LOAs for Class of 2025

D

DeepWaters

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I've seen a number of references in different posts regarding LOAs for the Class of 2025. If you are one of those recipients, congratulations! For the rest of us, I thought I'd try to get a single thread on the topic.

For the lucky recipients, could you please post the date you started to the app, and the date you heard about your LOA (or just how much time passed from the time of starting the app until you got the good news), and which region of the country. Any scores/stats, ECs and leadership you are comfortable sharing would also be interesting to know.

Thank you.
 
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DeepWaters said:
I've seen a number of references in different posts regarding LOAs for the Class of 2025. If you are one of those recipients, congratulations! For the rest of us, I thought I'd try to get a single thread on the topic.

For the lucky recipients, could you please post the date you started to the app, and the date you heard about your LOA (or just how much time passed from the time of starting the app until you got the good news), and which region of the country. Any scores/stats, ECs and leadership you are comfortable sharing would also be interesting to know.

Thank you.
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About a month and a half from the opening of my file to the receipt of my LOA; I am in far west region.
 
You are bound to get some posts, poo pooing the importance of the LOA. I say don't let them get you down, and be proud of it. You are one of the lucky few who, assuming you take care of your business til next year, are going to get an offer of acceptance. It is not if you will get one.........Of course, many ways to screw it up between now and then, so keep the nose down, grades up, and do some pushups!! Way to go!!!
 
Goat 965 said:
You are bound to get some posts, poo pooing the importance of the LOA. I say don't let them get you down, and be proud of it. You are one of the lucky few who, assuming you take care of your business til next year, are going to get an offer of acceptance. It is not if you will get one.........Of course, many ways to screw it up between now and then, so keep the nose down, grades up, and do some pushups!! Way to go!!!
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You beat me to it. It amazes me how those posts appear whenever someone says they received an LOA.
 
Nobody can “poo poo” the importance of the LOA. When you receive one, it means you are assured of an appointment assuming you are 3q with a nomination. The significance of that is powerful.

What needs to be said though ... you can’t necessarily compare statistics of LOA candidates or timing decisions of when they got LOAs, etc - and use that as any basis.

90% of candidates do not receive them. They aren’t the goal. The goal is the appointment.

There are people with better “statistics” without LOAs at the academy than some with LOAs.

The best way to get an appointment as far as I can tell is being the best candidate on your slate. I am sure there are plenty of candidates from competitive districts that don’t get in that have top records - as good as those of people that do get in.

Focus on what you can control.
 
A1Janitor said:
Nobody can “poo poo” the importance of the LOA. When you receive one, it means you are assured of an appointment assuming you are 3q with a nomination. The significance of that is powerful.

What needs to be said though ... you can’t necessarily compare statistics of LOA candidates or timing decisions of when they got LOAs, etc - and use that as any basis.

90% of candidates do not receive them. They aren’t the goal. The goal is the appointment.

There are people with better “statistics” without LOAs at the academy than some with LOAs.

The best way to get an appointment as far as I can tell is being the best candidate on your slate. I am sure there are plenty of candidates from competitive districts that don’t get in that have top records - as good as those of people that do get in.

Focus on what you can control.
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I agree with you, but I don't like it when folks tell these kids who have an LOA that it really doesn't mean anything. It does, as you say. Let them have their moment.
 
Goat 965 said:
I agree with you, but I don't like it when folks tell these kids who have an LOA that it really doesn't mean anything.
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Hmmm, been on SAF for a while and have never seen a post saying that “LOA really doesn’t mean anything.” In actuality, it means everything, if you’re able to fulfill the stipulated condition.

What I have read here consistently is this: (1) Don’t make pursuit of an LOA your singular focus. LOAs are rare and the actual offer of appointment is the goal. (2) Don’t think that amazing grades and test scores are the sole driver of an LOA and as long as you can “match“ someone’s stats, you’ll get one too. LOAs are granted for different reasons, not necessarily based on a sliding scale. (3) Submitting you application as early as possible is not necessarily the key to getting an LOA. More important than your application is complete and accurate than it is “early.” Again, LOAs are rare.

Now, what I have seen people “poo poo” is the LOE — letter or encouragement. I’ll leave that argument to others.
 
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MidCakePa said:
(3) Submitting you application as early as possible is not necessarily the key to getting an LOA.
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My son got his LOA “late” according to the calendar.

My son was talking to admissions about his color blind waiver, and the woman said that he had an early LOA. When he asked what an early LOA was, she said early LOAs mean it is based off the application. So early LOAs are a function of when you get your application in, not a function of the calendar.
 
