Nominations and applying to 3 academies

Joined
Nov 15, 2019
Messages
167
So as the title says I am applying to 3 academies... USMA USAFA and USNA. My number one is West point and I do not have a particular preference between Navy and Air Force yet.

Congressional nominations are applied to two academies. My JROTC nomination only applies to West Point. If I was fortunate enough to receive a nomination from my congressman should I use it for Navy and Air Force? I feel like it's a betting game. I want to maximize my chances of getting into West Point primarily, but I also do not want to end up empty handed with no appointments.

Are JROTC nominations not "as good" to have? I understand that only 20 candidates can come from JROTC so does that mean that I have a worse chance? I live in a very competitive state and congressional district(NY 20)

If having a JROTC nomination is going to minimize my chances compared to having a JROTC and a Congressional(if I was fortunate to receive one of course) then I want to use my congressional at West Point and then forgo either Air Force or Navy(Unless I was EXTREMELY fortunate and received more than one congressional nom)

I would really appreciate if someone could give insight because my congressional applications are due very soon.
 
A nom is a nom and checks the box. Multiple noms give you additional slates to compete against. A student with a nom is in the running for an at-large National Wait List slot in the class. A student with a nom who wins the mini-competition gets the 1 seat allocated to the nominating source.

Confusing, but just know you are entering into a series of competitions. All of the winners of these mini-competitions (the nomination slate) get a seat in the class. Your Congressman may nominate 10 for each seat s/he has to give. All get noms but only 1 has a guaranteed seat in the class. Having a nom moves you further into the competition, but does not guarantee a seat in the class. The more slates you are on, the higher your odds but again - no guarantees.
 
So as the title says I am applying to 3 academies... USMA USAFA and USNA. My number one is West point and I do not have a particular preference between Navy and Air Force yet.

Congressional nominations are applied to two academies. My JROTC nomination only applies to West Point. If I was fortunate enough to receive a nomination from my congressman should I use it for Navy and Air Force? I feel like it's a betting game. I want to maximize my chances of getting into West Point primarily, but I also do not want to end up empty handed with no appointments.

Are JROTC nominations not "as good" to have? I understand that only 20 candidates can come from JROTC so does that mean that I have a worse chance? I live in a very competitive state and congressional district(NY 20)

If having a JROTC nomination is going to minimize my chances compared to having a JROTC and a Congressional(if I was fortunate to receive one of course) then I want to use my congressional at West Point and then forgo either Air Force or Navy(Unless I was EXTREMELY fortunate and received more than one congressional nom)

I would really appreciate if someone could give insight because my congressional applications are due very soon.
There are some foggy patches in your understanding of nominations, not surprising because of all the nuances.

First, re-read the Sticky on noms at the top of the Nominations forum.

Heed the SA advice to apply for all noms for which you are eligible. That means if you are applying to 3 SAs, you apply for elected official noms to all 3 SAs, apply for the VP nom at all 3 SAs, submit your JROTC nom where it can be used. If asked to rank your SAs, the recommendation is to be consistent in your rankings across elected officials.

The elected officials produce slates, or lists, of up to 10 names for each vacancy they plan to fill at each SA. If a Rep has 1 seat each at USMA, USNA, USAFA he or she plans to fill for Class of 2025, 3 slates with up to 10 names are created, with a choice of rank/unranked methods.

The SAs, if they find you fully qualified, and you have gotten one or more noms, and if they offer you an appointment, will figure out what nom source to which to charge the appointment. It’s your job to apply for every nom at every source that is within your power.
The rationale is to give the SA max flexibility in where to charge your appointment, should they offer you one.

A nom is a nom. No “lesser.” You either get one (or more) or you don’t. Once you have applied, it is all out of your control after that. You just watch for noms popping up in your portal and hope you can become fully qualified (DoDMERB, CFA, all the academic/scholastic/leadership stuff). Then you wait.

I tried to address what I thought you might be a little misaligned on, but I may well have misunderstood you.

This stumped me: “Congressional nominations are applied to two academies.” ?? You should apply for noms for the 3 SAs you are applying to.

