Liaison Officer Interviews

Se41196

5-Year Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
84
Due to the government shutdown, USAFA had extended the deadline for interviews to Novemebrer 30th.

I checked back on my online portal today and that "red note" that explained the enters ion is now gone? Does this extension still apply, or do interviews need to be done by November 1st?
 
I have the same question. Any input would be helpful... as much as I have been nagging my ALO he hasn't been responding with much of a plan!
 
DS just received an email today from his ALO that she is scheduling interviews for Nov. 2 and 3rd if that helps answer the question.
 
Hmm. See I am concerned about the early action deadline of November 1st
 
Don't worry about the "early action" comment you see on the web.

Forget it's there.

Focus upon your package; make it the best you can. Early action?? I'm an ALO and have been for 19 years...

And I don't expect ANY "early action" on "regular" applicants. I hope I'm surprised but...I expect LOA's for heavily recruited athletes and the top 1% types...

But for the rest of folks...I expect a long wait...

I HOPE I'M WRONG!! I truly do!

But...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
I'm not sure what you mean? The Academy says they strongly recommend turning in applications by November 1st. If my application is as good as it will get, why would I not turn it in to find my admission status by January 15?
 
I'm not sure what you mean? The Academy says they strongly recommend turning in applications by November 1st. If my application is as good as it will get, why would I not turn it in to find my admission status by January 15?

If your application is as good as it's going to get then you should go ahead and turn it in. Fleiger never said otherwise. He said turn in the best application you can without respect to when the early action date is. He backed that up with his opinion that not a lot will come from meeting the early action deadline unless you fall into certain categories, as a way to encourage you to focus on the quality of your application as opposed to the deadline. Read carefully.
 
I understand. But he makes it seem like there
Is no benefit to turning in a completed application by November 1st if it is
the best it can be.


Also, does anyone know about the ALO Interview deadline for early action?
 
I understand. But he makes it seem like there
Is no benefit to turning in a completed application by November 1st if it is
the best it can be.

It seems that you are correctly reading his message. Allow me to be clearer. :) If you are not a heavily recruited athlete OR in the top 1%, then there is no advantage of submitting your package before Nov 1st. To expand, his 18 years of experience suggests that too many applicants think that there is an advantage by submitting before November 1st. When some do, they rush and they don't write as good of an essay as they could etc.
 
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It seems that you are correctly reading his message. Allow me to be clearer. :) If you are not a heavily recruited athlete OR in the top 1%, then there is no advantage of submitting your package before Nov 1st. To expand, his 18 years of experience suggests that too many applicants think that there is an advantage by submitting before November 1st. When some do, they rush and they don't write as good of an essay as they could etc.

+1. Exactly. With emphasis on the 18 years experience. One would think someone with that much experience would have useful insights on the application process that would be worth listening to.
 
Then why would the Academy send me multiple letters saying that they encourage all applicants to finish their applications by November 1st? They say this is a new thing they are doing this year in order to give applicants more time to plan for their college futures (by letting them know their admissions status early)
 
It's all so confusing. My son was pushing toward the November 1st deadline also. The only piece standing in his way of completion, is his CFA. I am certain that with more time he will do better on the CFA. So instead of submitting an "average" CFA by November 1st, is it better to take another month to work hard and practice and submit a CFA with "average AND Max" scores?
 
It's all so confusing. My son was pushing toward the November 1st deadline also. The only piece standing in his way of completion, is his CFA. I am certain that with more time he will do better on the CFA. So instead of submitting an "average" CFA by November 1st, is it better to take another month to work hard and practice and submit a CFA with "average AND Max" scores?

Depends on the rest of the application. If the rest of the application is stellar then an average CFA is not going to be determinant. If the rest of the application is average then the maxes on the CFA might make the difference. There is no "this is always the right way to proceed" kind of answer.

I'm with fleiger in the sense that nominations aren't even due until Jan 31. Frankly I think all they can do early is let people know that either:
1. Sorry, but you don't stand a chance my friend, or
2. We will offer you an LOA and you still need to get a nomination etc.
But I'm just a parent of a NROTC midshipmen, so give my opinion whatever weight you would like.
 
Allow me to further opine...my own opinion, please remember that.

