Christcorp
15-Year Member
- Joined
- May 21, 2008
- Messages
- 5,382
This time of year, there are a lot of Juniors in high-school who are wanting to apply to the air force academy. Some applied to summer seminar. Some didn't. Some got accepted. Some didn't. There are many questions about: "WHAT CAN I DO NOW"? I wrote a thread a couple years back answering that exact question. I cut and pasted it here. Maybe a MOD can make this a sticky for Juniors wanting to apply. hope it helps.
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1. Junior Year of high school: About the first of the year: Find out who your son's ALO will be. Besides saying Hi; you want to apply for Summer Seminar. The NLT date for applying for Summer Seminar is approximately the 1st/2nd week of march of their Junior Year. But you'd LIKE to apply for summer seminar earlier.
2. Assuming you get accepted for Summer Seminar, your application will automatically be started there. If you don't get to go to summer seminar, you will start the survey/pre-application prior to the end of Junior Year. This way the academy can prepare the candidate kit for your son.
3. Somewhere between now and spring, read over you representative's and senator's web sites. They almost always have information/instructions on applying for a nomination to the military academies. They will even provide a phone number to one of their staff members who is in charge of the military academy nomination requests. Feel free to call this person with any questions the web site didn't clarify.
4. While the academy site mentions the candidate package (Which is online) being available in August (Prior to the applicant's senior year); it's actually usually available in July or late June. Part of the application is to have your teacher's email address so the academy can email them for an online letter of recommendation. The application will also require transcripts. So PRIOR to ending your Junior year, ask each teach for their email address. Preferably an email they will check at home, because it will be summer and they won't be in school very often. Having all the email addresses makes it easier to get that portion of the application done. Also, coordinate with the school's admin section to determine when they will be open during the summer, so you can take the paperwork in the online application to request transcripts, school profile, class ranking, etc.... to your school admin. Again, it's summer. The school isn't going to have the best hours when someone can help you. Contact them before school lets out.
5. Being you'll know who the ALO is; stay in constant contact with them. Spend from now until the end of this school year doing running, pushups, pullups, situps, etc... Be ready to take the CFA immediately.
6. Also; as soon as the application is available, schedule the medical review. Have your physical done.
7. Now that you're familiar with the representative's and senator's requirements for a nomination, contact their point of contact around May/June (Right after finishing Junior Year). Ask them when the soonest is they will start accepting nomination packets. Most will accept them early, but want at least your final grades from your Junior Year. Either way, contact them. At the same time, if you are eligible for any other nominations such as presidential, vp, etc... contact the academy counseling office AFTER the start of the application process; mid/end July. They will help you with the other nominations. If it's just your senator/representative, then you already will know that process.
8. Now; if you have all these ducks lined up, there is absolutely no reason in the world that you can't have your application completely done before 1 September. It's totally possible. I've known people who have had them done towards the end of July. If you have your teacher's lined up, school admin lined up, SAT/ACT sent automatically, and lined up with the ALO; it is totally feasible.
My son went to summer seminar around the 14th of June; in 2007. When he came back, the online application was available about a week later. He did the essays over the weekend, had the teacher's email addresses inputted, had his transcripts ready for mailing through the school the following week. He already scheduled with the ALO to take the CFA that same week. (He took it twice to see if the 2nd time would have better scores). He then submitted those scores. He had the DODMRB physical scheduled as soon as it was available. His physical was about 2 weeks later. He had his entire application 100% completed on his half, by July 19th. Within a week, the teacher's recommendations were done, transcripts in place, and because he was authorized to apply for a presidential nomination, it was completed. By 27 July; everything; including DODMRB was complete, CFA, All online, Nomination, etc... He then just started the waiting. The board starts reviewing records, the end of September or first of October.
The online application even recommends trying to have your application completed within 45 days. We took that to heart. And that was the goal. Finish it by 1 September. He had about 60 days to work with, and finished it entirely in 30 days on his part; 45 days to solidify the teachers, transcripts, medical, etc... This is definitely doable. Not only does it get you into the system sooner; (The Board WILL NOT REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION until it is 100% complete); but it also freed up my son's fall for school work, sports, having fun, and finishing his applications to other backup schools.
He STILL scheduled interviews with the state representative and senators in case the presidential fell through. They don't do their interviews until November. They make their list of nominees by December. (Each state is different). My son was fortunate because the presidential did come through for him in August, and he received his actual appointment the 1st of November. But had he not, he then would have continued with the nomination interviews for the rep and senator. They would have given names by December, and the academy would then take it from there.
