<p>cam6: I believe the number of qualified, nominated candidates is around 1800 and of that, 1500 are selected. I have faith that they are selecting the candidates based on merit, no luck involved.</p>
<p>Luck? The names are not drawn from a hat. They are carefully selected based on a score that is weighted by talent and prospect in many areas that have historically proven to produce some of the finest military officers in the world.</p>
<p>Of course there are favors and other intangible powers that influence some percentage of the selections as in all human based selective processes.</p>
<p>Luck? Maybe in that those selected are lucky there wasnt someone more qualified to take their place. But really, in the end .Luck is not a factor in the selection process itself.</p>
<p>I sure hope they don't draw names from a hat!
With so many qualified kids, at some point, I would venture to say, luck comes into the picture...how many openings your MOC has, the competitiveness of your location, etc.
If my son gets his appointment, I say there was no luck involved. If he is overlooked for an appointment, I will have to say it was bad luck!?! How's that sound!!</p>
<p>well, once again it is all a matter of perspective.
Do you honestly think I am talking about drawing names out of a hat??? </p>
<p>Considering 3400+ candidates get nominated, 1800+ of those get triple q'd (certainly a pool of candidates selected on merit), and only 1450 or so of those actually get appointment letters, I would rather be one of the lucky 1450 ones than one of the 350 just-as-carefully-selected and just-as-deserving ones that dont make the cut. Some call it "faith," others suggest "favors." Our son called it "luck." Heck, call it "good fortune" for all I care. </p>
<p>Call it what you will. I call it humility-
I can see why that doesn't register however.</p>
<p>Again, just ask anyone who didn't make the final cut if they think you, or your son, are "lucky." You might be surprised.</p>
<p>As for me, I am a very proud, fortunate, humble, and very, very lucky mother.</p>
<p>To kinda change directions here, I wanted to give the kids some food for thought as to the multiple nominations and the little bit of guilt they might have thinking they are taking a spot from someone else. In my son's case, he was given three to USMMA & two to USNA. He freaked thinking he might have taken someone's nomination that they could have used. He asked one of the Senators about it and he was told that in our state, he was one of the few who applied to his selected choices of academies who meet the qualifications. I took this to mean something like if you have ten kids applying to USNA and only two are qualified, the nominating sources pick you & the other guy/gal hence you end up with the multiple nominations. There weren't enough qualified kids to meet what they could offer up for in our state. I could be so very wrong and it would vary from state to state depending on how the competition runs. Somebody pipe in if my reasoning is nuts. Its just a personal observation from our state. And, I don't want the kids to feel badly about having more nominations than someone else. I think Navy2010's son felt lucky indeed to have been chosen & he said that really great thing. Its just a manner of speech not a fact of luck. Then on the other hand, I'd sprinkled my kid with pixie dust and it worked for him! LOL Want some?</p>
<p>Hi, Navy2010, we posted at almost the same time! I think you're one lucky mom to have a Torpedo. A few more months and you'll be even luckier!</p>
<p>Sure, Jamz, start spreading the pixie dust!!!</p>
<p><em>pixie dust</em>~ would give my right arm for a little of that right now! </p>
<p>And no, you are not nuts- we were told there are states that actually "give away" their nomination slots to kids from other areas- especially USNA and USMMA- traditionally the number of candidates from the mid-west are much lower than those from other coasts for these academies in particular, as they are not as well known as West Point. For example, while Kings Point sits right in our backyard, I can guarentee there are thousands of Long Islanders that have no idea it is even here, let alone its purpose, other than the small green sign for "USMMA Kings Point" at exit 33 on the Long Island Expressway! </p>
<p>JM- thank you. It takes another mother to appreciate the range of emotions these kids go through, let alone the parents. You remain a beacon of rationality among the pompous posts that find their way here. I can excuse the kids for their youth. But one would think life's experiences would have humbled others, if just a tad; sad when it just gets hardened instead. </p>
<p>With everything I see around me everyday, I feel incredibly lucky~ and blessed ~ to wake up each morning with my health, and my family.</p>
<p>Our son does consider himself to be "one of the lucky few," but not half as lucky as I feel having him for a son. But then you know that, 'cause you have Jamz. Think I'll get a teeshirt saying "Lucky and Proud"...or is it "Proud and Lucky"....or "Deserving and Lucky, and Proud of it!" </p>
<p>I think your pixie dust is working- I feel much better now! ;)</p>
<p>JM- LOL- this is too funny- I think we are wizzing past each other in cyber space! And you are absolutely right- I will feel even luckier in a few more months- and I will take all the luck I can get to have the torpedo come through lax season unscathed - and finish calculus with a B or better!!! Keep that pixie dust heading north! Us Irish like our pixie dust!!</p>
<p>Sprinkle</p>
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<p>Ok. You're good to go.</p>
<p>Ditto Navy 2010, Jamzmom,
I have a son whose appt. is on its way. He feels blessed, lucky, confused, proud, scared and hopefully humbled. An injury almost kept him from this appointment. How many more months do they have to stay unbroken?? You should start selling that pixie dust!</p>
<p>Oops! How much do I owe you. I didn't realize it was coming so soon...</p>
