Not sure what question you are asking...are you asking about the high school process or the campus based process. Since your Cadet is a sophomore I'm assuming you are asking about getting contracted or competing for a campus based scholarship. I would tell you that each school does things a little differently, so I can only tell you how things are done at Clarkson. We hold a board each semester and we have a standing order of merit list we use when we are allocated scholarships. If one of my Cadets is likely to not get a scholarship then I will talk to him/her about contracting and considering GRFD or SMP options. I would guess at the SMCs the cadre would be the ones to ask about status.
If your Cadet is likely to be competitive the program may be waiting to see if there will be scholarships available for his year group before they try to contract him. Once he contracts he's not going to get a scholarship (in most cases), so there is no rush to contract. He may not know anything for sure until the end of this year in some cases. HE needs to ask his cadre if he's concerned about his status