Words from ALO?

AVT

USAFA 2015
10-Year Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2009
Messages
372
Hi, so with my file done I decided to email my ALO to see how strong my file is compared to his other USAFA candidates. His reply was that I was "very competitive."
Now are there certain guidelines an ALO has to follow when talking about how competitive you are such as not revealing info about other candidates?
 
Hi, so with my file done I decided to email my ALO to see how strong my file is compared to his other USAFA candidates. His reply was that I was "very competitive."
Now are there certain guidelines an ALO has to follow when talking about how competitive you are such as not revealing info about other candidates?

I'm not sure if you're trying to get your ALO in trouble or merely wanting to know how he/she knows how competitive you are.

Google is your friend. If you rank well above the average scores of incoming cadets, have played a sport, do community service, and have impressed your ALO, then you are very competitive- and vice versa. All the ALO has to do is compare you to the previous class...

If the ALO is saying Freddy Martin is horrible compared to you, then that's over the line.
If the ALO is merely saying you have a chance compared to the rest, that's not exactly sensitive information- but maybe a real ALO will pop up and disagree.
 
I believe districts vary in competitiveness, so I merely wanted to know my standing in the area with my direct / local competition to determine the likelihood of securing a nomination from my congressman.
 
Most ALO's have reviewed a few applications in their lives. Chances are, you're not the first applicant that your ALO has processed. As such, they know what average; below average; and above average applications look like. Saying you are "very competitive" is a good sign. HOWEVER: Do not allow these words to make you believe more than what was implied. And that's that you are "Very Competitive". In other words, you pretty much did all you could do on your application, and all you can do is wait and find out.

Let's look at this from 3 different viewpoints.

1. Your application is all about you. It's not about your competition looking for nominations, other applicants in your state, other applicants in the country, or anything else. It's all about you. Were the grades and test scores you have, the best that you could do? Was your athletics, community involvement, clubs, leadership, etc... the best that you could do? Was the interviews with your ALO and/or MOC (If done yet), the best you could do? Was your CFA scores the best that you could do? If you did the best that you can do; and ONLY YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION; then there is nothing more that you can hope for. You gave it your best. You shouldn't have been doing "The Average" or "Just Enough" to get in. You should have been doing the best you could. If you did that.... Then be proud of yourself, and sit back and wait.

2. As for you receiving an appointment, your total score on your application will be compared initially to the other applicants in your congressional district and state. I can tell you right now, that if you look at the average class profile attending the air force academy, there will be a LOT of applicants who were in the top 10% academically. Team captains. 30+ACT/2000+SAT. etc... So even if you were "Very Competitive", your ALO doesn't necessarily know if another applicant in the state happens to be one of the Top-1%.

3. Finally, it all revolves around both a nomination and all other applicants. Even if you receive a nomination, you are 1 of at LEAST 30 individuals in your state who received a nomination. I say "AT LEAST", because a state like Wyoming with only 1 representative, will have 10 nominations for the representative, and 10 each for each senator. However; a state like California will have around 550 nominations. 530 for 10 each of 53 representative, and 10 more each for the 2 senators. And that is the thing.... Not only is it: "Are you competitive, or even VERY competitive... but what about all those other nominees.

Now, I'm not saying any of this to discourage you. But there's 2 things you need to realize. 1) There are parts of the process that you CAN control and 2) There are parts that you have absolutely NO CONTROL over. If you've done the best you can, and you have (Or might have) a nomination, then that is all you can do. You can't control another applicant in your district or state that happened to have a 36ACT/2400SAT; 4.0gpa; #1 class ranking; captain of the football team; volunteers 200 hrs in a semester for charities; works part time; etc... There isn't one thing you can do about those. So don't let it trouble you. Remember "Serenity"!!! to accept the things you can not change. Courage to change the things you can. And mainly WISDOM, to tell the difference. Best of luck to you. Relax. Enjoy life. MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR APPLICATIONS IN FOR OTHER SCHOOLS!!! Best to you. Mike......
 
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