LOA's LOE's

TheNaterrater

5-Year Member
Joined
May 30, 2012
Messages
57
I am not really sure when these letters will be sent out, does anyone know? I recently received an invitation to be a drag in CVW and hope to be getting one of these letters as well.

Thanks
 
Some have reported receiving them as early as 2-3 weeks ago. I believe the bulk of them go out from Mid September through the Fall.

As many have said, while a LOA is nice to receive, the real goal is an appointment. The majority of candidates that are accepted will never receive a LOA.

Just do some research on this forum Look back through the dates and check out last September - October and you will see that they are rare.
 
I got mine in the middle of last month and it seems the athletes still haven't gotten theirs yet. I thought I would be the one waiting until May to know where I was going, it's all in the luck of the draw; I wouldn't worry about it so much because statistically so many more who get their appointments never get LOAs (especially non-athlete/minority recruits like me). Nevertheless, good luck and take advantage of the CVW, it was definitely eye-opening for me.
 
Once again, concerning LOA's: one of the conditions at this time of year is obtaining a nomination. That isn't always as easy as falling of a log (or turnip truck). Look at your latest Class Profile analytically and you will discern several interesting things about noms.
First, the nomination process is the first thinning of the flock. The last few years NAVY has been reporting more than 15k applications - that is trimmed to about 6.5k players via the nom process. The largest source of noms is Congress - usually about 4800. Next tends to be Presidential, then it drops even more drastically. Your local MOC is your best bet for a nom, hands down, so it makes sense to focus your energies there, followed by your state's two senators. REGARDLESS, be certain to apply to all sources for which you qualify - and don't forget the Vice President's nom. I have had two candidates get their offers of appointment via this route. Best wishes to all of you.
 
Once again, concerning LOA's: one of the conditions at this time of year is obtaining a nomination. That isn't always as easy as falling of a log (or turnip truck). Look at your latest Class Profile analytically and you will discern several interesting things about noms.
First, the nomination process is the first thinning of the flock. The last few years NAVY has been reporting more than 15k applications - that is trimmed to about 6.5k players via the nom process. The largest source of noms is Congress - usually about 4800. Next tends to be Presidential, then it drops even more drastically. Your local MOC is your best bet for a nom, hands down, so it makes sense to focus your energies there, followed by your state's two senators. REGARDLESS, be certain to apply to all sources for which you qualify - and don't forget the Vice President's nom. I have had two candidates get their offers of appointment via this route. Best wishes to all of you.


Concerning a "thinning of the flock". Is it not counter intuitive to say that someone who has received an LOA will be further "thinned" by the NOM process. I would gather that by virtue of the fact that said candidate received the LOA they would be considered one of the top choices for a NOM....

But, I don't know.. this process is "clear as mud"!!
 
@1964 BGO

You said in your post that candidates should focus their energies on obtaining the NOM... I am curious as to how the Candidate goes about doing that?

Once all paperwork is submitted is it not a waiting game or are they supposed to be "politicking" ? I am aware of one candidate in my DS's district who has used parental connections to obtain a "luncheon " with our Senator. Is this what you mean by focusing energies?

I PM'd another BGO about this same issue and his take on it was that it is not supposed to be a political process .

Just curious about your opinion?
 
Concerning a "thinning of the flock". Is it not counter intuitive to say that someone who has received an LOA will be further "thinned" by the NOM process. I would gather that by virtue of the fact that said candidate received the LOA they would be considered one of the top choices for a NOM....

But, I don't know.. this process is "clear as mud"!!

One never knows. The MOC may not see the candidate in the same light as the Academy. The MOC can use whatever decision process they want to make their decision. Some people who have received LOAs in the past have NOT received a nomination. Stay focused on the NOM and submit the best Nom application(s) you can. One should not coast just because one has an LOA.
 
Point well taken Kinem.... No coasting here.. DS had already finished applications to 2 other SA's , NROTC to an SMC when he got his LOA.

I was also wondering everyone's opinion on "politicking" to try to obtain a nomination?
:smile:
 
I was also wondering everyone's opinion on "politicking" to try to obtain a nomination?:smile:

Based on my experience, it is not needed, is not effective and could be counterproductive.

