This probably belongs below, but I'm putting it here because we've all agreed that we need plan B's this year for the USAFA. One great plan "B" is/are the one year Service Academy Prep (SAP) Programs scattered around the country at different institutions. We happen to have one of those about 30 min from our home - Marion Military Institute.
We visited it yesterday and my son met with the head of the SAP program there - LTC Lewis - It was a very nice visit with the Admissions Counselor, a young Lt and Alum, showing us around. We met with the financial aid folks too, there are more merit based scholarships available than you can shake a stick at and the program (which is separate from the 2 year commissioning program there - it's technically an AL Community College -) has a placement rate of 85% in the SA's.
They currently have over 200 former SAP students at the different SA's and the acceptance rate at the USAFA for those with a Falcon Foundation scholarship is in the 98% range. LTC Lewis stated that although program participants without a FF scholarship had to compete in the national pool, they still had a very high success rate placing them.
After taking a look at my son's stats and score (he brought his entire academy app package), he was immediately offered a position in the program with the admonishment to get the ball rolling on getting a FF scholarship (beginning with informing his USAFA Counselor he was interested). Being local was an even bigger plus because this area has special funding available just for living and graduating from here (we're VERY economically depressed). However, even out of state students receive significant financial aid and there are many of them in the 400+ Corps of Cadets. The town is a small one one in the middle of nowhere, however, it's only about 30 mins to Tuscaloosa and major entertainment.
While it may not be the first choice of most of you to go there (it's small and the area is boring), I think my son put it rather well when he told the counselor that if he can't get in the front door of the USAFA this year, he'd much rather wait a year in the SAP at MI and get in the back door next year than go to any of his other choices because the USAFA is his hard goal. If it's also yours, then this program might be for you!
Here's a link.
http://www.marionmilitary.edu/
Best Regards
Romad
We visited it yesterday and my son met with the head of the SAP program there - LTC Lewis - It was a very nice visit with the Admissions Counselor, a young Lt and Alum, showing us around. We met with the financial aid folks too, there are more merit based scholarships available than you can shake a stick at and the program (which is separate from the 2 year commissioning program there - it's technically an AL Community College -) has a placement rate of 85% in the SA's.
They currently have over 200 former SAP students at the different SA's and the acceptance rate at the USAFA for those with a Falcon Foundation scholarship is in the 98% range. LTC Lewis stated that although program participants without a FF scholarship had to compete in the national pool, they still had a very high success rate placing them.
After taking a look at my son's stats and score (he brought his entire academy app package), he was immediately offered a position in the program with the admonishment to get the ball rolling on getting a FF scholarship (beginning with informing his USAFA Counselor he was interested). Being local was an even bigger plus because this area has special funding available just for living and graduating from here (we're VERY economically depressed). However, even out of state students receive significant financial aid and there are many of them in the 400+ Corps of Cadets. The town is a small one one in the middle of nowhere, however, it's only about 30 mins to Tuscaloosa and major entertainment.
While it may not be the first choice of most of you to go there (it's small and the area is boring), I think my son put it rather well when he told the counselor that if he can't get in the front door of the USAFA this year, he'd much rather wait a year in the SAP at MI and get in the back door next year than go to any of his other choices because the USAFA is his hard goal. If it's also yours, then this program might be for you!
Here's a link.
http://www.marionmilitary.edu/
Best Regards
Romad