LOA w/ Presidential?

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g_warren2022

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In mid-July, I was awarded a presidential nomination. Everything besides my transcript, DoDMERB and CFA are in the system, and the transcript and DoDMERB are on the way to admissions as I am writing this. It is my understanding that once my transcript arrives, my package can go in front of the board. My BGO has told me that I will easily qualify and be very competitive. If I were to get a LOA ( a buddy of mine has already gotten his), would I have to worry about finishing my MOC noms? Would I even get a LOA since I already have a nomination?
 
If your medical is complete, you passed your CFA, you receive an LOA and have a Pres nom, you will be offered an appointment. Once you have that in hand, you can pull your MOC packets. You can get an LOA before or even after a nom of any kind (pending medical or CFA).

I would NOT count on an LOA, even if you're a well qualified candidate. Thus, proceed with MOC nom packets and, if you're fortunate enough to get an early appointment, you can then stop working on MOC noms or pull your packets if already submitted.
 
My son is a firstie now but I remember him being in similar situation. He had presidential nom and LOA in hand by mid October,pending Dodmerb.
He completed nomination applications to his MOC's but had not heard back regarding interviews at that point.
So he received official appointment first few days of November and reached out to his BGO to get some guidance about following through with upcoming MOC interviews. He was told emphatically to continue pursuing all noms.
When he showed up for the 1st interview, the interviewers told him flat out they were not going to "waste" a nomination on him since he had an
appointment in hand. He said he felt stupid but was following the advise he was given. For reference, we live in a well populated, competitive district. Have since learned that the different MOC's in this area confer
with each other perhaps to avoid nominating same candidate more than once.
I guess what I am trying to say is you'll hear differing opinions about how to proceed. Use your best judgement.
 
Definitely do not count on an LOA. In fact, assume you will not get one. Only 100 folks get in with a Presidential Nom of the hundreds if not thousands who qualify. Each nom essentially gives you a lottery ticket and a chance to win the coveted appointment. Therefore, the more noms the better.
 
Approximately 800+ qualify for a Presidential Nom, only 100 can be charged to that source. Continue to pursue every Nom source possible until you have an appointment. An LOA is the exception not the norm. Prepare to not hear until March and then if you hear sooner it's great! Continue to finish your application and keep working on your Plan B and C. Enjoy your senior too!
 
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So, if DS has a completed package and a Presidential Nom, he cannot possibly get an LOA? He can only receive an appointment or a rejection. Is this correct?
 
Dadx4 said:
So, if DS has a completed package and a Presidential Nom, he cannot possibly get an LOA? He can only receive an appointment or a rejection. Is this correct?
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I don't think anyone has said that - the takeaway is that LOAs are not common, and can be given for many reasons. If a candidate has a completed package and a nom, and if found fully qualified, no LOA, he or she has a shot at an appointment. If the candidate has noms from different sources, then the SA has more flexibility in evaluating the candidate.
 
Capt MJ said:
Dadx4 said:
So, if DS has a completed package and a Presidential Nom, he cannot possibly get an LOA? He can only receive an appointment or a rejection. Is this correct?
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I don't think anyone has said that - the takeaway is that LOAs are not common, and can be given for many reasons. If a candidate has a completed package and a nom, and if found fully qualified, no LOA, he or she has a shot at an appointment. If the candidate has noms from different sources, then the SA has more flexibility in evaluating the candidate.
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Thanks Capt MJ. For those candidates who are fully qualified with completed packages and presidential noms, are appointments ever given out early, like LOAs?
 
Dadx4 said:
Thanks Capt MJ. For those candidates who are fully qualified with completed packages and presidential noms, are appointments ever given out early, like LOAs?
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Yes. That's why the earliest appointments are almost always from candidates with Presidential Nominations.
 
Yes appointments can start coming out as soon as the admissions board meet and starts reviewing packages. There aren't many candidates who are 3Q + Nom this early in the process. Presidential noms are usually the exception this early in the process. The admissions board usually starts meeting early September and continues until they are completed. If USNA follows previous years patterns, their goal is to notify every candidate by April 15th of their decision. You can find previous years appointment threads for each SA in their respective forums on this site and see when appointments started rolling out for background.
 
Dadx4 said:
Capt MJ said:
Dadx4 said:
So, if DS has a completed package and a Presidential Nom, he cannot possibly get an LOA? He can only receive an appointment or a rejection. Is this correct?
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone has said that - the takeaway is that LOAs are not common, and can be given for many reasons. If a candidate has a completed package and a nom, and if found fully qualified, no LOA, he or she has a shot at an appointment. If the candidate has noms from different sources, then the SA has more flexibility in evaluating the candidate.
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Thanks Capt MJ. For those candidates who are fully qualified with completed packages and presidential noms, are appointments ever given out early, like LOAs?
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Not necessarily. For example, if such candidate is from a "not too competitive" district, admissions may hold the appointment till the nominations from the MoC are received. They can then charge it to the MoC vice "wasting" one of the 100 Presidential noms. The congressional district is the key.
 
