USAFAPS Questions

A1C Rob

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
Messages
80
1. So what is a typical day actually like?

2. Does anybody know why we (priors) have to report a whole week earlier than the civilians?

3. Do we ever have interaction with USAFA/Cadets other than attending their football games etc.?

4. What extracurricular activities are offered to us at the Prep School other than athletics?

5. Have long on average should it take for me to fully out-process my base and send my belongings back home? I'm taking (2) weeks of leave in June (16th-30th) and going back home so I'm concerned about finishing everything in time.

-I know none of my questions really have a set answer, but I'm not looking for that... Just looking for some insight/advice/suggestions. Thanks
 
1. So what is a typical day actually like?

2. Does anybody know why we (priors) have to report a whole week earlier than the civilians?

3. Do we ever have interaction with USAFA/Cadets other than attending their football games etc.?

4. What extracurricular activities are offered to us at the Prep School other than athletics?

5. Have long on average should it take for me to fully out-process my base and send my belongings back home? I'm taking (2) weeks of leave in June (16th-30th) and going back home so I'm concerned about finishing everything in time.

-I know none of my questions really have a set answer, but I'm not looking for that... Just looking for some insight/advice/suggestions. Thanks

1: You wake up around 0530-0600 ish and fall out for a breakfast formation. You march to breakfast and head back to your room and get it ready for the day. From there, the class schedule is 3 periods, and you will typically have one off period a day. You don't march to class or anything. After that, there is a lunch formation. You will march to lunch, and after lunch, there is sometimes a briefing or whatever, but usually free time until EI, which is like tutoring time, at around 1400. At 1500 is PT time. You go to the gym and do whatever. Dinner is at 1745, and after dinner is study/homework time until TAPS at 2200.

2: They are going to have you help with inprocessing and teaching the non-ers (non-priors =P) how to do drill. Because of this, they need you there early. That first week was pretty chill for us priors. At least that was what happened this year. Next year they are supposed to have cadet cadre run basic again, so who knows what you will be used for.

3: Well, this year, they had the USAFA PECA group come down and talk with the priors, but other than that, it is considered frat if you hang out with cadets or whatever.

4: None really... They are really lacking in that respect. A few guys tried to set up a drum line this year, but that sorta fell through.

5: It shouldn't take that long, but what I would recommend is getting everything done that you can, so when you leave, all you have to do is outprocess the dorms and do your final out. That way, you aren't stressing about it! =D

Make sure you have some leave saved up before coming here. You will use up more leave through the year than you will have earned. If you come here with a 0 leave balance, than you will be negative at the end of the year, and you will owe finance money. This year, as with previous years, they allow prior enlisted to work the summer rather than take leave, because they don't want to see us go super negative. Remember, you have to take leave for that one month of summer. If not, than you will go negative and owe money as a freshman. Just a heads up, as a doolie, you are only making about $100 a month, so you don't want anything taken out.
 
1: You wake up around 0530-0600 ish and fall out for a breakfast formation. You march to breakfast and head back to your room and get it ready for the day. From there, the class schedule is 3 periods, and you will typically have one off period a day. You don't march to class or anything. After that, there is a lunch formation. You will march to lunch, and after lunch, there is sometimes a briefing or whatever, but usually free time until EI, which is like tutoring time, at around 1400. At 1500 is PT time. You go to the gym and do whatever. Dinner is at 1745, and after dinner is study/homework time until TAPS at 2200.

2: They are going to have you help with inprocessing and teaching the non-ers (non-priors =P) how to do drill. Because of this, they need you there early. That first week was pretty chill for us priors. At least that was what happened this year. Next year they are supposed to have cadet cadre run basic again, so who knows what you will be used for.

3: Well, this year, they had the USAFA PECA group come down and talk with the priors, but other than that, it is considered frat if you hang out with cadets or whatever.

4: None really... They are really lacking in that respect. A few guys tried to set up a drum line this year, but that sorta fell through.

