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This hits close to home. My DS is in the Class of 2020. He has always been a strong student and it continued to be his strength at USAFA. He struggled as a C4C with athletics and found the military grade to be political. At the end of last year he was in the 700 range which frustrated him, but...

Absolutely.

Braeden - you are getting a lot of advice. Take it all with a grain of salt. You might consider purchasing the Candidate Handbook for USAFA. It will walk you through the process. Look at archived threads on this forum and especially search for the ones with Academy Class stats. It will give...

The quick answer is that your stats and overall application looks competitive. If you have not done so already then I would concentrate on getting the MOC nomination. Let the staff members who lead the process for your MOC know of your interest and be early in completing their application...

Humey - there are a lot of respected schools and paths to becoming an officer. The question was why do people want to go to SAs. I gave the answer my DS gave me and my wife when he started considering USAFA. I replied to make the point that the reason for wanting to go often changes once you are...

I loved Hoodlum's post. I just left my Cadet (also a C3C) after Parent's Weekend and we had a conversation almost identical to the post by Hoodlum. In fact, I think he used the term "embrace the suck". My DS went to the Academy because he wanted to be a pilot in the USAF and attend a highly...

I think you ask a great question and on this forum I am sure you have gotten and will continue to get sound advice and suggestions on how to manage your time. There are plenty of self-help books like those mentioned above, but it takes time to read, implement the strategy and develop the habits...

You many recall during BCT last year I shared that my DS had a medical condition uncovered and a diagnosis by exclusion was given to a condition with no known real effects. The diagnosis occurred during BCT and he was ultimately referred to a specialist at a local base. After testing revealed...

Don't be afraid to ask your DS/DD what they want to do for the weekend. They are now into the academic year, have roommates for the semester and settled into a routine so what they wanted two weeks ago may have changed. Our DS wanted to show us everything on Friday so we did a lot of walking...

My DS loved CAP. He joined it and made a goal to get the Billy Mitchell. He did earn it and so much more. He participated in Cyber Patriot competition and attended Power Flight Academy where he did his first solo. He is now in his second year at USAFA.

Unless I am mistaken you are asking us to compare apples to oranges. In scouting, it is the individual who controls (for the most part) their ability to earn Eagle Scout while many times Captaining a sports team is not the decision of the applicant. The SAs understand scouting and the type of...

I am sure others here with more insight can tell you if they are actually looked at by Admissions. I do know my DS used the scores in his interviews as examples of mastering a subject. Test scores are certainly looked at and part of the consideration. USAFA is a STEM school so I would think...

Worry about what you can control. Everyone is correct that you can't get in if you don't apply and you can't be afraid to fail (not get an appointment). There will likely be candidates who have better high school resumes than you so do what you can to be better in other areas. Continue to make...

The Class of 2021 is back from Jack's Valley and has completed BCT. In a few days they experience A Day and formally join the Cadet wing. Cadets and parents should be proud. 1,186 Cadets completed the training.

Unless they changed the rules this year and my DS insist they have not then Cadets can leave with parents at 4:30 on Friday. They must be back for 8:00 the next morning for formation. They can then leave again after the football game and must be back by 7:00 pm on Monday. There are events...

The Basic Cadets have spent 6 weeks learning to fail, adapt and become a team. They work together and usually don't have time to care too much about any benefits someone else may have over them. In fact, if you are given a request from a Cadet then it likely came from something they saw or...

He liked it, but I spoke with him last night and he suggested for 4 degrees who sleep on the floor a lot that a sleeping bag or a memory foam mattress which can be put on a bed or the floor. The reason I say PW as opposed to A Day is there is a couple of weeks for the 4 degrees to get to know...

I agree on waiting until PW. Things can change. My DS slept on a hammock most of the first semester because he was in a three person room and had the top bunk which was hard to keep in inspection condition. His roomies slept on their beds so it may depend on their own situation. I do not know of...

Last year many squads allowed the 4 degrees to see family on Thursday evening for a couple of hours on campus. There was a parade and activities on Friday and then late in the afternoon the Cadets were allowed to leave with family, but had to be back at the base early on Saturday morning for...

Those are good leadership opportunities. I would challenge you to think outside the box in leadership roles and be ready to talk about what you did as a leader to distinguish yourself - don't let it just be a title. You are certainly on the right track for building a strong application and...