Update on an old question

RyWalk

Candidate-2015
5-Year Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2010
Messages
161
I've posted threads before to ask about how competitive I was looking competing with many others on only a Presidential Nomination. I'm glad to say my CFA scores have improved quite a bit. The deadline is looking very close though, so I need to turn that sucker in. I've been looking to take it around Feb 5th for a while (the deadline being Feb 15th) but my question is should I use what I have and take the test a week sooner than I've been planning? Around Jan 29th.

My new scores are:
75 pushups - Max
80 - 95 situps - Average to max (I'll work on making it less variable)
8.4 Shuttle Run - .4 better than average
7:30 mile - about a minute worse than average
5 - 6 pullups - below average
60 ft Basket Ball throw - 9 ft below average

I will of course continue working and trying to improve before the end of January. I'm not sure how much more I can improve though. When it comes down to it, is 2 Max, 1 above average, and 3 below average a decent score to have?
 
No one can really say, it all depends on how you are in your other categories as well as your CFA.

Are those scores the absolute best you can give?
 
Well I guess that in general averages to an average score?

Keep working and running through it. The adrenaline during the actual test will help you.
 
I don't think there are the same time pressures at USAFA to get your scores in early, as there are at USMA. That said, you might as well work on your scores to get them even better.

Check out my recent post on the USMA board concerning techniques that my DS used to improve his distance on the basketball throw. Not sure whether this will work for you, but you may as well look at it.

Good luck.
 
It is important to understand for the AFA due to ALT. the CFA is a factor.

You stated Pres., but not MOCs, did you not get an MOC nom? Your academics and Ecs seem competitive, so that begs the ? of MOC noms.
 
I applied for MOC nominations but did not recieve any. So right now I'm trying to look awesome enough to be selected from a big pool of candidates with Presidential Nominations.

I understand waiting more to continue trying to improve scores, but besides pull ups I'm not sure I can improve the other weak events significantly enough to improve score. I'll do my best though. I just don't feel right waiting for days before the deadline. If the overall score appears to still be weak though, I will wait until the day of the deadline if that's what it takes to improve.
 
Remember they have only 100 apptmts and traditionally 450+ apply, so you need to be very competitive and the CFA is something you have the ability to control.

I know of one C2C that was in your shoes (no MOCs, just Pres.), but he is there now.

Buy a pull up bar TODAY, and force yourself to do 5 pull ups every time you exit or enter your bedroom, in a few days make it 7. You'd be amazed how often you enter and exit your room everyday.

Work on that BBall technique you need to be in the 70 range.

If it means faxing it in on Feb 14th for a better score, than fax it in on the 14th.

Ask yourself, the what if...what if I waited to the 14th and got 72 BBall and 10 pull ups, instead I sent it in on the 29th got 65 BBall and 7 pullups; would I have been apptd if I waited 2 weeks? Did I miss the line by 1 WCS pt and that was all because of my CFA?
 
Cfa scores

RyWalk,

I discussed this same issue with an ALO at my son's school the other day during a College Fair. He said with the CFA it is often more important to get the results in a soon as possible, vice waiting to maximize every category.

The reason? There is the law of diminishing returns at work here. He told me that a significant improvement in CFA results will only result in a marginal improvement in the overall WCS score. As long as your scores are above the minimum, you are better served in getting in your complete application packet ASAP. You can work your tail off in getting more pull-ups, or a better mile time, etc., but the marginal improvement in your overall WCS may not be worth the effort.
 
I discussed this same issue with an ALO at my son's school the other day during a College Fair. He said with the CFA it is often more important to get the results in a soon as possible, vice waiting to maximize every category.

The reason? There is the law of diminishing returns at work here. He told me that a significant improvement in CFA results will only result in a marginal improvement in the overall WCS score. As long as your scores are above the minimum, you are better served in getting in your complete application packet ASAP. You can work your tail off in getting more pull-ups, or a better mile time, etc., but the marginal improvement in your overall WCS may not be worth the effort.

WOAH, STOP, TIME OUT!

This maybe true if you are in the avg or above avg standards, but this poster is not.

Currently on this site there is a candidate with a PRINCIPAL nom, and can't get her apptmt because the AFA is requesting a new CFA; she busted the CFA.

A 5/6 pull up when the max is 18 is way off from comparing it to a candidate with 11 pull ups.

I agree no big difference if you can do even 9 and now get 11, but 5/6 is a different story. Same with 60 ft BBall and the avg is 70, max is 100 and you do 75. That is not this posters case.

