<p>Skybirdsmom,</p>
<p>Take heart, the chances of a candidate on the NWL receiving an offer of appointment are better than 50/50. Historically, about 65-70% of fully qualified candidates receive an offer of appointment. </p>
<p>If you read the link, you know that the NWL is reserved for fully qualified candidates that are not the top candidates in their MOC’s districts. The candidates are ranked on the NWL by their Whole Candidate Scores (an objective measuring tool used by USMA and other academies to quantify the candidate’s academic, physical and leadership qualifications).</p>
<p>A certain number of candidates will be offered appointments based on their rank on the NWL ( I believe that is 150). However, lower ranked candidates can get offers if the candidate in their MOC declines their offer of appointment. For example, if a candidate from a given MOC district with an offer in hand declines his/her offer, the next highest ranked candidate in that MOC district will receive an offer, even though that candidate is not the highest ranked candidate on the NWL. While that may not seem fair, the USMA appointment system is structured to ensure a geographic allocation of appointments.</p>