Nominations

Hi everyone,

I realize the nomination deadline for current juniors is a little after summer; however, just as the Academies have rolling admissions, is it better if one sends his/her nomination application earlier? Thank you!

The nomination and SA application processes are separate but parallel. Your application is submitted to USNA and it's generally better to complete it earlier than later.

Nomination packets are submitted to individual MOCs. Each has his/her own deadline. There is really no benefit in submitting those early b/c MOCs do NOT operate on a rolling basis. They wait until they have all of the applications and then go through their decision process. However, don't miss their deadlines!

You won't be offered an appointment until your application is complete, you are medically qualified and (in most cases) you have secured at least one nomination.

I concur with usna1985, but would recommend contact with the local offices of MOCs to get on their mailing lists. Several of the local MOC's, including both Senators, have a practice of holding Service Academy Information Events in the spring to announce their deadlines, application forms, etc, and to permit the SAs to present their cases to the prospects. It is important that you are on the mailing lists of your sources of nomination.

1964BGO said:

I concur with usna1985, but would recommend contact with the local offices of MOCs to get on their mailing lists. Several of the local MOC's, including both Senators, have a practice of holding Service Academy Information Events in the spring to announce their deadlines, application forms, etc, and to permit the SAs to present their cases to the prospects. It is important that you are on the mailing lists of your sources of nomination.

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Get your application in as early as you can (some item will be the "long pole"... for me it was that I had to wait for school to reopen in September to get an official transcript). All MOC's have different applications and different deadlines -- it is not a cut and paste process. It took longer than I expected once I cracked open the applications, especially the essays. If you are the typical SA applicant, when school opens you'll be ramping up on varsity sports, trying to get launched into multiple AP classes, and also wrestling with addressing the various things you need to get done for the SA application process itself. So the nomination process hits right during that perfect storm.

Also, speaking from my own experience (received appointments to USMA and USNA, with nominations from multiple sources; I'm heading to USMA Class of 2016): You want the MOC's Nomination Coordinator (it's usually one person) to recognize your name when you actually submit your application. Find out their name and expect that if you do contact them it will likely take days for them to get back to you because mine, at least, were swamped with applicants. They are the ones who will shepherd your application through the process, set up your interview(s) with the interviewing committee (usually 2 to 4 people who interview you all at once), and who will notify you of results, etc. They are essentially your broker in the deal to get your application into the hands of a busy MOC who only wants to look over maybe a couple of dozen prospects, if at all. Some MOCs from what I have heard/read just have their nomination coordinator tell them who the winners are, although I'd like to belive that's not true and maybe it is just a baseless rumor. I had had personal interactions with the nom coordinators for two of my three MOCs before they ever read my name on paper (met one at an event like @1964BGO describes, and the other one I had to call for a specific question/issue and we ended up talking a few times). I believe it helped me. But be respectful of their time and make sure you do not call them with a question whose answer is right on the SA page of the MOC's website.

Also, be aware that they talk amongst each other regularly, and so if you shine with one (or, conversely, somehow alienate one) it will get around. I was lucky enough to be in the former category.

Good luck. And, by the way, you should also consider USMA. They teach you how to swim there too.