Athletes entrance

This is from a parent who's son's lifelong dream has been to attend the Air Force Academy. My son is a slightly above average student who has to work hard to stay there but I have no doubt in the setting of the Academy he could make it. I doubt very seriously he could get in on his academics alone but he is a D-1 recruited athlete. How much can this help him get in. Can it also help with the representatives.
Thanks,
Jerry

Being a D1 recruited athlete definitely has some advantages. However, there are still minimum requirements. I.e...

1. Minimum ACT I believe is 26. (Check the website)
2. I don't know the minimum gpa off the top of my head, but a 2.5 won't do it.

You still need to apply for nominations. If you can't get one, and he's a "Star" recruit, there are some nominations available via the athletic director. But those are limited.

Basically, you want to apply yourself the same as everyone else. You want to get the best in all areas you can. Will being a recruited athlete help? Yes. Dramatically? That depends. Here's a "Scenario". The average NCAA D1 college recruiting football players on scholarship, recruit approximately 18-20 players per year. The air force academy recruits between 50-60. However; the majority of those 50-60 got in on their own. They were in the average 3.85+ gpa; had the 30ACT; high class ranking; etc... Only a handful of the 50-60 would be the "Star" athletes. It is impressive and a nice feeling to be a "Recruited Athlete". However, because the academy doesn't give athletic scholarships, they can bring in as many athletes as they want. But only a handful are going to get in with their athletic recruitment being a factor. The vast majority get in the exact same as everyone else.

So; I guess the question is: Besides the air force academy "Recruiting" him; are other colleges recruiting him as an athlete? If there are numerous colleges/universities trying to recruit him as an athlete, then he's probably a major standout. In which case, they will work hard to get him. Assuming he meets at least the minimum requirements. If he isn't being recruited by numerous other schools, then I would suggest assuming that you have the same chances as any other applicant. Remember, there are 4.0gpa students who do NOT get accepted to the academy. Always have backup schools; never assume anything is a given. Best of luck.... Mike......

He is only a sophomore and is getting letters and coach is getting calls about him. He is a wrestler and has a very long list of accomplishments. With wrestling being a non revenue sport I wonder how much pull they have. Also I have searched the Academy site and can not find the minimum academic requirements. Does anyone know what they are or can guide me to the right place.
Thanks

the web site is horrible to navigate. here is a cut and paste from the admissions area, prospective cadets, academic preparation:

Students who score below 580 verbal and 560 math on the SAT Reasoning and below 24 English/reading and 25 math/science reasoning on the ACT normally will not be competitive for an appointment.

CC,
Do you mean that a 2.5 will not be permitted to attend or it's so low, that a student with that GPA would not be deemed competitive? The end result being the same, but considering the OP question, a significant distinction.

jarhead,
interesting concept that you think in the academy setting he could make it academically. Read this forum, it seems to me, that in addition to the very difficult acadmics, the extra stuff cadets must do make the academic portion even more of a challenge. There seems to not be enough hours in a day and being weaker in academic areas would make it that much more difficult.

You may find out information about the AFA Prep School as a way to get in if he needs to work on his academics. If you read the fine print on the incoming stats of the class of 2013, it says that the incoming cadets that were prep school graduates are not included in the class statistics for SAT and ACT scores.

But the prep school is a great avenue for kids who need a leg up, especially in academics. Some people call it "the golden ticket."

My sons were heavily recruited by some schools in a non-revenue sport (I'll let you figure out which one). They had the academic stats to go with the athletics. One thing that concerns me is your comment:

My son is a slightly above average student who has to work hard to stay there but I have no doubt in the setting of the Academy he could make it It is my experience that "slightly above average" students have an extremely difficult time academically when they try to combine a D1 sport, plus all the other extras at the academy. Sometimes it is really really tough for excellent students without the burden of D1 athletics, travel, injury, etc. Just make sure it is what Son wants! At all Service Academies, being a recruited athlete is not the same as being recruited at Flagship U, or even local State U.

I can guarantee you this much it is what my son wants. It would or will be extremely difficult to send him three quarters of the way across the country. His coach got a letter from a very good school last week and when he gave it to us my son was glad to get it but stated he wanted to go to the Air Force Academy. But I will be honest and say I hope it works out because it would make me extremely proud for my son to graduate a flyboy(this from a old Marine). I feel after all these years of his insistence that this is what he wants it is my duty to do whatever I can to help. And it is what he wants he did the CFA on his own yesterday.

Jarhead said:

I can guarantee you this much it is what my son wants. It would or will be extremely difficult to send him three quarters of the way across the country. His coach got a letter from a very good school last week and when he gave it to us my son was glad to get it but stated he wanted to go to the Air Force Academy. But I will be honest and say I hope it works out because it would make me extremely proud for my son to graduate a flyboy(this from a old Marine). I feel after all these years of his insistence that this is what he wants it is my duty to do whatever I can to help. And it is what he wants he did the CFA on his own yesterday.

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Jarhead, Semper Fi, I understand your frustration. I have been led to believe that my son would not be competitive because of his ACT scores. Someone on the Naval Academy forum even disparaged him for that. I think that the AF Academy does not look at the whole person as much as Navy and Army. They are more interested in numbers. It works for them. I was told he was not competitive in relations to the other candidates at Air Force. I wanted him to go to the AF Academy because he wants to fly, but he got accepted to the Naval Academy. I suggest you get him interested in Navy, they definitely will look at him as the whole person. If you want PM me, and I will discuss further.

