I've asked about how common they are before but I have another question: are people with LOAs people that USNA has looked at for athletics? and if not what are the grades and test scores that most LOA recipients have, or is it a case by case thing?
I know this sounds cynical but I'm of the opinion that many of the LOAs go out to academic superstars, mostly to bring up the class average to make up for those who are appointed for reasons other than their academic abilities.
But I can assure you the criteria for selecting LOA recipients is not merely through examining the academic aspects of candidates. It is most definitely on a case-by-case basis and somehow through other means they must have determined that I will do well at the Academy.
Going back to the sports thing for a moment, if you ask to be considered for recruiting and the coaches dont like you, can that hurt your chances of either an LOA or just an appointment in general? if so how much?
Do LOAs count against a congrsssmans 5 total cadets that can be in the academy or are they part of the national pool?
I assume you mean an LOA recipient who recevies an appointment.
They can be charged to the MOC or to an alternate source. That determination depends on a lot of things. For example, if the LOA appointee is the principal nominee for an MOC, he/she will almost certainly be charged to the MOC. If the LOA appointee has both a competitive MOC nom and a Pres nom, he/she could be charged to the MOC, to the Pres, or be appointed out of the national pool (assuming another candidate from the MOC's slate is appointed).