Confused about 3Q letter

[militarymomcpg]

I have two questions regarding receipt of a 3Q letter. First, does receipt of the 3Q letter definitively indicate that the candidate has not won their slate? Also, is there any advantage or disadvantage as to when the 3Q letter is received? If you are 3Qd with a nom earlier in the process (before Christmas) is that a good thing or does it matter at all when the letter is received?

 

[DrMom]

It is a good thing in that the candidate is found to be academically, physically, and medically qualified for admissions. If you are not 3Q you cannot attend.
Being 3Q is a big deal--but it does not guarantee or make an appointment imminent.
It has nothing to do with nomination status.
Most 3Q with a nom will go to the National Waiting List.
If you are 3Q with a nom--based on previous year class profiles, you have a greater than 50% chance of being appointed.

 

[DrMom]

I was going to post a link to one of the recent class profiles but the new USMA homepage makes it impossible to find it/them.--or any sort of PDF.

 

[DrMom]

OK...I found this. It does not tell us which year so it is probably 2021 or 2022.
https://www.usma.edu/admissions/class-profile
Of the 2228 that were 'academically and physically qualified" (so not even 3Q), 1210 were admitted.
So, 3Q with a nom...the odds are slightly in your favor.

However, definitely work on what else there is to do next year--where will your child bring his Army ROTC scholarship? Does he want to re-apply next year?

 

[militarymomcpg]

OK...I found this. It does not tell us which year so it is probably 2021 or 2022.
https://www.usma.edu/admissions/class-profile
Of the 2228 that were 'academically and physically qualified" (so not even 3Q), 1210 were admitted.
So, 3Q with a nom...the odds are slightly in your favor.

However, definitely work on what else there is to do next year--where will your child bring his Army ROTC scholarship? Does he want to re-apply next year?

Thank you for the information, and he does have his backup plan in place. In fact, I hate to even call it a backup plan (sounds like the booby prize) because it is a full tuition AROTC scholarship to an excellent college to which he just learned he was accepted into their honors program. In some ways, I question if that path might better suit his ultimate goal to go to medical school. He says he wants career Army so he understands that odds are he will be waiting a long time to get to med school and he is willing to take that long route. I am just trying to help him manage expectations and be proud of what he has accomplished. I think he is handling the wait better than my husband and I are.

 

[DrMom]

That's so sweet. Sounds like a wonderful plan--and really, never call it a back up plan. Like you said, it might be the better plan for your son.
Yes, the waiting is hard...and it can get harder. Best not to think about it too much--you can make yourself crazy. However, if you must make yourself crazy--do it here where you can be anonymous--without adding to your child's stress. (Hard to resist asking, "Did you hear anything?" but you might want to talk about checking once a week.)