Competitive?

Hello everybody,

I am pretty new to the site. I was wondering if I was on the right path to getting into the Air Force Academy. Also if you could, tell me what else I should aim to do.

I am in:
*Civil Air Patrol
* Junior varsity soccer(could be possibly moving to varsity)
* NJHS
**Was going to be in marching band but my schedule is way to busy.

Freshman year classes

*Honors English 9
*Advanced Physical Science 9
*Spanish 9
*social studies 9
* Algebra 9
*Geometry 9 (doubled up on math)
*P.E

I can't think of much else besides that for right now. In highschool ( In 8th grade right now) I plan on doing much more, hopefully.

I have a 4.0, the last report card (B) I had was in 5-6 grade.
I have been Identified as Gifted in social studies by the state.
I score Advanced on state testing every year.
* Not sure if any of that really mattered but if it helps.


Thanks everybody!

Palmer97 said:

Hello everybody,

I am pretty new to the site. I was wondering if I was on the right path to getting into the Air Force Academy. Also if you could, tell me what else I should aim to do.

I am in:
*Civil Air Patrol
* Junior varsity soccer(could be possibly moving to varsity)
* NJHS
**Was going to be in marching band but my schedule is way to busy.

Freshman year classes

*Honors English 9
*Advanced Physical Science 9
*Spanish 9
*social studies 9
* Algebra 9
*Geometry 9 (doubled up on math)
*P.E

I can't think of much else besides that for right now. In highschool ( In 8th grade right now) I plan on doing much more, hopefully.

I have a 4.0, the last report card (B) I had was in 5-6 grade.
I have been Identified as Gifted in social studies by the state.
I score Advanced on state testing every year.
* Not sure if any of that really mattered but if it helps.


Thanks everybody!

Click to expand...

First off, well done on starting early, true commitment starts at an early age!

Honestly, I'm only a junior, so everything I say may not hold as much weight.
Regardless, I recommend:

1. Sports/being physically fit ALL the time, it doesn't hurt to be physically fit early on.
2. Grades (come first) - Make sure to take the most challenging classes (for you) and EXCEL in them!
3. Standardized Tests - Your ACT(s) and SAT(s) are PARAMOUNT to your acceptance, or so I've heard . Study for them and do well, you're lucky your're starting early, so use that lead to your advantage!
4. Extracurricular Activities - "pick" something you like and stick with it. I say "pick" because my high school has many clubs, yours may not. Nonetheless, do something. If your school has no clubs/etc, I suggest getting involved in volunteering activities, or a political cause. Or, you can do all of them if your schedule allows (or if you're okay with little sleep ).
5. Motivation - Based off of the little psychology I know from listening to my friends in AP psych. - people you hang out with/your peers affect (or is it effect?) how motivated you are about school, work, sports, etc. So PLEASE, don't start hanging out with the druggies at your school. Stay motivated. Stick with friends who will help you stay motivated. Or, hang out with who-ever you want and motivate yourself somehow. It really doesn't matter, just limit anything that can hinder your motivation/self-esteem.

Stay confident, and good luck! (And remember to have fun in high school, it truly is fun, regardless of all the things people complain about)

-TheChicagoan

Thanks TheChicagoan, My parents are both ex Air Force so they are full supporters and help me to never lose sight of my dream! My dad first told me about the academy when I was 9 and we were going to Colorado Springs to visit family when I saw the sign for the academy and I asked my dad about it. He told me all these great things about the academy. I later went on their website and did some research and instantly fell in love with the idea of the USAFA. I submitted the pre-junior registration when i turned 10 or 11 and have been thinking about it for a long time. Since next year will be my freshman year I thought this would be the time to buckle down and get serious. My dad has been a huge supporter for me. He takes us on at least 14 mile bike rides and 2 mile runs all the time. He also keeps me very motivated and on track. The Academy is my dream! I want to fly and become a pilot sooo bad! And if it isn't obvious already I am a goody goody no trouble kinda girl LOL.

I hope you make it! You sound like somebody worthy of it.

The Chicagoan had some excellent advice!

The only thing I have to add is don't forget to enjoy high school and your teenage years.

Thanks you guys, I'll try!!

Wow looks like you have high aspirations, thats good! If I might add one more thing to TheChicagoan, make sure you try to get leadership positions. AFA looks for a well-rounded student, and leadership is a big part of it. Try becoming captain of a sports team or officer in a club!

