USAFA Prep School Offers

BlueSkies

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
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Thought I would start a thread for those who have had an offer already for the USAFA Prep School. The website says they start giving offers directly to the Prep School by February 1st.
 
To add to that, does anybody know how USAFA notifies its applicants that they have been selected to attend Prep School? Mail, e-mail, phone call?
 
All I know is that in 1984, it was a letter...no idea how it is done today.
 
My 2010 Preppie heard on March 31st by checking the online application site. The letter offering the Prep School arrived one week later.
 
My 2010 Preppie heard on March 31st by checking the online application site. The letter offering the Prep School arrived one week later.

Thanks Librarian...do you remember what the "status" said? How was it different from "Appointment offered"?
 
Blue Skies, if I remember correctly it said:

Appointment Status: Air Force Academy Prep School offered

and then the "offered" changed to "accepted" after the paperwork was returned. Currently is says this:

Your Status:
Candidate*
Appointment Status:
Air Force Academy Prep School (currently Attending Prep School)

A little history: the day after the Prep School showed on the online status, the rejection letter from the Academy itself arrived ruling out a direct entry. Already knowing about the Prep School slot helped temper that disappointment.
 
Does one apply for prep school separate from the USAFA application? My son just received the qualified no vacancy letter and is interested in prep school.
 
Sarah: So very sorry for the news your son received. It would appear that many on this forum have recently received the thin white envelope. There are more knowledgeable on this forum than I, but I know that I have read that an application for the Academy also serves as an application for the prep school. I have also read the admonition, however, that the prep school is not necessarily for those who "just missed" getting in the academy. It would certainly not hurt to call the prep school to see if your daughter is in line for consideration and what her chances are. Good luck.
 
Hi all!

Okay...USAFA Prep School.

It's not what you think it is.

While the mission is to take deserving candidates and to prepare them for admission to USAFA, not all candidates are created equal.

The truth...

The USAFA PS will FIRST AND FOREMOST admit candidates from the USAF enlisted force. "Officially" there's a "limit" of something like 50-75 per class but I'm here to say that if we had 100 qualified candidates from the AF, they'd ALL get in. We never seem to have enough of them.

THEN...who gets to the PS? Next will be recruited athletes that are just a bit shy of the entrance requirements (direct entry) but have met the minimums. They're usually short in the SAT/ACT area.

THEN...think diversity candidates but probably NOT what you're thinking. It's not a "pick folks of color..." quota or anything like that. Rather, the military has determined that diversity isn't just about skin tone, its also about socioeconomic background as well. So the AF will try to pick students that are qualified but weren't appointed, that are from varied socioeconomic backgrounds. They may be of minority racial groups, lower economic groups, etc., but the thing they'll ALL share in common is that through no fault of their own, they have been placed in a situation/position that they're not truly being afforded a "fair and equal" opportunity.

I know of one young lady, as an example, from an inner city school in a large city "back East" that had something like a 50% dropout rate. She was several levels above her peers, worked hard, had a job to support her family, etc...etc...but her SAT/ACT scores were NOT there. The determination (from my guessing, nobody really put it in writing to me) was that her school and socioeconomic situation didn't allow her a fair opportunity as they were "sub par" for academics.

So she was appointed to the prep school...and graduated from USAFA 5 years later as a "Distinguished Graduate" which to us Zoomie types means the same as: SUMMA CUM LAUDE.

After those categories, the remaining slots will be filled by the candidates that came closest to admissions but fell just short.

ALL candidates are considered for the prep school. You don't have to apply, call them, etc. Everyone that was a candidate will be considered.

I hope this helps.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Thanks Steve, helpful as always. Could you please now wax poetic on the Falcon Foundation? Should those of us with the dreaded TWE even consider this second chance? Does letting the admissions office or your AOL that you would like to be considered help? Have those positions already been filled?

With the way things look this year, it seems you could be a 3.8 and 2200 and be a TWE!
 
Sarah,

My DS got a TWE last year around late March. Within 1 week he received a Falcon Foundation scholarship offer. He jumped at the opportunity and went to Northwestern Prep for the fall semester (it is a 1 semester program). He got accepted for 2014 in late February. Northwestern Prep was a great experience for him and he is better prepared for the Academy experience. He is finishing the spring semester at a local junior college and then will head to Colorado in late June. He did not have to apply or do anything extra for the Falcon Scholarship offer. Good luck!!
 
Thanks Steve, helpful as always. Could you please now wax poetic on the Falcon Foundation? Should those of us with the dreaded TWE even consider this second chance? Does letting the admissions office or your AOL that you would like to be considered help? Have those positions already been filled?

With the way things look this year, it seems you could be a 3.8 and 2200 and be a TWE!

Falcon Foundation...

A "sorta secretive" group really...try finding detailed information on them...it's sorta tough. But it's not meant to be that way.

Short version: this is a financially funded scholarship program that works closely with the AFA...they offer various scholarships to highly qualified candidates that they and USAFA/RR select.