Hope this explains some. The time line on the web site is pretty good. You don't put in for nominations or even talk to your representative/senators until after school lets out at the end of junior year. But you need to have it through the process before the end of December. By then, the academy is going full force looking at who has nominations and who will get an appointment. Please ask more questions if I didn't answer fully. And definitely surf this forum. There's a lot of great info here by a lot of candidates, cadets, alumni, parents, etc..... Best of luck. Mike...
************************************
1. Junior Year of high school: About the first of the year: Find out who your son's ALO will be. Besides saying Hi; you want to apply for Summer Seminar. The NLT date for applying for Summer Seminar is approximately the 1st/2nd week of march of their Junior Year. But you'd LIKE to apply for summer seminar earlier.
2. Assuming you get accepted for Summer Seminar, your application will automatically be started there. If you don't get to go to summer seminar, you will start the survey/pre-application prior to the end of Junior Year. This way the academy can prepare the candidate kit for your son.
3. Somewhere between now and spring, read over you representative's and senator's web sites. They almost always have information/instructions on applying for a nomination to the military academies. They will even provide a phone number to one of their staff members who is in charge of the military academy nomination requests. Feel free to call this person with any questions the web site didn't clarify.
4. While the academy site mentions the candidate package (Which is online) being available in August (Prior to the applicant's senior year); it's actually usually available in July or late June. Part of the application is to have your teacher's email address so the academy can email them for an online letter of recommendation. The application will also require transcripts. So PRIOR to ending your Junior year, ask each teach for their email address. Preferably an email they will check at home, because it will be summer and they won't be in school very often. Having all the email addresses makes it easier to get that portion of the application done. Also, coordinate with the school's admin section to determine when they will be open during the summer, so you can take the paperwork in the online application to request transcripts, school profile, class ranking, etc.... to your school admin. Again, it's summer. The school isn't going to have the best hours when someone can help you. Contact them before school lets out.
5. Being you'll know who the ALO is; stay in constant contact with them. Spend from now until the end of this school year doing running, pushups, pullups, situps, etc... Be ready to take the CFA immediately.
6. Also; as soon as the application is available, schedule the medical review. Have your physical done.
7. Now that you're familiar with the representative's and senator's requirements for a nomination, contact their point of contact around May/June (Right after finishing Junior Year). Ask them when the soonest is they will start accepting nomination packets. Most will accept them early, but want at least your final grades from your Junior Year. Either way, contact them. At the same time, if you are eligible for any other nominations such as presidential, vp, etc... contact the academy counseling office AFTER the start of the application process; mid/end July. They will help you with the other nominations. If it's just your senator/representative, then you already will know that process.
8. Now; if you have all these ducks lined up, there is absolutely no reason in the world that you can't have your application completely done before 1 September. It's totally possible. I've known people who have had them done towards the end of July. If you have your teacher's lined up, school admin lined up, SAT/ACT sent automatically, and lined up with the ALO; it is totally feasible.
My son went to summer seminar around the 14th of June; in 2007. When he came back, the online application was available about a week later. He did the essays over the weekend, had the teacher's email addresses inputted, had his transcripts ready for mailing through the school the following week. He already scheduled with the ALO to take the CFA that same week. (He took it twice to see if the 2nd time would have better scores). He then submitted those scores. He had the DODMRB physical scheduled as soon as it was available. His physical was about 2 weeks later. He had his entire application 100% completed on his half, by July 19th. Within a week, the teacher's recommendations were done, transcripts in place, and because he was authorized to apply for a presidential nomination, it was completed. By 27 July; everything; including DODMRB was complete, CFA, All online, Nomination, etc... He then just started the waiting. The board starts reviewing records, the end of September or first of October.
The online application even recommends trying to have your application completed within 45 days. We took that to heart. And that was the goal. Finish it by 1 September. He had about 60 days to work with, and finished it entirely in 30 days on his part; 45 days to solidify the teachers, transcripts, medical, etc... This is definitely doable. Not only does it get you into the system sooner; (The Board WILL NOT REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION until it is 100% complete); but it also freed up my son's fall for school work, sports, having fun, and finishing his applications to other backup schools.
He STILL scheduled interviews with the state representative and senators in case the presidential fell through. They don't do their interviews until November. They make their list of nominees by December. (Each state is different). My son was fortunate because the presidential did come through for him in August, and he received his actual appointment the 1st of November. But had he not, he then would have continued with the nomination interviews for the rep and senator. They would have given names by December, and the academy would then take it from there.
Hope this explains some. The time line on the web site is pretty good. You don't put in for nominations or even talk to your representative/senators until after school lets out at the end of junior year. But you need to have it through the process before the end of December. By then, the academy is going full force looking at who has nominations and who will get an appointment. Please ask more questions if I didn't answer fully. And definitely surf this forum. There's a lot of great info here by a lot of candidates, cadets, alumni, parents, etc..... Best of luck. Mike...
