Letter of Encouragement?

2

2024srv

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
23
Hello
I received and email from West Point. I applied to SLE in my junior year as I was simply keeping my options open for my post high school goals. I am applying to other service academies however I did not continue with West Point once the official portal opened.
However today I received and email stating “your exceptional high school record has caught the attention of our admissions staff, so if you haven't already done so, I encourage you to complete you application file”
Of course I am very open to doing so and I am keeping my options open yet I wanted to ask is this just a letter of encouragement?
 
LOEs are posted on the candidate portal and also mailed to the candidate physically. Although implied, the wording of an LOE actually does not say anything specific about encouraging a candidate to finish applying. They also contain a notice that authorizes overnight visits. What you received in the email is different , and USMA is trying to get you complete the portal.
 
s-xuer said:
LOEs are posted on the candidate portal and also mailed to the candidate physically. Although implied, the wording of an LOE actually does not say anything specific about encouraging a candidate to finish applying. They also contain a notice that authorizes overnight visits. What you received in the email is different , and USMA is trying to get you complete the portal.
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I received one in the mail and via email quite a few times. Does this mean LOE?
 
sarcasticbelugas said:
I received one in the mail and via email quite a few times. Does this mean LOE?
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If you received the same letter in your mail and online portal, and that letter says something about an overnight visit, then it's probably an LOE. Other letters are probably outreach letters encouraging you apply or finish applying.
 
2024srv said:
Hello
I received and email from West Point. I applied to SLE in my junior year as I was simply keeping my options open for my post high school goals. I am applying to other service academies however I did not continue with West Point once the official portal opened.
However today I received and email stating “your exceptional high school record has caught the attention of our admissions staff, so if you haven't already done so, I encourage you to complete you application file”
Of course I am very open to doing so and I am keeping my options open yet I wanted to ask is this just a letter of encouragement?
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Yes, this is a Letter of Encouragement (LOE)
 
Hint: …… “your exceptional high school record has caught the attention of our admissions staff, so if you haven't already done so, I encourage you to complete your application file”
 
It didn’t say anything about an Overnight visit. It simply just stated what I put above and then Included info on what’s in the application and it was sent specifically by someone there not an auto generated email account in a way
 
FYI

Check your USMA portal. If it includes a PDF "Letter of Encouragement" in the Official Correspondence section, yes it's an official LOE.
 
Some people said that LOE is just a marketing tool but it includes an overnight visit which will cost a lot especially for those who come from the west coast.

LOA is definitely a significant impact on an appointment but LOE should be taken into account as well?

OP looks a very competitive candidate .....many people are also wondering a significance of LOE.

Any thought?
 
LOE's and LOA's are both marketing tools.

LOE's come in various formats, all with the intent of getting a likely qualified candidate to finish the application - sometimes from the RC, sometimes from others in admissions. It merely conveys the message, "Finish the application and you might be qualified for an appointment" and may authorize an overnight visit (a marketing tool).

If your application portal is open and you get correspondence (email, letter in portal, etc.) asking you to complete the application because you are a strong candidate, that is an LOE.

An LOE has no impact on appointment. It does not add WCS points or make any promises regarding appointment, whereas an LOA is a conditional promise of appointment. Some with an LOA will end up not being 3Q and therefore no appointment, while many who get an LOE will end up not being 3Q or being 3Q and not getting an appointment.
 
LOEs actually don’t mention anything about finishing the application. They also will not come through e-mail, only through the portal and physical mail. Lastly, they always authorize an overnight visit. If the letter doesn’t meet these points, it isn’t an LOE.
 
BigMac said:
LOEs actually don’t mention anything about finishing the application. They also will not come through e-mail, only through the portal and physical mail. Lastly, they always authorize an overnight visit. If the letter doesn’t meet these points, it isn’t an LOE.
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Perhaps I missed something. How do you know this?
 
My son got an LOA from USNA and his good friend got an LOE from West Point. Both got appointments. They are more than marketing.
 
A1Janitor said:
My son got an LOA from USNA and his good friend got an LOE from West Point. Both got appointments. They are more than marketing.
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A perfect example of successful marketing. In both cases the LOA/LOE facilitated the process of turning a candidate into a Midshipman/Cadet rather than pursuing other options.

LOA’s/LOE’s do not cause appointments. Qualifications cause LOA’s/LOE’s. The candidates would have been appointed without the LOA/LOE, assuming they completed the application process without the added enticement of an LOA/LOE.
 
My son got an early LOA. It said that if he gets a nom and is medically qualified, he is guaranteed an offer of an appointment.

There is no enticement. It’s a letter they generated as soon as his package was complete.

It did not facilitate any process to make him a midshipmen. He would have been made the offer of appointment with or without the LOA. And he would have accepted it or turned the appointment down with or without an LOA.

I wouldn’t call an LOE marketing either in the true sense of the word, but I understand the use of the term.
 
A1Janitor said:
My son got an LOA from USNA and his good friend got an LOE from West Point. Both got appointments. They are more than marketing.
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An LOE is a good sign but it guarantees absolutely nothing. EVERY YEAR, there are candidates that receive LOEs but DO NOT gain appointments (of course, the converse is also true). It simply shows the Academy is interested in the portion of your application they've seen and would like you to complete it in hopes that the balance of the application will prove equally favorable.

An LOA is quite the opposite, become 3Q with a Nomination and your practically guaranteed an Appointment.

Lastly, the email the OP received is not an LOE. Its a mass distribution email sent to individuals that have SAT/ACT scores above a specific threshold. As stated above, an LOE always provides the opportunity for an overnight visit
 
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