Hi. I'm just now starting the nomination process for the service academies. I have already started my online app for Senator Ted Cruz and I have requested an app from my congressman. My other senator is John Cornyn and I can't find an email anywhere on his website to contact his office. Has anyone in the past or is currently applying know what I should do? Thank you for your input.
Senator John Cornyn Nomination
- Thread starter Rambo2015
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ND_Candidate
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Here is a link to the page, looks like he only has the 2013-2014 application on there.
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ServiceAcademies
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ServiceAcademies
Sledge
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It doesn't look like it's open yet for the Class of 2019. Not uncommon at this point.
On his website, look under "Services" then "Service Academies."
It will probably be updated in April. I admire your eagerness. At this point, there is no hurry for 2019. Take the SAT and ACT. Get your recommendation letter writers primed for later. Summer between Junior and Senior year is a good time to work on it. They will want your six semester transcript so you couldn't finish it now even if you wanted to. His deadline will be sometime around the middle of October.
Good luck, Texan!
On his website, look under "Services" then "Service Academies."
It will probably be updated in April. I admire your eagerness. At this point, there is no hurry for 2019. Take the SAT and ACT. Get your recommendation letter writers primed for later. Summer between Junior and Senior year is a good time to work on it. They will want your six semester transcript so you couldn't finish it now even if you wanted to. His deadline will be sometime around the middle of October.
Good luck, Texan!
I applied to their offices for 2018 as well, ended up getting my nomination from my representative but I know they are gonna want some teacher recs. I recommend using the same teachers that the academies used because they're your math/science teachers. I know I asked them 2-3 weeks before summer and gave them all summer to do it. I also gave them packets of all the papers(there is a lot!)/labeled envelops/etc. and a letter thanking them for their help. I know they REALLY appreciated it!
It's great that you're starting this early, I didn't start the application process until September because I didn't have interest in USNA until I visited it in August and did further research. I finished and submitted my application in October (somewhere close to the deadline) and found out I received his nomination over Thanksgiving Break. While it is good that you're starting early, you may want to wait to submit your application to include summer activities and senior year activities/ leadership positions. It is still possible to receive a principal nomination from your Representative (As I did after I found out and told rep's office of my senatorial nomination), so be sure apply to your rep too. My stats were:
ACT: Comp-34, Eng-31, Math-35, Read-34, Sci-35
Ranked 2/450, All AP/Honors classes, 4.0 GPA
Varsity Cross Country
JROTC Battalion Commander, Armed Drill Team Commander, Academic and PT Team Commander, and on the Color Guard
National Honor Society President
SCUBA diver
Lots of Community Service
CFA: BB Throw- Average (Don't remember specifically), Maxed Push-Ups and Sit-Ups, 14 Pull-ups, 5:40 mile
Marine Corps PFT: 15 Pull-Ups, 135 sit ups, 18:55 three mile
Have your English teacher look over your essay (I had my junior and senior teacher do it) and make sure the people who write your letters of recommendation come from people who can accurately describe you and have had a lot of experience with you. This will keep your letters genuine and will avoid generic letters where you could put any kid's name in there and it would still make sense. If you have any questions about the whole application process that you want answered by a Texan, I can help you out. I also received the NROTC - Marine Option Scholarship to Rice University if you have any questions about that. Good luck!
ACT: Comp-34, Eng-31, Math-35, Read-34, Sci-35
Ranked 2/450, All AP/Honors classes, 4.0 GPA
Varsity Cross Country
JROTC Battalion Commander, Armed Drill Team Commander, Academic and PT Team Commander, and on the Color Guard
National Honor Society President
SCUBA diver
Lots of Community Service
CFA: BB Throw- Average (Don't remember specifically), Maxed Push-Ups and Sit-Ups, 14 Pull-ups, 5:40 mile
Marine Corps PFT: 15 Pull-Ups, 135 sit ups, 18:55 three mile
Have your English teacher look over your essay (I had my junior and senior teacher do it) and make sure the people who write your letters of recommendation come from people who can accurately describe you and have had a lot of experience with you. This will keep your letters genuine and will avoid generic letters where you could put any kid's name in there and it would still make sense. If you have any questions about the whole application process that you want answered by a Texan, I can help you out. I also received the NROTC - Marine Option Scholarship to Rice University if you have any questions about that. Good luck!
