<p>Heres an update regarding the ongoing nominations process. Our son received a letter last week from each of our U.S. Senators acknowledging his nomination application was complete. Each letter further described their respective nomination selection process. Hes heard nothing from our U.S. Congresswoman, and intends to follow-up with her office this week. I suspect her staff is fairly busy with her contentious reelection battle. </p>
<p>By way of background, our son received an Appointment last month to the USMA Class of 2013 predicated on a Presidential Nomination, but was advised by his local West Point Admissions Representative to continue with the Congressional nomination process.</p>
<p>Senator #1 asked each candidate call his office to schedule an interview. His Service Academy Board will conduct the half-hour interviews on 12 and 13 NOV. Telephonic interviews will be conducted for those unable to attend in person. The letter makes no mention regarding when his nomination selections will be announced.</p>
<p>Senator #2 does not conduct nomination interviews, and instead makes a selection based upon the nomination application file alone. The letter states the Senator will announce his nomination selections before the end of the year.</p>
<p>For those that might have missed it in an earlier post, we found the following link to be extremely educational in describing the nomination process:</p>
<p>OK3 - I'm surprised that your son has an Appointment to WP and is being advised by his WP Liaison to continue interviewing for nominations. Are the interviews for nominations to another academy??</p>
<p>After we recieved the Presidintial Nom and the LOA from WP, we asked the same question of our West Point Liaison and were told to withdraw our WP nom packages from our MOCs. Based on what's stated in the LOA, once he gets his essays submitted, his package will be complete and the Appointment will be offered. </p>
<p>He is continuing to submit his packages and pursue interviews for USNA - his #2 choice. </p>
<p>You may want to confirm with your WP Liaison - Could be awkward when the interviewer learns that he/she is interviewing an appointee.</p>
<p>You’re asking an excellent question which our son asked of his USMA Admissions Representative upon receiving his Appointment last month. He was specifically told to continue with the Congressional nomination process so as to obtain as many nominations as possible, despite having already obtained an Appointment.</p>
<p>The following is a quote from a USNA Blue & Gold officer’s post, and explains the logic behind continuing with the nomination process after receiving an Appointment predicated upon a Presidential nomination:</p>
<p>Quote: </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 flexibility. I would neither cancel my nomination request with the MOC nor notify them that I had a nomination until discussing it with academy 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>Unquote.</p>
<p>In so many words, it appears by proceeding with the Congressional nomination process he’s providing the USMA additional nomination flexibility, and perhaps helping a potential classmate get a nomination.</p>
<p>OK3 - I have a feeling that our direction down here (N VA) may be driven by demographics. There is a lot of military in the area - and so a lot of applicants qualify for Presidintial noms. In your area (sparse military) not many Presidential noms. </p>
<p>I checked with my WP Liason last evening and he still maintains that the Presidential and the LOA will get him an appt, and that we can cease applying / interviewing for other noms to WP.</p>
<p>Yes, a LOA and "any" nomination is enough for an appointment and a candidate "can" stop applying for any other nominations at that point. However, this doesn't mean that they should...
If a candidate has more than one nomination it gives admissions more flexibility in who they assign the cadetship to (which helps them fill the class with the best possible mix of candidates).<br>
In more competitive areas, some MOCs will withdraw candidates from their application list if they know that the candidate has what he/she needs for an appointment. Sen. Burr did that with our son when he found out that he had a LOA and a nomination from 2 other sources already.
The advice is always for candidates to apply to as many sources as they have available to them.</p>
<p>You’re probably correct regarding the demographics issue. And have no doubt about your son’s LOA and Presidential Nomination being sufficient for an Appointment once all the application icons are satisfactorily completed. Our son’s USMA Class of 2013 Appointment certificate being proudly displayed in our family room is testament to that!</p>
<p>I think this is simply a matter of our state and local USMA Admissions Representatives wanting to maintain maximum flexibility for their candidates. Our son has already submitted his three Congressional Nomination packages and is glad to help out if he can.</p>
<p>How’s your son doing on his WP application essays?</p>
<p>OK3 - We're getting them done, but he's also working on finishing up the MOC essays for his USNA noms. He's got a full plate w/o the essays, so I have to show a lot of restraint in not trying not to be too pushy.</p>
<p>Our goal is to get them completed & submitted by early Nov.</p>
<p>JD - We have the dates nailed. I was referring to his WP essays for the admissions dept which have a 2 Dec deadline. Roger the 31 Oct deadline for MOCs. We will get have MOC essays finalized this WE and the packages in the mail.</p>
<p>one more tip -- mail the MOC applications return receipt requested. One of ours did not get where it was going, but we knew that in plenty of time and were able to turn it around and get it in again.</p>