Dadx4 said:
Thanks Capt MJ. For those candidates who are fully qualified with completed packages and presidential noms, are appointments ever given out early, like LOAs?
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Use the Search box for USNA forum with "Class of 2021 USNA Appointment Thread." It's a self-reported list, but you can see patterns. Keep in mind it's a sliver of data.
 
Thanks Capt and Hoops. It looks like appointments started to trickle out in October last year (Presidential). It brings up another question. For those qualified candidates eligible for a Presidential Nomination, is it better to submit that nomination request early and hope for an early appointment, or hold on to it, hope for an LOA, and then submit? Of course, continuing to work on MOC packages, working on Plan Bs, and knowing that LOAs and early appointments are rare, and candidates will likely wait until March/April to hear anything.
 
Yes submit for the Presidential ASAP. Also ensure to apply for the VP Nom. If a candidate ends up with multiple Noms it allows multiple slating opportunities. You probably noticed on the appointment list there were lots of multiple noms listed for candidates. Most candidates will never know where they were charged to until they get to USNA. USNA could also initially slate someone in one place and then move them as other things happen.
 
So he received official appointment first few days of November and reached out to his BGO to get some guidance about following through with upcoming MOC interviews. He was told emphatically to continue pursuing all noms.
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With all due respect, your DS was given VERY bad advice. If you have an APPOINTMENT in hand, there is zero reason to waste your time and the MOC committees' time in pursuing any more noms. However, if you have an LOA and a NOM in hand, you could stop at that point and just wait for your certificate to arrive. I personally would keep going until I saw the actual appointment as strange things can happen and there are no guarantees until you have that certificate. In most cases, the appointment certificate follows within a couple of weeks of being 3Q, LOA + nom of any kind, so it becomes rather a moot point from a practical matter.

LOAs depend on strength of packet, not time submitted. I had a candidate get an LOA in February pending redoing the CFA (in the days when the CFA could be repeated until March 1). It is true that LOAs are a bit less likely in January than earlier in the year, but I've seen nothing to suggest that submitting in August makes you more likely to get an LOA than submitting in October. You just could see it earlier.

Remember, there are thousands of well-qualified candidates. Very few who ultimately get appointments receive LOAs. And your BGO knows only SOME of the credentials of HIS/HER candidates. We don't see most of what our own candidates submit (see sticky above) and have no special insight into the rest of the district, state or country. Especially in the last few years, I've had quite a few very, very well qualified candidates (1560+ SATs, all AP math/science courses, sports, great ECAs with multiple noms) receive turndowns. And some who might be considered "less" qualified on paper receive appointments.

I long ago stopped "chancing" my candidates (i.e., telling them they had a good/not a good chance). When I did it in my head, 15 years ago, I was always right. 5-10 years ago, mostly right. Since then . . . I wouldn't take me with you to the casino. Just sayin' :)

The bottom line is keep pressing forward on all fronts, including Plan B and Plan C and then what's meant to be will happen.
 
Dadx4 said:
For those qualified candidates eligible for a Presidential Nomination, is it better to submit that nomination request early and hope for an early appointment, or hold on to it, hope for an LOA, and then submit? Of course, continuing to work on MOC packages, working on Plan Bs, and knowing that LOAs and early appointments are rare, and candidates will likely wait until March/April to hear anything.
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You are way overthinking the process....submit a complete, quality application package and apply to whatever nominations eligible for as early as reasonable (there is no need to rush, quality is more important than speed). A good quality candidate withj multiple nominations gives Admissions more to work with to find a place for the candidate in the class.

I really don't understand why there is so much discussion about LOA's on this Forum. The goal is an APPOINTMENT. As noted above, LOA's are not common, and most of the class comes in without an LOA. I'm sure every candidate would like to have USNA pat them on the back and tell them they are special, but frankly -- come I Day they are all the same.


usna1985 said:
I long ago stopped "chancing" my candidates (i.e., telling them they had a good/not a good chance). When I did it in my head, 15 years ago, I was always right. 5-10 years ago, mostly right. Since then . . . I wouldn't take me with you to the casino. Just sayin' :)
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+1985 ! There are a lot of variables in the process, and I never "chance" my candidates. I do it internally, and am usually right,,,but there are still some that leave me shaking my head.
 
^^^ I agree. And every year on here we find some who just can't understand why they got their TWE when they were ASSUMING they were 3Q. Remember that USNA no longer routinely tells applicants if they are 3Q and you should not assume your status and NONE of us have any special powers that allow us to make the determination.
 
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