Pres nom only?

JC22

10-Year Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2006
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4
Excellent (and helpful) forum. My son is a Jr in HS and has been accepted to NASS for 2006. Due to my status (active w/24 yrs service as reserve officer with a retirement NOE in hand) he is eligible for a Presidential nomination. We are unclear if he should be thinking about applying for nominations from other sources? USNA admissions info seems to indicate that candidates should apply to all nom sources, but shouldn't we leave those available for others? Thanks for your help.
 
Apply for ALL NOM's you can get your hands on - more is better when it comes to getting into a SA. And don't feel bad about "stealing" a nom from someone else - you're not. If your kid's resume is better, and regardless of who his parents are,then he deserves the Nom / Appointment vs someone else with a weaker resume and/or potential for leadership.

Remember, there are lots of Nom's out there (Sen/Congr/VP/Pres) but it's up to the kid's "whole person score" (i.e. his resume) that get's him the Appointment once he gets the Nom.

Good luck!
 
Dknightfam said:
Apply for ALL NOM's you can get your hands on - more is better when it comes to getting into a SA. And don't feel bad about "stealing" a nom from someone else - you're not. If your kid's resume is better, and regardless of who his parents are,then he deserves the Nom / Appointment vs someone else with a weaker resume and/or potential for leadership.

I agree. We're not playing games here. This is your son's future. If you're playing "fair" you're not doing it right. Apply for everything that will enhance the odds of an appointment, and don't feel one bit bad about it.

Best of luck! :thumb:
 
Don't look at it as taking a nomination from others. The reason you apply to ALL nominating sources is that you are applying with the hope that atleast ONE will come through. If you end up with more, its a grand thing. Even though your son is eligible for the Presidential, its not always a guarantee that he'll receive it. Please don't risk it. Go get 'em & best of luck!
 
Also - if your son gets more than one nomination, when (always think positive!) the academy gives your son the appointment they will use only one of his noms and the academy will select another candidate from the other nomination pool your son was in. It is pretty complicated - no question about that! Also, your MOC gets to nom 10 people on the slate for every opening. So it really isn't stealing from another candidate. I know it feels like it though. And it is complicated so suffice it to say, get as many noms as you can get your hands on. By this time next year, through some form of osmosis you'll know things about the process that you can't even imagine right now and I doubt the rest of us could even verbalize!
Good luck, it's an interesting ride!
 
Only 100 Presidential nominees are actually awarded appointments to USNA....even though more than that qualify. This was a stat that we heard at our Parent's Weekend when someone asked....so this is another reason to apply to other sources.
 
Presidential nominations are VERY competitive. There are many reasons to apply to as many nomination sources as one is eligible. The primary reason being that USNA directs candidates to do so. From page 21 of the current catalog, Admissions section:

"All applicants must obtain a nomination from an official source during the admissions process. There are many sources of nomination, and applicants should apply to all sources for which they are eligible."

I have seen several Senatorial nominations that are "outside the box". There may be a huge number of applicants, but one has no idea what exactly the committee will see to make the final selection rise out of a highly qualified group of applicants.

The selection process is VERY competitive. To assume that one can only select a single source of application and gain that source is folly.

Lastly, while maybe not as favorable to local selections, it is in the best interest of the Academy for all applicants to receive as many nominations as possible. The CGO can then pick and choose and place each nomination such that the most competitive candidates are granted appointments. Example: Candidate A applies for and receives both a Presidential and a Congressional nomination. Let's also assume that Candidate A is the only truly highly qualified candidate in that district. By awarding Candidate A the MOC's nomination, the Academy will then open the door for a more competitive Presidential nomination instead of the marginally qualified other local candidate. This is a gross overgeneralization but it is a basic example of how multiple nominations work to the goal of the most qualified entering plebe class.
 
My son recieved an offer of USMA foundation scholarship, when he talked to the admissions counsilor, he was told that he was found fully qualified for the academy but could not be offered a direct appointment because his nomination source already had thier slot filled for this class.
 
Not to digress, and others on here can edify, but djfrro's situation would not likely happen @ USNA. Their NAPS offers and foundation scholarships are not used as a parking place for fully qualified candidates absent of a nomination. Rather they are to enable strong candidates with some deficiency, normally academic in nature, to strenthen their candidacy.

To the point, apply to all available sources, and consider it no minor miracle if you receive a VP nom. Conversely, all you've invested is a pro forma letter to the junior White House.
 
To follow up on USNA69's EXCELLENT post, getting a Pres nom is easy -- receiving an appointment w/only a Pres nom is difficult. The reason is that the nom itself is essentially non-competitive. Thus, almost everyone who qualifies for one gets one. The problem is that a lot more than 100 people qualify. Thus, if that's your only nom, you compete against the potentially hundreds of other folks for those coveted 100 appointment slots.

