1 Nomination for 2 Academies?

Aronson

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I want to apply to both West Point and The USNA. I was wondering whether or not I need a separate nomination for each one or if I can use the same nomination for both. How likely is it that I would be able to get a nomination for both?
 
Aronson said:
I want to apply to both West Point and The USNA.

Congratulations on your decisions. I HIGHLY recommend you apply now to both summer programs. It will give you an idea of what each is like.


Aronson said:
I was wondering whether or not I need a separate nomination for each one or if I can use the same nomination for both.

You will need two nominations, one for each. However, you will probably find that with each nominating source that they are very similiar except for possibly the essays. In one you will have to describe how your entire life all you have every wanted to do is live in a foxhole and eat sand. In the other you will have to describe how all you have ever wanted to do is fly fighters off carriers.


Aronson said:
How likely is it that I would be able to get a nomination for both?
If you can resolve to yourself and to the MOC boards the dichotomy of your above decisions, it should not be a problem at all. Seriously, a lot apply for both and are successful. There have been a few rumblings on these forums about MOCs calling such candidates greedy but, by in large, it is no problem. Actually it is viewed as a positive in that you have transcended a mere career and are now in the realm of "I just want to serve my country, sir!"
 
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I must confess a thought about this multiple academy thing though, and welcome being straightened away ...

IF one's dream is to ... live in the fox hole, fly that plane, save that drowning merchant seaman, or getting that merchant tanker safely to harbor, or whatever ... why the multiples.

It strikes me as possibly lacking focus ... OR ... that one's focus is on an SA education vs. the real endgame. The mission of each SA is distinctive from the others and specific. Heaven forbid if the applicant envisions a "free" education. Indeed these are magnificent gifts to their recipients, but not without cost.
 
Whistle Pig said:
It strikes me as possibly lacking focus ... OR ... that one's focus is on an SA education vs. the real endgame. The mission of each SA is distinctive from the others and specific. Heaven forbid if the applicant envisions a "free" education. Indeed these are magnificent gifts to their recipients, but not without cost.

There is some overlap but this too is a question with which I struggle constantly and, hence, my snide remarks above. I only applied to one Academy, my son only applied to one, and most of my friends only applied to one.

Realizing the most pre-induction ambitions will change, I still give more credence to the "all I have ever wanted to do is sit in a foxhole" than to the "all I have ever wanted to do is serve my country anyway possible". The anyway possible, of course, raises the "free education" flag as also does it the "I am not really focused and haven't really looked into the various career paths enough to make a decision" flag. My cousin will be graduating from the Academy in May. Ever since I have known him, it has been F-18s. Since selection night was in November and he would know his flight school date, I asked him at Christmas when it was, just to see if he had listened to any of my "get there early" advice. Guess what? He is going subs. The sub bonus did it, I guess.

My son, at the age of six, trick-or-treated in a Blue Angel flight suit, when asked by his BGO, a helo pilot, what he would do if he didn't get jets, since most didn't, and would have to fly something like helos. He told the BGO that he would, to avoid any further military commitment, shoot his foot off. A helo pilot myself, I cringed. Four years later, when interviewing for career selection with the senior Naval Aviator stationed at the Academy, a P-3 pilot, he was asked the same question. The Captain, Director of Admissions, a company classmate and personal friend, received the same answer. I am sure during flight school after less-than-stellar flights when he was politicking for a reflight, he threatened the same thing to his instructors. Bottom line, I don't have a one-legged dependent; he is flying jets. I know he is living his life-time dream.

Because I am a black-and-white person, I will give a quicker nod to a candidate such as my son than the other, even though I feel that it is wrong.

For anything other than a specific focus, no matter how absurd and how likely it is to change, I spend a lot more time digging to ascertain true motives. And I am usually surprised to find they are just as focused as someone willing to shoot his foot off if he cannot have his first choice.
 
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Thanks for the response! I got accepted into West Point's Summer Seminar, and I'm getting up early tomorrow so I can apply for Navy in the morning (application goes up on the 1st of FEB.)

To be honest, I've wanted to go to a service academy since 6th grade. I always knew I'd serve the USA for a period, but believed that the Academies only took some super human and that I'd never be good enough. Then I realized that if I worked hard enough, I could be one of those superhumans able to go there. I originally wanted to go to West Point, but I live in Maryland and I LOVE navy as well. If I went to West Point, I'd want to be infantry, and if I go to Navy, I'd want to be a Marine or a SEAL. I am split 50/50 on this, so I'm hoping the Summer Seminars will be able to help me decide.
 
Super. I am glad. After rereading my posts, I was afraid I may have gotten into a philosophical conversation with another parent and ignored your needs. Either choice would be great.
 
Aronson,
If you want to apply to two academies or five academies then do it. You are what 16 years old? 17 maybe - you are free to explore all your options and change your mind. I dont believe it will make you a lesser candidate.

