Other Cadets from your High School

sarahann

5-Year Member
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Feb 21, 2013
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ALO, someone out there,

No one from my high school has ever gone off to a service academy, except for one in the Class of 2008 did go to USCGA. I'm not sure if others have applied, my counselor didn't get into those specifics, but where does that put me? They probably don't have a school profile thing and everything, so am I at a disadvantage or an advantage?

-Sarah
 
oops I just replied to this in the thread this post used to be in...
 
basically what I had said was that if no one from your high school has been a cadet, then it doesn't really affect you, negatively or positively...
 
basically what I had said was that if no one from your high school has been a cadet, then it doesn't really affect you, negatively or positively...

Does it help if there are previous cadets?
 
obviously I'm not an ALO or anything so don't quote me on this, but I can't imagine it could hurt you but I'm not certain it would help all that much. What really matters is YOUR academic performance.
 
Almost the same

ALO, someone out there,

No one from my high school has ever gone off to a service academy, except for one in the Class of 2008 did go to USCGA. I'm not sure if others have applied, my counselor didn't get into those specifics, but where does that put me? They probably don't have a school profile thing and everything, so am I at a disadvantage or an advantage?

-Sarah

Yeah. I am in almost the same boat. My school is 2 years old. We haven't even had a senior class graduate yet. They will graduate next year. No one has our school profile. To boot we have to be bussed to a neighbor high school just to go through the AFJROTC program. Most of our schools students come from Buckley AF Base. Our issue is that my counselor has never had anyone go to a SA. My friend Travis will be applying his senior year be sued be will be too young. My friend Elle will apply the same time as him. And I apply next year. What I am trying to say is that bio shad gone from my area. And two people from my school actually want to go including me. What is someone's advice on how to approach the application process from a school that had no experience with anything like this?

Tyler
 
ALO, someone out there,

No one from my high school has ever gone off to a service academy, except for one in the Class of 2008 did go to USCGA. I'm not sure if others have applied, my counselor didn't get into those specifics, but where does that put me? They probably don't have a school profile thing and everything, so am I at a disadvantage or an advantage?

-Sarah

You are at neither an advantage nor disadvantage. Admissions will consider the high school you attended and possibly adjust your GPA. The # attending SAs is a non-issue. Your school DOES have a profile (most universities want to see this).
 
Be the first!

Yeah. I am in almost the same boat. My school is 2 years old. We haven't even had a senior class graduate yet. They will graduate next year. No one has our school profile. ...What is someone's advice on how to approach the application process from a school that had no experience with anything like this?

Tyler

My kids are at different high schools. One is at a competitive boarding school. They have a long hisotry of appointments, especially with USNA. The thought is that it helps in that the graduates who have accepted the appointments have gone on to do very well at the academy. As such, at least academically and in terms of already being adjusted to life away from home in a high stress academic environment, it helps. It also helps in that the counselors are familiar with the process as is a BGO who is on staff. It helps in that the BGO tells the kids from the start how to position themselves best for an appointment (a handful each year apply to USNA and to a lesser degree the other SAs). The PE teacher has done a tone of fitness exams, the kids practice and workout together regularly. It is a small group, but they are close and supportive. Younger students have them to look to for encouragement and advice. The acceptance rates for SAs are generally quite high...but the competition between classmates is tough.

Flip Side...
My other children are in a VERY small local private school. There has not yet been a student even apply to an SA. The process is not talked about during college advising or brought up in 11th. The kids know nothing about the summer seminars, for instance. I think it is harder for them, unless they have an outside source, to get their heads around what they need to be doing at a young age (the 3 prong Athletics/Leadership/Academics).
That being said, I truly do not think that our younger ones, IF they decide to pursue and appointment, will be at a big disadvantage...or one at all. I think they will be able to 'spin' that with little or no guidance they had the drive and initiative to be the first. Kind of like the strength and drive you see in kids who are first generation college students. When you don't have someone blazing the trail before you, you have to buckle down and really drive yourself.
I would hope that that would show.

In the end, no matter what school you come from, you have to have to do well in academically challenging classes (BGO stays on the kids about their math and science especially), play sports regularly and at a varsity level and have ample leadership and service. Without those things, you likely are not even in the race...with those things, the competition still is fierce.
Bottom Line: Don't worry about what has happed at your high school. Blaze your trail.S
 
I just wanted to throw in my experience. I am from Oregon, where the closest thing we have to an Air Force presence is a national gaurd unit that is steadily shrinking (I didn't even know it was there until after I had been at USAFA for a year...). Anyway, my point is I don't think anyone from my high school went to a SA even 10 years prior to my graduating, probably longer. The guidance counselors had no idea what USAFA was and kept asking me why I wanted to enlist.

I did the entire application and nomination process by myself with no help from anyone (I actually didn't even tell my parents until I had already applied, but that is another story) and I had my nomination requests all done before I started school my senior year. My point is, it doesn't matter how many student's from your high school have gone to an SA or how familiar the school is with the process. USAFA tells you everything you need to know to apply. In my opinion, if you want to go to a service academy, you need to be able to handle the application process on your own. If your school happens to have a great history of sending students to USAFA then great, but it really doesn't matter.
 
The number of "prior appointee's" from your school truthfully will have ZERO impact upon your chances.

If USAFA (read ANY SA) doesn't have a profile of your school, they will ask for one from your school/district. This is a very specific document and ALL schools prepare them for the College Board testing organizations as well as for both state and Federal funding sources.

That profile will let the academies know how to evaluate your background education, etc. I have worked with many high schools in AZ that are TINY!! They had never had an appointee...and USAFA needed their profile to evaluate "their first ever nominee!"

Bottom line: some of those nominees were appointed (one just got selected for early promotion to Major) and some were not. But those appointments and not were based upon the candidates "total package" and not their school.

Don't worry about the school, size or background; instead, focus upon YOU and YOUR package!! WIN that competition and the rest will work out. :thumb:

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
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