Se41196...I'm not telling you not to press ahead for the 1 November date that was given. If you can complete your application prior to that, then by all means do and submit everything!!

You can ALWAYS update your information when something new comes in or you achieve a better ACT, SAT, etc., score or receive a new award, etc.

What I'm trying to tell folks is not to hang their hat on the 1 November "deadline" as if life ends/begins on that date. Because I don't, personally, believe it does.

Yes, this is the "first year" that USAFA has put the "early action eligible" comment on the web. To be honest, it confused the ALO force and they had to explain it to all of us a number of times because they kept making little subtle changes in what we were told. It's not that USAFA was trying to withhold information, rather, I think it was that they were building a new system.

Now...do I believe that a package that is submitted by the 1 November deadline will be reviewed earlier than others? YES! BUT...I don't believe that a large group of LOA's will be awarded. USAFA has over my career been VERY stingy with LOA's to the "general candidate pool." Recruited athletes and "super stars" have received LOA's...but the numbers have never been huge, from what I've seen. So what I tell folks is: forget the LOA, do not focus upon that; rather, focus upon building the most impressive package you can! THAT will be what is ultimately scored and that is what will or won't get you an appointment.

So...what am I saying with this long post? PRESS AHEAD with your package and if it's ready for the 1 November date: GO FOR IT! But please don't think that date guarantee's anything...because other than being in the first group of records reviewed...nothing is guaranteed.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
@Flieger83,

Thank you for this information. It is very helpful.
 
Flieger is totally correct. He usually is. But let me give an opinion on getting your application completed early. I am one of the believers that completing your application early DOES have it's advantages. But I need to elaborate.

When I've spoken in the past of getting an application done early; I don't mean by November 1st. I don't consider that "Early". I consider that about "Average". Depending on the year, the application process has usually opened up in the june or july time frame. When I speak of doing an application "Early"; I'm speaking of getting the application process 100% completed; including CFA, DODMRB medical, and ALO interview; 100% completed within 30-45 days. I'm talking done PRIOR to the 1st day of school starting. THAT is what I consider "Early".

There is absolutely no disadvantage to completing your application in the 30-45 day time period that I mention. Now; if you RUSH it; meaning you do the entire application over the weekend, then yes, you could be providing a sloppy and bad application. But 30-45 days is MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME to do this application. But in order to do this, you have to be "Prepared" in your Junior Year. It is so easy to present a quality application in 30-45 days. Especially if you start as soon as the process opens. Your school admin and counsellors aren't busy with hundreds of kids. They can get your GPA, School profile, class rank, senior schedule, etc... sent without any problems. You can write your essay in a weekend. If you can't, you need mentoring help. The actual online application is simple. Mostly "FACT" questions. Nothing to think about. The essays require a couple days to think about and a couple hours to actually write them. School does their part. ACT/SAT does their part and sends the scores. DODMRB makes sure you don't have 3 legs or only 1 eye. 30-45 days is easy, reasonable, and can produce a very high quality application. Again; procrastinating and doing it all in 3-4 days is not quality.

Again; I'm talking 30-45 days. Having it completed before school starts senior year. The advantages are: It frees up your time to also apply to other schools. It frees up your time to give your attention to classes and activities. It shows your ALO and MOC that you truly care about applying. When your ALO looks at you wanting to do an interview, and sees you are otherwise 100% complete in the application; that means A LOT!!! When you interview with your MOC and they discover you completed the application 100% back in August, that is VERY IMPRESSIVE!!! These are none scored areas of the process. Just like showing up for the interview in a shirt and tie compared to jeans. When your ALO and MOC see how MOTIVATED you were in the application process; they remember that. So does the selection board.

To think that a quality application can't be done in 30-45 days is totally wrong. It can EASILY be done. Those who wait until the end, in my opinion, tend to give too LITTLE attention to the application at one time, and they wind up rushing it towards the end. If instead; you use the summer, when you have no classes; your school isn't rushed; your ALO isn't rushed; and you can spend QUALITY TIME on the application; you can have a quality application completed by August. That to me is EARLY. Not November. So when some hear me speak of doing the application early, I'm not talking October, November, December. I'm talking July-August. Mike....
 
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