Remaining Appointments?

[Jetbill]

There is not a traditional waitlist. There is what is known as the National Pool. All qualified candidates with nominations are put into it. The top 150 in the pool ranked by WCS will be offered appointments first. After the top 150, USAFA can select any of the remaining candidates that it chooses.

Stealth_81

Thanks for that "Whole Candidate Score" info! Understanding there is no way to know your WCS, just wondering, is this a process where they look for avail appointment slots, other than your MOC nominators allotted appt slots? I have a vague understanding that they will look for appointment spots outside of our district. My DS self preped this year, NWP, and did very well. He's nominated by Rep, but we are in a District that is SUPER competive. (There was a sponsored FFS from our District also attending NWP, and she's already received her rightly earned appointment).
Just trying to "break my Crystal ball" here and hanging onto hope! Back-up is Preping again, at MMI this time... (Self or Sponsored).
He is VERY determined on SA, as he feels he'll fit best with that approach. And won't be 19 till end July. Young for second try at appointment. (TWE USMA and USMMA.....but still waiting on USCGA). Just trying, STILL, to understand any patterns to process, admist the seeming randomness. Thx again!

 

[Jenb78]

Not at SA, but yes for D2 / D3 civilian schools.

Oh ok. My son was a recruited athlete and the coach was very helpful with the process. I was going to suggest reaching out. Good luck to you.

 

[Stealth_81]

Just trying, STILL, to understand any patterns to process, admist the seeming randomness.

As I’ve said many times here, trying to find patterns or figure out chances is completely futile. Each situation is different and fits into the admissions puzzle differently. You’ll just frustrate yourself if you try.

USAFA will not “borrow” a nomination from another district for a candidate. When someone claims that this happened to their cousin’s sister-in-law’s friend’s nephew, you can be sure that it is a misunderstanding somewhere along the line. The supe has discretionary nominations that can be used if USAFA really needs a nom for a candidate. Those are not just given out left and right, though.

The best advice is to relax, tend to plan B, C, D, etc, and wait for news one way or another by May 1st.

Stealth_81

 

[USCGA123]

Not implying, but stating. I would not want my son to be led by someone who would welcome defeat, rather than stay in the fight.

Posting such a comment is unbecoming of a future leader...in the military or elsewhere. Do you want your commanding officer to give up a fight because it's hard? Do you want to be led by CEO that is not willing to fight for market share? Do you want to be part of an operating team led by a cardiac surgeon who throws in the towel if there is a complication during the procedure?

Everyone who has not yet received a decision feels the same emotions. The choice is whether to exhibit leadership qualities of perseverance and resilience, or post publicly of an eagerness to accept defeat. The poster asked for a TWE, but have they actually considered if they ultimately received an appointment? This is a public forum, not a private social media or text group. How will it reflect on the USAFA academy if anyone and everyone can read such comments and know that those qualities are part of the USAFA class of ----.

My comments might come off as harsh, but many wise and experienced posters and moderators on this forum have given advice on navigating this time of uncertainty. Be patient, unplug, work on Plan B, etc. So, for the umpteenth time...listen to their advice.

Geeze @ragner2026, what a sh--ty thing to say to a young 17yr old. Give him/her a break. It is a stressful time for any senior in high school, and clearly, he is just venting. Most kids just want to know either way so they can focus on their plan B. As a 30yr active-duty Marine Corps Officer, I think many of us can agree that it is quite ridiculous that most candidates must submit their applications in October and the academies wait until March/April (and sometimes May) to accept/decline young men and women. The process is antiquated and inefficient despite a new application platform.

Of note, plan B schools including the other academies are holding slots for undecided candidates who haven't yet taken action - he/she may be one of them, holding out at USMA or USNA in an effort to learn if he/she has been accepted or declined at USAFA. An acceptance or declination could help others still in the queue have a slot at another academy. He/she could also accept or decline at a civilian school opening up a for a waitlisted student at their dream school.

Your son will be a peer to this young candidate/cadet, and I would hope that your son would lift up another cadet airman rather than judge him/her for a simple sentence and SMH emoji. Hopefully, your son won't have the same judgmental attitude as you and if so, he will learn that you build those around you up to be the best leader they can be. All of these young men and women who work their hearts out in their academics, sports, and community service for years in junior and senior high school, who then make it this far in this process with interviews, recommendations, medical exams deserve applause. They are the best of us.

Best of luck to you @usafacellist. I hope it all works out and you are still willing to serve, whether you go to USAFA, one of the other academies or through ROTC at civilian school. Bravo Zulu to you for getting this far.

 

[TXSUB]

Geeze @ragner2026, what a sh--ty thing to say to a young 17yr old. Give him/her a break. It is a stressful time for any senior in high school, and clearly, he is just venting. Most kids just want to know either way so they can focus on their plan B. As a 30yr active-duty Marine Corps Officer, I think many of us can agree that it is quite ridiculous that most candidates must submit their applications in October and the academies wait until March/April (and sometimes May) to accept/decline young men and women. The process is antiquated and inefficient despite a new application platform.

