Acceptance Day 2010

Can someone confirm Acceptance Day? I called the AFA admissions and no one could confirm the date. I have seen Aug 4 and Aug 5. I was told to check the AOG site but I don't see the date on the calendar. Please confirm the date so I can purchase a ticket or make plans to drive there. What time does the Acceptance parade usually began? I appreciate any response that will help me with my travel plans and taking time off from work. I plan on going for Parent weekend also. Will not be going to I Day. Son will go on his own.

Thanks in advance!

I'm 99.9% sure Acceptance Day parade is on Wednesday, August 4th. The past 3 years it has been on the 1st Wednesday in August. Classes start on Thursday. According to the academic calendar that has been released, the first day of classes are Thursday, August 5th. The parade starts at 9am. If your coming out anyway and you can swing an extra day, there is a practice parade on Tuesday that's also fun to watch and great opportunity to take pictures.

Hope this helps!

Your cadet will be SO glad to see you Acceptance Day since BCT would be over. You will have about 2 hours to spend eating a picnic lunch with your cadet and helping carry stuff that he can now have back to his dorm. That is when we took alot of stuff to our cadet (printer, new boxers, large external monitor, camera, snacks for his room, etc.). If there was anything (which there was not in his squadron) that they are not allowed to have yet, they can just put them up on a shelf and not use them until allowed. I know our cadet took back his new Boze computer speakers we gave him for Christmas but can't use them till after recognition.

You should arrive early and park by Clune Arena. There will be parents staking out picnics spots under the trees. Most setup their blankets on the ground, chairs, and icechests and left them there while they went to the parade. There will be buses to take you from there up to the parade field (also back but our cadet just wanted to walk with us, and it is downhill so no big deal). Your cadet will walk back there with you after the parade and have lunch and share information about BCT with you.

Here is a posting I replied to when this question was previously asked:

Best that I can recall, is the Acceptance Day activities are over around 11 am. It seems like we had until either 1 or 2 pm with our cadet. The ending time is the time they have to be back IN their dorm room so plan for the timing of that. I am pretty sure that we helped him carry items back to his dorm.

Before the parade, people will park by the Clune Arena and put out blankets, chairs, and ice chests to stake out a place under the trees for a picnic after the Acceptance parade/ceremony.

Bring a picnic and enjoy time with your cadet! They (ours was) will be ready to talk and tell you about BCT!

However, something to warn you about, that bothered me at first - when the parade was over the cadets are "free" for a couple of hours. Since they have been told for 6 weeks EVERY MOVEMENT you will see a "deer in the headlights" of sorts. They seem unsure of every movement (which bothered me since my child was such a confident person before leaving for the AFA). I think so much of it is that they are not always told everything that is going to happen ahead of time so that day they seemed uncomfortable winging it.

They also will be thinking ahead of all they have to do that afternoon and evening as classes start the very next morning. It is a hectic time for them coming off of such a structured 6-7 weeks and then starting classes (getting books, supplies, etc.) and a differenct routine the day after Acceptance Day.

We drove 12 hours one way to see our cadet for only about 2 hours on Acceptance Day. However, I would not trade it for anything! I know he appreciated it. However, Parents Weekend was the best - getting to see everything and then getting to LEAVE with him Saturday after the football game until Monday evening! Highly recommend renting a condo in Keystone to get away - it was a great trip!

Just a warning on this. Be prepared for NOT seeing your cadet after the parade if things don't work out. It happened to a couple of families that we knew of during son's doolie year. For whatever reason, the cadets were assigned to do something immediately after the parade and were not allowed to go visit with their families. It is rare, but you must be prepared for it to happen if it does.
I am not saying that you shouldn't go out for Acceptance Day. We went and had a great (but too short) visit. I am just saying that you need to keep it in the back of your mind.

Stealth_81

Stealth_81 said:

Just a warning on this. Be prepared for NOT seeing your cadet after the parade if things don't work out. It happened to a couple of families that we knew of during son's doolie year. For whatever reason, the cadets were assigned to do something immediately after the parade and were not allowed to go visit with their families. It is rare, but you must be prepared for it to happen if it does.
I am not saying that you shouldn't go out for Acceptance Day. We went and had a great (but too short) visit. I am just saying that you need to keep it in the back of your mind.

