Boys state or summer seminar

I know SLS doesn't really hold water as an evaluation from the selection board's POV, but it DID help our son decide between USAFA and WP, between which he was completely on the fence before the summer.

Knowing what you want is a piece of being that well-rounded candidate, as well.

He was in a position where he had to pick SLS OR Boys State and stuck with his initial commitment. I was just wondering what he missed in this magical week everyone is talking about, when so many of the other accomplishments on his resume took years to achieve.

Again, I appreciate the discussion. Thank you for the thorough explanation.:thumb:
 
Another Alternative

Our area did not have a Boy's State sponsor, the closest was the American Legion Post about 50 miles south of us. He did go to the SS and it was what clinched his desire to go to the USAFA as opposed to the AFROTC route. He has, however, completed the county YouthLead program - which is part of an Alabama state leadership initiative - it's a 9 month (yes MONTH) long program that identifies rising youth leaders in the county's high schools and through a highly competitive nomination and selection process picks about 25 each year (out of a pool of about 6-700 10th -12th graders) and puts them through almost a year of learning about leadership and the functions of leadership in the city, county, and state.

It includes a major service project and as the finale, they then team up with the adult program and go to the the state capital with all the other state wide participants to meet and interact with the state legislative members as well as the federal congressional representatives. It's a real alternative for those seeking hands-on leadership experience in their communities and similar programs are run in most states. I'd bet it probably holds comparable WCS weight too.

It's a huge deal and takes 36 weeks -far more than B and G's State to accomplish. The grads are then often called upon to serve as the youth reps for local, county, and state boards and councils and they are the designated pool to draw from for other leadership opportunities. He really learned a great deal over that year, met the Congressional Delegation for Alabama, and was particularly impressed with (former) Congressman Artur Davis of our district during the State Capital meetings. It's also allowed him to meet our current congresswoman.

He's now called upon often to serve in school and community leadership roles and it's made a real difference in his confidence interacting with adults, speaking abilities and leadership skills. I think that USAFA applicants should consider seeing if this type of opportunity is available to them in their areas and apply for it. This could also prevent having to make tough choices between such valuable experiences as Boy's and Girl's State and the SS during their last summer...

Best to all of you! :biggrin:
 
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There's 2 sides to look at when going to boys state. From what the attendees get from it, and how it looks on your applications. As an attendee, its provides a unique opportunity in learning civics and government 1st hand. You also get to use leadership and team skills in a real life scenario. You also learn better the complexity of how a large society operates.

From an application viewpoint, u r validated. Those who selected you from your school and/or community have said that you have some of the highest leadership potential among your peers. This is important, because many think they have excellent leadership skills, but how do you prove it? By being selected, you have been proven and validated.

But if u r really on the fence for which academy to choose, and u have other validated leadership experiences such as captain of a team, class officer, or other positions that others selected u for which validated you, then choosing summer seminar might be the better choice for you. Boys state isn't the activity that guarantees an appointment. But there r very few that can validate by others your leadership potential among your peers. If u have this opportunity, u should take it.
 
Does the Summer Seminar application ask if you have been nominated for Boy's State, and/or if you are planning to attend? As long as your counselor "nominates" you, is that what you would put down?
 
Does the Summer Seminar application ask if you have been nominated for Boy's State, and/or if you are planning to attend? As long as your counselor "nominates" you, is that what you would put down?

It doesn't ask specifically but there is a section for that type of EC in the suggested profile format. The format is pretty good and it's been the basis of almost all we've sent out to both military and civilian institutions - so far we're batting 100 with it, but we wont know about the crown jewel till March...:eek:

Best
 
The profile you use for SS is also what the USAFA uses to put you into their database for the actual application process - it really helps to be in the system already when it's time to begin the ap process.

If your son or daughter is not a junior this year, get them into the academy pre-junior database and that will get them on the academy's radar. We put my son into it in 7th grade and he received some good reminders and encouragement throughout the years to keep the USAFA in mind.

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Im not sure, but I thought he did the pre-junior thing already. He has been getting info periodically through the mail, but I was thinking that was because he visited the academy. I'll have to ask him. I guess the pre junior database info gets compiled with the SS application info, which then all goes into the actual application?
 
Im not sure, but I thought he did the pre-junior thing already. He has been getting info periodically through the mail, but I was thinking that was because he visited the academy. I'll have to ask him. I guess the pre junior database info gets compiled with the SS application info, which then all goes into the actual application?

It was just something you can sign up for before the individual's Junior year. By this time, it's probably a moot point. One thing I would suggest is seeing if you can get your son or daughter a meet and greet with your district's Congressional Representative - they are often in the area for different events and they love to meet potential nominees. You can find out their schedules by contacting your local area outreach coordinator for that MOC.

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I was told by my son's advisor at USAFA that Boy's State carries more weight. I was told by my son's advisor at USNA that Summer Seminar carries more weight with them.
 
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