Academy Scholars Program

luckymacy

5-Year Member
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Nov 10, 2010
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If you get an email entitled 'Exclusive Invitation to Academy Scholars Program Informational Meeting' does that mean you are automatically allowed to enter the program if you choose to participate or does the meeting just lead to more application work you have to do in order to actually be entered into the program?

I read that at one time they were looking to take on about 45 freshman every year. Is that still about the desired goal?
 
I know my DD is in the Scholars program. If I remember right she did not have to apply, but was not chosen until after the first semester. She and her counselor may have talked about it after Prog, and decided then that she qualified. Not sure on the numbers they take each year. DD also tested out of most of the Academy English classes, through AP and Academy freshman testing. She enjoys the Scholars program, however it is way more challenging than regular classes.
 
If you get an email entitled 'Exclusive Invitation to Academy Scholars Program Informational Meeting' does that mean you are automatically allowed to enter the program if you choose to participate or does the meeting just lead to more application work you have to do in order to actually be entered into the program?

I read that at one time they were looking to take on about 45 freshman every year. Is that still about the desired goal?

No, receiving the email and going to the meeting does not mean you will be automatically accepted into the program.
 
I know my DD is in the Scholars program. If I remember right she did not have to apply, but was not chosen until after the first semester. She and her counselor may have talked about it after Prog, and decided then that she qualified. Not sure on the numbers they take each year. DD also tested out of most of the Academy English classes, through AP and Academy freshman testing. She enjoys the Scholars program, however it is way more challenging than regular classes.

They "invite" 60 with the goal of 45.

Unless the program has drastically changed, I found the Scholar's curriculum far more manageable than the core in terms of time commitment with course work and material that were much more interesting and valuable. For example, instead of having daily busy work that many courses had, we would have 3 five page essays over the course of the semester.
 
No, receiving the email and going to the meeting does not mean you will be automatically accepted into the program.

What then would have to happen after the meeting to be finally accepted should you chose to commit yourself to the program?
 
What then would have to happen after the meeting to be finally accepted should you chose to commit yourself to the program?

I have to say I'm curious as well. When I went though it, an invite to the meeting was an invite for the program. At the time (and I believe it is still the case), the requirements for an invite were solely based on Ac Composite entering and GPA at Prog.
 
i was unaware that they had changed as well. For the class of 2012 it was also that an invite meant acceptance if you want it. I do not believe there is an application process at all but I can easily find out. I have two classes with the head of the scholars program
 
For 2013, we got the invite to the briefing, then there we indicated if we were interested in the program. There must have been enough people there with a higher GPA than mine that expressed interest, since that was the last I heard from the scholar's program.
 
For 2013, we got the invite to the briefing, then there we indicated if we were interested in the program. There must have been enough people there with a higher GPA than mine that expressed interest, since that was the last I heard from the scholar's program.

Sorry to hear that. Did they tell you at the briefing what the number of kids they were going to admit in was and could you tell there were 2 or 3 times that number of kids at the meeting? My son says there are at least 3 kids from his squadron who go the invite so if 3's the average per squadron (I know it's not squadron related but just using that datapoint anyway as it's the only I have for the class of 2015) then they would be inviting 2 to 3 times the number of kids if their target is still 45.
 
Could someone explain what is program is? Never heard of it. Thanks :thumb:
 
Could someone explain what is program is? Never heard of it. Thanks :thumb:

It's sort of the equivalent of an Honors Program within a larger University you'd find at a state school. Here's some of their info on it.

Academy Scholars Program (ASP). The ASP helps motivated cadets achieve higher levels of learning and intellectual excellence, provides the Air Force and the nation with a pool of intellectually talented leaders, and empowers cadets to compete successfully for prestigious graduate scholarships. For example, ASP cadets have won the Academy’s most recent Rhodes, Truman, Marshall and Hertz Scholarships, as well as the Academy’s first-ever Gates-Cambridge Scholarship at the University of Cambridge. The ASP offers participants an engaging path through the Core curriculum in special ASP sections of 18 Core courses, Core substitutes and upper-division courses across all four Academic Divisions at USAFA.
 
the first class they tried this with was 2007. Since then, every class has had scholars. In short, it's a program run from the academic side of the academy with the intent to enhance critical thinking and writing skills, particularly related to current events, and to help produce national scholarship winners.

Being a technical major, and someone not big on reading or writing, I wasn't sure about the program. However, looking back, I am definitely glad I did it when offered. I learned a lot (other than typical class material), and the fact that it was a smaller group meant I had certain classes with the same general group of people, which was nice. I made some great friends because of scholars.
 
the first class they tried this with was 2007. Since then, every class has had scholars. In short, it's a program run from the academic side of the academy with the intent to enhance critical thinking and writing skills, particularly related to current events, and to help produce national scholarship winners.

Being a technical major, and someone not big on reading or writing, I wasn't sure about the program. However, looking back, I am definitely glad I did it when offered. I learned a lot (other than typical class material), and the fact that it was a smaller group meant I had certain classes with the same general group of people, which was nice. I made some great friends because of scholars.

Like me! ;) Eagle was a pain to have class with. O_O. :D

Something like 80%+ of scholars are STEM majors (techies), so if anyone is hesitant about a reading/writing oriented program, like eagle said, it was a great choice.
 
Hmmm, writing skills are not a weakness of my cadet. In fact she has qualified out of most of the Academy English classes. She enjoys the smaller class sizes immensely in the scholars program! If she had her way she would minor in English but the Academy just doesn't see it that way (they don't offer English as a minor, though they did offer to set her up so it would appear as though she had a minor in English). She is in a techie major though, Astro Physics, she could not stand taking anymore foreign language =P Like I said she really enjoys her time in Scholars level classes. :shake:
 
Wait, what is her major? There is no astro physics major here...
 
Physics with an emphasis in Astrological sciences. I know she spends time in the observatory, volunteering.
 
Physics with an emphasis in Astrological sciences. I know she spends time in the observatory, volunteering.


Ya know you have a kid whose a geek at heart (even if not on the outside) when their favorite class is Physics and they actually search Youtube for related videos... (like mine) At least it's behind football!


:rolleyes: I have no idea where he gets its...
 
:thumb:Romad!!! Can't say where she got it from, but the girl adores physics, and all her geeky friends in the Scholars program. They are like their own family.
From a very early, and we are talking like 18 months old, my daughter has been fascinated with the stars and moon, which in turn expanded to planets, galaxies and beyond. It has always been a passion!
I may not know her exact field of Physics, but I know she is happy. :smile:
 
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