VP Nomination

itsjustme

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Is there any confirmation that a request for a VP nomination has been received? We have heard that the nomination application is complete for our representative and both senators, but not the VP. My son has mailed it twice (once in July and then again certified in October). Given the volumn that the VP's office must receive, we weren't sure if there would be any confirmation and were not sure if we should send it again before the deadline on Saturday.
 
In the past, no confirmation notice was sent by the VP to candidates.
 
I received a confirmation notice in the mail on Saturday. My request was submitted around the second week of September.

If you do decide to send it again, I would try to mark clearly that you are sending a duplicate request because no confirmation was received. That way you might save the office some time/confusion.

Best of luck!
 
My daughter received a confirmation both from the VP's office and then several weeks later from USNA. She submitted hers back in August.
 
2 yrs ago we received a letter saying DS was submitted and for any further information contact the AFA.
 
itsjustme - if you are concerned then just call the Academy admissions department. They can tell you if it was received or not.
 
Thanks for your help. My son has called USNA and USAFA admissions and did not hear back today. Neither of those two websites are reflecting a nomination, so I guess we will send the letter again tomorrow.

Can someone confirm the mailing address? We have used the address on the form letter on the VP website:

The Vice President
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20501
Attn: Military Academy Nominations
 
USPS or FedEx

For my son's nomination packets to members of congress, we used FedEx and got delivery confirmation.

My son completed his portion, then gave the envelope with prepaid waybill for FedEx to his college counselor. The counselor gathered the various letters of recommendation from his teachers, added his transcript, the school profile and the personal profile she wrote for my son. Everything was under her control, and she sealed the envelopes; FedEx picked up all three, and I received emails from FedEx confirming the pickup, transit info, and finally delivery to the MOC's local office.

I asked my son to then call each office to make sure the packet was in the right hands, and that the file was complete. He got confirmation from two of the offices, and has left multiple messages at the third office (no callback as yet). One nomination interview is already scheduled.

Separately, we had ACT and SAT send my son's scores directly to the MOC's offices.

For the VP, the process was much more simple. He retyped the 2 page application for the VP nomination request, added the requested information, and we printed it. We sent to the address listed using USPS and sent it via Certified Mail. This way, there is proof of mailing on a certain date; confirmation of the transit, and once delivered, proof of delivery. All this confirmation is by email from USPS.

For those of you applying to the Class of 2014, you had better stop reading this now, and get everything in order and on the way. Many of the deadlines are 10/31/2009 - the VP nomination request for one must be postmarked by then. For peace of mind, don't just put a stamp on the envelope and drop it in the local mailbox. Get on over to a post office and pay for delivery confirmation, certified, or registered mail.

Mike
 
Neither of those two websites are reflecting a nomination, so I guess we will send the letter again tomorrow.

The Vice-President can only nominate 5 people for each service academy, and from what I understand they are mainly given out to top candidates who for some reason were unable to get a nomination from a MOC. It is very unlikely that ANY VP nominations have been given out thus far since the congressional nomination results aren't due to the academies until January.

The only nomination you are guaranteed to receive if you are eligible and apply is the Presidential nomination (for children of career military parents). :thumb:
 
The Vice-President can only nominate 5 people for each service academy, and from what I understand they are mainly given out to top candidates who for some reason were unable to get a nomination from a MOC. It is very unlikely that ANY VP nominations have been given out thus far since the congressional nomination results aren't due to the academies until January.

The only nomination you are guaranteed to receive if you are eligible and apply is the Presidential nomination (for children of career military parents). :thumb:

The letter my son received this week from the VP (saying that they had received his application) said that nominations would be determined in February and candidates notified in March. He did receive this confirmation letter (as many others above have mentioned) but there's certainly no word of it on his AF or Navy candidate pages since basically at this point he's just applied.
 
Thinking back I do not recall it showing up on the candidate page as a nom, even though he had the letter. They might not put it on since everyone does apply for it, and realistically only 1 or 2 will get it.
 
In the scope of things, VP only has 5 nominations to give out.

The pool of competitors is everyone in the US, active duty enlisted, NAPS, Foundation and those who may be dependents living overseas. Thousands of requests for 5 slots.

Not to be a joy killer, but the chances of a VP nom are very slim. Most candidates will secure Senator or Congressional Noms. Focus on those deadlines, most are coming up and many have passed.
 
From what I have seen over the years, kids who get a VP Nom generally have not received a nomination from another source AND they typically get notification of the nomination in conjunction with an appointment.
Remember the Academy will pick who will receive a VP nomination. I can't imagine them nominating a candidate who has another nomination.

Also, keep in mind that if someone receives a VP nomination and an appointment and turns down the appointment, the Academy is free to nominate another individual. The law says that a total of 5 students can be at the academy at any one time - that is on the average of one per year. If they have ONE VP nomination available in a given year they can continue to nominate until the candidate accepts the appointment.
 
I agree ^^^

VP is used as the method to get "the" candidate in when they can't get them in otherwise. Not saying they are not competitive, just saying that for any SA, it is like making a jig saw puzzle and they want the best candidates so they try to get them all in by manipulating the noms to their best advantage...give one under Presidential, so number 2 can come in under MOC. One under ROTC, so the other can come in under Senate. One under the Supe so they can give one to the Veep. It is a puzzle, that's why they don't even announce who you are charged to until right before BCT. There are candidates that have 5 or 6...Presidential, Veep, 3 MOCs and ROTC.
 
