alternate nom help

Yesterday I got a letter stating I received an alternate nom from my congressman. I'm a little worried that the alternate nom won't do me any good. My reason why requires some back story, so please be patient.

My online packet for the board is not finished yet. I am forced to wait until 2 months of my senior year have passed before my senior year math teacher can submit his letter of recommendation. (my junior year teacher is morally apposed to the US Military and refuses to write me a letter) I have been told time and time again by an admissions staff member that I need to wait 2 months. Because my packet is incomplete, the board has yet to see or review anything of mine. When the board does receive my packet, I fear it will be far too late in the game.

By then, will I still have a shot?
What exactly is the value of my alternate nomination?
Do several alternate nominations from different sources "add up"?

All help of any kind would be greatly appreciated.

It depends on the type of slate your MOC submits. They can use a principal nom with ranked or unranked alternates in case the principal doesn't get an appointment for another reason (like med issues) or they can submit a competitive slate which allows the academy to choose who to appoint.

It sounds like it's the first option but a call to the MOC office could clarify.

Alternate noms do not add up. You are on the slate as an alternate.

See if we can break this down:
- Nominations are independent of each other. Two alternates don't make a Primary. They do get you into the National Pool.
- I'll assume when you use the term alternate, your MOC designated a Principle and you are one of 9 others on her/his slate. That means if the Principle is 3Q (as rated by the Academy), he/she will get an Appointment. If the Principle accepts the Appointment, that slot is gone. If for whatever reason the Principle drops out, you are in contention for that slot. You will go into the National Pool where you will complete against all the others for Appointments by SECNAV.
- If two months is all that is required to wait, don't sweat the recommendation. Theoretically, it could become an issue later in the game if not complete, but you have time. Just stay on top of it.

When my DS went through this, USNA told her to get as many NOMS as possible. It makes easier for them to slot you. There were individuals on every slate she was on with LOA's (not the same, but kinda like having a Principle in front of you). She is in her second year.

Good Luck! Just keep pressing to get everything in as soon as possible.

mlpa said:

Yesterday I got a letter stating I received an alternate nom from my congressman. I'm a little worried that the alternate nom won't do me any good. My reason why requires some back story, so please be patient.

My online packet for the board is not finished yet. I am forced to wait until 2 months of my senior year have passed before my senior year math teacher can submit his letter of recommendation. (my junior year teacher is morally apposed to the US Military and refuses to write me a letter) I have been told time and time again by an admissions staff member that I need to wait 2 months. Because my packet is incomplete, the board has yet to see or review anything of mine. When the board does receive my packet, I fear it will be far too late in the game.

By then, will I still have a shot?
What exactly is the value of my alternate nomination?
Do several alternate nominations from different sources "add up"?

All help of any kind would be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

First, use some common sense. Would they tell you that you have to wait two months if it was going to eliminate your chances? I, for one, hardly think so. You have until Jan 31 to have your application completed. Even with the 2 month waiting period the LOR will be there in plenty of time. Yes you'll have a shot and I would say as good a shot as anyone else.

Do alternate noms from different sources add up? Sort of. You compete in each slate for which you have a nomination. So if you have multiple noms, you'll compete multiple times for an appointment before going to the national pool. It's sort of like having 5 lottery tickets and therefore 5 chances to win.

Having multiple alternate noms do not give you any advantage on any given slate.

Relax. Take deep breaths. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Hope this helps.

Congratulations. You have a nomination... period. The academy now has the ability to appoint you, if they want you.

That is the real key. If they want you, they can take you whether you're an alternate or a principal. Should you pursue other noms? YES! That will give them more latitude as they juggle slots.

The more I know about the process (and I know a lot), the more puzzling it all bcomes though.

Take nothing for granted. Work hard and compete like hell for your slot. Good luck.

Class of 2018 had several cases where the alternate got in and the primary did not, even though the primary was fully qualified. The nom is one part of a strong application and can be outweighed by other factors.