Chances of Getting Into the Air Force Academy

sjbd94

5-Year Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2011
Messages
202
Im am interested in the AFA obviously, haha, and was wondering how my stats stack up.

-My current unweighted GPA in a 3.4
-My ACT is a 28
-Varsity Track and Cross Country Captain(many hours of my life are occupied by running)
-Part Time Job
-Created and Manage a small lawn business
-Member of National Honors Society
-Was selected to be an intern for the county I go to school at to fix and maintain the computers/networks
-Both parents were member of Air Force if that counts for any thing (enlisted)

I know I am not the strongest candidate, XC and running takes up so much free time, but I love it. Please be honest with me, if I even have a chance and what I can do to help boost my chances, Thanks
 
What grade are you in?

ACT isn't too bad, and it looks like you have a lot of XC stuff going on. One thing you can try to do is work on the GPA a little bit. Retake the ACT, try the SAT, stay out of trouble, and work hard. Not that I can boast much experience getting into the Academy yet, but that's my one cent worth, not having another penny to rub together.
 
i am a rising senior, so perspective class of 2016, haha. I know my Gpa is probably my weakest point, but it is because i had a "rough" sophomore year (2 D's). So hopefully they can see my vast improvement that i had my junior year. I had a 3.85 this year! I am also greatly increasing the rigorousness of my courses my senior year! I just hope its not to late! I did take the SAT and didnt do to well on it (1510/2400) and i did send that score to the AFA back when i took it a couple months ago, so I cant hide that and I did not send my ACT scores yet, I filled up my free spots with all 3 rotc programs and texas A&M! But will probably be spending some money sending my ACT score to a few perspective universities!
 
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2016 is going to be one of the most competitive classes USAFA has seen. It will be the smallest class they've had in quite some time. That being said, keep in mind the academy super scores the ACT. They take the highest score in each category and that's what counts. Go in and concentrate on math, do really good in math and dont worry as much about the others. I took the ACT 9 times, and my highest composite was a 28, but my super score was a 32
 
i know the budget cuts for DoD are making all the service academies and ROTC scholarships even more competitive than before. But I really curious how my stats stand now. I am pretty confident that I can get an army ROTC scholarship which is fine by me, i just want to join the military. But I do have a preference for the Air Force, haha. Should I apply to other service academies or just the one I want to attend the most? Based off of my research i found the USNA has the highest standard test admission average than AFA then USMA. Do you think i would then have a better chance of getting into west point than the AFA? Thanks for the info!
 
do NOT pick a service academy based on how easy it is to get in. you will be there for 4 years, a small amount of time compared to a military career. only apply so a service academy if you want to serve in that branch. if you want to be in the military i'm guessing you want to make a career out of it... thats 20+ years. i want to be in the air force, so i only applied to usafa and the afrotc scholarship. what i was saying earlier is dont become complacent with your stats... im going to say you're not good enough YET, but it can easily be obtained if you want it and work hard. always strive to do better and getting in will be no problem
 
Quote from a US Air Force Academy (Admissions) Facebook page post three days ago:

Admissions Fun Fact: There were 12,713 applicants for the Class of 2015 with 1,159 of them earning appointments. This included 10 turnbacks (cadets who can't attend this year and will maintain a slot for next year) and nine international students. As of Friday Morning morning, there are 1,138 basic cadets with three in our transition flight (going home).

Let's do the math:

1,159/12,713 = 0.092 -> A mere 9.2% Acceptance rate :eek:

Compare this with some of the top university the US has to offer:
(Unless indicated, all values are admissions rate for the entering Class of 2015)


-University of Pennsylvania: 12.3%

-California Institute of Technology: 12%

-USMA: 11.2% (Class of 2014)

-Dartmouth College: 9.7%

-MIT: 9.6%

-Brown University: 8.7%

-Princeton University: 8.4%

-USNA: 8.4% (Class of 2014)

I think this really puts into perspective just how competitive getting into these service academies are.

Source 1
Source 2
Source 3


Food for thought:

Coming back to USAFA, a mere 2 years ago (so for the Class of 2013), the admissions rate was 17%!!:eek:Source I wonder what it was, say, 20 years ago? 50-60%?
 
Not to be a wet blanket, but don't assume that ROTC scholarships from any branch will be easy to come by. First off, they gave out less this year (budget cuts affected them just like the Academies) and probably will again next year. Also, remember that almost all students applying to service academies will apply to typical colleges as a backup plan and most likely will be applying for ROTC scholarships too. So you will be competing with a very high caliber group of students for the academies as well as for ROTC scholarships.

Concerning whether to apply to one or all service academies, that will just take soul searching on your part. Think beyond the 4 years of school, then would you be satisfied with a career keeping you mostly on land, in the water, or in the air? Very simplified, I know, but there are big differences between being on an air craft carrier or sub or being in the desert somewhere etc. Also realize that when you apply for MOC nominations, most likely you will be asked to rank order your service academy choices. Most MOC's don't give nominations to every academy that someone requests--they try and nominate as many different people as possible. Its possible that you could get a nomination to a service academy that is second or third etc. on your ranked list and not one to your first choice. So just be sure when you ask for nominations that you will be satisfied with whatever academy nomination you hopefully get.

Overall, I agree with packerfan and flyboy that you should really focus on academics and getting your test scores up. You want to put forth the best package you can in a very competitive year. And don't forget the CFA--work on all aspects of it so you can max out the score in as many parts as possible. Like for any job interview, be prepared to talk in detail about your activities--examples of leadership, how you dealt with difficult issues, any awards or recognition for them, etc. Good luck!
 
