For the application to the academies and nominations you obviously need letters of recommendation. Can you use the same letters of recommendation for a USNA application and a USMA application? I'm confused because throughout this process, especially when applying to more than one academy, they ask for many letters of recommendations. If you apply to three different nomination sources, do your letters of recommendation have to be from different people? This is super confusing for me and I'd appreciate any help in this area!! It seems odd to me to have to ask so many different people for letters.. but I don't know. Thank you!!
Letters of recommendation??
- Thread starter bb1234
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Old Navy BGO
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You can certainly use the same people.. but the USNA recommendations from Math and English teachers use a specific online format. I doubt the teacher can "recycle" or use the same response for both USNA and USMA unless they use the same system.
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Be very careful. Do not make the mistake of confusing a letter of recommendation with the mandatory evaluations from your math and english teachers, which are not recommendations.
Your MoCs will have specific instructions for the number and source of your letters. The key thing to remember: the person whom you select for your letter is often more important than what they say.
Make darn sure the letter writer knows you well. A generic letter from a flag officer who plays golf with your mother's boss's uncle but who doesn't know you from Adam can work against you. Select influential people who can speak to your character and integrity.
Your MoCs will have specific instructions for the number and source of your letters. The key thing to remember: the person whom you select for your letter is often more important than what they say.
Make darn sure the letter writer knows you well. A generic letter from a flag officer who plays golf with your mother's boss's uncle but who doesn't know you from Adam can work against you. Select influential people who can speak to your character and integrity.
Old Navy BGO
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Norfolk makes a good point. MOC are by their nature, political animals. If you know someone with influence in the community (preferably from the same political party), and that person knows you well enough to write a letter of recommendation, by all means use it. That being said, having someone that has contacts with the MOC is certainly not necessary. Most MOC are using the competitive nomination process so they can nominate up to 10 people, and then have USNA Admissions chose who gets appointed from that pool. That allows the MOC to spread their goodwill, force Admissions to make the tough decisions, and reduce the role of politics. I have seen plenty of candidates get in without any apparent connections to the MOC.