Letters of Assurance

#1dbnugfan said:
Will the announcement of an LOA appear on a candidate's information page, or will it only appear in the form of a letter?
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Last year my DS' LOA status was not reflected in his CIS page. I don't believe that they are. It was reflected on his DoDMERB page ("NALOA") prior to receipt of the letter itself.
 
Proud and Thankful Dad:

Thank you for your encouragement. I know you are right and whatever is to be will be. I've applied for Naval ROTC Scholarship, as well, and have several good colleges in mind as back up plans (I've completed the Common App and just have to do the supplements). USNA is my dream, though, so it just makes the waiting very difficult, as I know you understand. Congratulations to your son!
 
Dolphins2012 said:
Last year my DS' LOA status was not reflected in his CIS page. I don't believe that they are. It was reflected on his DoDMERB page ("NALOA") prior to receipt of the letter itself.
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Where on the DoDMERB page is this information? Under Applicant status?
 
Hello all. The fact that LOAs are getting sent out already is exciting but scary! I heard that 40% of LOAs are sent out by December.
Here's my question: if my application is not complete, will I still be considered for an LOA? I have completed everything except for the cfa, medical, and a recommendation from my calc teacher (who gave me an award at the end of the year last year and I received a 5 on the ap exam, so it'll be a good one).

And share your thoughts about me? I am a girl, white (blonde hair blue eyes). I have a 4.26 (and it goes up every semester, came up from a 4.17 in a semester), and I got a 32 on my act. Jv one year and varsity tennis throughout high school-lessons since I was 8. By the time I graduate, I'll have taken 13 ap classes, including calc (an and bc) stats physics macro gov us history Chem.
I'm in various clubs yada yada. My main points: last summer I went to Harvard summer school program where I spent 7 weeks on campus In a dorm room and I took microeconomics and pre calc- passed both so I have 8 college credits from Harvard with an official transcript to prove it. This past summer I got my pilot's license to fly helicopters. Flying is my passion , great grandfather flew in ww1, dad is a pilot too. I will go into aerospace engineering in college. This year I am working towards getting my instrument and commercial ratings (infortunately I can't actually get them until I'm 18 in February!!)

So this is where I'm coming from. Anyone?
 
Candidates and their parents, PLEASE realize it is VERY EARLY in the USNA admissions process. Yes, a small number of people have already been offered LOAs and CVWs. No, BGOs don't know why some people have and some haven't. And, just b/c your packet is complete does not necessarily mean you will get some kind of word earlier than those who are just now completing their packets or will submit them in the coming months. It is not a FIFO (First In/First Out) process.

For most of you, news won't come until 2013 -- likely Feb. or March or even April. So, while some may hear early for various reasons, most will not.

Everyone has a chance. No one on these boards can accurately assess your chances for the reasons that are posted in my sticky above.

I'm sure it's frustrating for those of you going through the process but, honestly, there's nothing anyone can say to make you feel better.
If you start obsessing now, it will be a VERY LONG fall and winter.
 
Qpjulia said:
Hello all. The fact that LOAs are getting sent out already is exciting but scary! I heard that 40% of LOAs are sent out by December.
Here's my question: if my application is not complete, will I still be considered for an LOA? I have completed everything except for the cfa, medical, and a recommendation from my calc teacher (who gave me an award at the end of the year last year and I received a 5 on the ap exam, so it'll be a good one).

And share your thoughts about me? I am a girl, white (blonde hair blue eyes). I have a 4.26 (and it goes up every semester, came up from a 4.17 in a semester), and I got a 32 on my act. Jv one year and varsity tennis throughout high school-lessons since I was 8. By the time I graduate, I'll have taken 13 ap classes, including calc (an and bc) stats physics macro gov us history Chem.
I'm in various clubs yada yada. My main points: last summer I went to Harvard summer school program where I spent 7 weeks on campus In a dorm room and I took microeconomics and pre calc- passed both so I have 8 college credits from Harvard with an official transcript to prove it. This past summer I got my pilot's license to fly helicopters. Flying is my passion , great grandfather flew in ww1, dad is a pilot too. I will go into aerospace engineering in college. This year I am working towards getting my instrument and commercial ratings (infortunately I can't actually get them until I'm 18 in February!!)

