3/Q + Nomination + LOA

Vacancy basically means open "congressional slot."

If a MOC has one charged cadet/midshipmen quit and one graduate, the MOC would have two vacancies (assuming they have three others charged to them at the same academy). "Clear vacancy winner" means a slot is open for that MOC and one candidate on their nomination slate (assuming it was a competitive slate and not principal w alternates) has a WCS that cannot be mathematically surpassed by any of the other candidates' updates in the final stretch. Think late January, when the final eligible ACT/SAT test date scores are in or after the final application deadline has passed.

There are a lot of variables that I don't fully understand. I guess a "clear vacancy winner" could also be an unranked alternate with the highest WCS if the primary was somehow, e.g. medical, disqualified or perhaps selected another academy. Again, it's complicated and IIRC the academy doesn't have to go down the list if the first winner drops for whatever reason.

Is that murky enough for you?
 
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Sledge said:
Vacancy basically means open "congressional slot."

If a MOC has one charged cadet/midshipmen quit and one graduate, the MOC would have two vacancies (assuming they have three others charged to them at the same academy). "Clear vacancy winner" means a slot is open for that MOC and one candidate on their nomination slate (assuming it was a competitive slate and not principal w alternates) has a WCS that cannot be mathematically surpassed by any of the other candidates' updates in the final stretch. Think late January, when the final eligible ACT/SAT test date scores are in or after the final application deadline has passed.

There are a lot of variables that I don't fully understand. I guess a "clear vacancy winner" could also be an unranked alternate with the highest WCS if the primary was somehow, e.g. medical, disqualified or perhaps selected another academy. Again, it's complicated and IIRC the academy doesn't have to go down the list if the first winner drops for whatever reason.

Is that murky enough for you?
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Sledge, question: does a clear vacancy winner necessarily need to be a "mathematical" certainty by the wcs, or could it be someone who the academy looks at and says, of all the candidates nominated for this MOC slate this one is going to end up with the spot? Because some of the evaluation assessment is subjective couldn't they just say, we love this kid so much there is no way we are not going to appoint him as a winner of this slate, and thus offer at end of January? Or does it need to be a mathematical certainty?
 
brovol said:
Sledge, question: does a clear vacancy winner necessarily need to be a "mathematical" certainty by the wcs, or could it be someone who the academy looks at and says, of all the candidates nominated for this MOC slate this one is going to end up with the spot? Because some of the evaluation assessment is subjective couldn't they just say, we love this kid so much there is no way we are not going to appoint him as a winner of this slate, and thus offer at end of January? Or does it need to be a mathematical certainty?
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I'm not an expert and perhaps one of the FFR's will chime in and answer this more authoritatively. That said, it is my understanding that top WCS (a mathematical calculation) wins a non-ranked Congressional slate. ACT/SAT is 30% of that number and other seemingly important things, e.g. Eagle Scout, fantastic athlete, etc., can only add so many points.

A question that comes up often is whether there are "bonus points." If you are both an Eagle Scout and you went to Boys State, and there are only so may points allotted for the "Community Leadership" portion of WCS, do both count? Are there bonus points? I suspect so but don't know.

Remember, we are still talking about Clear Vacancy Winners of Congressional slates. That's in the first round of appointments. A situation you are describing, where subjectivity plays a greater part, would IMO, come into effect when Admissions is evaluating who to take from the National Waiting List. Again, my understanding, the first 150 off that list are selected (by law) on WCS. After that 150 are selected by WCS, Admissions can take who they want, i.e. not necessarily by WCS, to "balance out" and fill the rest of the class with people that have unique abilities or circumstances of birth which USMA feels are "important" to the army of a democracy.
 
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Sledge said:
I'm not an expert and perhaps one of the FFR's will chime in and answer this more authoritatively. That said, it is my understanding that top WCS (a mathematical calculation) wins a non-ranked Congressional slate. ACT/SAT is 30% of that number and other seemingly important things, e.g. Eagle Scout, fantastic athlete, etc., can only add so many points.

A question that comes up often is whether there are "bonus points." If you are both an Eagle Scout and you went to Boys State, and there are only so may points allotted for the "Community Leadership" portion of WCS, do both count? Are there bonus points? I suspect so but don't know.

Remember, we are still talking about Clear Vacancy Winners of Congressional slates. That's in the first round of appointments. A situation you are describing, where subjectivity plays a greater part, would IMO, come into effect when Admissions is evaluating who to take from the National Waiting List. Again, my understanding, the first 150 off that list are selected (by law) on WCS. After that 150 are selected by WCS, Admissions can take who they want, i.e. not necessarily by WCS, to "balance out" and fill the rest of the class with people that have unique abilities or circumstances of birth which USMA feels are "important" to the army of a democracy.
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It was also my understanding that the moc slots determined by wcs, which is seemingly the most objective method. I just wondered if the admissions pannel, or whoever makes these decisions, can look and say, well, although it is conceivable that another nominee from this slate could have a ten point increase on ACT, or come in with supliment to his/her application which increases the score so much that it becomes a tie mathematically, candidate A appears to have by far the best application and package, and therefore we are going to offer the spot tho him/her. Or, is it literally a calculation, and if it is possible, allbeit completely unlikely, that someone could catch the top candidate, they wait?
 
Yes, I think they would wait. "Clear" is the key word. If it's not clear, and there was something else out there that might be coming in, an appointment for that vacancy might not be issued in the first wave. You have to remember that not all vacancies are hotly contested.
 
Sledge said:
Yes, I think they would wait. "Clear" is the key word. If it's not clear, and there was something else out there that might be coming in, an appointment for that vacancy might not be issued in the first wave. You have to remember that not all vacancies are hotly contested.
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Ok. Sounds reasonable.
 
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