USNA Nomination Received, but no USAFA

Jeepman

5-Year Member
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My son received a Congressional Nomination for the USNA, his first choice. He did not receive one for the USAFA, his second choice. He is a solid candidate, and applied from a very competitive district. I am wondering now if he should have applied to one Congressional district for his USNA, and another for his USAFA. He lives 50/50 with mom/dad, who are divorced. Would that have even been possible? It is very frustrating to go through all the hard work of the applications yet walk away with only one option, simply because the competition only allowed one nom per kid for one SA.
 
Actually, we were in the same situation because of divorce. Unfortunately, you have to choose the district through which you apply, and it can only be one.
 
My son received a Congressional Nomination for the USNA, his first choice. He did not receive one for the USAFA, his second choice. He is a solid candidate, and applied from a very competitive district. I am wondering now if he should have applied to one Congressional district for his USNA, and another for his USAFA. He lives 50/50 with mom/dad, who are divorced. Would that have even been possible? It is very frustrating to go through all the hard work of the applications yet walk away with only one option, simply because the competition only allowed one nom per kid for one SA.
If your son has a nom for his first choice it's a win. The single nom rule applies in many, many states. Each year there are folks with a single nom to the second or third choice academy. Also, applying to a different district in the same state would make no difference because of coordination among the MOCs. Count your blessings. No one is entitled to multiple choices although some in sparsely populated areas are blessed with them.
 
My son received a Congressional Nomination for the USNA, his first choice. He did not receive one for the USAFA, his second choice. He is a solid candidate, and applied from a very competitive district. I am wondering now if he should have applied to one Congressional district for his USNA, and another for his USAFA. He lives 50/50 with mom/dad, who are divorced. Would that have even been possible? It is very frustrating to go through all the hard work of the applications yet walk away with only one option, simply because the competition only allowed one nom per kid for one SA.
If your son has a nom for his first choice it's a win. The single nom rule applies in many, many states. Each year there are folks with a single nom to the second or third choice academy. Also, applying to a different district in the same state would make no difference because of coordination among the MOCs. Count your blessings. No one is entitled to multiple choices although some in sparsely populated areas are blessed with them.
We are counting our blessing, it just would have been nice to have two to count, lol.
 
Same situation here with my DS. Strong package for all SAs but only 1 Nom due to being in New York Metro and in the most competitive district for Academies. A price to pay for being in a strong school district. Similar to top civilian colleges. You compete against stronger students in your school and in Greater New York that make up super high test scores. Perfect 1600 SAT and 36 ACT are common in my area. Incredibly academically talented kids. So have to max out in Leadership/Activities/Talent Score and CFA/Athletics to be few steps ahead among the rest.
 
My son received a Congressional Nomination for the USNA, his first choice. He did not receive one for the USAFA, his second choice. He is a solid candidate, and applied from a very competitive district. I am wondering now if he should have applied to one Congressional district for his USNA, and another for his USAFA. He lives 50/50 with mom/dad, who are divorced. Would that have even been possible? It is very frustrating to go through all the hard work of the applications yet walk away with only one option, simply because the competition only allowed one nom per kid for one SA.
The short answer is yes, he could have applied for a nomination to USAFA to Mom's MOC and USNA to Dad's MOC.

The long answer includes several assumptions that would need to be verified for this to be possible - such as both parents being legal residents of their respective districts, meeting the eligibility criteria and application requirements of both MOCs, not "double dipping" for nominations to either SA, etc, etc.

There are reasons why you might not want to take advantage of this unique situation. Like sitting in front of the USNA, USAFA, and USMA reps on a MOC's nominating panel and explaining why you are only applying for nomination to one SA. And if the districts are close to each other, each panel may have some of the same members. Although it is legal, some members of the panel may view it negatively.
 
If your son has a nom for his first choice it's a win. The single nom rule applies in many, many states. Each year there are folks with a single nom to the second or third choice academy. Also, applying to a different district in the same state would make no difference because of coordination among the MOCs. Count your blessings. No one is entitled to multiple choices although some in sparsely populated areas are blessed with them.

