Principal nominations

Joeman

Joeman

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2018
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44
Does the academy have to select the principal nominee ?
 
If the nominee is fully qualified then yes. So if they are above the minimum requirements for CFA, academics and have passed the medical.
 
The big unknown in that equation is the minimum qualifications for academics. I have seen that question asked many times in many different ways. I do not know that anyone can tell you what the minimum academic standards are that you must meet. I have often wondered if you have reached candidate status in the portal, and have no brackets around your ACT/SAT, does that mean you are minimally qualified? Since the principal nomination specifies you must be minimally qualified to receive an appointment. Anyone have any insight or thoughts on that?
 
I took it to mean above the quote : "Students who score below 580 verbal and 560 math on the SAT Reasoning and below 24 English/reading and 25 math/science reasoning on the ACT normally will not be competitive for an appointment."
 
Although I'd assume if you received a principal nomination your academics would be of a reasonable level as the nomination board would have access to those numbers.

Principal noms in my part of the world only seem not to go if they turn down the place - which I've seen them do several times.
 
Moondog, I think that is where the confusion comes in. Since the classes you take and GPA are also factors in the academic score, that quote seems to be lacking. I know many kids that have high GPA's, high A's in all the AP classes, but can't get above a 23 on Math because they just don't perform well on standardized tests. Also, the quote says competitive, but a principal nomination only has to meet the minimum.
 
Yes agree. I don't think they turn down principal noms unless they are way below these numbers - which never happens as they wouldn't be principal noms if they had failed school completely.

I see the opposite problem. Principal noms tend to be highly qualified and often get picked up by Ivies where I am and turn down the academy. I think that's a failure in the system and that if you get a principal nom there should be a burden on you to respect it and actually go to the academy.

Otherwise the people coming in 2nd and 3rd who may be actually dedicated to going to the academy can lose out. <gets off soapboax>
 
I agree with you on that. Hopefully, if a principal nom does decline, the next most deserving gets their shot pretty quickly.

I know I will be glad when the appointments start rolling out, this waiting game is excruciating.
 
Yes I expected some people to say they'd heard today - but nothing. My son's got a great Plan B set up but he's worked for this for three and a half years just like everyone else here so I am sure we all feel the same.

All these kids who've got to the candidate stage clearly have already achieved a lot.
 
Grateful to this thread bc its been an elusive answer to the question of what makes a candidate academically qualified. We haven't been able to figure it out. Glad I'm not the only one.

Just an observation though--it's the MOC who determines if a nomination is a principal or not, and most candidates who interview don't know the method by which the MOC submits the slate. So it's hard to say a candidate must take a principal nom when MOCs don't advertise their method of slating.

Maintaining our fingers crossed!!
 
To confuse things more, the principal may not always be the "strongest" kid in MOC group. Last year at Academy Day, MOC explained that to increase diversity (of all types) they may give principal to the kid that is not the top of the scoring rubric. They felt intangibles went into making great leaders and that some traditional SA rubrics may not reflect this.

For example, 3 kids in a group. Kid #1 is top ranked using traditional rubic. Kid#2 has intangible qualities. They indicated they might give the principal to kid#2 so this person could get appointment. They said the SA had other appointments at their discretion to get kid#1 an appointment.

Not exactly sure of specifics. So many moving parts, no way to guess outcomes.
 
Susan707 said:
To confuse things more, the principal may not always be the "strongest" kid in MOC group. Last year at Academy Day, MOC explained that to increase diversity (of all types) they may give principal to the kid that is not the top of the scoring rubric. They felt intangibles went into making great leaders and that some traditional SA rubrics may not reflect this.

For example, 3 kids in a group. Kid #1 is top ranked using traditional rubic. Kid#2 has intangible qualities. They indicated they might give the principal to kid#2 so this person could get appointment. They said the SA had other appointments at their discretion to get kid#1 an appointment.

Not exactly sure of specifics. So many moving parts, no way to guess outcomes.
Click to expand...

Does this mean possibly that the only kid on a MOC’s slate of noms that could get an appointment is the principal? No others unless from another source? We have no way of knowing if our MOC listed a principal. Yes, more moving parts indeed!!
 
My MOC told me that I received his principal nomination, is that not the norm? Everyone is making it sound like they don't generally disclose that.
 
I'll gladly defer to a more experienced person but yes, I understood that if the principal is qualifed (big if), they get appointment. Also, two versions of principal method, principal-ranked and principal-unranked.

In ranked method, if principal not qualified SA follows the order of list provided by MOC. In unranked, if principal not qualified, SA picks who gets appointment from list provided by MOC.

Again, I'll defer to more experienced folks.
 
Susan707 said:
To confuse things more, the principal may not always be the "strongest" kid in MOC group. Last year at Academy Day, MOC explained that to increase diversity (of all types) they may give principal to the kid that is not the top of the scoring rubric. They felt intangibles went into making great leaders and that some traditional SA rubrics may not reflect this.

For example, 3 kids in a group. Kid #1 is top ranked using traditional rubic. Kid#2 has intangible qualities. They indicated they might give the principal to kid#2 so this person could get appointment. They said the SA had other appointments at their discretion to get kid#1 an appointment.

Not exactly sure of specifics. So many moving parts, no way to guess outcomes.
Click to expand...
This scares me. My MOC implied they were not going to give me the principal nomination because I already had two appointments (USNA and USMA) via Presidential. I emailed the MOC after I received my nomination and they said I did not get the principal. I wonder if it is the ranked or unranked nomination process. I did apply for the Presidential nomination also. Both nominations are in my portal but I am still nervous. Any help or suggestions from anyone? All responses are greatly greatly appreciated. USAFA is my first choice
 
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Back in the day, our MOC did not list a principal nom. He's not my MOC any longer through redistricting (gerrymandering).
 
Also, what is confusing is that sometimes is that the MOC's staff do not understand the process. So when they try to explain it, its difficult to know which method is being used. Initially, I was clueless, I didn't know the questions to ask which makes it worse. That's why I suggest to folks getting ready to start the process, they need to read this forum and FAQs in detail so they know the process and what questions to ask.
 
Highhopesmom said:
Does this mean possibly that the only kid on a MOC’s slate of noms that could get an appointment is the principal?
Click to expand...
It's possible, but other scenarios where multiple people are selected from the slate are possible as well.
No others unless from another source?
Click to expand...
Another source isn't necessarily needed. One could get selected from the NWL even if they only had 1 nom from that MOC. Alternatively, even though someone had the principal nom they may charge that nom elsewhere in order to pick up another person on the slate.

The academies have mastered how to do the magic jig-saw puzzle. You're in it until you receive a TWE.
 
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