Of note, plan B schools including the other academies are holding slots for undecided candidates who haven't yet taken action - he/she may be one of them, holding out at USMA or USNA in an effort to learn if he/she has been accepted or declined at USAFA. An acceptance or declination could help others still in the queue have a slot at another academy. He/she could also accept or decline at a civilian school opening up a for a waitlisted student at their dream school.

Your son will be a peer to this young candidate/cadet, and I would hope that your son would lift up another cadet airman rather than judge him/her for a simple sentence and SMH emoji. Hopefully, your son won't have the same judgmental attitude as you and if so, he will learn that you build those around you up to be the best leader they can be. All of these young men and women who work their hearts out in their academics, sports, and community service for years in junior and senior high school, who then make it this far in this process with interviews, recommendations, medical exams deserve applause. They are the best of us.

Best of luck to you @usafacellist. I hope it all works out and you are still willing to serve, whether you go to USAFA, one of the other academies or through ROTC at civilian school. Bravo Zulu to you for getting this far.

I wish there was a “love” button for this post. Well said. These are kids and some “over-the-top-macho-flex“ post from an armchair leader (apologies, but that post set me off) does nothing but build cynicism and insecurity.

 

[FalconDad2026]

There is a line that is crossed between healthy expression of stress and defeatist public venting. That goes for any stressful situation...and these young candidates will experience far more difficult situations, whether they are at the academy or elsewhere. We may disagree, and you can ironically fill your post with judgemental terms, but my comment was constructive criticism that is actually most important for that 17yo and the many other 17yos reading need to understand.

As leaders, they will always be watched...and watched closely. So, how they conduct themselves will always be scrutinized. Stress is part of the job, but never "vent" openly. It is damaging for everyone. That is for conversation with close friends and colleagues. Sharing doubts with team members is healthy..."venting" is not. "Venting" and defeatist statements are a disease that spreads through any organization. Many young candidates and their family members quietly follow these forums with equal stress and do not need to read such statements, nor see them defended as acceptable among our future military leaders.

Lastly, IMO it's important for these young people to learn that criticism and compassion are not mutually exclusive. I (and many others) fully understand the emotions the the poster is going through. But that empathy does not mean that any and every action is okay. It's okay to read that a comment made reflects poorly on the poster.

You and the subsequent poster believe that my comment reflects poorly on me. I accept that, despite the unnecessary belittling embedded in your comments (which reflect on you).

 

[luqui03]

I am glad that Will Smith is not handing over the appointments or the TWE's. No pun intended.

 

[HCopter]

@usafacellist2026 , i'm interested why you say you want the TWE and move on, but not close your portal? It's entirely up to you whether you want to stay in the application pool or not, but just curious why you cite you want USAFA to give you the TWE vs. closing the portal yourself.

 

[usafcellist2026]

@usafacellist2026 , i'm interested why you say you want the TWE and move on, but not close your portal? It's entirely up to you whether you want to stay in the application pool or not, but just curious why you cite you want USAFA to give you the TWE vs. closing the portal yourself.

I would, but I don’t want to tell my parents I closed it. They’d take that as giving up, whereas I’d prefer the TWE to physically show them.

 

[USCGA123]

There is a line that is crossed between healthy expression of stress and defeatist public venting. That goes for any stressful situation...and these young candidates will experience far more difficult situations, whether they are at the academy or elsewhere. We may disagree, and you can ironically fill your post with judgemental terms, but my comment was constructive criticism that is actually most important for that 17yo and the many other 17yos reading need to understand.

As leaders, they will always be watched...and watched closely. So, how they conduct themselves will always be scrutinized. Stress is part of the job, but never "vent" openly. It is damaging for everyone. That is for conversation with close friends and colleagues. Sharing doubts with team members is healthy..."venting" is not. "Venting" and defeatist statements are a disease that spreads through any organization. Many young candidates and their family members quietly follow these forums with equal stress and do not need to read such statements, nor see them defended as acceptable among our future military leaders.

Lastly, IMO it's important for these young people to learn that criticism and compassion are not mutually exclusive. I (and many others) fully understand the emotions the the poster is going through. But that empathy does not mean that any and every action is okay. It's okay to read that a comment made reflects poorly on the poster.

You and the subsequent poster believe that my comment reflects poorly on me. I accept that, despite the unnecessary belittling embedded in your comments (which reflect on you).

You're doubling down, I get it. We've both stated our position and as I do for @usafacellist2026, I wish your son the best of luck. I applaud his willingness to serve and if given the opportunity, I hope he will develop into a great officer that will lift up his peers and those who will report to him. Like I said previously, any young person who dedicates themselves to service in our community (when less than one percent of our country do), is the best of us.

 

[LTBob87]

@usafacellist2026 , i'm interested why you say you want the TWE and move on, but not close your portal? It's entirely up to you whether you want to stay in the application pool or not, but just curious why you cite you want USAFA to give you the TWE vs. closing the portal yourself.

At this point, there is no closing the portal. The only options at this point are "Review Supplemental" and "Start a New Application".

 

[Capt MJ]

I would, but I don’t want to tell my parents I closed it. They’d take that as giving up, whereas I’d prefer the TWE to physically show them.