I received Cornyn's nomination to the AFA back in 2012. Air Force was my #1 choice at the time. Little did I know that the Texas senators talk to the house representatives...And my Congressman's policy was to "spread the wealth" and not nominate people on multiple slates, so my senator nomination was all that I had. My house rep (Olson - TX22) refused to give me an interview.
Anyway, I was stuck on a far more competitive slate (because Cornyn had the entire state to choose from) than I wouldve been on had I received my house rep's nomination. To make a long story short I wasn't selected as the #1 candidate on Cornyn's slate so I went into the national pool, where I was denied. On a side note: My nomination for Navy, thank the lord, came from a non-congressional source and I'm far happier at USNA then I think I would have been at AF.
The advice I gave my brother was not to apply for the highly competitive senator nomination in fear that he might actually get it and consequently be denied our house rep's less competitive nomination. Again, I say that our house rep's slate is less competitive because, statistically speaking, there are ~600,000 people in our district where there's ~30 million (?) people in Texas. Assuming the senators pick the most qualified candidates, if you actually get Cruz's or Cornyn's nomination you're going to be on a much, much more competitive slate than you would in your own district.
I've said this before on these forums and there was some criticism to my argument (i.e. what if the other 9 people on the house rep's slate are more competitive than a senator's? What if you weren't the most qualified on your house rep's slate, had you gotten it, and were put in the national pool anyway? you can't know...). At the very least, this is something to keep in mind going forward. Your house rep might do double nominations anyway. Best of luck.
Anyway, I was stuck on a far more competitive slate (because Cornyn had the entire state to choose from) than I wouldve been on had I received my house rep's nomination. To make a long story short I wasn't selected as the #1 candidate on Cornyn's slate so I went into the national pool, where I was denied. On a side note: My nomination for Navy, thank the lord, came from a non-congressional source and I'm far happier at USNA then I think I would have been at AF.
The advice I gave my brother was not to apply for the highly competitive senator nomination in fear that he might actually get it and consequently be denied our house rep's less competitive nomination. Again, I say that our house rep's slate is less competitive because, statistically speaking, there are ~600,000 people in our district where there's ~30 million (?) people in Texas. Assuming the senators pick the most qualified candidates, if you actually get Cruz's or Cornyn's nomination you're going to be on a much, much more competitive slate than you would in your own district.
I've said this before on these forums and there was some criticism to my argument (i.e. what if the other 9 people on the house rep's slate are more competitive than a senator's? What if you weren't the most qualified on your house rep's slate, had you gotten it, and were put in the national pool anyway? you can't know...). At the very least, this is something to keep in mind going forward. Your house rep might do double nominations anyway. Best of luck.
Pima
10-Year Member
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Shawn,
I can understand the criticism. I am happy you got an appointment, but I would not advise any candidate to not apply to all three MOCs. There are a couple of posters that followed this idea and later on they were left scrambling. One this year got an LOA after the drop dead date for MOCs, but only applied to one MOC and did not make the cut for that MOC, hence and LOA, but no nom.
I have seen this occurr for every SA. I would also say that although Cornyn says they spread the wealth, however, I know several on this site have received 2 noms. Hornet quickly comes to mind.
Back on topic.
Rambo,
1. This is a very long process, and as excited as you are to start it, trust me, you will be emotionally/mentally spent next March if you are like the normal candidate. It is called Mass Mailing March for a reason.
2. Noms. Are not rolling, iows if you submit in June on the first day it opens you will not have an answer any sooner than the candidate that paid to have it FedEx overnight so it will be in the MOCs hand on the deadline date.
~~~Trust me, read some MOC forum threads and you will realize that it is not as uncommon as you may think regarding sending in with only 3 days or less left.