So this is where I'm coming from. Anyone?
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Everything on your resume looks great ... except the part where you say you're white. :)

It seems like you are focusing too much on an LOA. I think everybody's goal should be to get an LOA; because, the best way to get an LOA is to put together the best packet possible. So, if you fail in getting an LOA, at least you have done the best you could do which will go a long way toward getting an appointment, LOA or not.

Your credentials are impressive. There's not much more you can do than your best. At some point in the application process there will be nothing more for you to do than cross your fingers.
 
So sorry, just trying to give an exhaustive view of who I am. Just a little piece of info to give readers a better view of who I am- nothing wrong with that.

And sorry for posting about my stats I must be mistaken. I have seen many others like mine and didn't think it would be a issue.

Admission into the naval academy literally shapes my entire future. As an applicant, I am nervous. Just seeking advice from others.

Thanks :)
 
LOAs can be handed out before your application is complete. As a general rule, more than 40% of the LOAs that will be handed out will go out long before Dec.
 
My son received a LOA for this class of 2019 just before Christmas and within same week, he received 2 noms and a call from his congressman congratulating him so I do believe it was a "golden ticket". He had already finished all application requirements. Also he was earlier disqualified for an inoperable eye condition (depth perception). Same week his medical waiver came thru and first week January came the "BFE". It is true the acadamy appoints and will find that nomination if you receive a LOA. I do hear vast majority of applicants do not receive LOA so if you are a good candidate, you should know within March/April timeframe. BTW my son was not a 4.0/36 ACT (800/800), but I would call him well rounded.
3.65 GPA unweighted, 4.2 weighted, 35 /36 ACT, captain of swim team, with 2 noms, and stellar rec letters including former professor of USNA. He also learned Chinese for all 4 years in high school (China influence we felt was significant). Hope this helps.
 
^^ Just to clarify, don't assume USNA will 'find' you a NOM if you get an LOA, process doesn't work that way. Getting a NOM isn't just about stats, but also how well you interview. Someone who looks great on paper, may totally bomb the MOC interview and not be selected (as an example).


usna1985 said:
I'll be "that BGO." :smile:

In the past three years, I've had at least one candidate each year (sometimes more than one) with an LOA who ended up with no nom. And a couple with only a Pres nom in a state/district where MOCs will give MOC noms to those who already have Pres noms.

In one case, USNA gave the candidate a Supe's nom (the candidate turned down the appt). In the other cases, the candidates received turndowns. I can't say whether my experience is unusual or the norm -- but it is reality.

The above said, Memphis is correct -- the overwhelming majority of LOA candidates will ultimately receive appointments. So, yes, it's a big deal to get one. And for those eligible for Pres noms, it's a HUGE deal as Pres noms are automatic for those who qualify. So all you need is to clear medical and pass your CFA.

The downside is that one cannot do anything more to get an LOA than he/she can to get an appt, which is to put forth the strongest record possible.
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Yes it is...but still timely. LOA's are RARE ...and the notion that USNA will find you a nomination with an LOA is false! You need to find your own nomination. Don't assume anything and complete your application with everything that is being asked of you without the assumption that someone else will do it for you.
 
Maybe I was not clear, in my son's case he received 2 noms ( 1 senator and 1 congressman), but in both cases, only 1 allotment left for each congressman (both had 4 already at academy from 5 possible slots) based on our research. In our case, we were not a principal nom in either case so our thinking was there was some other pool where his nomination came from such as superintendent, etc...point being LOA may have helped tip the scales... not sure if this is the case though.. understand your larger point that LOA does not preclude need to receive a nomination(s).
 
