Chances of getting in

I know I am really late with trying to apply to the Academy. I was all set and ready to go except I found out that I was training for the wrong events in the CFA...... So I am planning to finish my CFA (the last thing I have left) on January 4th. By then I will have everything submitted. So are my chances of getting into the Air Force Academy still a fairly good chance (even though it's this late)? The reason as to why I am taking the CFA this January 4th is because I plan to use winter break to train everyday. I am athletically fit, I just need to strengthen my muscles a bit.

Some Background info:

Classes and Grades:
9th (both Semesters)
Biology H (A)
English I H (A)
Geometry (A)
PE Req (A)
Spanish II H (B)
World History/Geography H (A)

10th (both Semesters)
Algebra II/Trig H (A)
AP Human Geography (B)
Chemistry H (A)
English II H (A)
Spanish III H (B)
PE Req (A)

11th (both Semesters)
Ap chemsitry (A)
AP English Language (A)
AP US History/Geography (A)
Contemporary Media (A)
Math Analysis/Calculus A H (B)
Physics H (A)

12th (1st semester only)
AP Physics A
AP Calculus BC A
English IV H A
Contemporary Media A
Civics/Economics H A

Total Unweighted GPA is about 3.8 and weighted I believe is around 4.2-4.3

Major Activities I have done are:
Boeing Internship
National Honors Society
Kendo
United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

Instead of a high school sport, I have done Kendo and have won various tournaments, a major one being, 3rd place as Team Captain for Orange County, CA in the 15th Korean American National Kendo Tournament.

Leadership positions: Treasurer for a club I helped create, Student Body President for Norwalk Kendo Dojo, and team leader for National Honors Society.

SAT Scores:
Math: 800
Writing: 680
Reading: 700

on a scale of 2400, it's a 2180 and on a scale of 1600 (which is the score the Air Force Academy uses I think) 1500.

If you need more info, I'll post it up. But the main question is, if i were to apply to the Air Force Academy on January 4th, with an average to below average CFA scores, do I have a decent chance of getting in?

Do you have a nomination? Most MOC have deadlines that have already passed and without a nomination, you can't get in.

Yup I am extremely familiar wtih the process. I just got the wrong information with the CFA for some reason. Yes I have applied for both my Congresswomen and Senators' nominations. I have yet to recieve a letter from my Senators, but my Congresswomen has sent me a letter telling me that I have passed the intial screening and all I need now is an interview. Then they will finalize the choices.

You look really really good. Remember that admissions is based on the Whole Candidate Score, with the academics part of it being 60% of the WCS. You got the academic parts straight knocked, so I bet you'd be pulling in a lot of points in that part based on your SATs (WOW) and your grades plus the rigor of your classes (DOUBLE WOW), but then again, I don't know how the admissions process work behind the scenes, but who wouldn't be impressed with stats like that! Also, your class rank is very important too, but I bet you're pretty high up in class rank as well, right?

CFA score is 20%.. I'm not sure how much a perfect CFA score would help you or how much a plain average CFA score would hurt you. But just do your best.

From what I understand, you would want to rack in as much points for your WCS as possible, so that you would either get the appointment by being the candidate with the highest WCS score on the slate of nominated candidates your MOC sends in, or look good enough for the MOC to put you as the principal nom, if they send their slate in that way.

By the way, how did you get the wrong information for the CFA?

Alexkim, don't wait too long to submit your CFA. You want to hit as many selection panel boards as possible. As far as the CFA goes, it is not worth 20% of your score. It is only worth about 5% because it is in a 20% section with your ALO’s recommendation of you from your interview, your writing samples, as well as what the board impression of you is from those three things. So, treat it seriously and do your best but the important thing is that you get it in. If you do push-up and pull-ups when you get up in the morning and a few times when you are taking a quick break from homework you will do fine on push-ups and pull-ups. I hit just over mean push-ups and pull-ups after just doing that for barely two weeks. Before that I could only do 30 push-ups and 8 pull-ups. As far as running goes, the only way to get faster is to get out their and run(preferably outside - you have to push yourself not the treadmill pushing you). If you don’t run a whole lot just start with one mile and work up to four or five at a time in a two week period. As far as the Basketball throw goes, I don’t have any advice on that besides do your best. I never really understood that one.
Good luck dude and hopefully we will both be members of the class of 2014.

Your resume looks extremely good. It puts mine to shame But as for the whole 'well-roundedness' aspect, you look pretty good to me. But of course there is no way for anyone to determine your chances for you. You just have to wait and find out Try your best on the CFA, submit your application, and enjoy the rest of your senior year.

