Okay...
The USAFA Prep School.
The original premise was to select those airmen in the USAF that were "close" to admission to the academy, and to train/educate them so that they might enter. The AF loved the idea of "growing their own" this way. And that's a great idea/mission!!!
Then the PS would select the highest rated "almost made it in" candidates and would give them a strong academic/athletic/military year in which to gain admission to the academy.
And it is GREAT at that, in both areas.
In the "not too recent" past though...it's been "changed" a bit. What you will see now at the prep school are:
a. AF Airmen that have applied but are not quite ready to enter the AFA on their own. MOST of the time, what hurts the airmen is there HS SAT/ACT scores. And since they've been out of school for a couple of years (basic training, technical training, move to their base and work in their career field), they've been out of the "pure" academic environment. So the PS is a superb place for those that qualify: they are immersed back into the academic world, and that is their entire focus. Historically these candidates do VERY VERY well at the PS and at USAFA. There's approximately 75 slots per year for AF airmen, and sadly, it's never completely filled.
b. Recruited athletes. The AFA is a Division 1 school. And yes, they recruit athletes. They're more restricted than other schools (other SA's not included, they have the same restrictions) in that there are legal requirements that must be met to attend the SA. Many of the "recruited athletes" don't have the requisite SAT/ACT scores to attend USAFA but with a year at the PS, they will meet entrance requirements. So...they are sent to the PS.
c. Diversity candidates. NO, I do NOT mean "minority ethnic/racial groups" here. I mean candidates that through some position/situation/etc., meet the DOD definition of "diversity." I'm not a brilliant writer, so I can't give you the "very succinct, clearly understood definition. It's sorta like the Supreme Court's definition of pornography: "Can't say exactly, but know what it is when I see it."
An example I can give you though that fits the "diversity" definition. I had a candidate...his father abandoned his mother and the 6 kids when he was a toddler; he was the oldest. Mom worked 2 and sometimes 3 jobs to make ends meet...as he grew, he started helping out at home; a pseudo father to his siblings. When he was old enough, he started to work jobs in the area: mowing lawns, anything to make a few dollars. In HS he was a 3.0 student, several sports, and a club or two (memory isn't completely what it was) and he worked upwards of 40 hours a week at a job. He was helping raise his siblings, helping pay the rent, etc...etc...
His SAT's weren't there...his GPA of barely 3.0...good but... HOWEVER...every teacher, coach, his minister, etc., all said the same thing: IF IF IF he had been in a "normal home" he would be the class valedictorian, etc...etc... I wrote his recommendation to USAFA that he be sent to the PS...and they agreed and they offered him a PS appointment.
He's now an AF pilot and his siblings will ALL have attended college, with his help.
HE was a diversity candidate...his personal situation put him in a very difficult situation that most folks can't overcome and yet he did because of his drive, motivation, etc.
d. Minority members. Yes, we do give them a special look. Why? Because we want the cadet wing to mirror society as much as possible, as we want all the services to do. So yes, you'll see many members of minority groups admitted to the PS. Make no mistake, these candidates are near the TOP of the list: they "just missed" the SA on their own. We don't simply say "he/she is a minority member, let's select them over a non-minority member."
e. The other "almost made it" candidate. These folks are selected from the list of candidates for USAFA. We "rack and stack" everyone with the weighted composite score, and then we draw a line. Everyone above the line is offered an appointment. When the class is filled, then we look at the PS and the numbers required. Absent the recruited athletes and AF members...there is a number left for diversity, minority, non-minority candidates to fill.
And from them we will the PS class.
NOW...with this long-winded answer, I hope I've cleared it up a bit. Now to "your" specific case. To be offered a PS slot this early, I can only surmise that you are "close" but not there for a direct appointment. And yet..."THEY" want you!!! So they're offering you the PS slot to keep you in the AFA cycle.
It's a great accomplishment to have and speaks to your qualifications!
Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83