It's all about ego and the desire to say/state/print/list/post "We are the most desirable and exclusive military academy because more people apply to the USNA than any other."
Without a doubt, USNA gets more applications than the others. Of that there is no question.
If USNA admissions feels they must over-inflate their numbers to appear more exclusive, they do so at the risk of appearing disingenuous - i.e. - they are reporting as "applicants" anyone who fills out the initial web form listing their name, address, GPA, and sends an SAT score or transcript.
Hardly an "application" in any sense of the imagination.
Releasing the number of "completed applications" would do a far better service to anyone who is looking to compare these numbers, for whatever reason they are comparing them, especially those "what are my chances for admission" questions.
The bottom line:
- No one competes with an "applicant" who doesn't complete their application.
- No one competes with an "applicant" who doesn't meet the scholastic, medical, and physical qualifications.
- No one competes with an applicant who does not have a legal nomination.
Period. No one is eligible for an appointment, unless they meet the above 3 criteria.
Once you arrive at this "magic number" it is very easy then then correlate/compare "acceptance rates" that actually mean something.
And based on historical data (some of which is no longer released by USNA admissions, for whatever reason) the acceptance rate for USNA is ~14%-20% year after year.
As it is for all of the SAs when reporting accurate admissions data.