5: It shouldn't take that long, but what I would recommend is getting everything done that you can, so when you leave, all you have to do is outprocess the dorms and do your final out. That way, you aren't stressing about it! =D

Make sure you have some leave saved up before coming here. You will use up more leave through the year than you will have earned. If you come here with a 0 leave balance, than you will be negative at the end of the year, and you will owe finance money. This year, as with previous years, they allow prior enlisted to work the summer rather than take leave, because they don't want to see us go super negative. Remember, you have to take leave for that one month of summer. If not, than you will go negative and owe money as a freshman. Just a heads up, as a doolie, you are only making about $100 a month, so you don't want anything taken out.

Feedback:

1. Would you say the classes are pretty rigorous?

2. This is what I'm anticipating the most, I can't wait to see where the priors will stand as far as BMT goes... Should be veeeery interesting (I'm getting flashbacks from BMT; I was an element leader).

3. Makes sense I guess!

4. That's pretty disappointing although I understand why it may be that way; they want us to focus ONLY on our academic, athletic, and military improvement...

5. Well see the only thing is, I haven't received the BFE through the mail yet (I don't think any prior has). So how can I begin on anything without having the actual package/paperwork in my hand?

-Thanks for the quick and informative response, it is much appreciated! I'm trying to get as much informaton as possible so the transition is as smoooooth as possible! :thumb:
 
Personally, I thought the classes were quite easy. Granted I didn't take physics or the Calc up on the hill.

To be honest, it was quite odd... I didn't like it. We were "separate but equal" We had to be in the same position, but we were called in quite a bit whenever ANYONE messed up. We were informal leaders per se.

If you want to get started on the paperwork, here is softcopy of what they are sending out as the BFE.

http://www.usafa.edu/superintendent/pl/Incoming/2013Package.pdf
 
Make sure you have some leave saved up before coming here. You will use up more leave through the year than you will have earned. If you come here with a 0 leave balance, than you will be negative at the end of the year, and you will owe finance money. This year, as with previous years, they allow prior enlisted to work the summer rather than take leave, because they don't want to see us go super negative. Remember, you have to take leave for that one month of summer. If not, than you will go negative and owe money as a freshman. Just a heads up, as a doolie, you are only making about $100 a month, so you don't want anything taken out.

How much leave time would you say we should have when we get there. I'm going home on leave in a month for a week but I will only have maybe 5 or so days of leave left. Will that be enough to add to the leave that we take during the year?
 
How much leave time would you say we should have when we get there. I'm going home on leave in a month for a week but I will only have maybe 5 or so days of leave left. Will that be enough to add to the leave that we take during the year?

Okay, I just check myPay to see what my leave balance was when I got to the prep school. My leave balance was 17 days of leave upon arrival to the prep school. Upon graduation, I had -2.5 days. I'm staying over the summer working in my old enlisted job, and I should be at 2.5 when I go to be a cadet.
 
Okay, I just check myPay to see what my leave balance was when I got to the prep school. My leave balance was 17 days of leave upon arrival to the prep school. Upon graduation, I had -2.5 days. I'm staying over the summer working in my old enlisted job, and I should be at 2.5 when I go to be a cadet.

That's kind of ridiculous... they really expect you to have 20+ days of leave so you don't go negative... I have maybe 7, and I need to use that to square things away back in my home state. Oh well, I guess I'll figure it out.
 
Okay, I just check myPay to see what my leave balance was when I got to the prep school. My leave balance was 17 days of leave upon arrival to the prep school. Upon graduation, I had -2.5 days. I'm staying over the summer working in my old enlisted job, and I should be at 2.5 when I go to be a cadet.
I thought you could also just pay back the Air Force for missing out on those few days, it'd be like $50-$65 or so.
 
