Here's the deal.
Historically, there have been districts where no one even applies to USNA. It's obvious that qualified candidates exist in every district in this country. One of USNA's goals was to reach out to the under- or non-represented districts and try to get the qualified candidates to start applying.
Some districts have a higher number of qualified candidates than do other districts. That does NOT mean that the individuals from the "more competitive" districts are any more qualified, only that there are more of them in certain geographic regions. That is simply a fact.
As a result, if there are two equally qualified candidates, the person in ND or SD is more likely to get a nom simply b/c there are fewer people competing for the MOC's slots. However, that doesn't necessarily translate into a better shot an an appointment b/c these folks (other than principal nominees) have to compete in the national pool.
In summary, "more" or "less" competitive is used by BGOs and admissions types to refer to the number of qualified candidates who apply to SA from a particular district. It is not a reflection on the quality of the candidates themselves.
Anyone who has been to a SA knows that people from MT and ID and WY are just as qualified as those from northern VA, DFW, Los Angeles, etc. As an example both the current AND previous Superintendents are from North Dakota.
