Letters of Recommendation for Nomination Apps

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rlmayville

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A small question, when people are writing letters of recommendation for nomination applications, should they say something along the lines of, "I am honored to recommend ___________ for one of the service academy nominations" or should it say something more like, "I am honored to recommend __________ for a nomination to USMA/USNA/AFA/USMMA". Basically, do the recommendation letter writers need to specify an academy?
 
Depends on the entity to which the rec is going and your desires. If it's going to a SA or to an MOC and you're only applying to one SA, I'd mention it by name. If it's going to an MOC's office for which you're applying for multiple noms (assuming you aren't "forced" to choose), a more general one might work -- but should suggest you are truly interested in whichever ones you're interested in..

I would inform the recommender of your situation and let him/her choose the best wording. Also, you typically are "pleased" to recommend a student, not "honored."
 
That's a tough question. If you are asking a MOC for only one academy, then specify it. Asking the Senator for a different academy?
Then specify that one in that application package. If you are asking them for multiple academies, you'd better not specify.
 
I live in IL 10. All three of my MOCs ask for 3 letters. All three also ask for my application to come entirely in one package (which may cause a problem with ACT). I am planning on just asking the same three people to print three copies. I'll give them three envelopes addressed differently. Should I have them sign across the back as a seal and then returned the sealed rec to me?
 
Hi All,

What I did is I gave each of the 3 people an instruction sheet with exactly what they needed to do. For example on the instruction sheet it would say: address letter to Congressmen Doug Lamborn and place in the respective envelope. I had already stamped and addressed the envelopes for each rep/senator so all they had to do was change their "TO" block three times and place them in the envelopes and then put them in their mailbox. I have also heard of people simply asking the people recommending them to just place "To Whom It May Concern" in the TO block of their letter. Just put the address on the front of the envelope as the address that you want them to go to (if you want them coming back to you, put your address on them). As for the ACT scores, I can't speak for the ACT but for the SAT you can call and they will give you an official sealed score report for FREE (I had them send 3 copies to my address and them I just put them in the package that I was going to send everything else in). I hope that this is of some help to you. You don't have to do it the way I did, just simply offering one way that some people choose to do it. Good Luck on your noms.

Later,

Brian
 
SAT and ACT should report directly to your MOC......they have a number just like a university.
 
What if I took the ACT twice? Can I call ACT and request copies of both test and send both to my MOC or do they only want one?
 
That's the problem. I didn't.

If I recall, the big packet they gave me didn't have my MOC number.
 
The ACT and SAT both have numbers for the MOC, you need to look it up like the code for the colleges. You can call up college board and have them shipped directly to them, it will cost you a few bucks.
 
If you have an online account with SAT and ACT, you can direct which tests to be sent to which MOC. The code numbers are already matched to their Names, so you only need to know your MOC names.

It's very simple, just look for which test dates, incase you don't want all dates to be sent.

Letters of Rec: Son sent each recommender an instruction letter, plus resume, with white envelopes addressed to MOC, in a manilla envelope. Either hand delivered or FedExed. In the return address of the white envelope it had blank line for the person to write their name, then c/o son's name and address. On the back the recommender signed the seal. Asked recommender to put all letters back into original manila envelope and he picked it up in person or included a return fedex label.

On the instruction sheet, son explained how to address the letter, to include a RE: son's name and SSN line. Also included which area recommender should address. Leadersship, academics, sports, etc. Also, if you will have these recommenders write LOR to academy, then include those instructions and envelopes also.

When you send in the nomination packet, include a cover sheet stating what is included: (don't forget your full name and SSN)

transcript
application
essay
picture
etc
etc
3 letters of recommendation

Also, include a list of other tems that have already been ordered and will be forwarded to them from other sources:
previous high school's transcript
SAT scores
ACT scores

You may ask them to contact you if the 'other' items do not arrive.

Follow up with them about a week after once you anticipate all items have been received...
 
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