National Pool

[luqui03]

Good afternoon, I tried to find an answer for my question but could not find it. What is the National Pool and how does it work? Thank you in advance.

 

[Old Enlisted Marine]

I’ll jump in but if I’m off base please correct me. The way I understand it, this is how it works. Once slates have been settled anyone who is qualified but did not receive a nomination can end up on the national list to compete for the remaining appointments the academy has control over.

 

[Capt MJ]

It may be helpful to go read the sticky posts pinned to the top of the Nominations forum, in particular the link to the Congressional Guide.

Broadly speaking, other fully qualified applicants on an elected official’s slate, if not chosen as the candidate being offered the appointment being charged to the elected official for that admissions cycle, may also be offered an appointment following certain guidelines - their appointments are charged to a nominating authority managed by the SA. Those have-a-nom-and-fully-qualified candidates essentially compete nationally against each other for those other possible appointments. I don’t think you will find “national pool” on SA websites, but I haven’t looked recently just for that.

If you dive into the Congressional Guide, it explains all the nominating authorities and how many appointments can be charged against each.

 

[justdoit19]

Good afternoon, I tried to find an answer for my question but could not find it. What is the National Pool and how does it work? Thank you in advance.

Also, this isn’t a “rank and stack” type national list, where the top xxx candidates come off at some point. USNA doesn’t do a ‘formal national pool ranked list’. If this is partly what you are getting at.

Towards the end of the appointment cycle, USNA will start whittling down candidates who haven’t been appointed. My youngest was placed on a ‘wait list’ at this time. Some candidates will receive a TWE. Some will be queried if they want to remain on a waitlist. Some on the waitlist will be charged to one of the spots mentioned already. Some will be in a holding pattern for a states MOC slot (ie: waiting for an offered candidates medical clearance or not, waiting for a decision or not from a candidate on a state’s MOC slate).

Honestly, until it’s all said and done, one never knows who/what/how you are charged. It’s also why, when you know somone was appointed from your slate, you cannot assume you are ‘out’. You can apparantly check into where you were charged that after you are appointed, but by then, no one seems to care.

And that’s why you cannot easily find official, definitive rules info about a national pool for USNA….BC it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of process.

You are in it until you are told no. Or yes. Or wait.

 

[THParent]

Not nearly as big as the San Alfonso del Mar pool in Algarrobo, Chile.

 

[justdoit19]

View attachment 10550
Not nearly as big as the San Alfonso del Mar pool in Algarrobo, Chile.

Ya that did NOT look like my youngest’s pool. Not even close.

ARE YOU THERE NOW ????