Now meanwhile because you sent in your packet on June 1st, any award between that time and the close out date, let's say Sept. 30th will have to be sent piece meal, and you will have to hope that the staff keeps adding the piece meal to your file.
~~~ New SAT/ACT scores for Sept., you are sending it separately. Captain of FB or XC. The other candidate sent it in one fell swoop because they waited.
My advice wait until you are assigned a BGO/ALO/FFR. They can assist you more than you can imagine, especially when it comes to the essay portions.
A few last friendly pieces of advice.
Don't flood every forum with the same question. I.E. post the same question on USAFA, USNA and USMA.
~~~Post the question on the forum that will give you the biggest scope. In this case, the Nomination Forum. If some of the answers make you want to gain more insight on one SA compared to another than go to that forum and you will get the very specific answer.
In September when you are applying not only to the big three, but also plan B (college and ROTC scholarship}, you will have limited time, you will want to read one thread, not 4, 5 or 6.
Google and search are your best friends. I laugh every time I read a post like this because for a generation that is more tech savvy than the avg age of posters here, it feels like some see this site as the shortcut/spoon feed me forum. IOW ask the question here and they will do the research for me. Note....AFA hornet's answer.
Not trying to be offensive, I am trying to support you because once in this world you will learn that every mid/cadet is unique and you need to be in charge of your life....not to rely on anecdotal advice from anyone like me on an anonymous forum. Take the reins of control now because it will make transitioning next yr on I Day so much easier.
Good luck. Best wishes. Thank you for wanting to serve this great nation.
I can understand the criticism. I am happy you got an appointment, but I would not advise any candidate to not apply to all three MOCs. There are a couple of posters that followed this idea and later on they were left scrambling. One this year got an LOA after the drop dead date for MOCs, but only applied to one MOC and did not make the cut for that MOC, hence and LOA, but no nom.
I have seen this occurr for every SA. I would also say that although Cornyn says they spread the wealth, however, I know several on this site have received 2 noms. Hornet quickly comes to mind.
Back on topic.
Rambo,
1. This is a very long process, and as excited as you are to start it, trust me, you will be emotionally/mentally spent next March if you are like the normal candidate. It is called Mass Mailing March for a reason.
2. Noms. Are not rolling, iows if you submit in June on the first day it opens you will not have an answer any sooner than the candidate that paid to have it FedEx overnight so it will be in the MOCs hand on the deadline date.
~~~Trust me, read some MOC forum threads and you will realize that it is not as uncommon as you may think regarding sending in with only 3 days or less left.
Now meanwhile because you sent in your packet on June 1st, any award between that time and the close out date, let's say Sept. 30th will have to be sent piece meal, and you will have to hope that the staff keeps adding the piece meal to your file.
~~~ New SAT/ACT scores for Sept., you are sending it separately. Captain of FB or XC. The other candidate sent it in one fell swoop because they waited.
My advice wait until you are assigned a BGO/ALO/FFR. They can assist you more than you can imagine, especially when it comes to the essay portions.
A few last friendly pieces of advice.
Don't flood every forum with the same question. I.E. post the same question on USAFA, USNA and USMA.
~~~Post the question on the forum that will give you the biggest scope. In this case, the Nomination Forum. If some of the answers make you want to gain more insight on one SA compared to another than go to that forum and you will get the very specific answer.
In September when you are applying not only to the big three, but also plan B (college and ROTC scholarship}, you will have limited time, you will want to read one thread, not 4, 5 or 6.
Google and search are your best friends. I laugh every time I read a post like this because for a generation that is more tech savvy than the avg age of posters here, it feels like some see this site as the shortcut/spoon feed me forum. IOW ask the question here and they will do the research for me. Note....AFA hornet's answer.
Not trying to be offensive, I am trying to support you because once in this world you will learn that every mid/cadet is unique and you need to be in charge of your life....not to rely on anecdotal advice from anyone like me on an anonymous forum. Take the reins of control now because it will make transitioning next yr on I Day so much easier.
Good luck. Best wishes. Thank you for wanting to serve this great nation.