Accepted to at least 3 Service Academies?

[Academy_Questions]

This really belongs in all the forums, but i'll just put it here:

Who here has recieved an appointment to USNA, USAFA, and USMA?

how did you make your decision?
just curious

 

[Pmarol]

My son went through this last year. He also landed great colleges with ROTC options. Zaphod's post about ROTC versus academy decided him for an academy. He knew he wanted military but had to work to narrow it down. He went over the various options possible in all three and for him, USNA fit him the best. After he visited (not a summer seminar kid), he called me and said "USNA, this is the right thing to do." For him, it was the large variety of options as he wasn't sure what he wanted to pursue. He's under the Pacific somewhere right now, celebrating his 19th birthday. Probably happy as can be. He trusted his gut instinct along with his options list and has told me repeatedly that it was the right choice. I was at ease because from my perspective, he couldn't lose! Every option he had was great!

 

[usna1985]

Realize that for most candidates, being appointed to all three (actually 5) SAs is not a realistic option, no matter how qualified they are, b/c of MOC nom issues. In many parts of the country, MOCs make you rank the SAs or simply state your preference and you'll be likely to get one nom to one SA b/c there are so many qualified candidates in your state/district. (USCGA doesn't require noms, of course).

I realize that it does happen for some -- typically either b/c they have the Pres nom option or b/c they live in a less populous state/district. But it is really only postponing the decision. Everyone starts out having the option to apply to all 5 SAs. That list ultimately must be whittled down to only one. Whether you do it before you start your applications or after you have 5 offers of appointment, the final result is the same.

 

[gdesena]

I had appointments to all three, but as USNA1985 brought up, those of us who did are in less populous areas. CO district 4 wasn't extremely competitive this year, so I was able to get nominations for all three that I asked for from my congresswoman. (I had LOAs to those 3 + MMA)

I had applied to all of them in case I didn't get the one I wanted because I would have been happy at any of them, but if there is one you absolutely want, then it may not be worth applying to all. I wanted to go to USNA all along, so it wasn't too hard to decide when I got the appointment (which was the last one I got).