He is below avgs, and only has 1 nom. A nom that has a 20-25% chance of an apptmt., and not only that but he will be going against candidates that have MOCs noms plus Pres. That means they have 2 slates they compete against...don't win the MOC and have a Pres., than the question begs to be asked, how does the OP stack up against them if they have an MOC and he doesn't? The top 100 WCS wins...use VA as an example, many of these candidates have an MOC and a Presidential. Their parents work at the Pentagon and live in Fairfax. Fairfax school system is academically very competitive...Their school budget for the county is higher than the lowest 8 states. Their median SAT is 1300+ out of 1600. Yes, that is the median...in other words get 1250 and you are below the avg. For Presidential it is national, not geographically isolated to only one area like an MOC. They are competing not as a FL resident against other FL residents, but as a military dependent against every military dependent in the world...folks based in Korea, and that candidate is on the list, just like him in FL.

Presidential takes the highest 100 WCS. Every point counts.

OBTW, our DS was one of those candidates given the chance to re-do the CFA. It is rare, and to the AFA it is a make or break. The regional admissions in CO, stated point blank, don't rush it, get the scores up!

The way the AFA works is that until everyone on the slate is complete and awarded a WCS nobody can be charged the apptmt. They can get apptd, BUT apptd and charged are 2 different things.
 
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Bust your butt to get those scores. One thing you'll learn about this place is that you're never going to be able to "slide" by, and your application is not the time to start. Like PIMA said, buy a pull-up bar TODAY and MAKE yourself do those pull-ups. If you want a routine, shoot me a PM and I'll give you one an upperclassman gave to me for Special Tactics. But you're right--your time is coming short.

When you're done with your run, you better be sitting there practically dying--and by that, I mean there is no way you should think, "Maybe I could have given a little bit more on my shuttle run, push-ups, etc." You should be spent! I know that when I was doing my CFA, I was like, "I don't care if I pass out after the run--I'm giving it everything." I ran my fastest mile in my life. No regrets. "Pain is temporary, Pride is forever."

It's the work ethic you're going for, and I know some people here who did wait until the last week to submit their scores, because they knew they could do better. And if you're able to get a significant amount better on any of these things, then it's worth the wait. This is all in my opinion.
 
In re-reading my post I may have given an incorrect impression of what the ALO told me. Sometimes words in conversation can be mis-construed when transferred to writtten form.

My son's Candidate packet stated that he was "highly encouraged" (or words to that effect) to complete the packet within 45 days. Translation (my interpretation, at least): If my son takes considerably more time than 45 days to turn in the completed packet it will not looked highly upon.

In fact, he had the packet for less than three weeks when he received a card in the mail inquiring if he was still interested. If he was no longer interested in the USAFA, to please notify the Admissions office.

My Translation: The AFA places value on a timely return of the candidate packet. My son was almost finished with everything so that card was not a source of panic.

It is against this experience that I inquired with the ALO on the relative costs vs benefit of delaying the return of the completed packet IOT to maximize as much as possible CFA scores.

The ALO stated (his words) once the CFA minimums are met, spending extra time to obtain an extra 2 or 3 pull-ups (for instance) may end being more costly in terms of the candidates competitiveness, vis-a-vis, the other candidates who were prompt with the application packet return.

He used as an example pull-ups. If it takes a couple of weeks to increase the pull-ups score by, say, five, then the WCS will not have increased enough to justify the few weeks delay in returning the packet.

I am assuming RyWalk has received a candidate packet that has the 45 day request. That may be an incorrect assumption.
 
I am assuming RyWalk has received a candidate packet that has the 45 day request.

I haven't seen anything about a 45 day encouragement.

I understand the importance of completing applications soon so that it may not look procrastinated, but I'm sure admissions could see that I submitted everything besides the CFA and the extracurriculars form a few months ago. A deadline's a deadline, so as long as I'm turned in before that I can't see how time could outweigh weak scores.

I agree with Pima, if all my scores were well above-average then people would be telling me "what are you waiting for?!" but in this case I have 3 weeks to push hard to improve. I think I can improve significantly as well so that the scores outweigh the 3 weeks of not being reviewed by the board.

My mom is doing business for a personal fitness trainer too, so she's going to see if they'd work with me for the next couple weeks.

When you're done with your run, you better be sitting there practically dying

Yes, sir or ma'am! As long as I don't pass out during the run, I wouldn't mind the pain
 
I haven't seen anything about a 45 day encouragement.

If you submitted a Precandidate Questionnaire, or Summer Seminar application, USAFA used either or to open your Candidate file. I got a letter from USAFA dated July 9th, stating that the Summer Seminar App. data was transferred over to a candidate kit (the online USAFA app), and stated "You should complete all forms within 45 days". The letter also mentioned that I was a tentative candidate, that if I received a nomination, I have a high chance of receiving an appointment.

Granted, if you did not submit a precandidate questionnaire or a Summer Seminar App in the spring, that letter might not have come during the summer. But if USAFA thinks you’re competitive, I am assuming a letter would have been delivered around the same info.
 
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