LOA

Reading about and hearing through the regional grapevine about a number of LOA's coming out has gotten me a little worried. Son has applied to all the service academies, but we are not a military family and this process is very confusing. He completed everything including medical clearance and ALO interview by the end of September, but he hasn't heard anything. Should he ask his admissions counselor about the likelihood of receiving an LOA or candidate visit? He was warned at summer seminar not to be impatient, so we have taken a "hands-off" approach, but now we are wondering if he should be more proactive.
I believe that his stats are good in comparison to others we have seen on this forum and from our region (probably one of the least competitive regions in the nation). He has a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 32 ACT, three-sport letterman, all county in two sports, captain of football team, NHS, FCA president, debate team captain, yearbook editor, a part-time job (5 hours per week), and has over 1,000 documented community service hours in the last three years. His teachers showed him copies of the recommendations that they completed on his behalf, and all were glowing.

My question is should he be doing something at this point? Contacting someone? Emphasizing how committed he is to this path? Expressing continued interest? Asking for a candidate visit? He is not worried and thinks that he needs to do what he was told at summer seminar, but as a parent who wants to advise his son correctly and hearing report after report about other kids getting notifications, I am concerned that I should be advising him to do more. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I certainly don't want to tell him to do the wrong thing at this point.
 
I know how you feel...the year my kid applied, she was told she was a great candidate, had a coach tracking her app (though she was not a blue chip), did everything early and finished all her clearances before school started early September). She was even invited for DVP (diversity visitation) in early November. She still did not hear until the end of February even though her ALO was pretty sure she was reviewed at the first review in October. That was the class of 2016 and they said numbers were going to be super low (and they were), but still I felt like I heard that "a lot" of LOAs and appointments were being doled out ahead of her. The fact is, it wasn't "a lot"; it was only a handful, and I was just anxious and paranoid. My kid was not on this forum, so she didn't know any different and was just fine and continued on with her senior year. So while I know exactly how you feel, I suggest you just relax, make sure your kid is paying as much attention to his plan B applications as he needs to, and support him in having a successful and enjoyable senior year. They will find out soon enough, and then life starts to fly by at warp speed and you'll have a whole new set of things to start worrying about! :) Good luck to him and to you...and congrats for supporting him this far.
 
Deep breaths.

USAFA is the stingiest of the SAs to hand out LOAs. There are several posters that have LOAs from other SAs and nothing from USAFA.

LOAs are very rare. Yes, you might see a lot on this forum, BUT these are people like you that search out the info.

There are thousands upon thousands that become candidates with an MOC nomination, BUT maybe 150-250 or 5% that get the LOA.

We all want to believe our kid is the best. My DS had a slightly lower cgpa (9 APs and jump start), higher ACT. 33 best sitting/34 super score. Athletics, junior olympian medalist for TKD, part timr job was lifeguard with 23 saves, National Merit Semi Finalist, Habitat for Humanity, NHS, FHS, NYLF, BS, etc.etc.etc.

He did not get an LOA.

The SAs are on par with Harvard, Yale Princeton, so on and so forth. The appointment chances are @ 16% from the application pool.

An LOA is 5-10% of that 16% pool. Unlike MOC charges they look at it from a national pool. MOC nominations are Geo centric at first. Think of an LOA as an early admission from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UPenn, Stanford, MIT.
 
+1 to Pima. Keep in mind the vast majority of appointments won't happen until late winter/early spring. Patience. I do have one suggestion about what to do in the interim. Work plans B, C, D, and E.
 
Just curious about LOAs. Is USAFA stingy on them or is it just too early in the process to start seeing them?
 
I received a LOA from the Air Force Academy on 10/30. I think the Air Force Academy issues them later than Naval Academy and West Point because I received LOAs from those two in September and early October, respectively.
 
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