Nom with LOA in hand

Vista123

5-Year Member
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Aug 5, 2011
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1,179
just curious...
I have read this board through and am missing the answer to this question. (though I am sure its there somewhere-so I apologize)

If an LOA was issued and the only item needed is a nomination, I understand it is only one nomination required. 2 Senators do not interview-the packet just goes in front of a board who decides. They announce first wk in December. The State Representative interviews later in December and announces at the end of December.

If by some stroke of luck, DS get a nomination from one of the 2 Senators, is it to his benefit to still interview with the representative? Why or why not? Thank you.
 
Yes, it helps for flexibility for the Academies to use different nomination sources if needed.

Our son had an LOA and was on the nomination slates from both Senators. He was asked to also interview with our Representative after he already had the two Senate nominations. Having the Representative nomination allowed USAFA to move his nomination source from one Senator to another, and then eventually to our Representative. This opened up the Senator's nominations to other candidates in the state that the Academy wanted.

Stealth_81
 
Senators from our state ask that you withdraw your application if you receive a nomination from the first Senate interview. But you can get a second from your Congressional Representative or another for a Presidential. DD had a LOA . Two nominations and a medical DQ. Get all they can. and fight for the appointment. DQ overturned and now a USNA Graduate. Two or three nominations are better than one. More slots to fit them in.
 
If by some stroke of luck, DS get a nomination from one of the 2 Senators, is it to his benefit to still interview with the representative? Why or why not? Thank you.

It does not benefit him at all. If he has a LOA contingent on a nomination, all he needs is one.

But as Stealth said, it benefits the academy if you have one of each, as they can move the appointment to a different nomination source and use that slot for another candidate in your district/state if needed.
 
As Luigi says .You only need one. Appliction and Appointment.
 
For USMA, our guidance for candidates in that situation has been that if they have the nomination in hand (with an LOA) that they should still pursue other nominations. Once the appointment is in hand, the decision has been made and they no longer need to. So for many of my candidates the senators interviewed in late October and early Nov and announced within a couple weeks, while some of the congressmen waited until as late as January to even interview. So frequently LOA candidates received their actual appointment before the next interview, in which case we have been instructed that they no longer need to do that.
 
This is one of those catch-22's. If you take your LOA and the first nomination and stop; you benefit your state. If you have an early appointment with a presidential nomination and you DON'T seek any nominations from your MOC, then you benefit your state. If you have an appointment and more than one nomination, then you benefit the academy.

e.g. You receive an appointment in November with a presidential nomination. Your state has 2 senator slots open and 1 representative slot open. (Use my state cause it's small and we only have 3 moc's). But you go for the MOC nominations anyway and get one. Instead of your state getting 4 appointments; yours with the presidential and the 3 MOC slots; the academy takes your Presidential away from you and give it to another applicant eligible for a presidential some where else in the country. You still get your appointment, but you have to use the MOC slot. Hence, your state gets 3 appointments that year instead of 4. (This is EXACTLY what happened in our state 2 years back). We had more MOC slots than the example of 3, but we lost one to a presidential APPOINTEE, because the individual also had MOC nominations and the academy took the presidential away and gave it to someone else.

So my suggestion is simple. Only worry about appointments. If you have an appointment in your hand based on whatever nomination, and you care about your state, then call your MOC's, tell them you already have an APPOINTMENT, and respectfully decline a nomination from them. Now; if you don't actually have an APPOINTMENT in your hands, then you apply for all the nominations you can.
 
DS received a LOA last week. From what I understand from the letter, he WILL receive an appointment if he is successful obtaining a nomination. Does this mean he just has to make the slate of 10, or does he need to be ranked #1? Secondly, can having an LOA work against the candidate in the nomination process? Would the MOC say "well he has an LOA, West Point will get him in, why don't we give the nom to another kid". Wouldn't this increase the chances for more appointments from his district/state? Or would the MOC be more likely to nominate DS knowing that if he does then DS will be appointed, thereby not chancing the nom on someone who may not be appointed? Thx.
 
DS received a LOA last week. From what I understand from the letter, he WILL receive an appointment if he is successful obtaining a nomination. Does this mean he just has to make the slate of 10, or does he need to be ranked #1? Secondly, can having an LOA work against the candidate in the nomination process? Would the MOC say "well he has an LOA, West Point will get him in, why don't we give the nom to another kid". Wouldn't this increase the chances for more appointments from his district/state? Or would the MOC be more likely to nominate DS knowing that if he does then DS will be appointed, thereby not chancing the nom on someone who may not be appointed? Thx.

1. Yes, he can be ANYWHERE on the slate of 10. He doesn't need to be #1
2. An LOA doesn't work against him normally. If he has a "decent" application, then the MOC's will talk to each other and one of them will give him a nomination.

What I have seen happen, was someone getting an LOA who was ONLY good at athletics. Yes, they met the MINIMUM requirements in the other areas; but BARELY. And because they had basically nothing else going for them, none of the MOC's would give him a nomination. And YES, I have seen individuals with LOA's NOT RECEIVE an appointment, because they didn't receive a nomination.

But what a candidate needs to do is to apply for their nominations with as much intensity as they would if they didn't have an LOA. Definitely don't think you "HAVE IT MADE" because you got an LOA. Like I've said; there have been plenty of LOA candidates who didn't receive a nomination or appointment. Some because the applicant didn't keep trying to do better on their ACT/SAT/GPA/etc... and assumed they were a shoe in. So apply to your MOC's for a nomination like your life and future depended on it. "IT DOES".
 
As for increasing the slots for the district/state; I wanted to answer this separately. If the MOC knows what they're doing; "Believe it or not, they aren't all the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to military appointments". There is an easy way for them to stack the deck in the state's/district's favor.

All the MOC has to do is to present a RANKED SLATE. Most simply provide 10 names and lets the academy choose their appointment. The MOC is allowed to provide a ranked or principal nomination method. If they make someone their #1 principal or a complete ranked list of 10 names, then the academy MUST TAKE their #1 candidate. And if your son is #10, being he has an LOA, the academy MUST TAKE HIM TOO. But if the MOC simply gives a list of 10 names and lets the academy choose; then the academy will probably make your son the ONLY CHOICE from that list.

So; the MOC can actually make this to his/her benefit. But only if they know what they're doing. And not all of them; or their staff; do know. See; i might be an ALO and officially work for the academy; but I believe in the State's rights and responsibilities. I personally would like to see the MOCs ALWAYS present a RANKED LIST.
 
Thank you Christcorp for that excellent answer. DS has fairly strong academics (31 ACT) so hopefully that will help, not hurt his chances. GO ARMY!
 
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