Stealth_81

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In our case, I was able to see my D BUT she had a trillion chores and junk to do during that time. While I was able to see her, I was in essence running aside (trailing behind) as she trotted from place to place to do this or that ..... in the end, I had the best 8 minutes of the summer at the very end of the two hour allotment. The balance of the time was running around. Thankfully, another member of her squadron volunteered to finish up things for her so she'd at least have those last 8 minutes to talk to me! Don't get me wrong, I loved it. Those few hours are still a highlight for me - and those 8 minutes in particular still rank extremely high in my ranking of special times. Hubby could not go with me so my best friend came and to this day, she also cherishes watching those special 8 minutes, "as a spectator" (she stepped aside and took pictures and gave us some privacy)!

Stealth has it right. We went out a couple of weekends freshman year only to find out that they have gone into training Friday night. Just have to be prepared to "go with the flow."

Thanks for the information. Hopefully, I will be fortunate enough to spend time with my son. I appreciate the warning about the chores and other duties that he might have to do. Will Web Guy cover the event? We have made plans to go for Parents Weekend.

sandydandy said:

I'm 99.9% sure Acceptance Day parade is on Wednesday, August 4th. The past 3 years it has been on the 1st Wednesday in August. Classes start on Thursday. According to the academic calendar that has been released, the first day of classes are Thursday, August 5th. The parade starts at 9am. If your coming out anyway and you can swing an extra day, there is a practice parade on Tuesday that's also fun to watch and great opportunity to take pictures.

Hope this helps!

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Do you know the estimated time for the practice parade?

Hello, I am a newbee to this forum. However I have seen "Webguy" posted quite a few times. Could someone help me out with this. How do we see his photos? BTC, A-Day, ect. Thank you very much.

You have to join the Association of Graduates with their 4 year parent membership. I think it was a little over $200 for the 4 year membership. You then get a username and password to login to the Webguy website. And, yes, Webguy covers Acceptance Day.

ccfletch - I had to go and look at the pictures that I took from a couple of years ago when I was there for the Acceptance Day parade. I was in the bleachers at Stillman Parade Field at 7:45 am and I took the first picture of cadets coming down the ramp at 8:13, so I'm guessing 8am was the start time and they were running a tad behind. The fun thing for me a couple of years ago was part way through the practice parade, the uppers put the basics at ease and most of my son's sq turned around and waved to me. I got lots of great candid shots of the basics.

On Wed, during the actual parade I was in the bleachers by 8:25 am and the cadets came down the ramp at 9:07 am. There were lots of parents there but by no means half. This parade won't be nearly as crowded as the Parent's Weekend Parade.

This parade is unique and one of a kind. Our basics will march into the wing. The only other parade that is unique and special is the graduation parade where the seniors march out of the wing, but our basics won't do that for 4 years. I'm thankful that I was able to attend the Acceptance Day parade for my oldest and look forward to attending again for my youngest. A definite kodak moment for those that are able to attend.

Thanks SandyDandy. I have made plans to fly to Colo on Wednesday but my flight will get there late so I guess I won't have time to watch the practice parade. Perhaps in the future if my daughter make it to the Academy, I will know the routine better. We are going to Orientation, Acceptance Day, and PW all of those trips are starting to get very costly.

ccfletch - I understand about the expenses but the 3 events your attending are priceless. It will be money well spent. After the first year, the wallet drain doesn't seem as great. You could still hang out on the chapel wall later Wed and hope for a glance of your child.

I'm confused by the last couple posts. I thought the practice parade was Tuesday and the actual parade on Wednesday. ccfletch - you said you'd arrive late Wednesday but would miss the practice parade. If you arrive late Wed, you'd pretty much miss all of acceptance day unless I'm mixed up! Thanks for any clarification! We're also trying to see if you can juggle Acceptance day and trying to get all the details too!

I was thinking about ccfletch's posting too and realized that he said Wed as well. Unless it's changed the parade should be Wed morning at 9am with the practice parade on Tues.