"Candidate File Qualified" "Letter of Encouragement"

23Lt

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Sep 24, 2016
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Just popped up on my portal. Is this the 3Q letter I keep hearing about? Also I received a Letter of Encouragement. Is this a generic letter or is it special in any way?
 
A Letter of Encouragement is meaningless in terms of your chances of being offered appointment. It’s merely encouragement to finish and submit your application because, based on what the SA knows so far, you seem like a promising candidate. You can’t be 3Q without a completed application.
 
An LOE is not meaningless, very few of them go out and it means that you have things in your application that admissions likes and you are a strong candidate. It also allows for an overnight visit if you can fit it in. With that said, an LOE does not guarantee an offer, you need to keep working on your file and present the application you can.
 
Our experience with the LOE is that it is not meaningless. Not everyone receives one. They aren't an LOA, but they are a signal that you are looking strong and headed in the right direction so be sure to complete your file. I remember our MOC telling our DD that the LOE was something they could see on their end in the SA system they use.
 
I respect the differing opinions. I’ll stand by my assessment that an LOE is a nice-to-have, feel-good gesture, but by itself doesn’t really do anything. It’s the act of submitting a complete application that does something. If an LOE is the kick-in-the-pants (or warm fuzzy) that you need to follow through on your application, so be it.

I’m guessing that for every LOE recipient who also received offer of appointment, there’s one who didn’t. And for every cadet who got an LOE, there’s one who didn’t.
 
It sounds like you received a “Candidate file qualified “ notice and an LOE at the same time?
Or did the LOE come first and now you received the Q?
Regardless of LOE, if you are 3Q, hope for a NOM if you don’t already have one, and you are almost there!
 
LOE = good. Lol.

If you have a question your RC will be able to provide additional insight and not a guess.

The LOE is not an appointment but it is a positive sign.

Keep up the good work and best of luck!
 
I read on the USMA website (on the candidate page that was recently changed) that overnight visits (LOEs specifically) are for “candidates who will likely be offered admission”. Now, it’s still no guarantee nor anything more than an indicator, but it is a good indicator. The problem with it is that you can’t really do anything with an indicator (other than the visit) and taking your foot off the gas is never a good idea. You’re in a good place, keep it up and I hope you get in!
 
At the end of the overnight visit my DS was able to sit down face to face with an admissions RC and review his application. He received valuable and candid informative on where he stack ranked vs the other applicants in our district. Which parts of his application he was good on and which parts he could pick up points on. I think this might be one of the most valuable parts of receiving an LOE and being granted an overnight stay.
 
It sounds like you received a “Candidate file qualified “ notice and an LOE at the same time?
Or did the LOE come first and now you received the Q?
Regardless of LOE, if you are 3Q, hope for a NOM if you don’t already have one, and you are almost there!

I got both at the same time.

I was fortunate enough to earn a nomination from my house representative this week.
 
just so I understand, the “candidate file qualified” letter IS the 3Q letter?

This is the content of the 3Q letter. Most of the time, it is only posted in the portal and not hard mailed. It shows up as a PDF file.

Your Nomination and this letter make you eligible for appointment.

Best of luck! Now comes the wait...



We have received all your application information and the Admissions Committee

has qualified your file. West Point has eliminated rolling admissions for this cycle. As

such, all qualified applicants are placed on a National Waiting List until appointments

are made. Most appointments will be tendered between 26 February and 1 May 2019.

You have demonstrated strong initiative and diligence in completing your file.

Although qualified, you are still competing for admission and should continue to update

your record with significant achievements in academic, leadership, and extracurricular

and athletic activities. Do not forget to include standardized test scores or updated

transcripts from your most recently completed academic semester. We will continue to

add achievements to your file through the end of February 2019.

Although most offers of admission will be tendered before 1 May 2019, final

selection from the waiting list may be made only a few days before the class enters.

Thank you for your continuing interest in West Point. Go Army!
 
just so I understand, the “candidate file qualified” letter IS the 3Q letter?

This is the content of the 3Q letter. Most of the time, it is only posted in the portal and not hard mailed. It shows up as a PDF file.

Your Nomination and this letter make you eligible for appointment.

Best of luck! Now comes the wait...



We have received all your application information and the Admissions Committee

has qualified your file. West Point has eliminated rolling admissions for this cycle. As

such, all qualified applicants are placed on a National Waiting List until appointments

are made. Most appointments will be tendered between 26 February and 1 May 2019.

You have demonstrated strong initiative and diligence in completing your file.

Although qualified, you are still competing for admission and should continue to update

your record with significant achievements in academic, leadership, and extracurricular

and athletic activities. Do not forget to include standardized test scores or updated

transcripts from your most recently completed academic semester. We will continue to

add achievements to your file through the end of February 2019.

Although most offers of admission will be tendered before 1 May 2019, final

selection from the waiting list may be made only a few days before the class enters.

Thank you for your continuing interest in West Point. Go Army!


Yep! That's the one!
 
just so I understand, the “candidate file qualified” letter IS the 3Q letter?

This is the content of the 3Q letter. Most of the time, it is only posted in the portal and not hard mailed. It shows up as a PDF file.

Your Nomination and this letter make you eligible for appointment.

Best of luck! Now comes the wait...



We have received all your application information and the Admissions Committee

has qualified your file. West Point has eliminated rolling admissions for this cycle. As

such, all qualified applicants are placed on a National Waiting List until appointments

are made. Most appointments will be tendered between 26 February and 1 May 2019.

You have demonstrated strong initiative and diligence in completing your file.

Although qualified, you are still competing for admission and should continue to update

your record with significant achievements in academic, leadership, and extracurricular

and athletic activities. Do not forget to include standardized test scores or updated

transcripts from your most recently completed academic semester. We will continue to

add achievements to your file through the end of February 2019.

Although most offers of admission will be tendered before 1 May 2019, final

selection from the waiting list may be made only a few days before the class enters.

Thank you for your continuing interest in West Point. Go Army!


Yep! That's the one!
Excellent! Keep taking the SAT's or ACT's, keep adding positive data, brace yourself for the long, grinding wait. Use this as a guide to compare yourself to the New Cadets from recent years. It's a handy tool.

Best!

W
 

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