Nomination Process Experience "Lessons Learned"

Airborne SIX

Airborne SIX

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Joined
Dec 28, 2023
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Our DS accepted his appointment for the USMMA Class of 2028 and hope this timeline may ease the waiting game.

2023
29SEP: Nomination Packet Submitted to SEN Kaine (Virginia) and Congresswoman Wexton (Virginia)
1OCT: Deadline for Nomination Packet to VA Representatives
9NOV: On-Site Interview with Congresswoman Wexton
19DEC: Received Nomination to USMMA via FEDEX from SEN Kaine

2024
16FEB: Received Phone Call from Congresswoman Wexton- Congratulating DS for nomination to the USMMA
21FEB: Received Appointment Letter from USMMA via FEDEX

Top 3 Observations:
Ensure you follow up on your DODMERs status 2-3 times a week to ensure no additional information is needed. Use the DODMERs Point of Contacts provided. They are most helpful and respond in 24-48 hours for any actions or concerns.
Build relations with your state and local representatives' staffers to ensure packet process is complete. Leverage their experience to shape your nomination packet requirements.
You WILL wait. Search this forum. This was much helpful in understanding the process and found many issues my DS had and found answers to mitigate.

All the best to you and your DS/DD. The journey is so worth it!
 
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Airborne SIX said:
Our DS accepted his appointment for the USMMA Class of 2028 and hope this timeline may ease the waiting game.

2023
29SEP: Nomination Packet Submitted to SEN Kaine (Virginia) and Congresswoman Wexton (Virginia)
1OCT: Deadline for Nomination Packet to VA Representatives
9NOV: On-Site Interview with Congresswoman Wexton
19DEC: Received Nomination to USMMA via FEDEX from SEN Kaine

2024
16FEB: Received Phone Call from Congresswoman Wexton- Congratulating DS for nomination to the USMMA
21FEB: Received Appointment Letter from USMMA via FEDEX

Top 3 Observations:
Ensure you follow up on your DODMERs status 2-3 times a week to ensure no additional information is needed. Use the DODMERs Point of Contacts provided. They are most helpful and respond in 24-48 hours for any actions or concerns.
Build relations with your state and local representatives' staffers to ensure packet process is complete. Leverage their experience to shape your nomination packet requirements.
You WILL wait. Search this forum. This was much helpful in understanding the process and found many issues my DS had and found answers to mitigate.

All the best to you and your DS/DD. The journey is so worth it!
Click to expand...
Hi! I am also from VA 10 with Wexton, my process was a little different than yours in terms of nomination which I find interesting. I had my interview on October 26th and got my nomination notification via email with no phone call on December 12th. Was the phone call for the nomination or the appointment to USMMA?
 
Hi. The phone call was for the nomination to USMMA. Our DS did not get an email notification from Wexton. We tried to email her staff for a status with now luck. Just glad we received a nomination from SEN Kaine prior to Christmas.
 
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A big thing that I learned from the USNA BGO and later from some others during this Nomination process is this:

If you intend on applying to multiple service academies, then make sure you spread your preferences out with the various nomination sources. The "easiest" to get is your local representative since the applicant pool is much shallower, so your first choice in SA should be your first preference there. If you have a strong second then make sure at least one of the 2 Senators gets that choice as first preference.

We were not fully aware at the time of application that the nominations are SA specific so they were all sought with the first choice as first preference, which effectively made applying anywhere else all but a waste of time.

Just my 2 cents...I am sure others will disagree, but it was advice given to my by several people that we received months too late!
 
"Gaming" your SA choices with the idea that somehow improves your chance for a MOC NOM is a really bad idea and can end up with getting a NOM to someplace you really did NOT want to attend. Many older threads on that topic. You have NO idea who else is applying this year or what the strength of those applicants might be.
 
Gaming the system...comes up every year. As @time2 says, it's worth looking at older threads about this.

The system of giving different preferences to different MOCs -- three versions, theoretically -- can work just fine if you're really, truly, genuinely open to attending any of the SAs that you list. Maybe, just maybe, you'll get a nom to at least one. Or maybe, just maybe, none at all. It's hardly a proven system, and there are plenty of anecdotes about it backfiring.

DD didn't do this, but an example of how listing your preferences -- even the same one consistently -- doesn't always pan out. In all three MOC applications, DD listed USNA #1 and USMA #2. She reiterated that order in her interviews.

The results: She received a principal nom...to USMA. She received a standard nom...to USNA. It all worked out in the end, as she's now a Marine out of USNA. But there you have it.
 
I will preface with my DS got a nom to the 3 SAs he applied to, so this doesn’t come from a place of bitterness. We have a MOC that only allows you to list one SA while the others allow you to rank preference. DS top two were USMMA and USNA. He “knew” he was going to get a nom for USMMA from one MOC so he chose USNA as his one choice for the other MOC. He didn’t get a nom from that MOC that allows only one choice and there were no noms given for USMMA by this MOC. I hate that if one of those students maybe was considering USMMA (even as a second choice) and potentially ended up with no noms because they only got one choice.
Our state has historically low enrollment at USMMA, this could be one reason.
 
Airborne SIX said:
Our DS accepted his appointment for the USMMA Class of 2028 and hope this timeline may ease the waiting game.

2023
29SEP: Nomination Packet Submitted to SEN Kaine (Virginia) and Congresswoman Wexton (Virginia)
1OCT: Deadline for Nomination Packet to VA Representatives
9NOV: On-Site Interview with Congresswoman Wexton
19DEC: Received Nomination to USMMA via FEDEX from SEN Kaine

2024
16FEB: Received Phone Call from Congresswoman Wexton- Congratulating DS for nomination to the USMMA
21FEB: Received Appointment Letter from USMMA via FEDEX

Top 3 Observations:
Ensure you follow up on your DODMERs status 2-3 times a week to ensure no additional information is needed. Use the DODMERs Point of Contacts provided. They are most helpful and respond in 24-48 hours for any actions or concerns.
Build relations with your state and local representatives' staffers to ensure packet process is complete. Leverage their experience to shape your nomination packet requirements.
You WILL wait. Search this forum. This was much helpful in understanding the process and found many issues my DS had and found answers to mitigate.

All the best to you and your DS/DD. The journey is so worth it!
Click to expand...
Your timeline is very on point and congratulations. Only one comment: the representatives you contact are your US Congressman and US Senator. Yes, they represent your state but are federal officials, not state. It is a complex process and yes, well worth it. One other comment, I know parents want to be involved and help their child in the process but, in my experience, it is important the applicant is deeply involved. These young people are about to embark on a journey of learning, training, commitment, etc. Walking the path to a nomination/appointment is important as an experience to follow orders, details, and commitment; something they will need at an Academy and their life as an officer.
 
There are many different paths that can lead to an SA appointment. For example, ~90% are typically varsity h.s. athletes which implies that ~10% are not and still got an appointment. Building a 'relationship' with either your BGO (USNA) or MOC is NOT a required step in the application process. Many BGO's on here have discussed that in prior threads. Some candidates many only meet one time to do the BGO interview and have little/no contact after that. Some other BGO's may interact more frequently with their assigned candidates. Inventing reasons to 'check in' frequently with your BGO or MOC is unlikely to improve your chances for success.
 
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