the acronym, NWL, which adds to the confusion.

1) The use of 'NWL' in the 3Q letter
Everyone who is 3Q'd goes on a NWL.
Yes, even those of you who have your appointment right now, were on the NWL.
Once the MOC nomination slates come in, the obvious slate winners are pulled off and given offers.
Also, once they determine who gets the Service Connection slots (Presidential, ROTC etc), those are pulled off also and given offers.

2) The use of 'NWL' in the US Code (Title 10)
Once the slot winners from MOC and Service Connected noms are determined, the class is not full. MOC and Service Connected slots add up to about 841 slots.
The US Code allows for 2 additional ways to fill the class.
a) By law, WP must appoint 150 from the NWL. These are called 'Qualified Alternates.' These 150 are those with MOC noms who didn't win their MOCs' slates.
Since the NWL is one big competitive slate, everyone is listed top to bottom by WCS ( this is why you continue to update your file until the file completion deadline at the end of FEB).
Therefore, the top 150 by WCS, non MOC slot winners, get the NWL slots.
b) WP can then throw out the WCS and appoint candidates who help them round out the class. This must be done at a ratio of 3:1 MOC noms to Service Connected noms. These are called 'Additional Appointees'

This is my best understanding of the NWL.
I seriously doubt that the selection of appointees happens in this exact order. It is too complex of a shell game determining which slot a candidate gets.
If you have multiple noms, you may think you have X slot, but you may not. Some of these slots are not determined for awhile.

To conclude -
being on the NWL is a good thing. It means you are 3Q'd.
If you don't get a MOC slot, then you can compete for one of the 150 NWL slots as a Qualified Alternate.
If you don't get a MOC or Service Connected slot, then you can be appointed as an Additional Appointee.

For the Competitive nomination slate. Does the first qualified candidate get appointed or the MOST qualified candidate get appointed?
 
Sorry if this is a dumb question. I was nominated by my Congressman, and was notified that I am on the NWL. Does that mean one candidate from my (competitive) slate was appointed and I am now in the running for an NWL with candidates from across the country?
 
How did you hear that you were on the NWL? From a 3Q letter?
 
My son heard that admissions qualified his file and he is now on the National Waiting List. What does this mean?
 
Sorry if this is a dumb question. I was nominated by my Congressman, and was notified that I am on the NWL. Does that mean one candidate from my (competitive) slate was appointed and I am now in the running for an NWL with candidates from across the country?

Yes I did.

You are on the NWL because you are 3Q'd and is no indication that the MOC slot has be filled or not filled. If someone has been selected to be the slot winner for your MOC, then you are on the 'other' NWL' from which the top 150 will get the NWL slots.
If you have a FFR, ask them if they know if your MOCs slot winner has been chosen.
 
My son heard that admissions qualified his file and he is now on the National Waiting List. What does this mean?
Read Post #1 in this thread and hopefully that will answer your questions.
 
If you are on the NWL and not the top will you most likely be offered Prep school? Are prep school offers only to improve academics? How many offers go out for prep school?
 
By definition if you are on the NWL then you are 3Qed, including academically qualified. Prep school is only for students who are NOT academically qualified. This may not quite be true for recruited athletes but ignoring that it works as I described.
 
...... or is it?

Reading various posts over the past few days, it seems as though there is a lot of confusion regarding the NWL.
Understandable.
There are 2 uses of the acronym, NWL, which adds to the confusion.

1) The use of 'NWL' in the 3Q letter
Everyone who is 3Q'd goes on a NWL.
Yes, even those of you who have your appointment right now, were on the NWL.
Once the MOC nomination slates come in, the obvious slate winners are pulled off and given offers.
Also, once they determine who gets the Service Connection slots (Presidential, ROTC etc), those are pulled off also and given offers.

2) The use of 'NWL' in the US Code (Title 10)
Once the slot winners from MOC and Service Connected noms are determined, the class is not full. MOC and Service Connected slots add up to about 841 slots.
The US Code allows for 2 additional ways to fill the class.
a) By law, WP must appoint 150 from the NWL. These are called 'Qualified Alternates.' These 150 are those with MOC noms who didn't win their MOCs' slates.
Since the NWL is one big competitive slate, everyone is listed top to bottom by WCS ( this is why you continue to update your file until the file completion deadline at the end of FEB).
Therefore, the top 150 by WCS, non MOC slot winners, get the NWL slots.
b) WP can then throw out the WCS and appoint candidates who help them round out the class. This must be done at a ratio of 3:1 MOC noms to Service Connected noms. These are called 'Additional Appointees'

This is my best understanding of the NWL.
I seriously doubt that the selection of appointees happens in this exact order. It is too complex of a shell game determining which slot a candidate gets.
If you have multiple noms, you may think you have X slot, but you may not. Some of these slots are not determined for awhile.

To conclude -
being on the NWL is a good thing. It means you are 3Q'd.
If you don't get a MOC slot, then you can compete for one of the 150 NWL slots as a Qualified Alternate.
If you don't get a MOC or Service Connected slot, then you can be appointed as an Additional Appointee.

Thank you. I've been trying to understand the NWL process and there are so many threads out there and this was one of the best distillations of the concept. That said, I'm still somewhat uncertain. If you are 3Qed, are you placed on the NWL even before the congressional nomination interviews? What if you don't get on the slates for your congressman or senators? Do you remain on the NWL, or are you then removed?
 
Another zombie thread (2016) is reawakened, on an ever-popular topic.

The 3Q process is happening parallel to nom processes. They can be running even, or one can be ahead of the other.

As the SA methodically moves through its process of building the class, as noted in a post above, it will figure out where it wants various appointments to be charged, including all the categories the SA itself controls. The NWL serves its purpose as a place for 3Q candidates to hang out while this process is occurring. At some point, when all offers have been made and the class is essentially built, the NWL for the cycle will have served its purpose.

If you haven’t already, read the Sticky at the top of this forum. For a deeper dive on the noms controlled by the SA, see:
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33213.pdf
 
If you are 3Qed, are you placed on the NWL even before the congressional nomination interviews?
I don't know if they actually do this, but it does work as a mental model. After all, it really doesn't matter when you get placed on it, but using this as a model can help the academy process some things that Capt MJ describes in parallel. Once you receive an appointment you're taken off the NWL in this mental model. It may not be right, but that's how I would implement it, and it works as a mrntal model of the process.

Therefore I don't know why the NWL is referred to as 'dreaded'. It's a part of the normal process and once the MOC appointments are accounted for, the remaing top 150 will also receive an appointment.
 
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Thank you for the posters helping to explain what I find to be a very complicated process. I think I now understand that the top 150 are pulled from the list of candidates who got on a nomination slate, but did not win that slate. My question is if you are an "additional appointee," does that mean you also have been on your MOCs slate? Or can an "additional appointee" be someone who is 3Qed, but did not get on their MOCs list at all?
 
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