These students are offered scholarships to attend several "preparatory" schools around the nation. The two I'm most familiar with are Northwestern Prep and New Mexico Military Institute.

The scholarships do NOT cover all the costs but are a nice offset...there are "conditions" attached to the scholarships, but suffice it to say...if someone is offering you MONEY to attend a school to better your chances for appointment...it's PROBABLY a very good sign that they are VERY interested in you.

They will contact the candidate, you don't need to do anything. EVERYONE is considered.

Small numbers...but a nice opportunity.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
and Northwestern Prep Graduate
 
My DS received the Falcon Foundation Scholarship letter yesterday. After doing a bit of research we don't believe it is a good option for him. I believe he comes in the last category that Flieger83 mentioned - close but no cigar. His SATs are 1380 (2060 tot), ACT 32, GPA 3.86 plus a 3.8 in 21 college credits he takes at local college as part of his high school program (C++, gaming programming, etc). Captain of two teams (football, ice hockey), beach lifeguard for 3 years, just received Hobey Baker character award, etc. We looked at the web page for one of the foundation schools and they said he'd learn algebra, about 200 vocab words - more like his 8th grade curriculum. I think it may be a great way to keep someone around that they would like but it is not in my son's best interest to coast along for a year. Although the academy would then admit him next year there is still a chance he would not get a nom, which would mean a truly wasted year. This is very possible in my state where their priority is to put minorities on the list (not my words). So, we are looking at the last of his two college choices next weekend so he can finally make a decision before May 1st.
Good luck to all of you in the future. It's been a long, stressful and ultimately disappointing road.
 
My DS received the Falcon Foundation Scholarship letter yesterday. After doing a bit of research we don't believe it is a good option for him. I believe he comes in the last category that Flieger83 mentioned - close but no cigar. His SATs are 1380 (2060 tot), ACT 32, GPA 3.86 plus a 3.8 in 21 college credits he takes at local college as part of his high school program (C++, gaming programming, etc). Captain of two teams (football, ice hockey), beach lifeguard for 3 years, just received Hobey Baker character award, etc. We looked at the web page for one of the foundation schools and they said he'd learn algebra, about 200 vocab words - more like his 8th grade curriculum. I think it may be a great way to keep someone around that they would like but it is not in my son's best interest to coast along for a year. Although the academy would then admit him next year there is still a chance he would not get a nom, which would mean a truly wasted year. This is very possible in my state where their priority is to put minorities on the list (not my words). So, we are looking at the last of his two college choices next weekend so he can finally make a decision before May 1st.
Good luck to all of you in the future. It's been a long, stressful and ultimately disappointing road.

!!?!!??

There were many people in my NWP class that were at least as good as your son. It's not 200 vocab words--it's 2000 words that will need to be memorized verbatim. Half of the math is out of a precalculus book; the other half is Math League level. Also, Falcon Scholars are virtually guaranteed a nomination. They will "find" one for you if you don't get one. The experience was challenging and well worth it.
 
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I would agree with Roman. Your son is not going to be heads and shoulders above his Falcon Foundation peers. He would meet many folks with equally outstanding "stats" that came up a bit short. You may want to actually talk with the various directors before you toss out that option if the Air Force Academy is still his goal.
 
I certainly didn't intend to slight the foundation schools and I'm sure those of you who have attended can speak to their curriculum much better than I. My information is from their web site only. Although I was told the foundation was meant for those who are not 3qd I'm sure that there are some there who are. I would think it's not the majority though since it wasn't set up for that. I did tell my son to call his ALO to get more information. Ultimately it's his decision - I'm just unsure of which way to encourage him.
 
I certainly didn't intend to slight the foundation schools and I'm sure those of you who have attended can speak to their curriculum much better than I. My information is from their web site only. Although I was told the foundation was meant for those who are not 3qd I'm sure that there are some there who are. I would think it's not the majority though since it wasn't set up for that. I did tell my son to call his ALO to get more information. Ultimately it's his decision - I'm just unsure of which way to encourage him.

Hi!

Okay...first thing I would do. I would have HIM call his ALO and say something like: "Sir/Ma'm...now that all is said and done, can you look at my record on ALOWEB and tell me if YOU see anything that says "uh oh...might not be all it could be?"

Now that it's done, we can go over the file and tell the candidate a lot more than we're really supposed to during the year. That's so we don't screw up during the competition. But since the TWE's have arrived...we can do a bit more.

I say this because I can look at a candidates file on ALOWEB and pretty much "guess" fairly accurately how competitive they are. I don't always get it correct, but more than not.

Second...call NWPS...speak with Suzanne Durbeck...she's been there pretty much forever, at least since Mr Jim Hoiby (RIP) departed us. He was "the Man" when I attended NWPS in Minnesota a lifetime ago. She is a straight shooter and will tell you ALL about the program, how they work with the SA's, etc.

After that...its up to him.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
NWPS '78-'79
 
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