Stats of Applicant Who Received an LOA

daine

5-Year Member
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Aug 22, 2014
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Could any of the applicants who received an LOA post their stats/resume? Just want to get a feel for where I stand in relation to you all
 
Yes please this would be an great perspective on how competitive I might be in a few months!
 
Seriously this won't help you. It will just drive you nuts. Why some get LOAs and others don't is a mystery only admissions knows. There could be a million reasons. And an LOA is meaningless without a Nom. Focus on the appointment, not an LOA. There isn't a special line on I Day for LOA winners and no one talks about that stuff when you get there. Look at last year's stats and shoot for over all those. Max your PT tests.
 
To soothe your souls I can give you my stats...
4.2 gpa 33 out of 379
10 AP's 13 Honors classes
3 going on four academic letters
4 Varsity letters in basketball
Team captain x4 ( 2 JV fresh and soph year and 2 junior and this senior year)
Honorable mention
Rotary champion
All academic first team
All state first team
Four varsity letters in track
Honorable mention
All academic first team
Top 15 in state for Shot Put 5a
All state first team
Cross country (2 years jv)
1 year volleyball
I have been working a job for two and a half years
Key club
International awareness club
And interact club
NHS
Girls state attendee
Hmmm I can't think of anything else but hopefully this can give you an idea!
 
To soothe your souls I can give you my stats...

If you don't, your SAT/ACT scores and are your being recruited for a sports?

For USMA, LOAs are given to candidates that will allow the admissions office to meet their admission goals (i.e scholar, leaders, URM, gender, soldiers, and etc). So without a full disclosure, partial stats are useless to make any sense out why a candidate received an LOA.
 
My ACTs definitely aren't my best quality but math and English:29 and science and reading :28. Not a recruited athlete which is why I was surprised to get an LOA.
 
Question for those who understand: do the academies distinguish between different States in terms of determining who may get LOA's? Or how about regions? By this I am asking, are they more likely to provide a LOA to a candidate from an underrepresented state than they are to a kid from say New York, Virginia, or some other state which is heavily represented? How much authority or influence does the regional commander have in the process?
 
Question for those who understand: do the academies distinguish between different States in terms of determining who may get LOA's? Or how about regions? By this I am asking, are they more likely to provide a LOA to a candidate from an underrepresented state than they are to a kid from say New York, Virginia, or some other state which is heavily represented? How much authority or influence does the regional commander have in the process?

From my understanding, the regional commander controls the process. The Regional commander recommends LOAs, so if he or she doesn't recommend a candidate for a LOA, no chance of a LOA. FFRs have some influence as the Regional commander might ask FFRs to interview candidates being considered for LOAs.

Lastly, this is my guess - regional or state representation will have minimum influence on LOAs. With the number of applicants and open/complicated application, the Regional commander should have a good idea on candidates that can be appointed from each state/region. Any concern from a Congressman or Senator about lack of appointments from his or her state could be easily explained by the numbers (X applied, Y completed, Z qualified, and W offered/appointed). Other appointments - Presidential, Soldier, and etc - have no state affiliation.

Suppose if a candidate is from a state that has not send any cadet to West Point in last 5 years and if there is only one qualified candidate, the Regional Commander might offered a LOA. But two IFs are iffy.
 
Don't bother trying to make sense of the LOA. Your brain will hurt the more you try to compare yourself to someone's stats. Unlike the LOE that the RC has a lot of control over as they look at their districts, LOAs tend to more tightly controlled precisely because they are a conditional appointment and the RC does not have the level of authority to appoint someone to West Point. LOEs are at the congressional level - a real micro competition look, while LOAs are at the national level to try to lock in what West Point believes is the talent (that includes class composition goals like LG mentioned) that will otherwise get recruited away to another school (think Ivies and not just those other academies).
 
Don't bother trying to make sense of the LOA. Your brain will hurt the more you try to compare yourself to someone's stats.