Based on the recuiting we have seen 600 math 560 verb and 24 act is acceptable if you son is a very good athlete. We have had coaches of top 10schools in our non revenue sport recruiting our son but like your child ours wants to go to AF or Navy. He got his LOA from Navy waiting to see if AF can do the same

Thanks for the replies my son takes his PSAT Wednesday but based on his guidance counselor's reviewing of his past records she thinks he will score about 500-500. I ask her is it possible he could pick those up by a hundred points apiece she thought it was possible by his senior year. I guess my question would be have any of you had any experience with trying to bump scores this much and what is the best route. I plan on having him take a course at our local college and he has a book with 10 test in it and is trying to do about 20 to 30 questions a night.
Devil Dog, ooh rah brother I will definitely have him take a look at the Naval Academy but he has some long blinders on right now.
Fencermom your son is not from Charlotte, NC is he.

Jarhead said:

Thanks for the replies my son takes his PSAT Wednesday but based on his guidance counselor's reviewing of his past records she thinks he will score about 500-500. I ask her is it possible he could pick those up by a hundred points apiece she thought it was possible by his senior year. I guess my question would be have any of you had any experience with trying to bump scores this much and what is the best route. I plan on having him take a course at our local college and he has a book with 10 test in it and is trying to do about 20 to 30 questions a night.
Semper Fi, ooh rah brother I will definitely have him take a look at the Naval Academy but he has some long blinders on right now.
Fencermom your son is not from Charlotte, NC is he.

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I have seen test scores go up on the SAT over the level that you mention. Test prep is wise, as are tons of practice tests. Doing some questions each night is great. Also, I recommend that he also take a few sample timed full tests.

I agree with 2011's mom that the best way to improve on any of the practice tests is just to practice as many of them as you can. Get one practice guide (we like Princeton) and read all the tips and use it for reference, but then just keep taking them. Not sure what level he's at in math right now, but there's nothing on the exams past Trig - and that's only a small percentage of the questions. So it's more learning what they're looking for and the kinds of problems that are on there than getting into Precalculus or anything.

Just as a positive (we don't really do SAT here), but my son took the ACT 3 times and improved from a 27 to a 35 by pretty much just using practice books and online tests between them.

I would agree with what has been posted here. Do not let your son be discouraged. My son went to an SAT prep class and his scores on the math increased almost 80 points! To be honest I believe he could have even done better if he had practiced more.

I would also have to say that in my experience AFA does look at the whole person. My son was not accepted to USNA, but received a Falcon foundation scholarship to AFA. So, I guess you just never know!

Jarhead: BITE YOUR TONGUE!

Now, while I am sure that there are plenty of nice (read: STEELER FANS) in North Carolina, my sons are from the heart of the Steeler Nation.

There are so many factors that can weigh on a decision by any Service Academy. It is just good, and prudent, to have the best scores possible going in. And, the work,work,work ethic will serve them well at the Academy, and in life.

Fencersmom,
The reason I asked is I saw a fencer was athlete of the week or month and he was from Charlotte which is where we are from.
Jackson,
What is a Falcon Foundation Scholarship

The Falcon foundation scholarship is similar to the official AFA prep school. The Falcon scholars are awarded scholarships that cover a good chunk of their costs to a select number of prep schools. I believe the current schools are (MMI, NWPrep, NMMI, VFMC, Wentworth). While at the prep school they go through the application process a second time. The main advantage is they know the process and their selection letter states that almost all who go through the process successfully earn their appointment the following year.

It is not a guarantee, but it has been said the slot is theirs to lose. There are approximately 100 Falcon scholars each year. You can find even more information at their website www.falconfoundation.org

My son was recrutied as a "star" athlete. His grades were great, as was the rest of his application - except his ACT scores. He is truly one of those kids that does not test well - no excuses, just a fact. He scored higher in some areas than others, and he took the test three times - getting a cumlative score within 2 points on all three times. Lucky for him AF looks at each score from each test rather than just the total, so he was able to use his highest scores. In the end, his scores were on the low end of what was listed as "competitive" but based on his total application, and the fact he was a recrutied athlete, he was accepted, and is now doing great. However, please remember to be honest in your assessment of your son's ability to keep up academically. Our experience has been that for a kid that did well (over 4.0) without having to work much in HS (and yes, taking AP and advanced classes) he is now having to work his butt off to maintain a 3.0 at the Academy. It is hard! Add to that competing in a D-1 sport, and all the time that takes, and well, you get the idea. Best of luck to you both.

I think another factor which weighs in for many kids is one seldom mentioned. Our kids are all college aged kids, who know their friends at State U. are sleeping off their Saturday nights while they are sitting CQ from 6-9 a.m. For some, it can bring on resentment, discontent; others (thank goodness, mine! ) take it in stride.

Another thing is that like all college students, these kids no longer have their parents asking "How'd you do in Math today?" They don't have anyone doing their laundry (after 4 dig year), and many are very far away from home. All of these factors can contribute to academic difficulties.