160thWannabe
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2011
- Messages
- 27
I am currently a High School Sophmore aiming to attend West Point and then move on to serve with the 160th SOAR(A). I have a large number of questions regarding how I'm going to accomplish my goals.
High School
Let me start out by saying that I've had a bit of a rough start. I went through Freshman year as an average student. I was a B-average student who got some C's and some A's. I did not take a sport, and I briefly started an Ultimate Frisbee Club which kinda crashed and burned a couple weeks after its creation. In short, I was not the ideal West Point candidate. However, on a positive note, I have participated in Boy Scouts for longer than I can remember, so there's one thing I've got going for my application. Aside from the Boy Scouts thing, how bad is my Freshman year going to affect my acceptance?
This year, I'm in the process of swinging everything around. Things aren't perfect, but they're getting there. I started the first semester with 3 A's and 3 B's, and have gone into Winter Break with 4 A's and 2 B's with the intention of keeping straight-A's after break. I'm taking the hardest classes I can get my hands on, as of now I have one AP class and two honors classes. I joined and ran Junior-Varsity for my high school's Cross Country team and I ended up getting an award for showing the most improvement on the team. When February rolls around I plan on running Track as well. As for clubs, I've joined and had active involvement with the school's Advanced-Placement Club. Do you think I'm putting enough energy into this as it is, or do I need to become an even more competitive candidate? For example, should I join another club? Or take a sport during the Winter season?
During my Junior and Senior year I plan on bringing things up as my notches as possible to get my slot into West Point. I've heard a bit about SLS, and I really want to get in. Do you think, even with my bad start, that I'll have a chance to get in? I understand that it's very difficult to get in.
West Point
I'll start this part with CBT. I feel kind of over-confident that I'll be able to get through CBT. Like it'll be a breeze. What's the dropout rate for CBT? I know that a Cadet Candidate usually doesn't make it because they aren't prepared enough physically. About CBT itself, how does it differ from Enlisted BCT, aside from the fact that instead of Drill Sergeants you have Upper-Class Cadets? As a Boy Scout, I've gone on backpacking trips way longer than the 8-mile and 12-mile marches that occur during CBT. Are the marches something to really worry about? Do they warrant practice at marching with heavy loads?
I don't have any really important questions about life as a Cadet, I know it'll be challenging and that if you get below a C you're kicked out or something along those lines (is that true?).
I've heard a bit about the MIAD courses you can take over the summers, and I have some questions about those. I want to attend Air Assault School during my Plebe/Yearling Summer, Basic Airborne Course during my Yearling/Cow Summer, and SERE School during my Cow/Firstie Summer. I understand that I'll need to attend CFT during my Plebe/Yearling Summer, but I read somewhere that there is a one-week slot that summer for a MIAD. Is this true? Other than that, are there any problems/issues regarding my MIAD courses and choices? Any recommendations?
Army Career
When I graduate from West Point, I want to branch Aviation and serve with the 160th SOAR(A) as a DAP pilot (hence the username). This is why I want to go to SERE School during one of my summers. I've been talking to my recruiter, (this is me: http://www.army.mil/article/63464/) and he said that, if I prove my stuff, it's possible that I can get accepted to the 160th before I even get into a regular Army unit like the 101st. Is this true?
My God, I have created a massive thread. If anyone actually went through and read all of that, thanks. I'd rather have made one giant thread with all my questions than a billion tiny threads with single questions.
Thank you all for taking the time to read through this and sharing your thoughts.
High School
Let me start out by saying that I've had a bit of a rough start. I went through Freshman year as an average student. I was a B-average student who got some C's and some A's. I did not take a sport, and I briefly started an Ultimate Frisbee Club which kinda crashed and burned a couple weeks after its creation. In short, I was not the ideal West Point candidate. However, on a positive note, I have participated in Boy Scouts for longer than I can remember, so there's one thing I've got going for my application. Aside from the Boy Scouts thing, how bad is my Freshman year going to affect my acceptance?
This year, I'm in the process of swinging everything around. Things aren't perfect, but they're getting there. I started the first semester with 3 A's and 3 B's, and have gone into Winter Break with 4 A's and 2 B's with the intention of keeping straight-A's after break. I'm taking the hardest classes I can get my hands on, as of now I have one AP class and two honors classes. I joined and ran Junior-Varsity for my high school's Cross Country team and I ended up getting an award for showing the most improvement on the team. When February rolls around I plan on running Track as well. As for clubs, I've joined and had active involvement with the school's Advanced-Placement Club. Do you think I'm putting enough energy into this as it is, or do I need to become an even more competitive candidate? For example, should I join another club? Or take a sport during the Winter season?
During my Junior and Senior year I plan on bringing things up as my notches as possible to get my slot into West Point. I've heard a bit about SLS, and I really want to get in. Do you think, even with my bad start, that I'll have a chance to get in? I understand that it's very difficult to get in.
West Point
I'll start this part with CBT. I feel kind of over-confident that I'll be able to get through CBT. Like it'll be a breeze. What's the dropout rate for CBT? I know that a Cadet Candidate usually doesn't make it because they aren't prepared enough physically. About CBT itself, how does it differ from Enlisted BCT, aside from the fact that instead of Drill Sergeants you have Upper-Class Cadets? As a Boy Scout, I've gone on backpacking trips way longer than the 8-mile and 12-mile marches that occur during CBT. Are the marches something to really worry about? Do they warrant practice at marching with heavy loads?
I don't have any really important questions about life as a Cadet, I know it'll be challenging and that if you get below a C you're kicked out or something along those lines (is that true?).
I've heard a bit about the MIAD courses you can take over the summers, and I have some questions about those. I want to attend Air Assault School during my Plebe/Yearling Summer, Basic Airborne Course during my Yearling/Cow Summer, and SERE School during my Cow/Firstie Summer. I understand that I'll need to attend CFT during my Plebe/Yearling Summer, but I read somewhere that there is a one-week slot that summer for a MIAD. Is this true? Other than that, are there any problems/issues regarding my MIAD courses and choices? Any recommendations?
Army Career
When I graduate from West Point, I want to branch Aviation and serve with the 160th SOAR(A) as a DAP pilot (hence the username). This is why I want to go to SERE School during one of my summers. I've been talking to my recruiter, (this is me: http://www.army.mil/article/63464/) and he said that, if I prove my stuff, it's possible that I can get accepted to the 160th before I even get into a regular Army unit like the 101st. Is this true?
My God, I have created a massive thread. If anyone actually went through and read all of that, thanks. I'd rather have made one giant thread with all my questions than a billion tiny threads with single questions.
Thank you all for taking the time to read through this and sharing your thoughts.