From my perspective, we can make some sense of LOAs, but not through "stats" alone. And most cases, we don't have all the information. Not to pick on CATLOVER2, ACT and recruited athlete status were not disclosed until asked. The only exception might be "scholars" during September. If a candidate is top 1% from a good high school, scored 99% on SAT/ACT, and most of his or application completed, a decent chance of getting a LOA as a part of the "scholar" goals. However, if within the state there are several other candidates with similar "stats," the candidate might not get a LOA since there is a higher chance of one of those highly qualified applicants coming to West Point.

Non-URM/male/not recruited athlete/non-soldier applicant with CATLOVER2 "stats" getting a LOA is not likely.

But URM/female/recruited athlete/soldier applicant with CATLOVER2 "stats" getting a LOA is likely. But if there is a higher number above mentioned applicant within the state, the likelihood of LOA diminishes.
 
Don't bother trying to make sense of the LOA. Your brain will hurt the more you try to compare yourself to someone's stats.

From my perspective, we can make some sense of LOAs, but not through "stats" alone. And most cases, we don't have all the information. Not to pick on CATLOVER2, ACT and recruited athlete status were not disclosed until asked. The only exception might be "scholars" during September. If a candidate is top 1% from a good high school, scored 99% on SAT/ACT, and most of his or application completed, a decent chance of getting a LOA as a part of the "scholar" goals. However, if within the state there are several other candidates with similar "stats," the candidate might not get a LOA since there is a higher chance of one of those highly qualified applicants coming to West Point.

Non-URM/male/not recruited athlete/non-soldier applicant with CATLOVER2 "stats" getting a LOA is not likely.

But URM/female/recruited athlete/soldier applicant with CATLOVER2 "stats" getting a LOA is likely. But if there is a higher number above mentioned applicant within the state, the likelihood of LOA diminishes.
Sorry I didn't include more I was writing in a hurry and forgot to include those things and I more so wanted to list my actual resume/ achievements. I am a URM/ female if that gives you all a better idea.
 
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Don't bother trying to make sense of the LOA. Your brain will hurt the more you try to compare yourself to someone's stats. Unlike the LOE that the RC has a lot of control over as they look at their districts, LOAs tend to more tightly controlled precisely because they are a conditional appointment and the RC does not have the level of authority to appoint someone to West Point. LOEs are at the congressional level - a real micro competition look, while LOAs are at the national level to try to lock in what West Point believes is the talent (that includes class composition goals like LG mentioned) that will otherwise get recruited away to another school (think Ivies and not just those other academies).
I agree 100% with 845! Move on to something else. It will drive you crazy! Here are just a FEW stats of 2 applicants I know very well:
APPLICANT A: APPLICANT B:
1. Received LOA in Oct (high school class of 2016) 1. Is on round 2 of applying-TWE early April ( from same high school/2015)
2. 6 AP courses-A's and B's (3's and 4's on AP exams so far) 2. 6 AP courses-All A's and scored 4's and a 5 on the BC Calc exam
3. 1 varsity letter-1 captaincy 3. 6 varsity letters-4 captaincies
4. 1850-SAT/30 ACT 4. 2100-SAT/32 ACT
5. # 3 in class of 495 5. # 3 in class of 511
6. Female 6. Male
7. District 2/Massachusetts 7. District 2/Massachusetts
8. Received congressional nomination 8. Received congressional nomination
9. No athletic awards...will most likely receive some academic 9. Numerous athletic/academic awards
awards this spring.
I could go on and on with comparison stats. You can see the differences and one has an LOA in hand and the other does not. Find a hobby to fill the time while you wait because all the stats in the world, or the district you are from, will not guarantee an offer of appointment. Do your best, stay positive, celebrate if you receive an LOA and then receive an appointment, but also prepare for the "what if". GOOD LUCK and enjoy this crazy ride!! :)
 
