<p>Hey guys, I just found this forum because I'm trying to figure out what this letter I'm looking at means. I've looked at some other posts and it seems like everyone here is pretty similar to me in desire to attend USMA so I'm happy that there's a community out there like this. I'm the only one from my grade applying to USMA and almost no one from my school has ever applied, so I hope you understand that it's a little bit of a shock to find a group of likeminded people. Anyway, here's my problem.</p>
<p>I got this letter in the mail yesterday saying that I was recommended for an appointment to USMA and assured a spot as long as I get in my essays and physics teacher's evaluation (both of these have already been sent, and I'm just waiting for them to receive them). This letter also mentions nominations. I was under the impression that my chances at getting a nomination were slim because I'm from a competive state (NJ) and my congressman and each Senator can only select one person to go (so I think that's about 15 total people from NJ). A LTC came to my house last night and tried to explain this to me, but I'm still really confused and I would appreciate feedback from anyone with knowledge of this crazy admissions process. Have I been accepted to USMA or no? What are my chances for getting this nomination? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.</p>
<p>A LOA is like an early acceptance letter to another school. If you complete all portions of the application package and they are acceptable (MALO interview, CFA, etc.), pass the DODMERB physical, and get a nomination you will get the Offer of Admission. Typically, a nomination is a given for someone with an LOA, perhaps a better way to put it is that is yours to loose. There are many other prior posts in this forum that will likely most of your questions. Also, the Candidate Guidebook to West Point is a good reference on the admissions process, as is the MALO assigned to your high school. Good luck.</p>
<p>First off, congratulations on your LOA. As GEB indicates, it is similar to an early acceptance letter. The appointment to USMA is contingent on your fullfiling several outstanding requirements, including obtaining a nomination.</p>
<p>Nominations, although limited, are more plentiful than you indicate. Roughly speaking, each member of congress can nominate 10 persons per year. If you have an LOA you only need to be nominated. You do not need to be the Member of Congress's top nominee (if the MOC ranks the candidates). You have 3 sources of nomination in your state, your 2 senators and your representative. Also, there are additional nominations available from the president, vice-president and superintendent of USMA.</p>
<p>My recommendation is that you quickly find out the deadlines for requesting a nomination from your MOC's. In our state, the deadline for one senator is 10/15 and the other 11/15. If they have passed, contact the MOC's office, tell them you have an LOA and ask them how to proceed. They may be able to help you. If not, contact the USMA admissions office and explain your situation.</p>
<p>Get the application(s) for nomination to each of your respective MOC ASAP. Without a nomination you are done. In fact, you should have applied weeks ago if you are serious about your pursuit of an appointment.</p>
<p>YOur LOA is a great thing. If you follow up on everything required, you should be in line for an appointment, provided you do not do anything stupid between now and July.
Get going!
Good Luck
CM</p>
<p>Each MOC has a web site which may give you the name of a staff member who handles the nomination process. Please listen to everyone here and hurry up as you may have missed a deadline or even two. Oct 31 is also a possible deadline. You will have to get teacher recommendations immediately in order to get them in on time. However, if you explain your situation to the staff member - especially the fact that you have an loa - they may give you an extension. Then I'd overnight a package or hand deliver to their closest office.</p>
<p>Good luck and do not waste any time at all. By the way congrats on the LOA - it's a very special honor to receive one.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the help. I already got in my nomination material on time to all 3 sources, but just to double check I'm going to call all of them tomorrow. My main concern was over how many nominations were available. Thank you for clarifying that there are 10 nominations per slot. This LTC who came to my house for an interview was trying to explain that to me, but something got lost in translation. I think I might have been a little confused because before I got this LOA, everyone was telling me that I had to get "the" nomination (as if there were only one) from one of my 3 available sources. I believe that this LTC said that at most only 8 people from my district would get an LOA, and aspen said that there are 10 slots available, so I should be alright. </p>
<p>If there are more than 10 LOA's given out in my district (the LTC could very well be wrong), what are my chances for still getting a nomination. My SAT's are 730 V, 750 M, 800 W; I'm top 20% in my class; I'm a 2 sport athlete (not recruited); and I have decent extracurriculars (boardmember for a cancer research foundation, VP for my school's model congress, and I did an extracurricular biology research project with a prof. of biochemistry from Rutgers). How does this rank me versus other USMA applicants in case there are more than 10 LOA's in my district?</p>
<p>Each MOC can nominate up to 10 candidates. Your District Representative can nominate up to 10 candidates for each academy, and in some years can nominate a second slate of 10. (A MOC can have 5 constituents in attendance at a time.) Your two senators each nominate a slate of 10, and in some years a second slate of 10.</p>
<p>The LOA winners do not count against the quota of one nominee per slate. In theory, if your Representative could nominate two slates, and all 20 had LOA, then all 20 would receive appointments.</p>
<p>Do not worry about your "chances". You have an LOA in hand. That is an assurance of an appointment provided you do not do anything stupid between now and June. Yes, you need a nomination, but be yourself, and express your committment to serve in the military to the nomination committee, and you should be fine.
Good Luck.
CM</p>
<p>mvmn206: Given that there are probably less that 300 candidates receiving LOA's, I would be really surprised that 8 of them end up in your district.</p>
<p>Regardless, as candidatemon points out, LOA candidate nominations don't count against a MOC's allotted 5 slots per academy.</p>
<p>I'd echo others' "don't worry", but I don't think it'd help. Sounds like you will worry until you see the official appointment in writing. That's to be expected when awaiting something as special as an academy appointment.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think you got it, aspen. I am going to be worried up until I sign an official document, and maybe up until I actually report on R-day without any medical emergencies (I really don't want to be that guy who shows up with the broken arm). I've been waiting for this for years and now that it's finally happening, it just seems to be going really fast. Well, you all have been a really great help in explaining this to me and calming me down. I'm really happy I found a group of people who seem to be as committed as I am, and I look forward to seeing a lot of you on R-day.</p>