I have had a VERY highly qualified candidate (1400+ SATs, AP courses, varsity sports, etc.) not get an appointment. When I asked USNA why, one of the reasons I was given was that the candidate only had a Pres nom (other was needing an eye waiver; the combo was apparently not good).

A couple of other points. USNA wants to see that you're willing to do the work for the other noms. Generally, MOCs require more data, interviews, etc. than the Pres application. Not applying for the MOC noms could be viewed as trying to get out of the work, that's not a good sign. How does USNA know? -- BGOs generally ask candidates. I do.

Second, per my first comment above, MOC noms are competitive, and USNA likes to see that you can get a nom competing against your peers. I realize that, in some geographic locales, there is less competition than in others. But for candidates in competitive geographic regions, it's a help.

Finally, as USNA69 stated, the more noms you have, the more flexibility USNA has in "slotting" you for an appointment.

All the above said, there are folks who get into USNA on only a Pres nom. However, I would not start out with that as my premise. It has the potential to end in disaster.
 
To follow up on USNA69's EXCELLENT post, getting a Pres nom is easy -- receiving an appointment w/only a Pres nom is difficult. The reason is that the nom itself is essentially non-competitive. Thus, almost everyone who qualifies for one gets one. The problem is that a lot more than 100 people qualify. Thus, if that's your only nom, you compete against the potentially hundreds of other folks for those coveted 100 appointment slots.

Since I didn't qualify at the time, I never bothered to look into them. I am frankly stunned. I had no idea Presidential Nominations worked this way.

Wow. :eek:
 
Since I didn't qualify at the time, I never bothered to look into them. I am frankly stunned. I had no idea Presidential Nominations worked this way.

In my six years as a BGO, I've personally yet to see an official candidate who qualified for a Pres nom not receive one. Don't say it can't happen or hasn't happened -- I just have yet to see it.

That said, a Pres nom CAN be enough for an appointment. I just wouldn't want to rely on that by not even seeking MOC (and VP) noms and wouldn't counsel anyone to do so. USNA preaches the same thing -- apply for every nom for which you're qualified.
 
Thank you all for taking the time to reply to my query. As seems to be the case throughout this forum, you have been both helpful and kind. I have forwarded the thread to my son for his follow up (ie investigate how to apply to all available nom sources). R.
 
Apply for everything!!!

I had a Presidential Nom from my father, Retired Captain of 26 years and a 72 grad. I also had a SecNav Nom, they will figure out which nomination you are actually going to use once you get there.
 
Presidentail Nomination

We live in a very competitive district we applied for 3 differant Noms only recieved the presidentail from my father 20 yr cheif. With that said what do you think my chances are getting a appointment. Her are my stats.

SAT-Math 680 English 600
PFA
Shuttle 9.2
Run 620
Pull ups 12
Sit ups 85
Push ups 67
GPA 3.38
Two letters one basketball other track
Team Captain Golf
All AP and Pre AP Courses through HS
Completed 23 credit hrs Dual Credit
Senior year completed Calc I @ II
Senior year all A and one B Honer Roll
Great interview with BGO
 
A suggestion

Given your resume, it would seem your chances are good. My son was accepted into class of 2012 with only a presidential nomination and with similar academic stats; albeit with some additional leadership roles (Senior class president, Boys State officer) and athletic honors (all-conference and all-state).

At the risk of seeming to be over-critical, I would suggest you use spell check whenever possible. I know this forum uses an informal format (say that fast 3 times!); nevertheless, attention to detail is a most important trait that must be inculcated at every opportunity, and especially when applying for an appointment.

Wishing you well. /R
 
Is it possible to send in a presidential nomination without SAT scores? I just took the SAT in May, but I won't recieve my scores until next week. I'm currently a junior in HS and this is all pretty new to me.
 
Are you an applicant yet? If so, then I would believe you can...if not don't worry there is ample time. Remember the pres. nom is unlimited in giving out, but only 100 can be charged to the SA's.
Your parent is the one that requests the nom, not you actually and it does not take long in comparison to MOC's noms.
Also the board will not start early selection until end of Oct/Nov for appts. LOA's are given earlier, so if you get an LOA and are eligible for Pres you can have your appt early in the fall. Don't worry if you don't have an LOA I know someone who got in for 12 with only a Pres during the March selection.

Just go and hit the books and make sure you hit the SATs out of the ballpark, also spend the summer practicing the CFA so your file will be complete by Nov. Make sure you do the very best on the CFA (pull-ups and running especially)

Good luck!
 
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