January Appointment Wave

[robballin]

I heard that the first big wave of appointments go out in mid January. Does the admissions board choose the most competitive candidates to give appointments to, or is the selection process much more arbitrary than that? Also, does having your application completed much earlier than most affect when you’ll hear back from the Academy?

 

[Sledge]

Each Academy is different in its release of appointments. USMA has, over the last few years, issued an initial "wave" of appointments in mid-January. Those candidates receiving appointments in the first wave were typically principal nominees and "clear vacancy winners."

USAFA seems to issue large numbers of appointments in March.

I haven't paid as much attention to the timing of USNA appointments, other than the fact that, if you get to mid March without an apppointment, chances thereafter are slim.

 

[time2]

^^ I agree. The OP is better off posting on the forum for the particular SA they are applying to. Each SA might operate differently, so it is difficult to answer generic application questions. USNA, for example, no longer tells applicants if they are 3Q, so just having a NOM (early or not) is just one piece of the puzzle. You can't assume you will be 3Q just because you have a NOM and no one on here can reliably tell you if you will be 3Q.