Quote from a US Air Force Academy (Admissions) Facebook page post three days ago:

Let's do the math:

1,159/12,713 = 0.092 -> A mere 9.2% Acceptance rate :eek:

12,713 people did not submit a completed application to the USAFA last year. You do not compete against those who do not complete an application.

And there were a lot more than 1,159 appointments. That is the number of accepted appointments.

When you get the realistic accurate numbers, you'll see that USAFA has an historic acceptance rate of around 15%-17%.
 
Actually that is the method the AFA has always used. I recall when DS was going through the process back in 07/08 they stated it was 17%, and the numbers they used were 10K opened packets and 1600-1700 were appointed.

If you used the process you are speaking of it would have been @25% or higher, because if you used the amount that completed packets it was 6600. If you used those with noms it was 3300. So it is all about what number you choose, thus theoretically back in 08 if you had a nom it was a 50-50 shot.

I agree that it is really not 9.2% in the sense of true competition, but if we use the 2/3rds will complete the packet and compete for a nom. It would be 8K that complete, and 1350 get the appointment. That places it at 15-17%. If they still have 3300 getting noms, that would give you a 40% shot, which is still lower than just a yr or two ago.

Again, it is all about which number you take to prove your position.
 
When you get the realistic accurate numbers, you'll see that USAFA has an historic acceptance rate of around 15%-17%.

I've done a few college fairs as a volunteer alumnus for VMI. I tell kids considering our SMC (as well as other SMCs/ROTC) about the SA acceptance rates by stating that, historically, 85%-90% do not get accepted, and that there is nothing wrong with you if you fall into that overwhelming majority. I always encourage them to apply to the SA first, but tell them that they will have plenty of company in the "Plan B." Psychologically, I think that lessens the blow of the reality of SA admissions for many kids.

For people who earn the appointment, they should be very proud to be part of such a small minority. Sometimes on this forum, I read posts from parents or applicants who have gotten the TWE, and they talk as if the world has just collapsed. It is tough to get told "no," but I wish there were more posts that emphasized that while it sucks, it was a long-shot to begin with, and that you can still pursue other ways to get to the end goal. To be fair, there are plenty of encouraging posts which tell the applicants to re-apply and to study hard in their Plan B. I also want to point out that a second application is something that should be considered in the context of where you'll be the following year. It's easy to say, "oh I'll go to Virginia Tech and apply to USAFA again" when a high school senior; however, you just may find that after a year at Tech (or at Texas A&M/VMI/University of Maryland/James Madison, etc.) that such an option becomes less and less appealing. On the other hand, the drive to attend an SA may never falter.

It's just important to know that priorities change, and that a TWE received from a SA doesn't mean you'll be a failure in life. Who am I to say? I'm a guy who got a TWE from a SA. I wanted to be in the military throughout my childhood, and I worked hard and applied to USMA as soon as I could. I was told "thanks, but no thanks" and went to VMI. I found myself drawn to the Air Force while a cadet, and the experience was great. I got commissioned, but after four years decided that maybe I was too hasty in thinking the military was a good option for a career. Don't get me wrong, I value my time in service; however, as can happen, my priorities and outlooks changed as I got older. What did I do? I got out and went to law school, and now I work as an attorney helping veterans. I would have never seen myself in this position as a senior in high school, but I'm pretty darn happy.

I think about this after I read every "what are my chances" thread. This isn't really directed at the OP, per se, as it is to all new candidates.

Good luck in the admissions process.
 
Getting back on track to the OP.

You have 0% chance if you don't apply. Nobody here sits on the AFA board, nobody is seeing your entire packet, thus, nobody can give you a true chance me answer.

I would say you need to take that ACT over again, or try the SAT. The avg cadet has over 30 on their ACT (they superscore). To be honest with a 28 that is even low for a Type 7 AFROTC scholarship.

Take the most rigorous courses you can, not only to be more competitive, BUT also because once there or at college you will quickly realize that classes move at a much faster pace than you can even imagine right now. The better academic foundation you have, the easier it will be academically for you.
 
My guess is most colleges publish acceptance rates that are not quite accurate. I know my son began applications at a couple schools as backups, but when he found out in Dec. that he had a Tier 1 AFROTC scholarship and could afford his #1 backup to the AFA, he stopped pursuing the other schools. I would think that because he had begun the official paperwork, had established an online acct. with these schools, etc. that he was included in their application numbers, even if he never completed their process by submitting test scores, essays, etc. Acceptance rates are used mainly just as a recruiting/marketing tool to make a school look more elite, more selective, etc.

I also wonder this year with budget cuts if the AFA did send out a "lot more" appointments or if they played it a little closer to the vest, sending out initially a smaller # than typical, and then sending out additional small batches as they received turn downs, to get close to the actual # of acceptances they wanted. We did continue to hear on these forums of appts. that arrived later than the mass mailing. Just a thought.
 
In the past, it was not uncommon to offer approximately 1700 appointments, knowing that they'd only get about 1300 acceptances, then a few that changed their mind toward June. This cycle, they definitely kept the count closer to the actual number they wanted to accept. Main reason for this, is the local economy. Unlike a traditional college, the military academies also guarantee a "Job" for 5 years. Most civilian schools aren't impacted by the economy as much as the military academies. The academies could usually count on approximately 25% of the appointments being turned down. In a down economy, that drops a lot. E.g Class of 2012, 2013, and 2014. The current senior class, "2012", started with approximately 1869, 1285 cadets after basic in the class. They are in their senior year, and still have over 1100 students. That's way above the normal, AND the law that states they are to commission no more than 1000 per year. Well, the economy is worse today, than it was 2-3 years ago. Even more are applying to the academies.
 
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