Mikey said:
Maybe I was not clear, in my son's case he received 2 noms ( 1 senator and 1 congressman), but in both cases, only 1 allotment left for each congressman (both had 4 already at academy from 5 possible slots) based on our research. In our case, we were not a principal nom in either case so our thinking was there was some other pool where his nomination came from such as superintendent, etc...point being LOA may have helped tip the scales... not sure if this is the case though.. understand your larger point that LOA does not preclude need to receive a nomination(s).
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It doesn't matter if your DS wasn't the principal nominee, he was still nominated and that's what an LOA requires for an appointment(along with being 3Q'd). Plenty of people get nominated but aren't principal nominees. These people are placed on the national waiting list. Don't quote me on this(I'm not certain that it's true), but hundreds of people from the national waiting list are appointed each year and the academy is required to give the top 150 candidates on the national waiting list appointments. Receiving an appointment with an LOA is not contingent on earning a principal nomination and being 3Q'd, it is contingent on earning a nomination and being 3Q'd.

I have also heard that the superintendent usually only uses his/her nominations on highly desired recruited athletes that weren't nominated.
 
Also, basically every principal nominee gets appointed(as long as the nominee gets 3Q'd he or she will be appointed) so if LOAs required a principal nomination LOAs would be worthless.
 
Although it may be true that the Naval Academy will not "find" you a nomination when you have an LOA - they will certainly facilitate your getting a nomination because the LOA is cc'd to each of your nominating sources. That's the Naval Academy's way of telling your congressman and senators, "We want this candidate!" Make sure that your nominating sources know that you have an LOA. Get that placed in your file! Make a copy of your LOA and send it to the service academy coordinator even though it was cc'd to them. It's paperwork. It's a bureaucracy. Don't let the fact that you have an LOA go unnoticed. In my opinion, there is one of two explanations for those with LOAs not getting a nomination:

1. The nominating source does not know the candidate has an LOA.

2. The candidate did or said something incredibly stupid in the process of getting the nomination that destroyed their chances - despite having an LOA.
 
Actually, today there is a #3 -- the candidate isn't as "stellar" to the MOC nominating committee as he/she was to USNA. I've seen it happen more often than you'd like to think.
 
usna1985 said:
Actually, today there is a #3 -- the candidate isn't as "stellar" to the MOC nominating committee as he/she was to USNA. I've seen it happen more often than you'd like to think.
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Well, I still kind of put that in category #2. I give the academy credit for recognizing an outstanding candidate. I do not see how there can be a huge disparity in what the academy sees in a candidate's credentials and what a nominating source sees. They are the same ACT scores. They are the same grades. They are the same activities. The same achievements! It goes without saying that all the letters of recommendation that a nominating source receives are going to be good since candidates basically shop around for individuals who are, unquestionably, going to give them a good recommendation. So, the answer lies somewhere else. I think they blow the interview in some huge way - making mistakes that they didn't make in the BGO interview. The congressional interviews are often quite different than a BGO interview. Sometimes a candidate doesn't take the nomination interviews seriously enough, arrogantly thinking that, since they have an LOA, the committee will automatically be impressed with them. Or, they had some interaction with the Service Academy Coordinator that poisoned their chances.

I've always warned candidates: Be cautious in your dealings with the Service Academy Coordinators. They are not simply secretaries or administrators who are collecting information for your file. In all likelihood, they will be choosing the slate of nominees.
 
As you said -- One word: interview. LOAs are based on paper. Some candidates who look great on paper don't come across at all well in person. And I'm not just talking nerves. I mean people who are unable to project energy, enthusiasm, motivation, etc. It can be a killer.

And they can indeed make the same "mistake" in the BGO interview. LOAs can be awarded prior to, or even in spite of, the BGO interview.
 
I sat on a Nom board last year. We interviewed one candidate with an LOA who couldn't put together a complete sentence, I got the general vibe he only cared about the school part and not serving and I am not sure he could of led anyone out of a wet paper bag. Yes scholastically he was brilliant. That does not always equal leadership ability or a desire to serve. As I sat on the board I asked myself a few questions when grading each candidate.... Can they make it through a SA and has this person exhibited and can continue to develop the leadership skills needed to lead young men and women? I kept it pretty simple. I took their whole package into account, why they wanted to attend a SA, why they want to serve, their strengths and weaknesses. Every board member had their own way of evaluating a candidate. In the end I thought we had put together a pretty good Nom slate.
 
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