Okay, I just check myPay to see what my leave balance was when I got to the prep school. My leave balance was 17 days of leave upon arrival to the prep school. Upon graduation, I had -2.5 days. I'm staying over the summer working in my old enlisted job, and I should be at 2.5 when I go to be a cadet.

I'm confused. In the "Instructions to Selectees' it says that we will accrue 25 days of leave and we are required to take 25 days of leave during Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring break.

How did you manage to be charged an extra 19.5 days?? That means you took a total of 44.5 days of leave!
 
I'm confused. In the "Instructions to Selectees' it says that we will accrue 25 days of leave and we are required to take 25 days of leave during Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring break.

How did you manage to be charged an extra 19.5 days?? That means you took a total of 44.5 days of leave!

If I'm correct you also have to take 5 weeks of leave before going up to the Academy from Prep when you graduate. I can see that being a factor, which means if I do manage to get in next year, I better start saving up my leave. :frown:

*Also read somewhere that if you don't have enough leave, you can pay the Air Force back for those days you missed, which like I said in my previous post wouldn't be that much. But then again, unless it's spoken from someone inside it won't mean much.
 
If I'm correct you also have to take 5 weeks of leave before going up to the Academy from Prep when you graduate. I can see that being a factor, which means if I do manage to get in next year, I better start saving up my leave. :frown:

*Also read somewhere that if you don't have enough leave, you can pay the Air Force back for those days you missed, which like I said in my previous post wouldn't be that much. But then again, unless it's spoken from someone inside it won't mean much.

Here's everything from the instructions.

Priors
a. You are NOT required to bring your leave balance to zero prior to arrival.
b. You will earn 25 days while at the Preparatory School and are required to take 25 days of leave.
c. If you receive an appointment to the Air Force Academy, any leave balance remaining will be
used during the time period between Preparatory School graduation and the first day of Basic
Cadet Training (BCT) which is approximately 5 weeks.
d. Excess days beyond the time period before BCT will be lost.
e. If you do not have any leave remaining after graduation from the Prep School, you will not be paid during your 5 week break prior to BCT

So the five weeks during the summer shouldn't matter.
 
Ahhh k, that's what I read haha. Just make sure you save up before you head home for those 5 weeks I guess is the best advice, and having a few days of leave saved up before Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring break should put you in the clear.
 
Well, just be careful with it. For this year's class, they said the same thing, and we were charged way over the 25 days they said we would be. Even the directs are now being told that they owe back for negative leave... o_O Also, I was on convi leave for the first half of spring break, so that wasn't even chargeable...
 
Yes it is, but unless you are currently in a relationship, I didn't really see anything serious form at the prep school last year.
 
I guess every year is different. There's two couples currently engaged who met at the P (07-08)
 
This might be a dead horse, but I keep hearing/finding conflicting information concerning ownership of POVs at the P. A friend of mine just finished his first year at the Academy, and said that Preppies will be allowed POVs after Parents' Weekend. However, everything I've read from the Prep School says otherwise. Any word on what I should go by?
 
This might be a dead horse, but I keep hearing/finding conflicting information concerning ownership of POVs at the P. A friend of mine just finished his first year at the Academy, and said that Preppies will be allowed POVs after Parents' Weekend. However, everything I've read from the Prep School says otherwise. Any word on what I should go by?

I gotcha man.

Page 183 of the Instructions to United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School Selectees:
"4. Please remind your son/daughter that they will not be authorized to have privately owned vehicles (POVs) while attending the Prep School."

The answer to your question is no. I'm not sure if the rule applies to directs and priors though, because this is cited from the letter to parents.
 
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FWIW, this past year some priors drove their POV's to the P and did a Self Procured Move, and got the driving days and per diam and all that. Those students had their keys taken away at basic, but at parents' weekend, they got their keys back. It was kept kind of quiet at first, and they were told that they were being trusted to not break any of the rules, but they let them keep their vehicles because some of them had liens in their own name and couldn't get out of it.
 
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