Kinnem - just as FYI many MOC don’t coordinate. For example - in Texas the Senators do coordinate with each other - but they don’t coordinate with the House Members. With 36 members in the House from Texas that would be too much to coordinate. I would also say the even come MOC allow multiple noms. Not everyone subscribed to the 1 academy per applicant even in highly competitive districts here in TX. I know of a number of DS & DD who have received multiple noms, including some who got them to All Four! One MOC around my area has each academy group gets reviewed independently. Another does them all together. My point is there is no hard-and-fast process they all use.
 
Same situation here with my DS. Strong package for all SAs but only 1 Nom due to being in New York Metro and in the most competitive district for Academies. A price to pay for being in a strong school district. Similar to top civilian colleges. You compete against stronger students in your school and in Greater New York that make up super high test scores. Perfect 1600 SAT and 36 ACT are common in my area. Incredibly academically talented kids. So have to max out in Leadership/Activities/Talent Score and CFA/Athletics to be few steps ahead among the rest.
Wow. That's tough luck. The academies do value candidates from stellar school systems, but when your MOC limits kids to one nomination only it really cuts down your chances for an appointment.
In many districts there aren't enough applicants for some MOCs to even nominate 10. In yours, perfect SATs and super high achievers could be left out. There has to be a better way.

The same frustration can be felt by any of the nine nominees sitting behind a principal nominee. In the cursory process of a paper application and a 15-20 minute interview, I don't see how an MOC could determine one candidate is so far superior to all others, that she/he would be issued a golden ticket. Sure, some down the list may get a slush nomination, but most do not. I know it's a subject for another thread... but relates here as to the randomness of the nomination process. IMHO.
Good luck.
 
Great replies. Thank you very much. My kid just wants to serve as an officer. Is that a bad thing, lol? I live in the Dallas area, and the districts we live in are highly competitive. It was made clear at the beginning of his nom interview that the interviews were for first choice only for all candidates. For my younger son, I plan on moving less than a mile away to an area that is going through gentrification and where very few noms are even applied for.
 
If your son has a nom for his first choice it's a win. The single nom rule applies in many, many states. Each year there are folks with a single nom to the second or third choice academy. Also, applying to a different district in the same state would make no difference because of coordination among the MOCs. Count your blessings. No one is entitled to multiple choices although some in sparsely populated areas are blessed with them.

Kinnem - just as FYI many MOC don’t coordinate. For example - in Texas the Senators do coordinate with each other - but they don’t coordinate with the House Members. With 36 members in the House from Texas that would be too much to coordinate. I would also say the even come MOC allow multiple noms. Not everyone subscribed to the 1 academy per applicant even in highly competitive districts here in TX. I know of a number of DS & DD who have received multiple noms, including some who got them to All Four! One MOC around my area has each academy group gets reviewed independently. Another does them all together. My point is there is no hard-and-fast process they all use.
In the Dallas area, the MOC's do coordinate with the Senators. My DS received an email from our MOC congratulating him for his Senatorial nom. The email also stated that the MOC doesn't double nominate unless a candidate didn't get a nomination for his/her first choice. Since DS got his first choice, he wouldn't be interviewing him.
 
In the Dallas area, the MOC's do coordinate with the Senators. My DS received an email from our MOC congratulating him for his Senatorial nom. The email also stated that the MOC doesn't double nominate unless a candidate didn't get a nomination for his/her first choice. Since DS got his first choice, he wouldn't be interviewing him.

Here in Houston they don’t. I know more than one person who got House and Senate noms, and also those who got multiple academy Noms from one source. My point isn’t that “some” don’t coordinate - and I know it is frustrating where it happens. It is statements that ALL coordinate or that it is impossible to get multiple noms. Blanket statements don’t add value. MOCs are entitled to run it hownthey see fit.
 
MOCs are entitled to run it hownthey see fit.
100% correct.

MOCs have absolute control over their nomination process. Other than Title 10 USC stipulations on the number slots/nominations and House/Senate ethics rules, there are no restrictions on who a MOC can nominate or how nominees are evaluated.

