<p>theStones -</p>
<p>California is very competitive. We have a couple of west coast parents (shogun, westcoastmom) who could give you some insight.</p>
<p>It is likely that the congressional secretary mispoke. There would have been 3 appointments out of 75 interviews, not nom’s. Typically every congressman will nominate 10 candidates, so you actually have a 1 in 7 shot. Things that you can do to increase your chances - crank up the SAT’s in the early fall and practice your interview skills.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>