Nomination FAQs continued . . .
How do I know to which MOCs to apply?
Under the law, MOCs may only nominate individuals who are legal residents of their state/district. For most candidates, your state/district of residence is where your parents own/rent property, vote, pay taxes, register their car, etc. Because you are a dependent, your residency is based on that of your parents.
If your parents are divorced or otherwise live and vote in separate districts or states AND they share legal custody of you, you are eligible to apply to the MOCs from either state/district. It doesn’t matter where you live provided you meet the above criteria. So, if you live in MD with your mother but your father, living in TX shares legal custody of you, you can apply to the MOCs in MD or TX. You can choose. However, you may NOT apply to BOTH.
Can MOC’s trade, swap, borrow slots? IOW, if one MOC doesn’t have enough applicants or nominees to fill his/her slot at a SA, can another MOC with far too many candidates take those unused slots?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions and the answer is “no” because it’s against the law. MOCs can only nominate candidates who are legal residents of their state/district. If you don’t live there, they can’t nominate you.
But I’ve heard that this happens all the time
There are rumors about almost everything. I’m not sure anyone can ever prove it doesn’t happen. But it is against the law. At the end of the day, if an MOC doesn’t have his/her full quota of mids/cadets, those slots do get filled with candidates from other states/districts who come out of the “national pool.”
What are the MOC interviews like?
There are more than 500 MOCs, with different committees and individuals meaning there are an infinite possibility of interview styles, questions, etc. Most ask the “obvious” questions about why you want to attend the SA, what makes you a good candidate, etc. Some ask about current events. Others have questions from out in left field.
I’ve heard some states/districts are really “competitive.” What does that mean?
Certain states and/or districts are considered competitive because there are so many applicants for the nominations in those areas. A few things to keep in mind. Some districts/states are competitive for one SA but not for another (for example, CO is popular for USAFA and not as much for the other SAs). States can be competitive because they are populous (e.g., CA, TX) as compared to less populated states such as MT, ND, WY. Districts are often competitive because there it contains one or more large military base (kids of military parents tend to apply to SAs in higher numbers and/or the presence of the military generates interest in SAs among civilians) or because there are a large number of excellent high schools in that district.
For 99% of you, there’s nothing you can do about where you live. Would it help to move to North Dakota? Maybe. But remember those candidates still must be fully qualified and they are – two recent USNA Superintendents (3-star Admirals) were from ND. IOW, it’s not that candidates from less populous states are less qualified, there simply are fewer of them competing for nominations.
The good news is that candidates from competitive districts tend to have strong records and thus compete very well in the National Pool. Thus, it's possible that 6, 7, 8 or even all 10 nominees from a slate in a super-competitive district will ultimately receive appointments. One "wins" the slate and the others are charged to other entities, such as the SecNav/SecAF, etc.
Can I get more than one nomination to the same SA?
Theoretically, yes. In reality . . . maybe, maybe not. In theory, each of your MOCs could nominate you to each SA to which you’re applying. So, you could have 3 noms to 4 SAs! However, in competitive states/districts , MOCs are generally unwilling to do this. The reason is they want to ensure as many candidates as possible get at least one nom to one SA. Some will ask you if you already have a nom to the SA from ANY source and, if so, not even consider you. Some will get together with the other MOCs in the state and ensure no one gets more than one nom to any particular SA. And some will get together such that a candidate will receive only 1 nom to 1 SA, period.
Again, you likely will have little to no idea how your MOC approaches things, although you can certainly ask your MOC’s representative. You may get a clue if your MOC asks you to rank your SAs or to pick only one – that’s a good sign that there is “rationing” of nominations. The above said, those in super-competitive district may still receive multiple MOC noms to the same SA as some MOCs want to give noms to those they consider the "best" candidates, regardless of what the other MOCs have done.
MOCs can approach this however they like. And, the fact things worked a certain way last year does not mean they’ll work the same way this year. MOCs change (retire, are defeated) and the same MOC can change his/her approach from year to year. So while it may help to understand the system, there is nothing that you or the SAs can do to impact/change it.
I didn’t get a nom. Am I doomed?
Probably. In order to receive an appointment, you must have a nomination. The SAs hope that you will secure one on your own from one of the sources available to you. As a result, the overwhelming majority of candidates who don’t obtain a nom get turndowns. However, in VERY RARE cases where a SA really wants a candidate and where the candidate didn’t obtain a nom, the SA may be able to “find” one from a source to which you can’t apply but which can hand out noms. For USNA for example, the primary source is the Superintendent, who can appoint up to 50 candidates each year. However, normally fewer than 5 of those Supe's nominations are used.
The VP is also a potential source, but like MOCs, can only have up to 5 mids at each SA at one time.
