Usafa early action

Do you have a higher chance of getting accepted if you do EA?


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I was elected to participate in Early Action last year. My liaison told me it is not based on stats or anything--just if you completed your candidate questionnaire by a certain date. They will consider that you were motivated early on to get it filled out, but it has nothing to do with the quality of your application. I wouldn't say it will improve your chances, but they will consider it when viewing your application.

Also keep in mind that very few are accepted via EA. The vast majority don't hear until much later.

For those of you "thinking about "EA...

Think "January 2015" for EA...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

From my understanding, the selection committee notes that you completed your application early and gives you an extra point or two for being motivated enough to finish it before it's due.


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Missnj said:

From my understanding, the selection committee notes that you completed your application early and gives you an extra point or two for being motivated enough to finish it before it's due.


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I think that's true. My DD's ALO said only around 50 or so were accepted EA. I don't think that includes recruited athletes, though...?

Proud Parent of c/o 2018 cadet.

The way I read the form, you qualify for an EA decision if you get everything turned in by 11/1. Basically they are rewarding early file completion with an early indication of your status. Not sure it increases your chances, but it would be nice if it counted for a couple of extra points.

From what I've gathered here, if you are not a recruited IC, or an AMAZING academic student, there is a very slim chance you will be chosen for EA. Hopefully you'll get it, but be prepared for that letter of deferral and realize it's a gift of around an extra two months to raise your stats and to become more competitive. Good luck!!

Remember. EA is/was not intended as an incentive or reward. Some may see it as this, but that isn't the intent. In the past, too many probable appointees were turning down the academy because they weren't finding out about their appointment until April or May. They were sitting on some pretty decent offers from other universities and even other academies. And contrary to what someay believe, the air force academy isn't every applicant's first choice.

So the academy came up with the EA program to give highly qualified and motivated individuals a sooner idea of what their chances are. Thus hoping they will stay with an academy appointment instead of accepting another school.

Most universities have an Early Admissions period that they offer to highly qualified individuals. Usually around October. Hoping they will commit early. So while someay see EA as an incentive or some sort of reward for completing the application early, that's fine. Motivation is good. But the EA was really intended for the No Brained applicant who is most likely going to receive acceptance from pretty much any school they apply to. The air force is simply trying to compete with other universities and the other academies.

ChristCorp and others, please correct me if I am wrong but the EA is NOT the same thing as the LOA, right?

DD received an LOA last Oct from USNA that stated she was guaranteed an appointment once she had a nomination and passed the medical exams.

I think that's why she received an EA appointment from USAFA... that was an appointment with no caveats (of course, by that time she passed medical and had a nom.)

USNA has a rolling admission, and as someone on a Congressman's committee told us, EA was USAFA's answer to that. Seriously ... she almost signed with Navy. If she hadn't gotten EA, we would be traveling to Annapolis for Parent's Weekend.


Proud Parent of USAFA Cadet c/o 2018

Momma de la fencer. No EA isn't the same as LOA. What EA does is promise you that if you get your application done by 1 November, then the academy will let you know in January what your chances are. Either yes, you will receive an appointment or no you won't, or you might but you'll find out with everyone else in April or May.

And as I mentioned previously, its mainly for the ones who are definite yes. Hoping they will commit and not take another school.

EA is not only for those with amazing grades or IC status, I had and got accepted through EA with neither of those


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I think you misunderstood my point. EA isn't a "Program". It's not like there's different ways to receive an appointment and EA is one of the ways. There's only one way to receive an appointment. All EA does for applicants is give them an idea; SOONER than April or May; of what their chances are. Other than that, there's nothing different about it.

And again; the purpose of it was to try and keep some individuals from committing to another school because they already had offers and they didn't want to wait until April-May to make a final decision. Again, EA isn't a program that you get accepted through. It's just a promise. Finish your application early and we'll give you an idea earlier than others on what your chances are.

ChristCorp,

Does the EA "acceptance" (acknowledgement?) obligate, as some of the colleges' programs do?

No, it's simply a "Notification". If the notification happens to be that you're receiving an appointment, then you'll receive the appoint the same way you would if you got it in April-May. Obviously earlier. There will be an "Accept NLT" date usually, just like the others.

If the EA notification is: you're still competitive, but you're in the pool with everyone else in april-may, then that's what it means.

There is nothing new, different, exciting, etc... with the early action notification. It's simply knowing what your odds are sooner than april-may. If you are notified that you received an appointment; and you accept it; you can still turn it down all the way up to the day you have to report to the academy. Just like receiving an appointment in April or just like receiving an EARLY APPOINTMENT in October/November.

The air force academy doesn't have "Obligation". You can change your mind any time you want. You don't even have to show up for BCT.

Some think this EA (Early Action) is some sort of new "Program". It's not. It's simply a way of letting motivated applicants, who finish their applications prior to Nov 1st, who are probably eligible and competitive for a number of other schools, what their chances are PRIOR to having to wait until April-May to find out. By doing so, the academy HOPES that those they say "Yes, you're getting an appointment", will turn down any other offers from other schools they receive earlier than the normal april-may time frame that the academy normally issues out appointments.

