<p>Suffice it to say, yesterday was a BIG day here at our household. Our son left the house early for an all-day away Cross Country meet. I spent the day doing outside chores and checked the mail early in the afternoon as I usually do on Saturdays. I noticed what appeared to be a large, thick Priority Mail envelope addressed to our son attached by rubber bands to the outside of our mailbox.</p>
<p>The package didnt have a return address so I assumed it was probably some sort of college application package for one of the many Army and Navy ROTC schools he was applying to as a back-up plan for West Point. It seems like hes on about every darned college mailing list in the country, so he receives a lot of college brochures and packages. I left the stack of mail on our kitchen table and returned to my chores.</p>
<p>I didnt see our son drive up later in the afternoon when he returned from his meet. I looked over my shoulder while working and noticed him in his running gear in a half-run coming down the hill with a large, formal-looking, dark blue folder in his hand. He said, I got it! I asked, Got what? He said, This! and opened the folder. Inside was a very colorful Appointment certificate to the United States Military Academy Class of 2013. I remember thinking to myself, Wow. This soon? I congratulated him on a job well done and said, Dont let them down! as hes still got his senior year before him.</p>
<p>The folder also contained a very nice congratulatory letter from General Hagenbeck and a pre-addressed Appointment Acceptance post card to return to the USMA Director of Admissions. By the time I made it back in to the house our son had already signed the acceptance post card and was typing a letter on the computer thanking his admissions officer. Then the phone calls began!</p>
<p>Thanks again to everybody on this forum for all the great information youve provided. I hope each of your kids gets the same special package in the mail soon!</p>
<p>WOW!!! That is so wonderful, amazing, and ....early!! May I be among the first to offer congratulations and this sage parental advice: wrap him in bubble wrap!! (I did give my son an extra large package of bubble wrap for Christmas last year!). Woo hoo for y'all and all the hard work!!!</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son! It's great - and rare - to receive the appointment so early in the process. You've managed to avoid one of the roller coasters - admissions - and are now in for the really fun ride.</p>
<p>Stick with us as you go through this. We'll be interested in hearing how he's doing.</p>
<p>OK3-
There will be a ton of information coming your way. There will be other online groups to join. When you are contacted about joining the list-serve prospectnet, you should do so. After the summer, you will then switch to plebenet. These groups offer valuable information for the ride ahead.</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son! I am not surprised he received his appointment - he completed all requirements for his LOA and had received a Presidential Nomination.
Now he can enjoy the rest of his senior year - wrapped in bubble wrap, of course! ;)</p>
<p>Again, thanks very much to all of you folks. I've got a feeling this is going to be an interesting and exciting experience for everybody involved!</p>
<p>We are a military family and our son did receive a Presidential Nomination which seems to have accelerated the process. The more I think about that bubble wrap joke, the more nervous I get. He skis very fast and wears a helmet, but I'm considering getting him some shorter skis and loosening the bindings. Boy, he'd never forgive me for that...</p>
<p>Congratulations to your son! My first one got his appointment in October of his senior year, and I remember the excitement (and the envy of his friends going through the college admissions process!). As a military family you will have the added bonus of running into old friends at West Point. We have reconnected with more people after our son's got there than I can count. As one point our exasperated oldest said "Is there anyone you don't know?". The guys have also enjoyed finding friends from long ago duty stations that they hadn't seen in years. I've enjoyed hearing lines like "Hey, you gave me chicken pox didn't you?" It is an added perk we hadn't considered that just makes it all the more enjoyable. Again, congrats!</p>
<p>USMA begins reviews files as soon as they are received. They do "recruit" scholars - as some would recruit athletes. Those that have excellent academic qualifications along with leadership and athletics do start receiving LOA's as early as July based on 6th semester transcripts.</p>
<p>After one receives an LOA they need to complete the application package, become including the CFA (which some do during Summer Seminar), become medically qualified and receive a nomination.</p>
<p>OK3-Wire's son received and LOA is medically qualified and received a Presidential nomination. Thus the appointment was awarded.</p>
<p>Rolling Admissions - in the true sense - doesn't really exist. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis - but most candidates will wait for a nomination from their Congressman in early winter, and then the National Waiting list in late winter/early spring.</p>
<p>I can relate to gmankiws confusion regarding the Nominations process. Its a tough concept to get your arms around and quite unlike ROTC or any civilian college application process. Wanting to get educated on the subject ourselves, we discovered the link below last winter when our son submitted his applications for the 2008 Summer Leaders Seminar (SLS) and Army ROTC. He applied for and received his Presidential Nomination for West Point soon thereafter. </p>
<p>In addition to his Presidential Nomination, our son applied for a Vice Presidential and three Congressional Nominations. Im uncertain as to what will happen to those Nomination applications now that hes received a formal Appointment predicated upon his Presidential Nomination. Perhaps one of the more experienced posters can offer some thoughts in that regard.</p>
<p>Not sure how Presidential noms work once they are given, but having a nom from one source doesn't "shut off" the other sources. A number of candidates have/will receive noms from multiple congressional sources, even from "highly competitive" districts and states.</p>
<p>A candidate only needs ONE nomination for an Appointment. Some may get mulitple nominations - what this does is allow admissions to "find a slot" for a candidate to receive an appointment.</p>
<p>OK3-wire - your son need not look further for a nomination. He is done. This is lucky for your Congressman - now another deserving candidate from his district may receive an appointment. If fact, it would be entirely appropriate for him to contact his congressman and senators an inform them of his appointment.</p>
<p>The Academy may make only 100 appointments to those with Presidential nominations. Anyone with a Presidential nomination who does NOT have an LOA should definitly continue to seek a nomination from 3 members of congress and the Vice President and any other source to which they are legally entitled.</p>
<p>The academy can move nominations around at a later date up until the class convenes and they notify the MOCs who they actually nominated. As JAM04 states, this allows the academy flexability. I would neither cancel my nomination request with the MOC nor notify them that I had a nomination until discussing it with acadamy Admissions.</p>
<p>A wild example might be that the Presidential candidate is the only qualified nomination in the entire district. He could then accept the MOC nomination which would free up one of the 100 max Presidentials for another highly qualified candidate. Let the Academy make the call. I have seen it go both ways and have no idea what the deciding factor is.</p>
<p>A Big Congrats on your son's appointment!!!</p>
<p>I believe that you will need to contact Prospective</a> Net directly. They will not contact you. This is an excellent forum to get accurate information. I strongly suggest you join immediately.</p>
<p>thanks for clarifying that...I could not remember the process...I think I relied on someone here to tell me what to do last year! ...it might have been you!</p>
<p>I started, this before reading all the posts, but since I started I will post for others.....Other's experience may be different, but in Texas they specifically cross coordinate nominations. Sen. Hutchison office called our son during his first round (he went to civil prep) and asked if he had an appointment. HE did (from local congressman) and they gave nomination the senators nomination to someone else. </p>
<p>While it seems to be nice bragging rights to have multiple nominations, come R-Day +1 hour it matters not at all.... but I would also contact West Point or your local MALO on any action</p>