My daughter applied to three academies and two civilian schools. Everyone she talked to affiliated with the Army or West Point encouraged her to apply to other academies.
Don't forget to apply to ROTC for a scholarship as well, for a back up plan.

Here in PA when she applied for her nomination - the senators made her pick one academy - for her interview.
Her congressman had her rank her choices. He has been known to give nominations to more that one academy to a candidate. The fact that she applied to multiple academies was not an issue in her interview at all. No one questioned her motives or her desire.

In Maryland, a nomination for USNA can be very competitive - depending on what district you are in. You should apply for as many nominations as possible from all your sources. This will increase your chance of getting a nomination.
If down the road you decide you really want one branch of service over another then great - you can always withdraw your application.
Good Luck and don't let anyone force you into a decision you aren't ready to make.
 
Just_A_Mom said:
If you want to apply to two academies or five academies then do it.

Do it, but do it at your peril, especially if you live in a very competitive geographic area. Applying to the academies -- no problem. Applying for noms -- problem.

Let me tell you the sad tale of one of my outstanding candidates. He applied to USMA and USNA -- loved the "foxhole" but didn't know if he wanted an Army foxhole or a Marine Corps one. Wanted to wait for CVW to decide. The MOCs around here force you to apply early and pick one SA and only 1. So, this candidate picked USMA for 2 MOCs and USNA for the other. USMA nom came through; USNA didn't. It was the last decided -- too late to change his pick on the others. So, he's triple Q'ed w/o a nom.

My recommendation (especially for those in competitive geographic areas) is to pick one SA and give it your all. (The only exception is applying to USCGA, which doesn't require noms). You're going to have to decide sometime -- might as well be when applying for your noms. If you try to "game the system" or hedge your bets, you risk being disappointed by not getting the nom you wanted. Or, if you apply to several academies, be prepared -- be FULLY prepared -- to accept any of them if that's the one that works out. If you'll be disappointed with any one -- don't even apply there b/c Murphy's Law says that's the one you'll end up with.

Finally, if you're lucky enough to be an outstanding candidate in a sparsely populated area and/or your MOCs don't require you to pick only 1 SA, still consider that you need to choose at some point and it might as well be early on.
 
usna1985 said:
Finally, if you're lucky enough to be an outstanding candidate in a sparsely populated area and/or your MOCs don't require you to pick only 1 SA, still consider that you need to choose at some point and it might as well be early on.

I could argue both sides of this one with myself all day and probably still never reach a decision.

Flying-Either USAFA or USNA (if one can truly call AF aviation, flying).
My understanding is that competition for both USAFA and USNA are very geographic dependent. West is USAFA and East is USNA. Here in NC, I routinely see AFA candidates rank as high on the Senatorial slate as they do on the Representative's USNA slate. I think if I lived in the East and my first choice was USNA, I would ride USAFA as long as allowed. And vice versa for a western state.
 
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Luckily, my congressman went to my school. I already spoke to him like 4 days ago in person, but we'll see where the process goes from here. Hopefully Summer Seminars will help me decide. I got up at 5:30 this morning to apply for the USNA, so I'll keep you guys posted on how that goes.
 
USNA69 said:
Flying-Either USAFA or USNA (if one can truly call AF aviation, flying). My understanding is that competition for both USAFA and USNA are very geographic dependent. West is USAFA and East is USNA. I think if I lived in the East and my first choice was USNA, I would ride USAFA as long as allowed. And vice versa for a western state.

Good point. I agree that there are merits to both sides. It really comes down to weighing several issues.

(1) Is it more important to go to A/any service academy than to one in particular?
(2) Would you be happy/satisfied at all to which you're applying?
(3) Would you rather fulfill your dream via ROTC or OCS if you don't get into the SA of your choice (i.e., is your dream flying off carriers or just flying?)?

There is no right answer to these questions. There are risks to putting all your eggs in one basket and to spreading yourself too thin. However, it should be a well-thought out decision. Applying to mulitple SAs (other than USCGA) is much more complicated -- and can have unintended and unexpected consequences -- than applying to multiple civilian schools.
 
Unfortunately, growing up in the AF, people give advice that meant well, but they are not B&G's, ALOs, or MALOs. SEVERAL people suggested to my son to apply to all academies, not just one. Their reasoning was "It looks better to congressmen/senators." That you want to serve your country and you don't care how, you'll get your top pick. Since my hub didn't do academy, we knew not!

I don't know if it was ever that way, or they perceived it to be that way. That's why my son applied to three. Received noms to three, seriously considered two (AF as a courtesy to my husband), but only desired one; Navy.

While moping around, waiting for any sign of life from USNA, he resigned himself to, "Well..... if I get AFA, I guess I'll go there." :frown: Sigh.

He's fortunate he got his choice; his heart was always at USNA!
 
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