Don't bother trying to make sense of the LOA. Your brain will hurt the more you try to compare yourself to someone's stats. Unlike the LOE that the RC has a lot of control over as they look at their districts, LOAs tend to more tightly controlled precisely because they are a conditional appointment and the RC does not have the level of authority to appoint someone to West Point. LOEs are at the congressional level - a real micro competition look, while LOAs are at the national level to try to lock in what West Point believes is the talent (that includes class composition goals like LG mentioned) that will otherwise get recruited away to another school (think Ivies and not just those other academies).
I agree 100% with 845! Move on to something else. It will drive you crazy! Here are just a FEW stats of 2 applicants I know very well:
APPLICANT A: APPLICANT B:
1. Received LOA in Oct (high school class of 2016) 1. Is on round 2 of applying-TWE early April ( from same high school/2015)
2. 6 AP courses-A's and B's (3's and 4's on AP exams so far) 2. 6 AP courses-All A's and scored 4's and a 5 on the BC Calc exam
3. 1 varsity letter-1 captaincy 3. 6 varsity letters-4 captaincies
4. 1850-SAT/30 ACT 4. 2100-SAT/32 ACT
5. # 3 in class of 495 5. # 3 in class of 511
6. Female 6. Male
7. District 2/Massachusetts 7. District 2/Massachusetts
8. Received congressional nomination 8. Received congressional nomination
9. No athletic awards...will most likely receive some academic 9. Numerous athletic/academic awards
awards this spring.
I could go on and on with comparison stats. You can see the differences and one has an LOA in hand and the other does not. Find a hobby to fill the time while you wait because all the stats in the world, or the district you are from, will not guarantee an offer of appointment. Do your best, stay positive, celebrate if you receive an LOA and then receive an appointment, but also prepare for the "what if". GOOD LUCK and enjoy this crazy ride!! :)

#6 is more than likely why Applicant A got a LOA.
 
And remember, MOST cadets at West Point did NOT receive an LOA, yet there they are.
 
Don't bother trying to make sense of the LOA. Your brain will hurt the more you try to compare yourself to someone's stats. Unlike the LOE that the RC has a lot of control over as they look at their districts, LOAs tend to more tightly controlled precisely because they are a conditional appointment and the RC does not have the level of authority to appoint someone to West Point. LOEs are at the congressional level - a real micro competition look, while LOAs are at the national level to try to lock in what West Point believes is the talent (that includes class composition goals like LG mentioned) that will otherwise get recruited away to another school (think Ivies and not just those other academies).
I agree 100% with 845! Move on to something else. It will drive you crazy! Here are just a FEW stats of 2 applicants I know very well:
APPLICANT A: APPLICANT B:
1. Received LOA in Oct (high school class of 2016) 1. Is on round 2 of applying-TWE early April ( from same high school/2015)
2. 6 AP courses-A's and B's (3's and 4's on AP exams so far) 2. 6 AP courses-All A's and scored 4's and a 5 on the BC Calc exam
3. 1 varsity letter-1 captaincy 3. 6 varsity letters-4 captaincies
4. 1850-SAT/30 ACT 4. 2100-SAT/32 ACT
5. # 3 in class of 495 5. # 3 in class of 511
6. Female 6. Male
7. District 2/Massachusetts 7. District 2/Massachusetts
8. Received congressional nomination 8. Received congressional nomination
9. No athletic awards...will most likely receive some academic 9. Numerous athletic/academic awards
awards this spring.
I could go on and on with comparison stats. You can see the differences and one has an LOA in hand and the other does not. Find a hobby to fill the time while you wait because all the stats in the world, or the district you are from, will not guarantee an offer of appointment. Do your best, stay positive, celebrate if you receive an LOA and then receive an appointment, but also prepare for the "what if". GOOD LUCK and enjoy this crazy ride!! :)

#6 is more than likely why Applicant A got a LOA.
Is being female/a minority that huge of a boost? According to the class of 2017 profile a higher % of qualified males were accepted than qualified females(55.1% vs 54.1%). I'm not trying to say you are incorrect it's just that it seems kind of strange to me that the acceptance rate would be higher for males if females are being heavily favored.
 
