NWL, how do you know

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YogiMom

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Mar 14, 2017
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Sorry if this is basic question, but how will a candidate know if they are on the NWL?

Does you portal status change from Candidate/Complete to something else?

thanks!
 
If you are qualified and are a CANDIDATE, and you did not receive an appointment via a slate such as your MOC, Presidential, or other; then you automatically go into the National Pool.

Now; whether or not you will be competitive and considered, is a different story. For instance. Let's say that after all the MOC, Presidential, and other slate appointments, the academy has given out 650 appointments. And let's say they want to have a class of 1,200 appointees. That means they will give out another 550 appointments. So that leaves about 4,000 +/- nominees to go to the National Pool. (Numbers aren't exactly what you thought, because there are many applicants who get more than one nomination and are number MOC slates; and they only get one slot in the national pool). Anyway; of those 4,000, let's say about 2,800 are qualified. Yes, many MOCs give nominations to individuals who aren't 100% qualified. They don't know your CFA, Medical, etc. info. So, of the 2800, they want to give 550 appointments. In the national pool, you are ranked by your WCS score. The academy knows on average how many will turn down an appointment. So, in reality, they will look at the TOP 1000 in the National Pool. It would not be uncommon for the remaining 1,800 to get the TWE (Thin White Envelope - Saying, sorry; try again next year) earlier than later.

So, if you're in the top 1000, you may not find out until the end of April. possibly a little longer. If you aren't in the top 1000, you may find out that you didn't get an appointment sooner.
 
Christcorp - I follow all of that, but where does medical fit in? Do you only go onto the NWL if you are qualified including medical? Or do they only look at medical after they evaluate your file and determine they want you?
 
Christcorp said:
If you are qualified and are a CANDIDATE, and you did not receive an appointment via a slate such as your MOC, Presidential, or other; then you automatically go into the National Pool.

Now; whether or not you will be competitive and considered, is a different story. For instance. Let's say that after all the MOC, Presidential, and other slate appointments, the academy has given out 650 appointments. And let's say they want to have a class of 1,200 appointees. That means they will give out another 550 appointments. So that leaves about 4,000 +/- nominees to go to the National Pool. (Numbers aren't exactly what you thought, because there are many applicants who get more than one nomination and are number MOC slates; and they only get one slot in the national pool). Anyway; of those 4,000, let's say about 2,800 are qualified. Yes, many MOCs give nominations to individuals who aren't 100% qualified. They don't know your CFA, Medical, etc. info. So, of the 2800, they want to give 550 appointments. In the national pool, you are ranked by your WCS score. The academy knows on average how many will turn down an appointment. So, in reality, they will look at the TOP 1000 in the National Pool. It would not be uncommon for the remaining 1,800 to get the TWE (Thin White Envelope - Saying, sorry; try again next year) earlier than later.

So, if you're in the top 1000, you may not find out until the end of April. possibly a little longer. If you aren't in the top 1000, you may find out that you didn't get an appointment sooner.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike. It's making more sense now! And it all boils back to 'wait and see and plan for B!'
 
Christcorp said:
If you are qualified and are a CANDIDATE, and you did not receive an appointment via a slate such as your MOC, Presidential, or other; then you automatically go into the National Pool.

Now; whether or not you will be competitive and considered, is a different story. For instance. Let's say that after all the MOC, Presidential, and other slate appointments, the academy has given out 650 appointments. And let's say they want to have a class of 1,200 appointees. That means they will give out another 550 appointments. So that leaves about 4,000 +/- nominees to go to the National Pool. (Numbers aren't exactly what you thought, because there are many applicants who get more than one nomination and are number MOC slates; and they only get one slot in the national pool). Anyway; of those 4,000, let's say about 2,800 are qualified. Yes, many MOCs give nominations to individuals who aren't 100% qualified. They don't know your CFA, Medical, etc. info. So, of the 2800, they want to give 550 appointments. In the national pool, you are ranked by your WCS score. The academy knows on average how many will turn down an appointment. So, in reality, they will look at the TOP 1000 in the National Pool. It would not be uncommon for the remaining 1,800 to get the TWE (Thin White Envelope - Saying, sorry; try again next year) earlier than later.

So, if you're in the top 1000, you may not find out until the end of April. possibly a little longer. If you aren't in the top 1000, you may find out that you didn't get an appointment sooner.
Click to expand...

Hello!

Thank you for always posting detailed responses. I really appreciate them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what your saying is, the longer my status states "Candidate" the greater my chances are in the NWL?
 
Also I think the numbers are closer to the 2019 class: qualified candidates 2528, offers 1559, class size 1242 , so if you are qualified candidate the chances of appointment are better than 50%. And that doesn't include prep school or falcon scholarships, so there is also still hope for that. We haven't heard a peep and no changes to our dd portal, so staying hopeful for now.
 
