LOA

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fdavis2025

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Jul 31, 2020
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Do academies (USNA and USMA specifically) send out LOAs to candidates before September? I've heard people say both. Also, I only have the CFA left to complete for USMA. Am I eligible for LOA consideration without the CFA? I realize LOAs only go out to a very few number of people but was wondering if I am eligible to be reviewed by USMA. I appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks and stay well!
 
fdavis2025 said:
Do academies (USNA and USMA specifically) send out LOAs to candidates before September? I've heard people say both. Also, I only have the CFA left to complete for USMA. Am I eligible for LOA consideration without the CFA? I realize LOAs only go out to a very few number of people but was wondering if I am eligible to be reviewed by USMA. I appreciate any advice or insight. Thanks and stay well!
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I don't know the specifics on when they can send them out, but I received one in august and I have not completed my CFA yet.
 
Admissions can send out LOAs whenever they have evaluated your Admissions portion (whole person concept) indicates that "if" you meet the conditions of their LOA...pass your CFA; get your Nom (except for the USCGA) and or get medically qualified by DoDMERB or waived by the Academy or all are met. :wiggle:
 
The SAs may choose to send an LOA for any number of reasons that support the goals they have for their build-out of a well-rounded class, based on whatever portions of the application that interest them, at any point in the admissions cycle they choose.

Yes, LOAs do start appearing in August.

LOAs, of course, generally have one or more conditions that must be fulfilled before an appointment can be offered, such as obtaining a nomination, submitting an acceptable CFA, being fully qualified by DoDMERB, etc.

Do not drive yourself crazy looking for an LOA. Submit your best application as early as you can. Most particularly, do not look left or right, and wonder why another person got an LOA with what you perceive as lesser stats or weaker resumé, and you didn’t. See my bolded sentence. No applicant can see the totality of another candidate’s application, much less the entire applicant pool, in a comparative way.
 
Especially for USMA - If you are not a recruited athlete or minority, do not expect an LOA.

If you get one, great, but it may have more to do with factors beyond your knowledge or control than how stellar your application is. For example, an excellent candidate in a district full of excellent candidates may not receive an LOA, while a good candidate in a district with very weak candidates may receive one.
 
During this admission cycle (which started unusually early when the portal opened in June), some have posted on here that they had already received an LOA as early as July. You are in great shape to have completed everything except the CFA! Not sure of the appropriate action this year, but remember that an interview by your FFR is an important part of the application, so if you can reach out and ask for that, you would really be in a great spot if you can get that completed. The chances for LOA are highest earlier in the cycle, so the sooner everything is completed, the better your chances are for an early glance.
 
Thanks boxmm24! I've completed my interview with my FFR. I had an injury in May due to overuse and I'm training my run again to get back to sub 6 minutes. As soon as I can (hopefully late this month or early September), I'll have all the green boxes checked!
 
Several candidates have already received LOA's--starting in July this year (which seems extremely early). The common factor seems to be that these candidates were selected for SLE. At least one had not completed the DODMERB and had not completed the CFA. So, there is your answer, yes, LOAs are already going out for USMA this year; however, from those of us who have been around for a long time, please do not set your hopes on an LOA. Set your hopes on what you can control, which is submitting your strongest possible packet, preferably before the end of December so that you can be ready for the first big wave of appointments/BFEs in mid- to late-January. However, you may not hear anything before the end of April. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
 
^^^^ Excellent points above. Additionally, if you are an LOA recipient, do not pause work on your alternate plans until you are absolutely sure you won’t need them.
 
@Capt MJ Brings up an additional important point. Try to finish your USMA packet first but it is complementary to your Army ROTC application, which is shorter and equally important. The end goal should be "I want to be an Army Officer." Summer is a great time to work on applications. (Also, you are likely to hear from ROTC before you hear from USMA--it will give you space to plan.)
 
My DD (USMA 2023) leveraged her LOA to get the app completed.

She got her LOA in late August 2018 but she still needed to complete her essays and all the SOEs. The letter said all the missing elements of her app needed to be submitted by 15 Oct or else the LOA would go away.

She sent a very nice email to her teachers telling them about the LOA and her wanting the opportunity to attend West Point. Fortunately, all of DD’s teachers liked her so within a week of sending that email, her teachers submitted the SOEs.
 
Army245bday said:
My DD (USMA 2023) leveraged her LOA to get the app completed.

She got her LOA in late August 2018 but she still needed to complete her essays and all the SOEs. The letter said all the missing elements of her app needed to be submitted by 15 Oct or else the LOA would go away.

She sent a very nice email to her teachers telling them about the LOA and her wanting the opportunity to attend West Point. Fortunately, all of DD’s teachers liked her so within a week of sending that email, her teachers submitted the SOEs.
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Did your DD follow-up with her RC if she is in consideration/can she be in consideration of an LOA?
 
I would say that you just put your head down and complete the best application you can in a timely manner. Last year my kid was wondering the same thing. He was really hoping to get an LOA to ease his mind. But in the end, he didn't receive one. He did get an offer of appointment without an LOA in January; and that is the most important part. Focus on what you can control, try to let go of what you can't. I would advise against asking your RC, they have a lot on their plate, and they as I understand it also make notes in your file. If your file meets the criteria for an LOA, great, if it doesn't appointments still come without them. Hang in there, it's a long road.
 
txfwindian said:
Did your DD follow-up with her RC if she is in consideration/can she be in consideration of an LOA?
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She did not.

The LOA letter was a pleasant surprise for her.

I was reading about LOAs on this forum before that time and almost all posters said not to count on it. The recommendation was to put your best app forward and get after that appointment. I never even mentioned the concept of LOA to her.

The overall state rep (I think West Point has an overall senior FFR that covers states or regions?) a few months later said there were 4 LOAs mailed out by late August of that year. They had expected to send out 50 for the region for the entire app cycle??? I’m not sure of that number because the conversation was in early 2019 after my DD got the official appointment. My memory is fuzzy.
 
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