Since they want their nominees to actually receive appointments MOCs tailor the process to meet the needs of the SA's. In practice the SA's try to work with MOCs and their staff to help them understand and administer the process. But each MOC can decide how they want to operate.
 
If your son has a nom for his first choice it's a win. The single nom rule applies in many, many states. Each year there are folks with a single nom to the second or third choice academy. Also, applying to a different district in the same state would make no difference because of coordination among the MOCs. Count your blessings. No one is entitled to multiple choices although some in sparsely populated areas are blessed with them.

Kinnem - just as FYI many MOC don’t coordinate. For example - in Texas the Senators do coordinate with each other - but they don’t coordinate with the House Members. With 36 members in the House from Texas that would be too much to coordinate. I would also say the even come MOC allow multiple noms. Not everyone subscribed to the 1 academy per applicant even in highly competitive districts here in TX. I know of a number of DS & DD who have received multiple noms, including some who got them to All Four! One MOC around my area has each academy group gets reviewed independently. Another does them all together. My point is there is no hard-and-fast process they all use.
Yes, I know. But in the OP's case they do coordinate.... and that's what I was referring to.
 
Another thing to keep in mind, is they can also change how they do it from year to year.
 
If your son has a nom for his first choice it's a win. The single nom rule applies in many, many states. Each year there are folks with a single nom to the second or third choice academy. Also, applying to a different district in the same state would make no difference because of coordination among the MOCs. Count your blessings. No one is entitled to multiple choices although some in sparsely populated areas are blessed with them.

Kinnem - just as FYI many MOC don’t coordinate. For example - in Texas the Senators do coordinate with each other - but they don’t coordinate with the House Members. With 36 members in the House from Texas that would be too much to coordinate. I would also say the even come MOC allow multiple noms. Not everyone subscribed to the 1 academy per applicant even in highly competitive districts here in TX. I know of a number of DS & DD who have received multiple noms, including some who got them to All Four! One MOC around my area has each academy group gets reviewed independently. Another does them all together. My point is there is no hard-and-fast process they all use.
Yes, I know. But in the OP's case they do coordinate.... and that's what I was referring to.

Understood. Sorry. :)
 
People really move just to improve chances of a nomination? :eek:

Yes. In Texas people will move their entire families, change jobs, etc. just to get their kids into better athletic programs. So, yes, people will move to improve their kids chance at a better future, no matter what that means.
 
Yes. In Texas people will move their entire families, change jobs, etc. just to get their kids into better athletic programs. So, yes, people will move to improve their kids chance at a better future, no matter what that means.

Hah! You bet they do! Katy and Allen Football come to mind :)
 
Great replies. Thank you very much. My kid just wants to serve as an officer. Is that a bad thing, lol? I live in the Dallas area, and the districts we live in are highly competitive. It was made clear at the beginning of his nom interview that the interviews were for first choice only for all candidates. For my younger son, I plan on moving less than a mile away to an area that is going through gentrification and where very few noms are even applied for.


Moving seems extreme and manipulative to me. If you'll go to those lengths to secure a nomination, what would you do to secure an appointment?

There are many, many more nominations than appointments offered. Moving won't guarantee you anything.
 
Great replies. Thank you very much. My kid just wants to serve as an officer. Is that a bad thing, lol? I live in the Dallas area, and the districts we live in are highly competitive. It was made clear at the beginning of his nom interview that the interviews were for first choice only for all candidates. For my younger son, I plan on moving less than a mile away to an area that is going through gentrification and where very few noms are even applied for.


Moving seems extreme and manipulative to me. If you'll go to those lengths to secure a nomination, what would you do to secure an appointment?

There are many, many more nominations than appointments offered. Moving won't guarantee you anything.
Are there any guarantees in life, lol? In my case I have a younger son who will also be applying in the next two years and I am planning on moving anyway, and have some flexibility as to where. Rest assured, I will factor in House of Rep districts in the move. I don't think one can equate a move to better your kid's future and to put him or her in a position to serve her country is outside the bounds of being ethical. If you think it is, then you should right a long letter to the USCGA about their ROTC criteria, which is blatant racism.
 
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