Letter of Assurance (LOA)

A

Alan99

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2017
Messages
38
Hello, I'm currently applying to the USNA and I've been wondering what is required to receive a LOA. Are test scores and class rank the main factors? Do they take in EC's into consideration? All answers are appreciated!
 
None of us know. The years I have been on this forum I have seen candidates who had unbelievable scores and other academics and others who were more in line with class averages get them. What they all had in common is they had very well rounded resumes. There is no magic formula.

I have also seen candidates on this forum with LOAs not receive a Nom or not be medically qualified. It's rare but it shows an LOA is no guarantee. An appointment is the goal. An LOA is nice but it's not the finish line. None of the SAs publish LOA guidelines (if they even have any) or even how many are given out. There are dozens of old threads on LOAs as this pops up each year. Honestly focus on the appplication and if happens great, but the large majority will not receive an LOA. I always tell candidates there is no special line for appointees on I Day and once you walk into Alumni Hall, no one cares if you had one or not.
 
Basically, an LOA might be offered if Nominations and Appointments feels highly confident that a candidate will either win her/his nomination slate hands-down (hard to predict, particularly because they don't know nomination sources at that point) OR will be in the top 150 candidates nationally (a little easier to predict). Even then, an LOA is not assured. And to answer your direct question, everything required on the application is considered.

As usual, NavyHoops made the salient point -- don't expect one, realize that few receive them and apply yourself to your application.
 
NavyHoops and Suddensam both nailed it in the head, and there is not much to add. However one piece of advice I can give you as a recipient of an LOA is to have your application done as soon as possible, and as best as you can.

I want to stress that a LOA should not be the end goal but an Appointment to USNA.

Good luck!
 
jipsyjips said:
Just a little bit of insight if I can offer some.
My sister got an LOA and she said she wouldn’t mind if I posted her specs. Would that be helpful?
Click to expand...

I wish more people were candid with their applicant data. It would be great insight, thanks!
 
Lazyboy said:
jipsyjips said:
Just a little bit of insight if I can offer some.
My sister got an LOA and she said she wouldn’t mind if I posted her specs. Would that be helpful?
Click to expand...

I wish more people were candid with their applicant data. It would be great insight, thanks!
Click to expand...

Academics:
SAT (730 Math, 710 English)
GPA: 3.98
10 AP Classes, 12 Honors Classes
7/400

Extra Curricular/Merits:
Face aids
Model UN
National Honor Society
Tri-M
Jazz band
Symphonic band
3rd place in international science fair
1st places in state fair/districts
Distinguished AP scholar
President of club with 400 members
NHS
NMHS
NFLHS

Sports:
1st dan taekwondo black belt
No hs varsity letters
2 years of swimming club

Leadership:
Secretary of Key club
Link leader
Life guarding
Swim instructor (<9 hours/week)

CFA:
Mile: 8:28
B.B. throw: 42 ft
Shuttle: 9.5
Pushups/sit-ups: maxed
Flexed: 1 sec (her hands slipped lol)


Asian minority
 
@Lazyboy

Was the above candid post helpful to you? I imagine it simply added to the anxiety for many. Her "stats" are exceptional - and many, many posters, readers, and lurkers on this site will have better. Some will have far better. Yet, they have no LOA. Mystery.
 
“Just the stats” are an incomplete picture.

An LOA can be given for many reasons - perhaps there haven’t been appointees from a certain geographic area in some time, or some other aspect of the whole candidate/score multiple that triggers the SA to offer an LOA.

The SAs fill out a class looking to balance a number of aspects that meet all kinds of goals. It’s not just “you have the best test scores/grades on the planet, we want you.”

You can drive yourself crazy trying to extrapolate your chances from another’s stats - and equally crazy if you try to use that in a comparative analysis of who got appointments or prep offers and who did not.

There are plenty who have more ho-hum stats (as compared to the group of typical SA-qualified candidates), no LOA, who get an appointment, and soar to the top of the class, blowing right by classmates who had better incoming grades and test scores.

The SA is picking its appointees based on ability to handle the academics, military life and other aspects of 4 years at an SA, but their primary focus is choosing those whom they see as having the most potential to develop into junior officers. It’s an art and a science to do that, and they have decades of experience in putting together a class each year.
 
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I usually don't get into the LOA speculation and accept what I read here not to expect one but...since I've read that most regular appointments come February or March, would USNA be at all likely to issue one this late in the game? Seems to me it's usually done earlier to try to lock people in.
 
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I saw an LOA issued in February with the contingency being the CFA. This was when the CFA wasn't due until 1 March. At this point in the process, I wouldn't expect any LOAs other than for medical contingency. But one never knows.
 
Comparing stats still won't let you 'figure out' who gets an LOA and why. There are also parts of your application that we will never see such as teacher recommendations or what was submitted by your BGO. Posting stats is really a waste of time sine it doesn't give you the entire picture. Since not even BGO's know USNA's current formula for the WCS, speculating on who will/will not get an LOA or be 3Q....etc. make all of those 'chance me' threads fairly useless.
 
