<p>For the newbies, here is why it’s so huge to have an LOA (although rare). The MOC will present a slate of candidates. Typically, they have a primary and 10 alternates. Primary (if qualified medically, physically, and academically) gets in. Next, if you have an LOA and you’re on the nom list, you are in (and IF qualified). Next, candidates are ranked by their score and the rest of the class if filled with them, as long as they have a nom and are qualified…so you see, if you are fortunate enough to get an LOA, you are in before the others in the pool. For those starting the process, EARLY is better!! Get your info in ASAP…if you are an athlete, contact the coach NOW!! Sometimes your sport may be your “in” for the LOA. My son began the process in Sept. and had his LOA in mid-Nov. By then, however, he had already visited USMA and was sold…</p>
<p>mom3boys…while your post is commonly the way it’s done…I discovered much to my surprise AFTER my daughter had her LOA AND her Appointment that the Congressman who had his Board interview the applicants to the Service Academies, Class of 2010 from his District…NEVER LOOKED AT THE LOA if there was one! This came about because I personally thanked 2 of those who sat on those reviews - in late May, one month before I-Day, at the Congressman’s party of congratulations for all his young charges headed to USNA, USAFA, etc. What they told me was that they never looked at those files! They preferred to make their own assessments on the spot during the interview - and AFTER they made their recommendations - if they were still interested, they checked the overall files! This was a huge surprise to me. What they said was that for the most part, since they had been doing this for the Congressman for many years - they had a pretty good feel for how to conduct the interviews to gather any biographical info they needed from the candidate - and the poise of the young person in the process was the factor they wanted to judge. “Every one of these young people is already motivated and outstanding”, I recall one saying. "By the time they get to the interview with us - we know they are all worthy of serious consideration.</p>
<p>So there you have it - there IS some variablility as to how different Congressional Offices handle LOA’s in a candidates file.</p>
<p>On the other side - some offices I know for a fact - don’t even bother to interview candidates with LOA’s - they simply automatically grant the nomination!</p>
<p>Welcome to real world human interactions!
:-)</p>
<p>Then there are the MOCs who intentionally do not give nominations to those with LOAs, knowing the SA will find a nomination for them elsewhere. Some of those are not offered appointments until May, even though they had their LOA in September.</p>
<p>An correlation between LOAs and nominations is normally purely speculative.</p>
<p>Maybe I was not clear; the LOA didn’t play into any interaction w/ the MOC’s, as the interviews were done prior to receiving the LOA. However, making it on the slate and having the LOA meant a “match” as far as the academy was concerned, and the appointments came soon after. </p>
<p>Funny side story about the MOC interview board. When we asked son who was on it, he knew one man was an officer because of his uniform, but a woman was just introduced by name…so son says “some woman, who represented being a member of the community.” Today we had the governor’s send off for all the academy appointees…this “woman” was there. She came up and spoke to him and gave him a hug. Today she was in uniform; she’s a general. He was right: she’s SOME woman!!</p>
<p>Her son received and LOA and a subsequent appointment to both Army and Navy. I fail to see where she presented herself as if her son was soon to be a midshipman. She was merely explaining her son’s experience with getting an LOA from Navy.</p>
<p>Thanks JAM4 for clarifying…she is correct. Son was very fortunate to have some amazing schools to choose between, and he ultimately chose Army. In the beginning, I so wanted him to choose Navy–I see Navy as “safer.” From a mom’s point of view, they just don’t shoot at ships the way they do ground forces. Many candidates on these pages will be faced with similar choices. My son decided he did not want to be at sea for long periods of time, and therefore (and for several other reasons) opted for USMA. He has never regretted his choice. I have come around as well, and am very excited for his opportunity. I do post here from time to time, as we recently jumped through all the USNA hoops, and feel some of the experience is helpful to share. I meant no offense when I said “GO Army,” and was even being polite (since this is the USNA board) and chose not to add “Beat Navy,” which I would have had I been on the USMA board. So, I apologize for any confusion I caused you, NativeTexan. Good luck to you at USNA. </p>