I got a nom from one of my Senators. Should I withdraw my application from my other MOCs?
No – with one exception. Having multiple MOC noms gives you more chances to "win" your slate and thus gives the SA more opportunities to charge/“slot” you and thus to offer you an appointment. Let’s say Candidate A “only” has a nom from her Senator whereas Candidate B has a nom from his Senator, his Rep, and the President. If USNA doesn’t charge Candidate A to her Senator, she goes immediately into the national pool. If USNA doesn’t charge Candidate B to his Senator, they can still slot him to his Rep or to the Pres – two more places to fit him before sending him to the national pool. Also, MOC noms in most areas of the country are competitive and getting two shows you competed well against your peers.
What about the exception you mentioned?
IF you have a Letter of Assurance (LOA) and are otherwise fully qualified, ANY nomination is sufficient for an appointment. Thus, if you receive an LOA, once you know you have a nom, you could withdraw your application from other nom sources. That said, BE SURE that you have the nom first. Not only confirm it with the MOC’s office but also contact the SA to make sure THEY have it. The last thing you want is for the MOC not to submit his slate, etc. The surest thing to do is wait until you have that appointment certificate in hand and then pull any remaining nom submissions.
What about USMMA?
The application process for US Representatives is a bit different. For the “big 3,” SAs you can only apply to the Rep for the district in which you reside. For USMMA, you can apply to any Rep in the STATE in which you reside. Thus, if you reside in CA 13 (13th district of CA), you can not only apply to that MOC but to all of the Reps in CA. Also, there is no limit of 5 mids per MOC for USMMA purposes.
Who can apply for a Presidential nom?
As a general premise, Presidential noms are available for children with a parent/legal guardian who either is retired from the military or is currently on active duty or in the Reserves and has spent at least 8 continuous years on active duty or in the Reserves. The specific requirements are listed on the SA websites. If you have at least one parent who meets the requirements listed, you can apply for a Pres nom. It is done on-line and basically consists of providing documentation (which your parent will have) to support your eligibility. No essays, recommendations, etc. are required.
The President can appoint up to 100 candidates per year. Presidential noms are NOT competitive, meaning that, if your parent meets the requirements, you will receive one. Thus, an unlimited number of candidates can receive a Presidential nomination (typically, it's 700-800 per year) -- only 100 can be charged to the President. Those not charged to the President or another source will go to the National Pool.
I have a Presidential nom so I don’t need to apply for MOC noms, right?
Wrong. There are MANY more candidates with Pres noms than there are slots. Thus, you give the SA much more flexibility in slotting you if you also obtain an MOC nom. In addition, Pres noms aren’t competitive and SAs like to see that you competed favorably against your peers. Finally, your BGO, ALO, etc. will likely ask what noms you’re seeking and it looks bad if you aren’t even trying for an MOC nom.
Tell me about the Vice Presidential nom?
Like the MOCs, the VP can have up to 5 candidates at each SA at any given time. The SAs themselves decide who gets these noms. Some wonder if the work required is worth it, given that on average only one person per year will get a VP nom. Well, someone has to get it and, if you don’t apply for it, it won’t be you!
If I have an LOA am I more likely to get an MOC nom?
Probably but not always. First, the SAs notify MOCs of LOA candidates. Most MOCs like to nominate LOA candidates because they’re certain that those individuals (if otherwise qualified) will receive appointments. However, there a few MOCs prefer not to nominate LOA candidates in the (mistaken) belief that the SA will “find” a nom for all LOA candidates. As you can see from the above, there aren’t enough “extra” noms for SAs to find them for all LOA candidates. Thus, most LOA candidates without noms will receive a turndown. So, just because you receive an LOA, don’t assume you can rest on your laurels – give 100% to securing a nom.
Also, MOCs make their own decisions about the "best" candidates and their views may not always agree with those of the SAs. So, just because the SA thinks you're worthy of an LOA doesn't necessarily mean the MOC thinks you're one of his/her top candidates.
In my district, I have a nom but another candidate with a nom also has an LOA. Will that person definitely get the appointment and do I have a shot?
The LOA candidate with the nom will receive an appointment if he/she is fully qualified. Whether that individual is slotted to the MOC is up to teh SA and depends on what other noms that person may have. If that person is slotted to the MOC, the other 9 go into the national pool and can still be offered an appointment. People selected from the national pool and not slotted to another source are slotted to SecNav/SecArmy, etc. Those offices are not sources of nominations but are sources of appointments.
What if 2 people on an MOC nom slate have LOAs?
Assuming they have no other sources of noms (such as the President) in all likelihood, one will be slotted to the MOC and the other to SecNav/SecAF, etc. The other 8 go into the national pool and compete for an appointment.
