My MOC has only one slot and does not rank. If there is a person with an LOAin my district, that would mean that no one else could receive the MOC's open slot so everyone else would go to the NWL?
If your MOC does not rank, and has 1 slot available, USNA may choose any candidate off that slate who is 3Q. The rest who are 3Q with a nom go to the pool. There may be candidates on the slate who are not 3Q, so they do not go to the pool.
Now, USNA may choose the candidate with the LOA to be charged to that slate, or may choose to charge that candidate to the pool category, and may choose someone else from the slate. No matter what, the LOA candidate must be 3Q and have fulfilled all conditions of the LOA. The LOA is USNA’s tool to use as it wishes, and the situation with where appointments are charged can remain very fluid.
You also have to know that if someone is 3Q and has an LOA but does not get a nom from any source, and the Supe chooses not to use a discretionary nom, that person is probably not going to receive an offer of appointment. Happens every year.
If you have a nom and are hopefully 3Q (USNA does not officially inform), you have a shot. Resist the urge to look right or left. Others may have other nom categories they could be charged to that you don’t know about, or they may not be 3Q, even if they have a nom.
Behind the green curtain, the Admissions team is working very hard to give everyone a fair shot. It’s always been a little murky to me when candidates get blessed as 3Q, and the fluidity around matching candidates with noms to various sources, all the while tracking other goals for the class.
Think of it as a cross between Wizard Chess and 3D Jenga.