MOC slots

brovol

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A few weeks ago I called USNA admissions because they needed the cycle number which essentially identifies the batch of scores when results of an ACT exam were sent to the school. (USNA couldn't find the results, and son couldn't call when in school and practice, so I did). The person I spoke with told me really nice things about my sons scores and his application overall, but said MOC decisions aren't made until later, so as long as everything is in by end of January...... I wanted to ask about early decisions and LOA's, but as a parent I thought just deliver info and shut mouth, so I left it alone.

I am curious. If, hypothetically, the academy thinks a candidate is likely to win an MOC spot, but knows that they need to wait until all the moc nominations have been submitted before those determinations can be officially made, will those things dissuade the academy from giving a LOA to that candidate? Essentially, know they want to use a regular MOC slot on a kid, and don't want to use up a LOA, so just hold off and wait for the process to run its course?
 
I would not read into anything too deep. My take on it, and it is only worth 0.01976 cents, is that your DS has a strong package and you will have to wait it out, because at this time they cannot make a decision. I would not assume that they know how he is racking and stacking on the slate at all for a couple of reasons.

1. They would have to know how he stacks up on multiple slates. Thus, keeping track of him and maybe 20+ other people. IE the Cong., slate, and the 2 sens. would be very difficult unless they are pulling up everyone he is competing against.
2. If USNA is like USAFA, there are multiple admissions directors. If my memory serves me correctly, at USAFA, 1 person handled last names from one region, and letters starting with certain letters. I.E. Your contact person for letter starting with B is different than the person starting with letter P. Thus, your person would not know the stats of my person.
3. No charging can occur for any slate until all candidates have a score. Let's say right now he has the highest WCS, but 2 others have yet been scored. That would mean if 1 of them scores higher, he will not win the appointment.
~ Charging is the key word here. Yes, they can appoint, especially if they look at the historical data and say that this kids score is so high that even if he does not win the MOC slate and goes to the pool, he will be picked up. However, that does not mean they were charged to the MoC.

It is hard not to read into anything, but you have to learn not to read into anything.
 
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I would not read into anything too deep. My take on it, and it is only worth 0.01976 cents, is that your DS has a strong package and you will have to wait it out, because at this time they cannot make a decision. I would not assume that they know how he is racking and stacking on the slate at all for a couple of reasons.

1. They would have to know how he stacks up on multiple slates. Thus, keeping track of him and maybe 20+ other people. IE the Cong., slate, and the 2 sens. would be very difficult unless they are pulling up everyone he is competing against.
2. If USNA is like USAFA, there are multiple admissions directors. If my memory serves me correctly, at USAFA, 1 person handled last names from one region, and letters starting with certain letters. I.E. Your contact person for letter starting with B is different than the person starting with letter P. Thus, your person would not know the stats of my person.
3. No charging can occur for any slate until all candidates have a score. Let's say right now he has the highest WCS, but 2 others have yet been scored. That would mean if 1 of them scores higher, he will not win the appointment.
~ Charging is the key word here. Yes, they can appoint, especially if they look at the historical data and say that this kids score is so high that even if he does not win the MOC slate and goes to the pool, he will be picked up. However, that does not mean they were charged to the MoC.

It is hard not to read into anything, but you have to learn not to read into anything.
OK. Kind of what I though, but still had some curiosity. With things heating up you think about things, or should I say over think, too much.

When my son first expressed his intent to apply to the service academies I knew very little about the process. He looked into some of the numbers he might need, and figured he had a shot. I wasn't so sure, and to be honest, never thought about the academies as one of his options. That was only about a year ago. He was not one of the kids who always wanted to go, and made it a goal early on.

Once I looked into the academies, started following this forum, and read up on what it takes, we took a trip to visit USMA and USNA, and spoke with the officers who did the admissions briefings after they were done and after touring the campuses. It provided great insight (especially the WP officer) and my son was given goals and accomplishments to shoot for over the following several months. He has accomplished everything and more in that time (including raising ACT substantially m34, e31, s34, r30, NHS pres, captain of baseball and soccer), so its at the point where, as a parent you really hope he achieves that goal. I have become far more familiar with this process over the past several months, and I know there are a lot of kids who have much better numbers than my kid, and some of those won't get an appointment, and that there are others with far less impressive credentials who will get the nod. But we thirst for as much information as we can.

It's funny because my son is not a message board kid at all, but he knows I am becoming more active here, and he knows it is a great source of info. Every once in a while now he will ask a question, and if I don't know the answer he tells me to ask my buddies on the forum. Lol.
 
.....and Pima, you are simply an outstanding resource. Always a straight answer, and never any BS. Thanks.
 
Every once in a while now he will ask a question, and if I don't know the answer he tells me to ask my buddies on the forum. Lol.

Well, just wait for what might happen next year at the Army Navy game. All of the sudden you may meet them in person.
OFF topic, but true story,

DS is at UPT and we were talking about his class and how many were from USAFA. He made an off the cuff remark, 1 guy is a twin and the other twin is also at UPT, but different base. I asked him the kids name.
~ Now for 5 years I knew fencer here, but not her real name. I pm her and ask is your last name this? Yep.

The funnier story is that twin met his wife at USAFA. She was a member here. She started dating him and the lightbulb went off that he had to be fencers DS.
 
Well, just wait for what might happen next year at the Army Navy game. All of the sudden you may meet them in person.
OFF topic, but true story,

DS is at UPT and we were talking about his class and how many were from USAFA. He made an off the cuff remark, 1 guy is a twin and the other twin is also at UPT, but different base. I asked him the kids name.
~ Now for 5 years I knew fencer here, but not her real name. I pm her and ask is your last name this? Yep.

The funnier story is that twin met his wife at USAFA. She was a member here. She started dating him and the lightbulb went off that he had to be fencers DS.

That is a cool situation. And all probably come from different parts of the country.

My son applied to USMA, USNA, and USAFA, and is unsure which one he is hoping most to get. Says sometimes that he hopes he only gets into one of them so won't have to make a choice. Until this week though he has flip flopped between WP and Navy as the one he's hoping most for. All the sudden he said AF now on top. I told him he is bipolar, but over the holiday break he has been reading the forums and other stuff. A lot of that is what you and fencer post.

Who knows how this will end up. He also has ROTC moving forward, and has plan B fairly set.

Thanks again.
 
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