Submit Application now or later?

Im thinking about submitting my app mid aug. I need a little more time to get my CFA scores up. However since Im not a golden child I understand that getting the app in early will help my chances. When do you all think I should submit it? You cant update the CFA scores @ USAFA can you?

Thanks in advance!
Kevster

Hey,

I was talking to Rollie Stoneman (former admissions director) today about the same thing. He told me that, although getting it in early is good, they will not even look at it until early September. I have decided that my goal is to submit the package by Aug 15. You only get one chance for the CFA.

Good Luck,

Thanks man! ... I also sent you a PM.
-Kevster

Submitting your application really means nothing unless you have a nom. No nom no apptmt.

Hi all!

An FYI for everyone...

Rollie Stoneman, Lt Col, USAF Ret., is pretty much "DA MAN" up at admissions. When he speaks, EVERYONE up there short of the Superintendant jumps!!

He's also a really outstanding guy!

So if he said they're not going to review until then...trust me, they won't be.

Nice to know...I'm an ALO and I hadn't gotten the "date" yet.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

Thanks all. Pima I do have a pres nom. I want any little advanatge that I can get..... With all this being said Im prob gonna Submit my app around when 07eagle is as well.

Not to be the downer here, but Presidentials work the same way and that is the highest 100 WCS will get the appt., of course that number might begin and number 50, since 50 were appt to other sources (that is just a made up number, chose 21, or 93, it's an example) You have stated you want any edge, I know of a 3 dig that only had a presidential, he handed in his packet in Sept, he received it Mar.

The ones that you will see getting in early fall with a Presidential are ones that are sure shots, because their WCS is high. The AFA has done this for yrs, they know what the top WCS scores are, in bthat range they give it, on the bubble you are going to wait along with everybody else.

DODMERB is often what takes the longest

As long as you have done enough of your app to generate the postcard to call in and get your medical apts. then the other wait isn't so important.

When you get the card call QUICKLY and get those apts. scheduled. The quicker you are the more likely to get right in, by September they may well be a wait to get in for the physical. REMEMBER-a tough work out the day before can elevate the protein level in your urine and require that you come back and do it again. You also want as much time as possible to work with the system as many need waivers.

REMEMBER-a tough work out the day before can elevate the protein level in your urine and require that you come back and do it again. You also want as much time as possible to work with the system as many need waivers.

Click to expand...

Very true, every yr there are a couple of kids, especially those who play sports that find themselves in this sit. Remember to hydrate yourself.

I don't know about now, but 2 yrs ago, it was a requirement to have Dodmerb done within 30 or 45 days (can't remember which) from when you got your Dodmerb doc assignement letter. If you are military call dodmerb and they will allow you to have it done on base by a military doc.

flieger83 said:

Hi all!

An FYI for everyone...

Rollie Stoneman, Lt Col, USAF Ret., is pretty much "DA MAN" up at admissions. When he speaks, EVERYONE up there short of the Superintendant jumps!!

He's also a really outstanding guy!

So if he said they're not going to review until then...trust me, they won't be.

Nice to know...I'm an ALO and I hadn't gotten the "date" yet.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

Click to expand...

Update...

Yes, Rollie has retired from USAFA...but from what I'm told by folks at USAFA...he's still "a reference person" so I'm assuming he's still got some pull up there!

STeve

Just a little advice about doing your application early. Yes, it is true that the board won't even look at your application until the first part of September. Here's 2 issues.

1) Have any of you made an update to your application and noticed that it took a week or two to show updated online? We live in the "Real World". Nothing is perfect. I'm not saying that if your application is completed on 30 August that it won't be looked at the first of September; but I wouldn't count on it. It's quite possible that it will take the admin section some time (With all the apps being done); to verify that your app is 100% complete and ready to go to the board. Just because you say/know that it's done, doesn't mean the academy does. They have to verify that it's complete and ready. They aren't going to send an incomplete app to the board. And if it takes a week or two, that's a week or two that it might not be in the pile that the board is looking at. So basically, I would want my ONLINE status to show the application as "COMPLETE" prior to 1 September. Send it in accordingly.

2. When it comes to presidentials, the academy doesn't collect ALL the presidential nomination applications, and then compare them to each other and select 100. They are selected BY the Academy; AS received; and the slots are given out as THEY deem worthy. I say this because I know of an individual about 3 years ago who believed that because he was authorized to get a presidential, that it was an automatic. And as such, he didn't apply for any others. And he thought he was a no brainer and pretty much guaranteed the presidential because he had everything. And I have to admit, it did have everything. He had the 4.0gpa unweighted with ALL advanced IB/AP classes. Star varsity letter basketball player. NHS, Class officer, clubs, volunteer, 35 ACT, medical, etc... Well, because he thought everything for him was a "Given" and "No Brainer" and "Automatic"; he didn't send all his paperwork in as fast as suggested. He didn't put in the presidential paperwork until around September-October. He didn't get his application done 100% until November. Long Story short!!! While he received a presidential; he DID NOT receive one of the coveted 100 noms that lead to an appointment. He then was scurrying to contact reps/senators and fill their requirements. They had already started their interviews and such. He did not get the primary nomination from the representative. He was past the point where the academy did NOT offer him an LOA. So, he didn't get him nom and he didn't get his appointment. And then, because of procrastination, he went past the January cutoff for ROTC scholarships. well, he's at George Washington University, but he did originally aspire to be at the academy.

