Reformed life

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academyhopeful1991

5-Year Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
1
I graduated high school 2009.
Poor GPA and Class rank(bottom of second quarter)
Good Test scores(30 ACT, 1400 M&CR SAT)
2 year gap between high school and college(went to university, dropped out, other bad things, battled depression, substance abuse)
enrolled myself in a character development program( past year)
current community college GPA(3.85)
Extensive community service

AFter lots of soul searching, I decided to apply for USAFA.
Originally disqualified for high school class rank and GPA.
After some long letters and phone calls, I was able to crawl my way to Candidate status.

Questions:
What are my chances?
What do I have to do to increase those chances?
What do I say about substance abuse problems? I have asked close associates and they told me that any history of substance abuse will mean automatic disqualification. I have been clean for over a year now. What to do?
What should I do to increase my chances for senator/representative nominations?
If I don't get in 2011, what should I do to assure admittance for 2012?
 
sounds like you've had it rough. don't apply if you are still dealing with any of those issues. without a very strong mental/physical/emotional fortitude the academy will chew you into pieces and spit you out like a bad piece of beef jerky.

if the academy sees a glimmer of hope, they might send you to a prep school. don't screw that up with drugs or depression.

other than that, show the academy that if they give you a shot you won't try to blow your brains out or stick a needle in your veins at the first sign of intense stress.

good luck!
 
I NEVER give anyone an answer to "How are my chances". It's not personal, and it's not your situation, so please don't take it as such. Reason is; YOUR chances are based on your COMPETITION'S CHANCES. You have to remember, the academy isn't as simple as: Meet "X" requirements and you receive an appointment. It's Meet "X" requirements, and we'll at least LOOK at your application. Then, we're going to compare you against others in your congressional district applying and choose from that group. If you aren't the winner there, we'll then compare you to all the others in your entire STATE who didn't get their congressional district slot; and we'll choose those to fill your STATE'S slot. If you don't win those slots, we put you into a National Pool where we'll choose another 500+/- to fill the class. If you don't win in that group either, then you don't get an appointment. And basically, the same rules apply for you getting a nomination from your congressman. So when a person asks: "What are my chances?" I simply ask them: "Tell me the resumes and applications of ALL the others competing against you, and I'll tell you what your chances are. Again; not personal.

Having said ALL THAT. Have you spoken with your ALO? What has s/he said about your application? Have you had your MOC Nomination interview yet. You can't even be considered for an appointment if you don't have a nomination. How did that interview go? These are the 2 sources that can give you the best feedback. Your ALO sort of knows "Some" of your competition. You MOC knows your District/State competition. I'd start with your ALO and see what you can find out. Best of luck.... Mike.....
 
First, congratulations on getting things turned around. Keep at it and continue to pursue your dreams.

Second, no one on this forum can accurately predict your chance of admission. The admissions process at any school, let alone the academies, is just too individualized for anyone to realistically predict success or failure. This is especially true in cases such as yours, where there are unusual circumstances.

Having said that, there are some things to keep in mind. Let's be honest--substance abuse and depression are huge factors in admission to any of the academies. You've made terrific progress by remaining clean for a year or so and I urge you to continue on this path, but a history (and a relatively recent history at that) of depression/substance abuse in a candidate will loom large in an admissions decision. As you continue your positive progress in turning things around, you need to also prepare yourself for the possibility that they could be permanent disqualifiers, either through a medical disqualification or by action of the admissions committee.

Your standardized test scores indicate you're a smart person, despite your university experience. While your community college GPA is terrific, your performance in the university-level courses is likely to carry more weight, particularly if it was recent. To address this, you should enroll in a four-year college and take the very same courses that first year USAFA cadets take--calculus, chemistry, foreign language, English, etc. Yes, you may have taken those courses in the community college but, fair or not, the perception is that university-level courses are closer to the USAFA courses.

When you enroll in a four-year college, participate in ROTC if at all possible. This will allow you to show the USAFA your commitment, while providing you with valuable experience even if you are not on a ROTC scholarship.

Prepare yourself for the possibility that you might not be admitted this year or even next year. Even if a history of depression/substance abuse is not disqualifying, the USAFA may want to see a sustained period (i.e., two or three years) of positive progress and achievement. Yes--this would require you to repeat the first, second or even third year of college if you are admitted to the USAFA. Consider whether you are prepared to do this.

Finally, talk with your ALO about your circumstances. Be honest, explain what happened, why and what you've done to turn things around. Your ALO can give you an assessment as to how he/she thinks the USAFA may view your application, especially if he/she has had past candidates in similar circumstances.

Good luck, keep at it, and let us know how you're doing.
 
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