One of the most unproductive holes to pour precious time down is to look out of your application foxhole to peer over at the “stats” of someone who received an LOA, and wonder why if your “stats” are better or the same, you don’t get an LOA.

A good point has been made several times in several places the SAs give these for any number of reasons to candidates who seem to be a good puzzle piece for the big 1100-1300 piece jigsaw puzzle exercise that is the building of the incoming class. If you get one, great, take it and run, complete all the requirements, and be reasonably confident of an offer of appointment. If you don’t get one, resist that urge to look around, realize you cannot possibly see the “whole person” behind what people self-report here, work on your own best application and remember the majority of cadets and midshipmen do not receive one. It’s a unicorn. If it comes to visit you on its own, rejoice, but don’t focus on finding one.
 
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Hello, I am an applicant to West Point for the class of 2025. I just did my interview with the MOC panel and awaiting nomination. I received and LOE (not LOA) from West Point a couple months ago. Does receiving an LOE mean anything special?
 
CL2025 said:
Hello, I am an applicant to West Point for the class of 2025. I just did my interview with the MOC panel and awaiting nomination. I received and LOE (not LOA) from West Point a couple months ago. Does receiving an LOE mean anything special?
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I responded to this in the other thread where you posted the same question.
Good luck, hope you get good news about a nom.
 
DeepWaters said:
I've seen a number of references in different posts regarding LOAs for the Class of 2025. If you are one of those recipients, congratulations! For the rest of us, I thought I'd try to get a single thread on the topic.

For the lucky recipients, could you please post the date you started to the app, and the date you heard about your LOA (or just how much time passed from the time of starting the app until you got the good news), and which region of the country. Any scores/stats, ECs and leadership you are comfortable sharing would also be interesting to know.

Thank you.
Click to expand...
I concur with the rest of the users, don't go down into this rabbit hole. I kept receiving those West Point generic college emails(I was only applying to USNA and USAFA). I decided why not, did the questionnaire on a Friday, received emails telling me the LOA window was closing the following week and to submit my transcripts and test scores. Did my interview week after that and got an LOA day after. This was in September. My story is going to wildy different than everyone else who got an LOA. My junior year I spent my free time lurking and stressing seeing all these success and fail stories. The greatest piece of advice you should take from this site is this: Ignore everybody else and focus on making your application the best it can possibly be.
 
DeepWaters said:
I've seen a number of references in different posts regarding LOAs for the Class of 2025. If you are one of those recipients, congratulations! For the rest of us, I thought I'd try to get a single thread on the topic.

For the lucky recipients, could you please post the date you started to the app, and the date you heard about your LOA (or just how much time passed from the time of starting the app until you got the good news), and which region of the country. Any scores/stats, ECs and leadership you are comfortable sharing would also be interesting to know.

Thank you.
Click to expand...
I began my application on September 9 and I received a call and correspondence notifying me that I got a LOA on October 1.
 
DeepWaters said:
I've seen a number of references in different posts regarding LOAs for the Class of 2025. If you are one of those recipients, congratulations! For the rest of us, I thought I'd try to get a single thread on the topic.

For the lucky recipients, could you please post the date you started to the app, and the date you heard about your LOA (or just how much time passed from the time of starting the app until you got the good news), and which region of the country. Any scores/stats, ECs and leadership you are comfortable sharing would also be interesting to know.

Thank you.
Click to expand...
DD received hers early august. We are Midwest
 
I concur with what most have said above. While an LOA is a beautiful thing, and congrats are in order, very few receive them. The macro goal is submitting your very best application in a timely manner, completing DODMERB, CFA and staying focused on grades, family, fitness and staying out of trouble.
So much is out of an applicant's hands. In addition, so much is ours not to know. The inner workings of the class selection process are like the inner windings of the most advanced Swiss clock. Not for amateurs to know, understand or repair.

Our son was hopeful that he might receive one, from any of the academies he applied to. He didn't. But come January, he had the humbling news that he had 3 appointments, and he had to hunker down and select the best option for him. And no LOA from any of those academies.

Spend time with your family. That is the one thing our son wishes he had been able to do more of prior to reporting to I Day. Oh, and running. Run everywhere you go, :) 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️
 
DS started application early in the process and received an LOA Nov. 11 for USMA. Midwest region.
 
I am a re-applicant and received an LOA on 2 OCT this year. My application was started last April. Midwest region.
 
My son received an email from his FFR mid June telling him to complete his application as soon as possible (not including CFA and DODMERB), he finished it first week in July and received his LOA 20 July. We are in the North East. Good luck.
 
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