I Think there's some confusion about the Early Actions Application and thus it's become complicated for some.

An early appointment; prior to November 1st; can obviously only be given to someone with a NON-Congressional nomination. Congressional nominations aren't even done until after November 1st. An LOA is for someone the academy definitely wants to give an appointment to, but they either haven't received a nomination yet or their medical physical hasn't been completed satisfactory yet. Those are 2 totally different situations.

But what about all the others? Well, the EA simply means; if you will complete your application 100% prior to November 1st, (Which I've recommended for applicants to do for the last 7 years); the academy) will not make you wait until April-May to determine what your chances are. The academy will let you know in January what your chances are. Either YES, you're going to get an appointment; NO, you're not; or you're competitive along with everyone else and you'll find out in April-May.

This allows the motivated individual to be able to make better choices for their possible other options. And for those that the academy says YES, you're receiving an appointment, the academy hopes you'll get excited and commit yourself to the academy and turn down other offers that you may be receiving at about the same time. And WHY JANUARY. That's because that's the deadline for congressional members to provide their nominations. The academy can't tell you yes, no, or maybe if they don't know if you have a nomination.

Hope this clarifies a little.

Christcorp said:

I Think there's some confusion about the Early Actions Application and thus it's become complicated for some.

An early appointment; prior to November 1st; can obviously only be given to someone with a NON-Congressional nomination. Congressional nominations aren't even done until after November 1st. An LOA is for someone the academy definitely wants to give an appointment to, but they either haven't received a nomination yet or their medical physical hasn't been completed satisfactory yet. Those are 2 totally different situations.

But what about all the others? Well, the EA simply means; if you will complete your application 100% prior to November 1st, (Which I've recommended for applicants to do for the last 7 years); the academy) will not make you wait until April-May to determine what your chances are. The academy will let you know in January what your chances are. Either YES, you're going to get an appointment; NO, you're not; or you're competitive along with everyone else and you'll find out in April-May.
This allows the motivated individual to be able to make better choices for their possible other options. And for those that the academy says YES, you're receiving an appointment, the academy hopes you'll get excited and commit yourself to the academy and turn down other offers that you may be receiving at about the same time. And WHY JANUARY. That's because that's the deadline for congressional members to provide their nominations. The academy can't tell you yes, no, or maybe if they don't know if you have a nomination.

Hope this clarifies a little.

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I'm honestly not sure why they even have EA. It doesn't seem to me like they handle it like most colleges do. My DS applied EA to all his colleges. He received an actual decision (Not a deferral) from all of them on the EA date and it also seemed like the colleges deferred just a few. The vast majority that applied EA had an actual Go/No go decision.

The Academy on the other hand seemed to hand out very few Appointments or denials for EA and just deferred most applicants to regular action. Why not just hand those few that did get a decision (The standouts) an LOA and get rid of the "EA" altogether as it doesn't really seem to serve a purpose.

As for completing the Application early I think that is a good idea for anyone (This goes for all college applications). Leaves more time to focus on Academics, Sports etc. during the school year.

Rocko. Remember; EA for college means "Early Admissions". EA for the academy means "Early Action". There's a difference. For the academy, EA (Early Action), simply means they are letting you know how you stand; earlier than finding out definitively in April-May.

This does help many decide which way they are going to go. It also helps the academy get a few of the highly desirable candidates to commit. Or at least to be motivated to accept an air force appointment.

But you are correct. Many, Most, Majority, Some, however you want to say it..... of applicants will be deferred until the normal April-May time frame.

The only thing I can say to applicants is: You've looked at the academy brochure. You know what the "AVERAGE" GPA, SAT, ACT, Extra Curricular, Athletics, Academics, etc.... PROFILE is of the average classes that attend the academy. If you don't think your resume/application exceeds those averages and ARE average or below, then realize that EA or not, you're going to probably have to wait until April-May to find out. If you look at the averages and you have the 3.95 gpa, 32ACT, etc... which exceed the averages; then there's a good chance you're going to find out earlier.

Realize however that this, just like all of the "WHAT ARE MY CHANCES" threads, is 100% dependent on "YOUR COMPETITION". You could be that 3.95 gpa student, and there's 3 others on your congressman's nomination list who have a 4.0 gpa. But for some, the EA does allow for earlier notification; and for them, some better planning.

Christcorp said:

This does help many decide which way they are going to go. It also helps the academy get a few of the highly desirable candidates to commit. Or at least to be motivated to accept an air force appointment.

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What does a deferred decision tell the candidates that they didn't already know prior to EA? If the vast majority are deferred then it is only targeting the top few to get them answers early.

Isn't that what LOA's and early offers are for??

The only thing I can see that it may accomplish is to get more candidates to complete their applications earlier so they can identify more of the top candidates early. But I'd think that the vast majority of the top candidates get them done early anyways.

I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm just trying to find the logic in this new EA program and what it accomplishes that wasn't being accomplished prior to its existence.