I just visited USMMA and I realized the school wasn’t for me as it doesn’t offer the same level of opportunities as the other service academies like USNA. On my nomination file, I put down that I would like to apply for a nomination to USMMA if USNA doesn’t work out, but now I feel that my best Plan B is NROTC. Should I reach out to my nomination team in order to fix that issue or can I just explain this during my interview?
Nomination
- Thread starter SWO28
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
- Messages
- 20,621
Interesting you came to the conclusion USMMA does not offer the same level of opportunities as other SAs. Usually the comments go the other way. A huge array of post-graduation options exists, including sailing on your license in a variety of roles, doing other maritime industry careers, commissioning AD in any of the armed services into a various officer specialties, commissioning into NOAA, etc.
It’s okay to say you didn’t feel like the school was a good fit for you.
The SAs are a 4-year way station, not the end goal. Focus on what career path you wsnt as an officer and reverse engineer from there.
Yes, I recommend calling the SA nom staffers and asking if you can adjust your nom preferences. That way, you won’t waste valuable interview time.
It’s okay to say you didn’t feel like the school was a good fit for you.
The SAs are a 4-year way station, not the end goal. Focus on what career path you wsnt as an officer and reverse engineer from there.
Yes, I recommend calling the SA nom staffers and asking if you can adjust your nom preferences. That way, you won’t waste valuable interview time.
JohnPAKP65
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2013
- Messages
- 234
The OP might not be referring to the post-graduation options but more to the underlying majors being offered for the Bachelor degree. Looking at the Annapolis class of 2021, the following is a breakdown of the top (5) majors. It should be noted they represent almost 45% of the class.
Econometrics and quantitative economics 12.2%
Political science and government 12.2%
Cyber/electronic operations and warfare 7.9%
Mechatronics, robotics, and automation engineering 6.4%
Operations research 6.2%
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
- Messages
- 20,621
That definitely makes sense if the focus is on the 4 years.
JohnPAKP65
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2013
- Messages
- 234
Your comment is interesting because about four months ago I was talking with our local U.S. Representative. I had seen online that some individual in the Philadelphia area had received appointments to all the academies, excluding Coast Guard of course. Let me say that the appointments being offered were not from the Representative I was having a conversation with. I expressed that I did not care for that practice and the Representative somewhat agreed. The thought was that applying to all the academies indicated a undesirable state of indecision. The Representative would ask them to narrow the choices down to just one or two. In contrast, a request for consideration to perhaps Kings Point and Annapolis would be seen more favorably.
You can reach out to the MOC staff to let them know you have visited the school and it has resulted in you deciding to change your nomination application. My recommendation is to be ready with an answer if you are asked what you saw that changed your mind. I would suggest that you make sure an answer does not create a negative impression that you had not done your homework before the visit. I also suspect that you will be far from the first to make this type of change to a nomination application - so don't be too worried about it. Just try to do it in what seems like a thoughtful way.
Last year our MOC gave each applicant his/her top choice, but only that. As a result, for USAFA, USNA, and USMA, 21 out of the 30 nominations went unused. And there were 0 for USMMA. Under circumstances like that, I see absolutely no reason to limit applicants to 1 nomination.
Appointments and nominations are two very different things. Your MOC is responsible for the nominations, and the schools make the appointments. I know things have changed just a little bit since my day, in that the schools, or at least KP can give an Letter of Intent before a nomination is made, however and nomination is still required. When I was going through the process, I was initially trying to get into the USAFA. In the nomination process, I was given a form which indicated the four academies that work through Congress (USCGA does not). As I went through the steps, KP seemed to be the best fit for me, and that was the way I went.