Admissions Decisions: Anyone else in a similar situation?

[elhefe1992]

Good afternoon,
First time posting on this forum so please excuse me if I do not use the correct terminology. To preface, a very good friend, who we can refer to them as CH, and I both applied to USAFA. We are both in the same congressional district. I received our congressman's nominations to USNA and USMMA but was medically disqualified from any seafaring service due to a vision issue. CH received nominations to USMA and USAFA. We also both received nominations through our respective Army JROTC units to all academies that accept that kind of nomination (USAFA, USNA, USMA).

Roughly two days ago, CH got a call from our congressman with congratulations: CH had received an appointment to USAFA. CH claims that our congressman was very explicit in informing them that they had received the appointment for the JROTC HUD nomination, rather than the congressional. Both of our portals still show the same message: "Candidate Kit - Submitted."

Do I still have a decent shot? Do I still have a chance? I'm not exactly sure how the congressional district stuff works, I know that normally only one per district can go. Thanks!

 

[shiner]

At this stage of the game, you have done what you can. You are not totally out of the mix yet. The real date is the start of BCT. If CH's nomination is being charged to the JROTC slot, then that one is committed and probably no longer available. This does not mean however that you are out of it. Nominations are semi-fluid and there is a potential that you still receive one. You technically have a nom, but where it is physically charged to administratively is outside of your view. Your nom may end up getting charged to a Congressman from Wyoming who (hypothetically) did not have a qualified applicant this cycle from their district.

The KEY to this is that you received a nom to the school. That is more than some. Don't worry about allocations or how things get charged on the back end - it is outside of your control.

Think of this as a game of musical chairs. You are at the carnival and there is a game of musical chairs. People inside the event venue can play (have a nomination), but you have to wait in line. No one knows when the music stops, but when it does, if you are lucky enough to find a seat (nomination gets charged to a slot and you have an appointment), that is all that matters. Some people have not been let into the venue yet to even have a chance to play the game (no nomination).

A single MOC can have 5 active students charged to their name at any one time. In the same period of time that they have 5 enrolled at the school under their name, they actually nominated 50. Of those 50, more than 5 often are admitted to the school but are "charged" against other available seats from other nominating authorities who could not fill their allotments on their own. This is how "competitive" districts gain more seats than less or unqualified applicants from other "less qualified" districts.

The fact that you have a nom from JROTC is all that matters at this stage of the hunger games style competition. Having a nom makes you qualified to receive an appointment. The logistics of everything are sorted administratively. Some qualified applicants who have a nom and are deemed competitive will still end up without an appointment when things are all said and done based on where they stood in the National Wait List order of merit. This ranking is not visible to you, but it is visible to Admissions.

 

[elhefe1992]

At this stage of the game, you have done what you can. You are not totally out of the mix yet. The real date is the start of BCT. If CH's nomination is being charged to the JROTC slot, then that one is committed and probably no longer available. This does not mean however that you are out of it. Nominations are semi-fluid and there is a potential that you still receive one. You technically have a nom, but where it is physically charged to administratively is outside of your view. Your nom may end up getting charged to a Congressman from Wyoming who (hypothetically) did not have a qualified applicant this cycle from their district.

The KEY to this is that you received a nom to the school. That is more than some. Don't worry about allocations or how things get charged on the back end - it is outside of your control.

Think of this as a game of musical chairs. You are at the carnival and there is a game of musical chairs. People inside the event venue can play (have a nomination), but you have to wait in line. No one knows when the music stops, but when it does, if you are lucky enough to find a seat (nomination gets charged to a slot and you have an appointment), that is all that matters. Some people have not been let into the venue yet to even have a chance to play the game (no nomination).

A single MOC can have 5 active students charged to their name at any one time. In the same period of time that they have 5 enrolled at the school under their name, they actually nominated 50. Of those 50, more than 5 often are admitted to the school but are "charged" against other available seats from other nominating authorities who could not fill their allotments on their own. This is how "competitive" districts gain more seats than less or unqualified applicants from other "less qualified" districts.

Hooah!
That's very encouraging. Sincerely, thank you for your response.

 

[BOKLAW]

This is the best description of how seats are assigned that I have read, and it explains a lot of the apparent discrepancies that pop up with multiple appointments from one district. Thank you!