That debate could go on forever and would just make your brain hurt. In the end it is what it is. You can't change if you are a white male or a URM female... So it's not something to dwell on. Admissions is always looking for qualified candidates in under represented areas including URMs and geographic areas. Obviously the LOA candidate who posted their stats had an impressive resume regardless of URM/female status. She pointed out her ACTs fell into the average category but remember it's the whole package, which was very good. As you can see trying gauge one's chances against another person isn't really going to help. Focus on putting your best package together and hope for an appointment. An LOA is nice, but it's like getting a brand new Porsche at 16 but you don't have a driver's license. It looks good, but you can't do much with it. An appointment is the goal, not an LOA.
 
Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more LOA talk! Look up the several hundred pages already listed on this, and then drop it.

On I-Day or R-Day, absolutely no one will care if you received an LOA or if you got a late (May) invite.

Just do your best and quit this LOA chatter.
 
Is being female/a minority that huge of a boost? According to the class of 2017 profile a higher % of qualified males were accepted than qualified females(55.1% vs 54.1%). I'm not trying to say you are incorrect it's just that it seems kind of strange to me that the acceptance rate would be higher for males if females are being heavily favored.

I wouldn't say a huge boost, but a female candidate is likely to get an appointment over a similarly qualified male candidate. Since you want to talk about numbers, two things (1) real and meaningful statistical analysis require accounting for many variables as possible than just a few numbers and (2) Class of 2018 is different from Class of 2017. As we discussed before you have to be fully qualified for an appointment. There is the Whole Candidate Score. I am pretty sure that appointments are not offered to top 1400 candidates by WCS, rather 1400 out of 2000+ qualified. Since we don't have all the facts, we can only estimate why a candidate with a lower WCS will get an appointment over another candidate. My conjecture is that if we have WCS scores of appointed cadets we can determine if being a female is a boost or not. The class of 2018 profile is different from Class of 2017. A difference between one year is not a trend, but it could be the start of a trend. So for Class of 2018, 48% of qualified male applicants were admitted and 59% of qualified female applicants were admitted. http://www.westpoint.edu/oir/Class profiles/Class of 2018.pdf
 
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Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more LOA talk! Look up the several hundred pages already listed on this, and then drop it.

On I-Day or R-Day, absolutely no one will care if you received an LOA or if you got a late (May) invite.

Just do your best and quit this LOA chatter.

I am going discuss about LOA as long as someone wants to discuss it. Let the kids make there own determination if the time they spent on LOA questions is worth it not. It's better to explain what we can, than just telling candidates to we can't explain it or it does matter.
 
I love statistics. As stated above "So for Class of 2018, 48% of qualified male applicants were admitted and 59% of qualified female applicants were admitted." I think it is fair to say the military likes the officer corps to be somewhat representative of the enlisted ranks. You have to temper that with who can fill what roles. Every year the Academies go around the country to make viable candidates aware of the opportunities afforded by their school. They do this to increase the applicant pool. Statistically, the larger the applicant pool the better the candidates to choose from. For whatever reasons, some pools of candidates are smaller than others. Those qualified candidates are typically being recruited by multiple colleges. LOA's and LOE's are essentially a recruiting tool to target those individuals. The 59% above simply means the pool of females was much smaller. LOA's and stat talk is fun, but remember your competition is first locally, then by State and finally nationally. The female in my house did not have an LOA and her stats were better than all those above. She is a 2/c today at Navy. At the time our, I would consider our congressional district average competition. The male in my house did not go to SLE and did not have an LOE/LOA. However, his scores were in top 25%. He is a plebe now. I would consider his district competitive (post redistricting). Control what you can and have fun with the journey.
 
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