^^
The candidates that I have seen who got a VP nom were actually very competitive. The scenario often is similar to receiving multiple LOA's but only a nomination to ONE academy because of their MOC nomination constraints.
One reason why those with an LOA, esp mulitple LOA's really need to make the effort to secure a VP nomination.
 
I've never actually known/seen any candidates who received a VP nom/appointment. My understanding is that the VP noms are first used for candidates who may not have any other nominating source for various reasons. If there aren't enough of those great candidates to fill the 5 VP noms, they start looking at candidates in general. There is no reason to believe they are any less qualified than any other candidate.
 
Pima - I can't imagine why any academy would give a Candidate who has 3 MOC noms and a Presidential nom also a VP nomination. That would just not make any sense.

USNA1985 - just to be clear - the number is a TOTAL of 5 at the academy or about ONE nomination a year.
 
Clarification are you stating that Veeps aren't given to candidates with 4 or 5 noms?Or that they would not bring them in that way?
It would be rare JAM, but the reality is they want the best of the best, Presidential noms have a limit of 100 and run typically with 450+, then you have MOCs' 1 in 10 chance shot, take the kids from No VA, highly competitive (lots of AD and retirees), and from highly reknown hs that typically are ranked in the top 100 in the nation, many of these kids will be put on the NWL. Now the SA with them have various options, and the Veep is one of them. They can opt to place them in as Veep, to get that other candidate on the NWL off the list. It is not important how they get in, but the fact that they do get in.

I can't remember who it was on this site, but 3 yrs ago their child had 2 apptmts in hand to SAs, and the third and final came in from the Veep. We joked about it wondering if it came in a special package with a pretty bow since it is rare, she stated it didn't. The child also did not select that SA, thus, there is some 2 dig walking around with a Veep that should be thankful they rejected the apptmt. I doubt that the child with 2 apptmts in hand was a slouch with only 1 or 2 noms,but the Veep was used as a tool to get them in.

SA'a re competitive against not only "traditional" universities, but at the same time each other.

It is all about creating a puzzle, and they use the noms to get the best class.

The number is 5, and it could be more than 1 a yr, since approx. 25% of cadets will not graduate, which opens up the slate. Example: Class of 10 gets 1 VP, maxing out the 5, 11 gets 1 to stay at 5. 12 gets 2 because the 1 VP 11 left, so they can charge another. 13 gets gets 2 because 09 had 2, keeping at all times the max of 5 charged to the Veep. The rules state 5 candidates can be charged to the Veep at any given time.
 
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Pima - if they want the "best of the best" then the candidate would get in with either a Presidential - there are 100 of those or surely as the #1 MOC or at least the national pool. If you can't get in from the national pool then you are not the "best of the best".
If you live in Va and are a high quality candidate - "best of the best" who is #10 on the MOC list then you will get in from the pool.

For anyone who wants to read about a candidate who received a VP nomination read this thread: http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=2131

Here is the Mom's description of the events:
Son's 1st choice was AFA, #2 USNA, and #3 USMA. He got 1 congressional & 2 senatorial noms to AFA, 1 congressional to USNA, and nothing to USMA. He didn't even have an interview with the MALO -- no contact with him whatsoever. Then on March 30, he got two significant pieces of mail: the VP nomination AND an offer of appointment to USMA.
he got a LOA from USNA and USMA. He had to plow through a DoDMERB issue (braces). But with a promise from the orthodontist that they would be off by the end of March, he was granted a waiver from the three academies to which he applied. He did not get a LOA from AFA. However, they were the first to send an offer of appointment. Btw, since that was his first choice -- that is where he is. And for as much as one can love the first year, he is loving it and doing pretty well. We are thankful.

JAM, I think you are exactly right when you said, "...the academy uses these nominations for those candidates whom they want to appoint and who were not able to secure another nomination. In your son's case - he was left off obviously because his MOC's awarded him his first and second choices."

Yes, USMA knew he applied to other academies and that USMA was his 3rd choice. (A Maj. working in admissions called him in January. He was very forthright with his preferences.)

Pima, there was nothing fancy about the letter from Mr. Cheney. In fact, it looked just like the one he received at the beginning of the process that said something like, "thank you for requesting a nomination...we are passing your name on to the academy...don't send us any more information...we'll be in touch..." So when the nomination arrived (son was out of town) I figured it was just a "thanks, kid, but no thanks" kind of thing. I called our son to tell him that a letter had arrived and asked him if he wanted me to open it. He said yes. And then I about died from shock. "It is my pleasure to inform you that I have nominated you..." With him still on the phone, I went through the rest of the mail and on the bottom of the pile was THE big envelope from USMA. Again, with his permission, I opened it and could not believe my eyes!!
This experience parallels every other experience I have read from candidates who are selected for a VP nomination.
Last year there was much angst on this forum in the winter from kids who applied to several academies and got an LOA and no nomination to one academy and a nomination but no LOA to another academy. If they had applied for a VP nomination they would have had another chance at a nomination.

Furthermore when my daughter and I were at an Academy information session several years ago the Col talked about nominations and encouraged applying for the VP. He said the Academy picks and they normally go to candidates that the academy wants to appoint but fail to win another nomination.
 
I received confirmation on receipt from the office of the VP about 3 weeks from submission (submitted in August). I received confirmation from the USNA Nominations and Admissions last week that the information was received from the VP's office.
 
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