Also claiming that the Dean of Admissions is very interested in her file and that they offered to fund the trip for a CVW... is that normal?
Hi all!
Okay...I can NOT speak for USMA/USNA/USMMA/USCGA and I won't try. Each is a unique SA and has their own "style" and "method" for LOA's, etc.
What I will try to do is speak "a little bit" for USAFA. Realize I am not the USAFA/RR, that is my "boss" Col Benyshek. However as I've been an ALO a LONG time (longer than most of this years candidates have been alive) I think I can speak a little bit on this subject.
DO NOT EXPECT AN LOA FROM USAFA.
There, I said it.
In most years, USAFA will award perhaps 5% LOA's for the entire incoming class. I have reason to believe that this year it will be FAR less. Why you ask?
SUPPOSITION ON MY PART HERE BASED UPON DISCUSSIONS WITH FOLKS AT USAFA...(please pardon the caps but I want to make a point here)
The other SA's award a LOT of LOA's but they are loaded with more than a few restrictions/conditions and sadly a lot of them are rescinded later. And IMHO an LOA leads to a false sense of security. I have personally seen a GOOD candidate receive an LOA and believe "I've got it made, I can relax" and ultimately this candidates "actions" resulted in the LOA/Appointment being rescinded a month prior to in-processing.
USAFA does NOT want to have this happen; therefore, they are VERY VERY VERY picky about LOA's. In my career (I've been an officer since 1983 and an ALO in one form or another for almost that long) I've only had TWO candidates receive an LOA that I can recall offhand.
Now I will tell you that we ALO's are torn by this. On the one-hand we'd love to see more LOA's for USAFA early so that we might be able to "wrest away from USMA/USNA/USMMA/USCGA" some of the outstanding candidates!
But on the other hand, we don't want to see candidates "lose that edge" in the competition and become lax...that's fatal ALWAYS!
So...IMHO you will see fewer LOA's from USAFA this year. Of course, next week we might have 10 folks here report they received LOA's and I'll look silly.
I'd be happy with that because I know how VERY picky Col Benyshek's team is...if anyone receives an LOA from USAFA...they have done EXTREMELY well! I'm not saying an LOA from ANY SA is NOT proof positive of accomplishment, please don't misunderstand me. But I think, again IMHO, that USAFA is going to be VERY stingy this year.
Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83