Anyway; be very careful in your timing. No, you don't have to have your application 100% by mid July like some people have done. And yes, the board doesn't do anything with your app until September. But you really want your online application, DODMRB, and CFA 100% complete and showing online as COMPLETE prior to the first of September. And you want that presidential, vp, and any other nominations you qualify for, to be submitted as early as humanly possible. Best of luck. Later... Mike....

The reality is none of us are on the board and we can give a ton of anecdotals, but the one thing we will all say is no matter how great your resume is there is no sure thing, go for every nom you can and keep updating your file!

Every yr there is a candidate with 3 noms that people say you look great and should be in, only for them to have their heart broken, and the one we all politely said work on this and that got in.

Great advice everyone!...... I love this site!! lol

Okay, after reading what Christcorp said, I just had a few questions about the "September 1st" deadline. I realize that it isn't really definitive, but how much of an advantage would it give me if I could get my application in my that date? So far, I have completed the Personal Data Record, the Activities Record, and the Substance Abuse Record. My counselor just got back from vacation, so hopefully I'll have my transcripts and scores sent in soon. My issue is the CFA. I want to do my very best in it, and I believe I still need a lot of training to meet the median goals. So should I go crazy with my CFA preperation, thereby risking my senior year grades and stuff like that, or just keep doing what I'm doing and submit it after September 1st? Thanks a lot!

September 1st isn't a "deadline". I use that date, because the board starts reviewing applications the first part of September. No one knows which exact date the very first application will be looked at. So I said September 1st because while it's beyond the 45 days that the academy recommended in their application packet, it's still prior to the board review.

Now, the only advantage getting it in the earliest, is that it gives you that many more opportunities for your application to be seen. Plus; of the 6000 applications that probably make it to review (I don't know exactly how many of the original 10,000 get to the review board); VERY FEW of them are sitting there on DAY 1 of the reviews. So obviously, yours could stand out and be easier to remember if there's very few to look at. So, the sooner it is submitted, the better. But there's no quantitative prize or score for getting it in sooner. Just more opportunities for it to be looked at. A couple years ago, I knew the applicant who the counselor said was the first applicant in the country to have theirs done. The counselors have weekly meetings. And the director always asks; starting in july; do we have any completed applications yet. And the counselor said it was cool when she said yes and no one else had any yet. However; that person didn't get any "results" until November.

So again; it's not a score thing or points. It just gets your package looked at more times the earlier it's sent in. As for having to bust butt on practicing the CFA or "Risking your Senior Year grades"; sorry but that makes absolutely no sense. School hasn't even started yet. Are you planning on practicing for the CFA until October-November? You say you are having a difficult time meeting the median goals. I suggest you post your practice CFA scores; and possibly your gpa, SAT/ACT, class schedule, etc.... and see if one of the current cadets can see if you are as bad as you think. Best of luck. Mike.....

I have a question. I have submitted everything in the Candidate Kit but the CFA. I have my physical and test scores in and I have a presidential nom (I'm working on the others). I want to do my CFA in the middle or the end of September. I had my wisdom teeth taken out a couple weeks ago and I need the time to get back into shape. Is this a bad idea?

No such thing as a "Bad Idea". Your score is a compilation of many facets. The academies are looking for a well rounded person. 60% of your total score is academics in nature. GPA, Class Ranking, Difficulty of classes, SAT/ACT, etc.... If you've got a kick butt academic area, then that helps an average CFA. If you're sitting there with a 3.60 gpa, a kick but CFA doesn't have as much pull towards offsetting your GPA. I've always been a firm believer in getting the application completed and put in as soon as possible. The main reason is: The academy suggests it!!!! That's why they mention the 45 day suggestion. Obviously, because of transcripts, teacher's recommendations, and other outside influences; sometimes getting the application done in 45 days isn't practical. So, you get it done as soon as you can. But the application won't be looked at by the board until it is 100% complete and submitted. The only 2 areas that can be pending is your DODMRB medical and your nomination. But that means your online application, all transcripts, SAT/ACT, CFA, ALO Interview, Teacher's survey, and anything else I may have forgotten. Now, if you were in shape prior to 2 weeks ago, and you feel it will take 6 weeks to recoup from your wisdom teeth and to do the CFA, then only you know that answer. You also know your gpa, SAT/ACT, and the rest of your application.

The CFA is definitely important; but it's not as important as many people want to believe. It's not a PASS/FAIL system; however, the scoring isn't such that it's going to gain or loose a lot because of a couple of pushup or pullups either way. You don't get a whole lot of extra points because you can now do 5 more pushups or 3 more pullups than you could the first time you practiced it.You can also find plenty of posts where a candidate didn't pass the CFA; but their record and application were so good, that the academy asked them to retake the CFA. (The academy can request a retake; you can't). So; my suggestion is: If you feel that you can pass the CFA with average/above average scores, then take it; submit the scores; finish your application process; and move on. The only reason to hold off on your CFA is if you think you might fail it. If you ace the CFA, it's not going to give you some major boost in your application compared to if you received average scores. Best of luck. Mike.....

Thanks so much! That was very insightful.

-Adriana