USAFA Prep School Offers

[BlueSkies]

Thought I would start a thread for those who have had an offer already for the USAFA Prep School. The website says they start giving offers directly to the Prep School by February 1st.

[bendaddy]

To add to that, does anybody know how USAFA notifies its applicants that they have been selected to attend Prep School? Mail, e-mail, phone call?

[BlueSkies]

All I know is that in 1984, it was a letter...no idea how it is done today.

[Librarian]

My 2010 Preppie heard on March 31st by checking the online application site. The letter offering the Prep School arrived one week later.

[BlueSkies]

Originally Posted by Librarian

My 2010 Preppie heard on March 31st by checking the online application site. The letter offering the Prep School arrived one week later.

Thanks Librarian...do you remember what the "status" said? How was it different from "Appointment offered"?

[Librarian]

Blue Skies, if I remember correctly it said:

Appointment Status: Air Force Academy Prep School offered

and then the "offered" changed to "accepted" after the paperwork was returned. Currently is says this:

Your Status:
Candidate*
Appointment Status:
Air Force Academy Prep School (currently Attending Prep School)

A little history: the day after the Prep School showed on the online status, the rejection letter from the Academy itself arrived ruling out a direct entry. Already knowing about the Prep School slot helped temper that disappointment.

[BlueSkies]

Thanks Librarian. Good to know!

[sarah]

Does one apply for prep school separate from the USAFA application? My son just received the qualified no vacancy letter and is interested in prep school.

[moznick007]

Sarah: So very sorry for the news your son received. It would appear that many on this forum have recently received the thin white envelope. There are more knowledgeable on this forum than I, but I know that I have read that an application for the Academy also serves as an application for the prep school. I have also read the admonition, however, that the prep school is not necessarily for those who "just missed" getting in the academy. It would certainly not hurt to call the prep school to see if your daughter is in line for consideration and what her chances are. Good luck.

[flieger83]

Hi all!

Okay...USAFA Prep School.

It's not what you think it is.

While the mission is to take deserving candidates and to prepare them for admission to USAFA, not all candidates are created equal.

The truth...

The USAFA PS will FIRST AND FOREMOST admit candidates from the USAF enlisted force. "Officially" there's a "limit" of something like 50-75 per class but I'm here to say that if we had 100 qualified candidates from the AF, they'd ALL get in. We never seem to have enough of them.

THEN...who gets to the PS? Next will be recruited athletes that are just a bit shy of the entrance requirements (direct entry) but have met the minimums. They're usually short in the SAT/ACT area.

THEN...think diversity candidates but probably NOT what you're thinking. It's not a "pick folks of color..." quota or anything like that. Rather, the military has determined that diversity isn't just about skin tone, its also about socioeconomic background as well. So the AF will try to pick students that are qualified but weren't appointed, that are from varied socioeconomic backgrounds. They may be of minority racial groups, lower economic groups, etc., but the thing they'll ALL share in common is that through no fault of their own, they have been placed in a situation/position that they're not truly being afforded a "fair and equal" opportunity.

I know of one young lady, as an example, from an inner city school in a large city "back East" that had something like a 50% dropout rate. She was several levels above her peers, worked hard, had a job to support her family, etc...etc...but her SAT/ACT scores were NOT there. The determination (from my guessing, nobody really put it in writing to me) was that her school and socioeconomic situation didn't allow her a fair opportunity as they were "sub par" for academics.

So she was appointed to the prep school...and graduated from USAFA 5 years later as a "Distinguished Graduate" which to us Zoomie types means the same as: SUMMA CUM LAUDE.

After those categories, the remaining slots will be filled by the candidates that came closest to admissions but fell just short.

ALL candidates are considered for the prep school. You don't have to apply, call them, etc. Everyone that was a candidate will be considered.

I hope this helps.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83