Have you considered calling Admissions, having a candid conversation, and asking them to proceed with not offering an appointment, so that it is out of your hands? They won’t be surprised by this.

This happens more often than you think. We had a poster do this some years ago. If you truly do not desire to go there, don’t care about bragging rights should you be offered an appointment and then turn it down, and wish to avoid the self-generated stress of waiting for a negative result, it is within your power to make it happen. That saves Admissions time, and frees you up to press on along another path. It is indeed your life.

 

[HCopter]

@usafacellist2026 , there is more than a 0% possibility you could still get an appointment (pending a unicorn nom), but it's a low probability. It was my DD's experiences (and even now) that until you actually get an appointment/award, you never know how you will really react. So keep an open mind, even if you've convinced yourself one way now. You will do well wherever you go! And don't rule out USMMA!

 

[usafcellist2026]

@usafacellist2026 , there is more than a 0% possibility you could still get an appointment (pending a unicorn nom), but it's a low probability. It was my DD's experiences (and even now) that until you actually get an appointment/award, you never know how you will really react. So keep an open mind, even if you've convinced yourself one way now. You will do well wherever you go! And don't rule out USMMA!

I have ruled out USMMA. It’s more that I’ve decided the military isn’t the best fit for me. I have my reasons, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the application process.

 

[TXSUB]

There is a line that is crossed between healthy expression of stress and defeatist public venting. That goes for any stressful situation...and these young candidates will experience far more difficult situations, whether they are at the academy or elsewhere. We may disagree, and you can ironically fill your post with judgemental terms, but my comment was constructive criticism that is actually most important for that 17yo and the many other 17yos reading need to understand.

As leaders, they will always be watched...and watched closely. So, how they conduct themselves will always be scrutinized. Stress is part of the job, but never "vent" openly. It is damaging for everyone. That is for conversation with close friends and colleagues. Sharing doubts with team members is healthy..."venting" is not. "Venting" and defeatist statements are a disease that spreads through any organization. Many young candidates and their family members quietly follow these forums with equal stress and do not need to read such statements, nor see them defended as acceptable among our future military leaders.

Lastly, IMO it's important for these young people to learn that criticism and compassion are not mutually exclusive. I (and many others) fully understand the emotions the the poster is going through. But that empathy does not mean that any and every action is okay. It's okay to read that a comment made reflects poorly on the poster.

You and the subsequent poster believe that my comment reflects poorly on me. I accept that, despite the unnecessary belittling embedded in your comments (which reflect on you).

Yeah, but you’re an adult - that’s the difference…

 

[SpiritCommitteeLiaison]

I have ruled out USMMA. It’s more that I’ve decided the military isn’t the best fit for me. I have my reasons, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the application process.

I find this a mature acceptance of what you want for your future. You went through the process but ultimately decided that this path isn't right for you. Honestly, it isn't right for everyone. Some don't discover that until their C3C year (before commitment).

I wish you the best of luck in whatever path you decide is right for you.

 

[Jetbill]

As I’ve said many times here, trying to find patterns or figure out chances is completely futile. Each situation is different and fits into the admissions puzzle differently. You’ll just frustrate yourself if you try.

USAFA will not “borrow” a nomination from another district for a candidate. When someone claims that this happened to their cousin’s sister-in-law’s friend’s nephew, you can be sure that it is a misunderstanding somewhere along the line. The supe has discretionary nominations that can be used if USAFA really needs a nom for a candidate. Those are not just given out left and right, though.

The best advice is to relax, tend to plan B, C, D, etc, and wait for news one way or another by May 1st.

Stealth_81

Sorry for my miss-communication. He does have Nomination for USAFSA. My question was in regards to # of Appointment slots ea MOC is a allotted to be attending Academy at any one time. And specifically, whether our Rep. can take unused appointment spots from other MOCs. But your point is well taken.....I totally understand the futility in trying to "find patterns" in the overall admissions process.

 

[Jetbill]

Sorry for my miss-communication. He does have Nomination for USAFSA. My question was in regards to # of Appointment slots ea MOC is a allotted to be attending Academy at any one time. And specifically, whether our Rep. can take unused appointment spots from other MOCs. But your point is well taken.....I totally understand the futility in trying to "find patterns" in the overall admissions process. *EDIT: USAFA

 

[Capt MJ]

Sorry for my miss-communication. He does have Nomination for USAFSA. My question was in regards to # of Appointment slots ea MOC is a allotted to be attending Academy at any one time. And specifically, whether our Rep. can take unused appointment spots from other MOCs. But your point is well taken.....I totally understand the futility in trying to "find patterns" in the overall admissions process.

If you haven’t already, go read the Sticky post pinned to the top of the Nominations forum. There are many nomination authorities appointments can be charged to, not just elected officials’. The SA can choose to take other fully qualified candidates off a slate, charging those appointments to nom authorities they manage.

 

[Jetbill]

If you haven’t already, go read the Sticky post pinned to the top of the Nominations forum. There are many nomination authorities appointments can be charged to, not just elected officials’. The SA can choose to take other fully qualified candidates off a slate, charging those appointments to nom authorities they manage.

Thank You Sir!