It's really more of a personal choice. The benefit for me was I play Varsity football and work. That along with in-person classes, (hopefully) nomination interviews, social life, SATs, etc. was enough motivation for me to turn it in early September. I did the CFA in June. I live in Florida and again, it would have been challenging to train for it with everything going on and it would have been SO HOT!
There's no harm in submitting it early, but the electronic application form is only one portion of the whole tedious process. For me during this last cycle, I wasn't assigned a BGO until mid-November, and I wasn't able to complete an official CFA until December. Submitting it early can only help you focus on the rest of the process. Just be sure that it isn't rushed and that you are putting your best foot forward on the essay. I didn't get my application until early January because I wanted to be sure that my essay was the best that it could be. Take advantage of the fact that your high school, assumedly, offers guidance counselors as well.
Yeah I like getting stuff done early. I'll probably do most of it over the summer.
I know it is very unlikely but can you get an LOA from submitting the online form and passing the CFA and DoDMERB test without a nomination? Also would I be more likely to get an LOA from submitting early?
possible to get LOA. DD got that for co2025 with what you described
Ok that sounds good. Do I have to be insanely qualified to get an LOA that early or do I just have to meet and maybe exceed some of the standards?
I can't speak on who receives an LOA. Admissions will offer as they see fit.
Submit the BEST application you can, as early as you can. Emphasis on BEST! Each year, we see posts from candidates who realize they made mistakes or omissions on their applications, all because they were in a rush to be early. Better to submit your package a few weeks later, than to be early but have to call admissions to ask if you can make an amendment or addition. Take your time, get it right, beat the deadline.
This is simply NOT TRUE! An LOA is not granted for simply being early and qualified. An LOA is granted to those who, for some reason, are considered exceptional candidates that USNA considers "must have." That bar is set well above "qualified," which is why precious few LOAs are sent out. And yes, nominations are a common reason, but there are many others that stretch from obvious to obscure (I know the latter, because DD had two LOAs conditioned on two obscure things).
^^^ THIS! ^^^
The majority of cadets and midshipmen are offered appointments without an LOA. The SAs use LOAs to tap those seen to meet class-building criteria, which can be a variety of factors, to assure them of an offer of appointment once certain condition(s) are met. They can occur throughout the application cycle.
I agree with this. My son took his time to be complete. He wasn’t worried about early. He was focused on timely.
I completed the medical process in October and November of last year through my USAFA app. When USNA gave gave me a LOA they just pulled in from DoDMERB. So no hoops.
Your experience in this highly abnormal year for admissions is noted. In most years, a last week of Feb submittal is too late. I've been a part of Service Academy admissions for close to 30 years and early on in my time as a BGO, there was a lot of advice to candidates to get things in early. While they do not actively promote that advice now, it is still my opinion that as long as it is high quality inputs being submitted, it is to the applicant's advantage to get things done in the early part of the cycle. That usually pushes DoDMERB to be earlier and allows sufficient time for AMIs or corrections. For Presidential and some of the other service noms which don't wait for the Nov/Dec timeframe like the MOCs, this can result in a candidate that is through the Admissions Board AND has a Nom well before New Years.