And, you don’t get to use a congressional nom anywhere; that is not under your control. You either earn one for a particular SA or you don’t. Don’t get wrapped up in trying to figure out something you can’t do, figuring out where you can “use noms.” Back away and see the Big Picture: For all the SAs you are applying to, apply to the 2 Senators and 1 Representative, following what they request. They will place you (or not) on the slates as they deem fit.
 
Last edited:
Cross-posted with @shiner I kept going back to re-read your original post, trying to tease out the areas you might find baffling.
 
Thank you all for trying to help us understand an inherently complicated process. So if you get on a MOC list of 10, and the MOC's practice is not to name a principal or rank, does the academy just start with the applicant on the slate with the highest WCS score?
 
If I were to rephrase my earlier post (not necessarily simplify)....To gain admission, you need a nom and the school admissions panel needs to select you.

A nom is a nom and completes the requirement. It is only 50% of the equation, and no guarantee.

After initial screening criteria are met, the selection committee makes choices and initially evaluate in context of the nomination slate (the ~10 names) from the nominating authority (ex. your congressional district). A candidate from that list is selected (i.e. the slate winner) - this could be based on several factors including whole candidate score, diversity targets, athletics, or other reasons.

The slate winner consumes the 1 seat that is guaranteed for the slate. Others with a nom who were not selected in this mini competition return to the national wait list for future consideration but are considered fully qualified for future selection opportunities.

Once the slate outcomes are determined, you then look to fill all other available slots -- typically based on WCS. Some districts do not nominate - either they have no candidates, or some politically object to the military or process. These will get filled by the national wait list. To the candidate, they received a nom from their local congressional office, but in reality - it was charged to a seat in Wyoming (for instance) and the candidate is none the wiser.

As @Capt MJ said, we don't know the exact process, but this is a close summary of the process in an attempt to simplify a ridiculously complex process into consumable for candidates and families.
 
If I were to rephrase my earlier post (not necessarily simplify)....To gain admission, you need a nom and the school admissions panel needs to select you.

A nom is a nom and completes the requirement. It is only 50% of the equation, and no guarantee.

After initial screening criteria are met, the selection committee makes choices and initially evaluate in context of the nomination slate (the ~10 names) from the nominating authority (ex. your congressional district). A candidate from that list is selected (i.e. the slate winner) - this could be based on several factors including whole candidate score, diversity targets, athletics, or other reasons.

The slate winner consumes the 1 seat that is guaranteed for the slate. Others with a nom who were not selected in this mini competition return to the national wait list for future consideration but are considered fully qualified for future selection opportunities.

Once the slate outcomes are determined, you then look to fill all other available slots -- typically based on WCS. Some districts do not nominate - either they have no candidates, or some politically object to the military or process. These will get filled by the national wait list. To the candidate, they received a nom from their local congressional office, but in reality - it was charged to a seat in Wyoming (for instance) and the candidate is none the wiser.

Thanks to all of the above posters. I've noticed a lot of reapplicants posting on various threads. Do they publish admissions stats of reapplicants? Does anyone know if a reapplicant who previously was 3Q with a nom but who did not get an offer has any advantage in the next admissions cycle? In other words, are they placed in a separate bucket, put on a fast track or get any other benefits from having gone through the process before and come so close?
 
Different schools publish reapplicant date differently but generally list them in a class profile as having attended college or university prior to arrival. ex - https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/_files/documents/ClassPortrait.pdf (students who attended at least one semester of college or university)

I do not think they are treated differently or as part of a separate bucket. With that said, I would say historically a 3Q reapplicant has a higher percentage of acceptance rate than a first time applicant. Factors include additional demonstrated academic aptitude based on college course history, and a repeat application shows a strong desire to serve and attend the SA.
 
In one way, it’s not fast - college re-apps have to wait until first semester college grades are in. Of course, DoDMERB is good for 2 years from date of exam, barring new issues. Some things are carried over in the record from a previous app. Re-apps certainly demonstrate drive and determination, and will have matured another year. If their essays reflect that personal growth and other areas show improvement, they have as strong a case as anyone.
 
Back
Top