Conditional offer without nomination

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Drollest

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Feb 14, 2024
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So I received a conditional offer for the USNA, but I wasn't able to meet the requirements (being the nomination). Can someone help me understand what now, is there anything I should still look out and wait for?
 
For clarification, did you receive an LOA (letter of assurance) from USNA?

Did you apply for the VP nomination?
 
If you received an LOA and the condition is a nomination, then your chances of getting offer of appointment at this juncture are slim to none. The deadline has passed for MOC noms. The deadline for other noms (e.g. JROTC) has likely passed as well. The VP nom is a possibility, if you applied for it. (In which case, I'd expect the SA to be aware of that option for you.)

Yes, there are stories of a nom materializing miraculously at the 11th hour. Happened to DD, who got an LOA from USAFA, pending a nom, in very late April. Couple days later, she was informed that a nom had been secured for her. At that point, she'd already accepted her USNA offer.

Think of these late-breaking noms as a unicorn riding in on a triple rainbow: exceedingly beautiful and extremely rare. Emphasis on extremely rare. There's a small chance until you get the TWE, but be pragmatic and turn your attention to Plan B.
 
It's hard to say how this will turn out. If USNA really, really wants a candidate, there are ways for them to "find" a nominating source (usually the Superintendent). However, there is a VERY limited number of these noms and USNA typically uses them only for special cases (such as US citizen candidate lives overseas and parents don't maintain a US home of record).

In recent years, my experience has been that LOA candidates without noms end up with turndowns. That said, I'm sure there are exceptions.

Your chances aren't zero but you need to be realistic that a turndown is much more likely than an appointment. Follow through with your other plans and hope that USNA comes through.

For 2029 candidates: Apply for the VP nom! Yes, it's one more set of paperwork to complete. Yes, it's a very long shot. But, if you apply for it, it gives USNA one more option. In years past, folks on this site have posted about receiving the VP nom, so it definitely happens!
 
Drollest said:
Yes I did, and I did not apply for the VP nomination...
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usna1985 said:
For 2029 candidates: Apply for the VP nom! Yes, it's one more set of paperwork to complete. Yes, it's a very long shot. But, if you apply for it, it gives USNA one more option. In years past, folks on this site have posted about receiving the VP nom, so it definitely happens!
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^ This ... OP's best shot was probably getting pulled to use the VP Nomination and he/she didn't even try. It is an online application, and takes little effort.
 
This ^^^. The VP nom request takes very little time/effort.

As a parent of a kid who got an early LOA, but did not get a nom even after informing his MoC interviewers that he had one, I certainly feel your pain. Unfortunately, he did get a TWE in the final culling of the '25 cycle. We had even reached back out to our MoCs for help before he got that decision, with no success.
 
Sadly, some MOCs choose NOT to give LOA candidates a nom in the mistaken belief that USNA will “find” one for them. ISNA tries to educate the MOCs on this point, but MOVs are free to do whatever they want. To be fair to them, in some cases, the MOCs decide that there are 10 candidates who, in their view are “superior” to the LOA candidate.
 
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usna1985 said:
Sadly, some MOCs choose NOT to give LOA candidates a nom in the mistaken belief that USNA will “find” one for them. ISNA tries to educate the MOCs on this point, but MOVs are free to do whatever they want. To be fair to them, in some cases, the MOCs decide that there are 10 candidates who, in their view are “superior” to the LOA candidate.
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To this, we had a candidate with an LOA but no nom bc the candidate didn’t meet the MOC’s minimum test scores. So it happens. And this is an example where an appointment is multi-faceted. USNA wanted this candidate for their whole resume/person. USNA saw their potential. MOC had different criteria that they measured by. It happens.
 
If you have an LOA and a nomination (it's been sent to USNA by the MOC), there is no need to pursue additional nominations. USNA wants you to but that's b/c they want more flexibility in "charging" you. It really doesn't benefit you and, IMO, potentially takes away from another candidate the opportunity to secure a nom.

I would agree that, until USNA has received the nom from whatever source, it's prudent to continue to pursue all possible nominations. But once USNA has one . . . and you have an LOA, you have met the LOA requirement. As an aside, I've never heard of a situation in which a candidate has been told by the MOC that s/he has a nom and that nom is not sent to the SA, but I suppose it could happen.
 
Always apply for the VP nom

My DD almost did not apply for the VP nom because she thought there was no way in the world she would get it.... but we ran into an academy family and they told us to do it.
She did it.
Our local Moc gave her the nom for USNA and being a competitive district he only gave one.

She ended up getting the VP nom for United States Air Force Academy.
With her previous loa from Air Force she got an appointment.

( She accepted her USNA appointment)
 
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