First, many districts and states aren't particularly competitive. In those locations, there could be fewer qualified candidates than nom slots. So not an issue.

For competitive districts/states, most (if not all) MOCs use a citizens' committee to make the decisions. Some review only paper. Some also conduct interviews. The committee (and I've served on one) is non-partisan. I had no idea who the candidates were or who their parents were (let alone their parents' political affiliations), nor did I want to know.

The most meritorious, in the view of the committee, will receive noms. The MOC rarely injects him/herself into the process other than as a rubber stamp of the committee. Of course, "most meritorious" lies in the eye of the beholder. Just as with USNA Admissions decisions, the decision as to who gets the noms is subjective. If there are interviews, a "close call" could be swayed with a good interview.

I will say that, in the time I've been doing this, I've never felt that the process was anything other than fair -- and that is regardless of the political affiliation of the MOC or the individual MOC him/herself. As I say in my Noms sticky (go to the Noms forum), I'm not naive enough to believe that if you have a personal, long-standing friendship with the MOC, it won't help. But that's different from "politicking." In our area, 600+ candidates apply for 10 slots. You can imagine the chaos if 600 sets of parents started calling, emailing or otherwise pestering their MOC's office . . . not good.

What 64BGO means when he says to aggressively pursue noms is (I think:smile: -- not to put words in his mouth): (1) apply for every nom for which you're eligible, including the VP; (2) put together the best package you can for each one -- i.e., take time with your essays, proofread your materials, etc.; (3) prepare for your interview and make every effort to do well; (4) if permitted by the MOC, supplement your file with additional accomplishments.

In the past, some candidates, especially those with Pres noms or with LOAs (and w/o Pres nom), would go through the motions, figuring they were golden with a Pres nom alone or that, with an LOA in hand, USNA would "find" a nom for them. In recent years, such an approach is foolhardy. A Pres nom may be enough . . . it may not be. And LOA candidates who don't secure noms typically are turned down.

Thus, every candidate should make every effort WITHIN the process to secure a nom. That's all.
 
. . .

What 64BGO means when he says to aggressively pursue noms is (I think:smile: -- not to put words in his mouth): (1) apply for every nom for which you're eligible, including the VP; (2) put together the best package you can for each one -- i.e., take time with your essays, proofread your materials, etc.; (3) prepare for your interview and make every effort to do well; (4) if permitted by the MOC, supplement your file with additional accomplishments.

another tip I would add is to keep a copy of your nomination application. I served on my MOC's nomination board and I do read the essays and ask questions from it.
 
Thank you for the feedback. :smile:

There is nothing worse than the chatter among parents once the children start this process...
 
Thank you, 1985, you didn't put any words in my mouth that I found distasteful, and you filled in several blanks.
I would venture that all of the BGO's on this site have seen presumably high flying candidates fail to get a nom - had a couple last year as a matter of fact. You really do have to do your homework for your nom, especially if your MOC uses the interview approach. Having someone run you through a couple of interviews with critiques could be illuminating.
Most of all, DON"T take anything for granted in the admissions process. My casual observation over the past 20 cycles is that things tend to bounce more like footballs than basketballs, and the well-prepared candidate will field the bounce better than those resting on their laurels. Best wishes to all of you, but diligence will serve you better.
 
grevar;327962As many have said said:
If one is trying to put together an application package impressive enough to get an LOA, then that is the virtually the same as striving to get an appointment. Of course, you still have to get a nomination, but that has very little to do with the Naval Academy. LOAs are copied to the MOCs and it dramatically increases a candidate's chances of earning a nomination.

The only exception are those who "earn" LOAs simply because of their athletic ability. Such candidates simply need to make sure they complete all parts of the application process, whether impressive or not.

Striving to get an LOA always seems to be characterized in this forum as misdirected effort. I disagree!
 
I received an LOA today in the mail!

Congratulations! Make sure you finish all the remaining portions of your application and the requirements of your MOCs. Stay healthy. Stay out of trouble. Work out.

Come back here and tell us what life at the Naval Academy is like when you join the class of 2018.

It's a good feeling, isn't it?
 
Congratulations Ken. Keep doing good things, avoid the bad things, and do not take unnecessary physical risks. Physical risks are OK. Unnecessary physical risks are bad.
 
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