Do enjoy high school, it really is amazing. Good luck to you!

Warrior101

The worst thing you can do is to join something you don't want to do but you feel would help your resume. Enjoy high school and try your hardest, but don't make regrets.

Good job! I'm glad you've thought about the Air Force so early. I'm a sophomore right now, and will be opening my application for the academy very soon. I'm also in Civil Air Patrol, and I suggest that you do your best to rank up consistently every two months. I don't know if your squadron has discussed this, but CyberPatriot is also another thing to look into. It's a national competition that CAP members can participate in with their squadron group. And if you have a ground search and rescue team, try to get into that as well.
-Rank every 2 months in CAP
-Keep your gpa at a 3.8 throughout high school
-Volunteer consistently for one organization
-V Letter in a sport (I suggest something more vigorous, like cross country, track, or swimming because it'll build your endurance, speed, and ability to handle high altitudes).
-Btw, I have been told that, in terms of sports, they look at sophomore year-beyond. Freshman year is not put into account. If anyone has heard otherwise, let me know.
-Involve yourself in other leadership activities like leadership programs, camps, and make a club in high school.

Good luck and I hope this helped.

Good job starting early! I am a member of the USAFA class of 2016 and will be heading off to basic shortly. Unlike you I came across my dream of attending the USAFA much later in my high school career. In fact I didn't start my application until August (earliest you can start is March I believe), but I would not recommend doing that because the earlier you get it done the better. All the info stated already is great advice. I think SATs are really important; also the advice to do cross country or swimming is great. I did both and everyone I have talked to in this process has said that that training will help a lot at basic. The USAFA application looks at the "whole person" and so it is important to build your resume in a variety of areas. Here is the breakdown of the application:
60%- Academic Composite- high school performance, and SAT scores
20%- Admissions Panel- Faculty and Staff review, Candidate Fitness Test, Admissions Liaison Officer Interview, and writing sample
20%- Extracurricular Composite- Athletic participation, leadership positions, community involvement and work experience.
Here is some other typical Cadet Profile Info:
Valedictorian/Salutatorian- 10% of class
president/ vice president of Class or Student Body- 16%
Top 10% of High School Class- 51%
Athletic Letter Awards- 82%
Boys/Girls State or Nation- 21%
National Honor Society-64%
Scouting- 29%
mid 50% range of SAT Scores:
SAT Verbal- 590-660
SAT Math- 630-690

So that just gives you an idea of what a typical cadet looks like and maybe give you a model to aspire to in high school (all this info came directly from a USAFA pamphlet) Good Luck and have fun in high school!!!

One thing to remember is that appointments are geo-centric due to MOC slates. Certain states are very competitive academically compared to other states. I noticed your folks were AF, I am going to assume that will allow you to get a Presidential nom. If so, remember that slate is a national pool with no slate size limit, but an apptmt limit of 100.

You are on the right track, but there are other factors. I would not base my threshold on any other poster's experience (BFE/TWE) unless they were from your state. I would also not place any credence on it, 2 yrs ago 1350 candidates entered I-DAY, this yr it will be under 1100. It can change drastically and quickly. OBTW 2 yrs ago high 600's (680 M SAT) was the median, TY it looks like 700 will be the median.

My final advice is be honest where you stand medically right now. In the 4 yrs here I can't tell you how many posters never knew they had a medical condition in the eyes of the military. Even if your Dad was a flier and you only saw flight surgeons, there could be issues. I.E. You had seasonal allergies, mis-diagnosed as asthma, is now on your official medical records, which as a dependent the AF has in their property. That is going to be a problem.

When our DS decided this path his jr yr in HS., we took him to the flight doc and had them give him the full up exam. Had them annotate in his file he had no issues from an AF flight perspective. He never needed a waiver, but at least we had that in his records prior to his DoDMERB exam in case something arisen from that exam. In the end he took his exam on base with a flight doc, and 4 yrs later that doc had PCS'd to WP, where he took his flight exam for commissioning (AFROTC) and he signed off immediately because he was the same doc that gave it 4 yrs earlier! Small world!

Thanks Everybody! This is all very good information. The community here is very supportive and helpful. Thank you everybody soooo much!