<p>beam6- congratulations and welcome to the luckest roller coaster ride of your life! </p>
<p>As to your question, they have to stay unbroken at least 'till they report "physically fit" on I-day, and hopefully a long, long, long time after that. That will be the easier of the 2 from what I hear- Zaphod will no doubt tell us that it is the mental side that will really put them to the test.</p>
<p>thanks...and we are already feeling sea-sick!? I can only imagine what is to come...</p>
<p>Welcome aboard beam6 parent! Are you the mom or dad? And where do you hail from? </p>
<p>As a parent of a daughter with her Appointment in hand - we say: See you on Parent's weekend in August! and</p>
<p>Congratulations to your child!!! </p>
<p>GO NAVY!!!!!! CLASS OF 2010!!!!</p>
<p>The more nominations you have the better your chances. Remember, the Academy will select the best candidate from the slate (up to 10) that the source sends them (congressional/senatorial/Vice Pres) unless they select a Principal nominee(then that candidate is in automatically when they triple Q) or unless the source ranks the candidates. The Academy then has to go down the list in order (of qualified triple Q) candidates. That is why in some districts it takes longer to get an appointment than others.</p>
<p>In competitive districts, "luck" might be a factor in that another very highly qualified candidate does not live in your area or they have another way to get in (Presidential-Medal of Honor-NJROTC etc). The Academy looks at those who are "left over and triple Q'd" and might be able to get them in through another source. If someone in your area and in front of you gets selected and they have a Presidential nom (They offer about 450-500 noms and can accept up to 100; typically its about 75 that they take under the Presidential slots) and they get appointed, then the Congressman's Midshipman would then be you. If there are two Great candidates from the same area they may offer one the VP bid. </p>
<p>The bottom line is that once you are triple Q'd and have a nomination, you're in a pool of 2,000 candidates for about 1,450-1,500 offers of appointment. Those are much better odds than where you were when you were in the initial pool of 12,000 plus. It's my belief that if you're highly qualified and the Academy really wants you they will find you a spot but I'm sure that it is extremely tough to fill the spots in from the Admissions Board perspective because many of the candidates will be similar on paper. As some appointees (with multiple academies and civilian scholarship offers come in) turn down their offers...others will get their spot. IF there is any luck to the process, it is where you live and who lives in your district or state...but never, never give up.</p>
<p>I had several classmates that had 1-2 years of college behind them and then went to Annapolis. Perseverence is a great trait and one that the Admissions Board looks at. If you look at the numbers only 2/3 of the incoming class comes directly out of high school. </p>
<p>Best of "Luck" to everyone.</p>
<p>taking a page from Bill's book:</p>
<p>Luck: "1. chance 2. favorable chance"
Lucky: "having or marked by good luck"</p>
<p>I'd say it was a good fit no matter where you live.</p>
<p>Luck : "A chance happening of events..." (Key word: Chance)</p>
<p>I don't believe that anyone who attends any of the Academies got there "by chance or luck". To say that they did, minimizes their determination, effort, committment, and guts. It certainly will not be "luck" that will carry them through that first year...</p>
<p>Are they blessed? Maybe -- that depends on one's perspective. But I don't think "luck" is the proper word to use when describing a young person who is selected to become a Naval Officer. Yes, the odds are against getting an Appointment. But it took things other than pure chance to put them there.</p>
<p>I was not criticizing anyone's child -- I was merely reinforcing the FACT that these kids are the very BEST our country has to offer...and if it is your child, or mine, I am extremely proud of them. </p>
<p>We parents are the "lucky" ones to have been given them as our children.</p>
<p>Ditto MamaSparrow!
Can't see where luck had much to do with it (except for us as parents).<br>
Well said. Thanks.</p>
<p>MS: pure chance??? Did that actually ever get said??? </p>
<p>Lets face it- to make it this far, you will get no arguement from me that they all have "determination, effort, committment, and guts," or the "fact" that "these kids are the very BEST our country has to offer"....actually, I couldn't agree with you more. </p>
<p>The comment that WAS made by our son was that he felt he was "one of the lucky few of the deserving many."</p>
<p>So here is my take on that: </p>
<p>Many are deserving.
Many deserving candidates, too few seats.<br>
Many of the deserving will get appointments.
Many of the deserving will get turned away.</p>
<p>"Key word: Chance" you say.</p>
<p>Well then, there is a chance that some of the deserving will get an appointment and a chance that some of the deserving may not.
No doubt there will be some factor that will tip the scale one way or another. Fill in the factor with whatever word you like. </p>
<p>So some words to pick from? .....Blessed? Lucky? Fortunate? Some even say "political favor?" Take a chance and pick one- oh, you did. </p>
<p>Our son picked "lucky." His feelings, his words. I guess he was feeling "lucky" at the time and "blessed" didn't come immediately to mind- in retrospect, I doubt he thought that anyone would take it so literal as to not hear the humility in what he felt at being "one of the lucky few of the deserving many." God only knows a good leader needs some of that too. But hey, he's only 18, so I guess he has a long way to go before the parents see fit to stop tearing his words apart piece by piece. </p>
<p>Yes, the odds are against getting an appointment- so when it comes, celebrate it.... "one of the blessed few of the deserving many....." hey, whatever floats your boat!</p>