P.S. I see you're from the OC. I've seen lots of people from LA/SGV/OC area. You're going to miss that nice California weather once you're here!

Thanks a lot. Im just afraid that I won't have a real good chance of getting in if I were to take the CFA in Janurary.

So my plan is to take the CFA on Janurary 4th (right after winter break) and submit it all on that day. Then I can use winter break to train for it. The thing I got wrong was the pull-ups. I was practicing chin-ups instead. Hopefully I will still be able to get in even after applying on January 4th.

And selection boards meet up every other weekend?

KveTina said:

You look really really good. Remember that admissions is based on the Whole Candidate Score, with the academics part of it being 60% of the WCS. You got the academic parts straight knocked, so I bet you'd be pulling in a lot of points in that part based on your SATs (WOW) and your grades plus the rigor of your classes (DOUBLE WOW), but then again, I don't know how the admissions process work behind the scenes, but who wouldn't be impressed with stats like that! Also, your class rank is very important too, but I bet you're pretty high up in class rank as well, right?

CFA score is 20%.. I'm not sure how much a perfect CFA score would help you or how much a plain average CFA score would hurt you. But just do your best.

From what I understand, you would want to rack in as much points for your WCS as possible, so that you would either get the appointment by being the candidate with the highest WCS score on the slate of nominated candidates your MOC sends in, or look good enough for the MOC to put you as the principal nom, if they send their slate in that way.

Click to expand...

Yeah I think I am at least in the top 10%.

I wouldn't obsess about the CFA but would make sure your ALO is on board, and that you have completed your ALO and nomination interviews as soon as possible.

IMO there's not a huge difference between pullups and chinups but that's just me talking. Best of luck!

Rather than obsessing over the CFA, make sure you have completed all paper work and that your are on the same page as your ALO. By now, all our senators/MOCs have made their decisions. I hope you are not too late for your area. Here, the deadline for everything was October 31st.

Especially since time is now of the essence for you, I would contact my ALO TODAY!

My ALO knows I believe, because he has already interviewed me and sent in the evaluation of me. and Yes I am gettign a nomination if I pass the final part, which is the interview.

I just finished my CFA, and recieved terrible scores. Should I still submit it and just see if they want me to retake it? Cuz from what I hear, I may be able to get a LOA or nomination because my academics are so high.

Basketball 72
Pull up 6
shuttle urn 9.6
situps 60
pushups 50
mile run 10:38

alexkim said:

I just finished my CFA, and recieved terrible scores. Should I still submit it and just see if they want me to retake it? Cuz from what I hear, I may be able to get a LOA or nomination because my academics are so high.

Basketball 72
Pull up 6
shuttle urn 9.6
situps 60
pushups 50
mile run 10:38

Click to expand...

Can you get any of those up the next time you take it? Getting that mile up would be something that I would work on every day, I don't know what physical condition your in, but I know that I do not play any sports and just through working out by myself over a month I have improved, and if I were you I'd set a time to retake it, and than work out as much as possible in between. Sorry if my advice is erroneous, just a fellow lost soul obsessing over being admitted

Well I probably can, becuase I took it with a cold and forgot to bring water so was I was dehyrdated half way through, but I really don't want to take it again. From what I hear the CFA is only worth 5-8% of my score. So would it be possible to just ride on my academics to bring in most of my points as well as my extra cirricular activities?

I would still retake it, because you want the BEST possible scores, and honestly, over 10 minutes on the mile may be lower than the minimum score, and the CFA is "pass/fail"

a lot of those scores are beyond the average scores, why not increase your training and take the cfa later? It would only be beneficial to your application. Maybe taking it again will make the difference between an appointment. Plus I wouldn't rely on "banking" on my other parts of the application, you never know what could happen. The littlest bits help can make the difference. But again, this is simply my opinion.

Anyways, good luck with the application process and do your best!

Well the CFA isn't pass or fail nymore. I think it uses a point system now. I probably will be recieving very little points, but i was just hoping becuase it's only worth about 5% of my score, I was thinking that I may be able to get in without having to re-take it. Of course I will be working-out so that I may be able to survive at the academy. But for now, I was hoping this would be enough to atleast secure me a spot. I don't think I will be able to improve much before the deadline comes in.

alexkim said:

Well the CFA isn't pass or fail anymore.

Click to expand...

Do you have a source on this? My ALO told me their was a minimum score..