HereWeGo said:
Christcorp - I follow all of that, but where does medical fit in? Do you only go onto the NWL if you are qualified including medical? Or do they only look at medical after they evaluate your file and determine they want you?
Click to expand...

If you're not qualified in ALL AREAS, meaning: Academic, Physical, and Medical; then your application won't be QUALIFIED. It will say DISQUALIFIED. (At least I think it say Qualified or Disqualified on your portal - I'm use to looking at the ALO section that has much more detail). And assuming the disqualification is for medical reasons, you'll STAY DISQUALIFIED until a WAIVER is requested and granted, or the medical condition is resolved. If your application says qualified, then you don't have a problem. If you are DISQUALIFIED; for any of the 3 reasons, you WON'T be considered under ANY of the slates or in the National Pool. Not until the Disqualification issue is resolved.

USAFA2021 said:
Hello!

Thank you for always posting detailed responses. I really appreciate them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what your saying is, the longer my status states "Candidate" the greater my chances are in the NWL?
Click to expand...

Well, sort of, I guess. The old adage of "No News is Good News". But that isn't definitive. You could be in the National Pool list, and ranked heavily towards the bottom, and the academy simply hasn't put out a declination letter yet. There's no rule that says they have to inform anyone by a certain date. And remember; any attempt to get notifications out early, is simply for the benefit of the academy; in the hopes that the candidates they DO WANT, hold out and don't accept offers to other schools. Unfortunately, they don't really consider the Non-Selectees at all. Whether they're nice and give you a declination early; so you can make other plans; or they wait til may; it doesn't affect the academy either way. That is an unfortunate truth and reality.
 
Christcorp said:
HereWeGo said:
Christcorp - I follow all of that, but where does medical fit in? Do you only go onto the NWL if you are qualified including medical? Or do they only look at medical after they evaluate your file and determine they want you?
Click to expand...

If you're not qualified in ALL AREAS, meaning: Academic, Physical, and Medical; then your application won't be QUALIFIED. It will say DISQUALIFIED. (At least I think it say Qualified or Disqualified on your portal - I'm use to looking at the ALO section that has much more detail). And assuming the disqualification is for medical reasons, you'll STAY DISQUALIFIED until a WAIVER is requested and granted, or the medical condition is resolved. If your application says qualified, then you don't have a problem. If you are DISQUALIFIED; for any of the 3 reasons, you WON'T be considered under ANY of the slates or in the National Pool. Not until the Disqualification issue is resolved.

USAFA2021 said:
Hello!

Thank you for always posting detailed responses. I really appreciate them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what your saying is, the longer my status states "Candidate" the greater my chances are in the NWL?
Click to expand...

Well, sort of, I guess. The old adage of "No News is Good News". But that isn't definitive. You could be in the National Pool list, and ranked heavily towards the bottom, and the academy simply hasn't put out a declination letter yet. There's no rule that says they have to inform anyone by a certain date. And remember; any attempt to get notifications out early, is simply for the benefit of the academy; in the hopes that the candidates they DO WANT, hold out and don't accept offers to other schools. Unfortunately, they don't really consider the Non-Selectees at all. Whether they're nice and give you a declination early; so you can make other plans; or they wait til may; it doesn't affect the academy either way. That is an unfortunate truth and reality.
Click to expand...

@Christcorp
DS received another email today from DODMERB (I'm losing count, think it's the 3rd or 4th in 2 weeks now), it says his DODMERB status has been changed and a letter issued. Check the status and it is unchanged, still says Qualified.

Wonder if this is common to have frequent activity on med records with no change in status, and what to make of it. Suppose this is indicator that DS is still being looked at, but still no forward movement.
 
Son received one of those Dodmerb status letter issued emails today as well. He has been qualified since November.
 
Hard to say being I don't know what his medical condition is. But the fact that he's receiving letters is a good sign. It means they are still interested. And if his medical situation is resolved, then he can be considered.

Medical is a very strange thing. Many times, it's something common and simple. Maybe physical vs biological. In those cases, if the academy has put in for a waiver, or they expect the condition to be resolved soon, they'll treat him as qualified and continue with the process. Worse case scenario, the academy can always retract an appointment offer if the medical condition doesn't get resolved. On the other hand, when it's a medical condition that is more biological or similar, and the academy isn't so confident in it, they may or may not put in for a waiver. And many times, they'll hold off evaluating the individual until the end of the cycle. If at all.

Then again, this is the military. Some applicants get emails from admissions saying medical status has changed; or GPA has been changed; or some other status has been changed. Yet, when the individual looks at their portal online, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. Common attribute of the military. It's never the way you think it should be. Yet, in the end, it works out.

Unfortunately, all you can do, is keep an eye on your portal, and in the immortal words of the military: "HURRY UP AND WAIT".

Best of luck.
 
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