Thanks Capt MJ. My DS is DoDMERB qualified, Principal nominee and likely right on the academic ‘knife edge‘. Was asked to submit mid year grades, which he did. They’re trending higher than his normally good grades, part of original submission. It seems to us it should’ve be a binary choice: they meet the requirements or not. If DS didn’t get the appointment yet, in your experience, what would have to change so they did get it?
I think DoDMERB and CFA are indeed they either are or are not qualified. “Academic” includes everything else that is evaluated, assessed, looked at, considered, in both “art and science” ways of looking at the whole person, so I believe that knife edge has some blurry spots within a range of academic qualification, so the decision could go either way. I am sure Admissions is doing risk analysis every step of the way. They have decades of experience in evaluating an applicant’s ability to successfully complete USNA. Each year, the specs on the knife edge probably adjust a small amount, and it’s early enough in the cycle that the knife edge is not firmly defined.
In a way, this is good news they are not rubber-stamping a principal nominee, but taking the same care to evaluate as with any other candidate.
Admissions contacts are always the primary and best resource to advise an unsuccessful candidate, if that becomes your son’s outcome this cycle.
As just an annual bystander, I am not particularly fond of principal nominations. The nomination review panels are diligent, experienced, thoughtful people as they review nom applicants and their applications, but they do not have visibility of the entirety of the candidate’s package at Admissions or know the standards set internally within Admissions. I favor an unranked slate, where the panel has done the work to choose what they think are the top ten candidates, but let the SA rack and stack them. But that doesn’t help your son!
Be hopeful until there is concrete reason to not be. If USNA finds your son qualified, regardless of how he ranks against other fully qualified members on his slate, with a principal nom, USNA should make the offer.
My standard advice: focus on what you can control, tend alternate plans, finish this year strongly, PT to relieve stress.