Read between lines

[Pima]

Okay, I am the nervous mom and watching the mailbox, trying to steel myself for any bad news.

Someone tell me if they have any experience in this sit. and how to read between the lines...here is the scenario:

File completed Dec. 14th, 1st time Regional from AFA calls son is on the 14th and says I need a better pic (sent passport size on the first go, wanted larger size)
Downloaded and sent on the 14th. I am pretty sure the board did not meet after this for holidays

Received Doles nom on the 22nd...done alphabetically no principal

Received xmas card from Regional on the 24th..."happy holidays hoping 2008 is great" with her home address...did she send out to everyone? If you break down the numbers that would be about 300 candidates (heck I can't find time to send 10 out)...is this to be supportive and he isn't going to make it? Or is it she thinks he got it.

Jan 5th interview with Sen. Burr, 20 kids are on the sign in list and he has 2 openings...guessing everyone is getting a nom, don't know if he is doing principal

Jan. 7th she calls s on his cell, he was in school, called her back, all she wanted to tell him was that he received his congressman's nom (we don't have that in our hand as of yet). She than went onto say 90% do not hear from AFA until Mar...not prompted by s asking if I have been reviewed yet.

So what does this all mean, he has received all of his MOC's noms, she has emailed him and called him, but I can;t figure it out and we keep going back and forth whether this is positive or negative. Is she trying to let him down (he was bummed by the call, excited at 1st finding out he got the other nom, and then bummed by the Mar comment). I feel like I am looking upp into the sky waiting for the matching shoe, but all I keep getting are flip-flops

If anyone has experience or knows someone take pity on mom and help her out to be there for DS

 

[Just_A_Mom]

1st time Regional from AFA calls son is on the 14th and says I need a better pic (sent passport size on the first go, wanted larger size)
Downloaded and sent on the 14th. I am pretty sure the board did not meet after this for holidays

AFA requires a photograph? I don't remember sending one to USMA or USNA... this is interesting.

Received Doles nom on the 22nd...done alphabetically no principal

Congrats! this is good. Did he get one from his Representative?

Received xmas card from Regional on the 24th..."happy holidays hoping 2008 is great" with her home address...did she send out to everyone? If you break down the numbers that would be about 300 candidates (heck I can't find time to send 10 out)...is this to be supportive and he isn't going to make it? Or is it she thinks he got it.

LOL - you are right on - a Christmas Card? Was it religious or secular? (JK!)
A psycological ploy? who knows.

Jan 5th interview with Sen. Burr, 20 kids are on the sign in list and he has 2 openings...guessing everyone is getting a nom, don't know if he is doing principal

OK Not necessarily. There could be other kids in the running who were not interviewed either on that day or in person. My daughter is in prep school - most of the kids (including she) had phone interviews. There very well could have been more than 20 kids "in the running".

Jan. 7th she calls s on his cell, he was in school, called her back, all she wanted to tell him was that he received his congressman's nom (we don't have that in our hand as of yet). She than went onto say 90% do not hear from AFA until Mar...not prompted by s asking if I have been reviewed yet.

So what does this all mean,

It means you wait. Patience here. In a nutshell - what happens is this - the nomination slates are sent in and ranked somehow (by the MOC or academy).
There are a lot of these to get to. Not sure of the final deadline for application completion to USAFA but it is Jan 31st for USMA. Admissions also may be waiting for others to complete their application.

IF your son is picked - top candidate from a MOC slate - and 3-q'd (I think he is) then - bingo! He gets an appointment.
IF he is not #1 then the wait is longer. He goes into the pool or waiting list etc.
Your son has a presidential so the academy can also use that nom to appoint him but they probably won't do that right away.
Sorting out candidates and nominations is quite a task - it is all about getting the best class possible for the academy and working within the US code to get the job done.
He may not find out for quite sometime - hang tough.
I suspect the Regional is simply trying to keep your son interested in AFA. Doesn't want him to give up.
In the meantime - he is working on plan B, I hope?

 

[Pima]

he actually does have 3 noms in hand (Pres., Sen. Dole and Congressman, just waiting for Sen. Burr). I never thought about Burr actually doing phone interviews, so this is true he could have 30 or more, just made the assumption and we know what that means LOL.

As far as the photo, we submitted to the MOCs, but not originally to the acad., I guess I should have said when she called on the 14th she emailed first asking for it and we sent the passport size, than she called and asked for a larger size, he downloaded his sr. portrait. She stated she wanted a face to put with the file.

The card was handwritten on the envelope and inside, it was non secular.

I have to say her involvement has calmed my nerves on one thing, anyone who fears that their child is a number, is wrong, they genuinely care about them and are trying to assist them down this path, wherever it might lead. When this is also done whatever the outcome, she will receive a letter from us for all of her help, she deserves it. I am sure she receives tons of phone calls and it must be disheartening to know that when she looks at a record they won't be offered a slot and yet she can't say it. Afterall, it is not personal, it's just the way the system works.

As far as backups of course they are all in (4 of them) and we are officially waiting for them too.

 

[Antoinette]

Pima, here's hoping that wonderful phone call for your son comes soon! Waiting is hard...staring at the mailbox and checking the front porch obsessively may help...

Staying in touch on this forum does help...a little. We are waiting with you!

 

[Luigi59]

The academy asked for a picture?

My son received an appointment but never sent in any pictures.

 

[Pima]

Okay, so now I am even more paranoid

My s is the only one they wanted a pic from and the only one that has received any correspondence from the Regional Director for our letter and area...

Have to say.. at least they do have a face and a voice to put with the package. I am very impressed with not only the professionalism in regards to our ALO and Regional, but also the support that we as parents have been given by this forum. The beauty of this site is that parents who have children applying understand this additional burden/fear that parents who have kids just applying to college cannot comprehend. Note to all: AD children don't automatically throw their hat into this arena, our DS is the only one we knew from the flying squadrons...there are 7 up for it from our town...don't know who they are, but the squadrons are close knit and we all know ea other.

Back to the point though, even with 19 yrs. as a military wife I am walking through this blindly and I thank you for your help and direction...if you ever need help on how to survive deployments, Tri-Care, moving every 2 yrs., or what to do while your daughter-in-law/son in-law is left behind for a hurricane so the base can take the jets to safety, I am the go to girl...I also have experience on how to do "DITY" moves, and my favorite CRUD (We are def. buying a crud table for our final home...best exercise you can ever do)...of course I also do have experience on the sad parts too...saying goodbyes, and the unmentionables.

Thank you again for your help I think I'll just watch the flip-flops (rainbow brand for my kids) drop from the sky and enjoy the ride. In the end DH and I are so proud of him, he got the pres. due to my DH, but he got both Senators and Congressman on his own power. We openly admitted to him, that we are incredibly proud, any 17-18 yr. old who has to sit in a room with a committee deciding their future by themselves is amazing in my book...they all deserve an appt. just for how much they have dedicated themselves to this process...Last count 5 essays, 3 personal recs., 2 teacher rec. 1 guidance, the dodmerb (head to toe for either sex...admit it we as adults don't like what they did) for his nom process. With that note, go and tell your own cadets/candidates that a stranger said they will be phenomenal leaders in whatever they do and we thank them for being willing to serve this wonderful nation.