Comparing stats will get you nowhere and drive you crazy attempting to analyze them. Our son had same stats as many receiving LOA and appointments last year. He (like many others with same stellar stats) received a TWE. There are so many other factors (congressional district, who is on your slate etc...). Things that he has no control over.

Son is a reapplicant with new and improved stellar stats and more... whether or not admissions thinks he has the secret sauce this year to be offered an appointment is to be determined... He did all he could.

Good luck to you all!
 
That makes sense time2, but the whole package thing is really more puzzling to me, particularly the BGO input. If I read the sticky thread above correctly, it seems if the BGO report is very favorable, it may help "a little." It surprises me that the only real "personal" contact they generally have, albeit through an agent, does not seem to weigh that heavily, or am I missing something? BGO's give ratings, i would think it would count more.
 
Yes, I appreciate you sharing that.

For the record, I am not expecting an LOA. My son has a nom, but not the principal nom from our MOC. My curiosity now lies in if he will make the “top 150 off the nwl”.
 
Capt MJ said:
“Just the stats” are an incomplete picture.

An LOA can be given for many reasons - perhaps there haven’t been appointees from a certain geographic area in some time, or some other aspect of the whole candidate/score multiple that triggers the SA to offer an LOA.

The SAs fill out a class looking to balance a number of aspects that meet all kinds of goals. It’s not just “you have the best test scores/grades on the planet, we want you.”

You can drive yourself crazy trying to extrapolate your chances from another’s stats - and equally crazy if you try to use that in a comparative analysis of who got appointments or prep offers and who did not.

There are plenty who have more ho-hum stats (as compared to the group of typical SA-qualified candidates), no LOA, who get an appointment, and soar to the top of the class, blowing right by classmates who had better incoming grades and test scores.

The SA is picking its appointees based on ability to handle the academics, military life and other aspects of 4 years at an SA, but their primary focus is choosing those whom they see as having the most potential to develop into junior officers. It’s an art and a science to do that, and they have decades of experience in putting together a class each year.
Click to expand...

The truth is they could substitute the next 150...or far more...on the NWL for the 150 selected, and there would be negligible differences. All the kids still competing as candidates are well qualified and they are part of the hopeful 1% who will volunteer to serve our Nation.
 
Jipsyjips.

Like most have said here there are many reasons why SAs give LOA. I am no expert but I believe LOAs are given to candidates that the SAs are certain they want to admit anyways either now or later if all required conditions are met; given that the candidate has met the qualities SAs seek. Must also pass and have DODMERB Nom and CFA. And supply and demand of Candidate mix they are seeking in that region, both historically and currently.

I would take the Asian Minority out from the equation. Asians are no longer minorities in this country. And has not been for many years by colleges. In fact, Asians make up the highest race after Caucasian and at many top schools; in UC Schools and MIT, Asians appear to be the majority of include international students. Among the Ivies and Stanford, Columbia and Harvard are home to large Asian student body. And West Point and Annapolis are no different with Asians and mixed Asians making up double digit student body.

So Asian Card doesn’t work at colleges and SAs. However, I can see that being an Asian female is quite rare to attend SAs so given your stats and depending on what geographic region you are from can make a real difference getting an Appointment later on.

Good luck!
 
CrewDad said:
Jipsyjips.

Like most have said here there are many reasons why SAs give LOA. I am no expert but I believe LOAs are given to candidates that the SAs are certain they want to admit anyways either now or later if all required conditions are met; given that the candidate has met the qualities SAs seek. Must also pass and have DODMERB Nom and CFA. And supply and demand of Candidate mix they are seeking in that region, both historically and currently.

I would take the Asian Minority out from the equation. Asians are no longer minorities in this country. And has not been for many years by colleges. In fact, Asians make up the highest race after Caucasian and at many top schools; in UC Schools and MIT, Asians appear to be the majority of include international students. Among the Ivies and Stanford, Columbia and Harvard are home to large Asian student body. And West Point and Annapolis are no different with Asians and mixed Asians making up double digit student body.

So Asian Card doesn’t work at colleges and SAs. However, I can see that being an Asian female is quite rare to attend SAs so given your stats and depending on what geographic region you are from can make a real difference getting an Appointment later on.

Good luck!
Click to expand...


Above stats were my sis’s but the Asian part applies to me so I get what you’re saying
 
Good luck and don’t stop trying until you get your Appointment if SA is your path to first choice college where you want to commission. It shouldn’t be for pedigree or for free education or because of surrounding influence. My priority would be that Number one reason is because you want to serve our country then service you want to commission into and then all others are secondary.
 
What's up everyone, I got an LOA this past Friday, with an appointment if I pass a Body Fat Determination Test (I was over the weight limit during my DoDMERB exam in July). So yes, it is still possible to receive an LOA, but it'll probably only be due to medical or CFA reasons.
 
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