The Waiting is Killing Me!

I've been following this forum for several months and sincerely appreciate the insight and advise of all of you! Thank you. I was encouraged by an earlier post that suggested that the board met weekly to review candidate files and make appointments. However, a recent post suggests the process has changed. Argh!!! The waiting is killing me. I've got several questions:

1. Can you give me a gut check on my DD chances?
2 nominations
GPA: 4.0; Rank 1 of 431, some AP, concurrent college enrollment
ACT: Eng-31, Math 28, Read 32, Sci 29
PFT: BBT-52, PU-0 (hang 27 sec), SHRUN-9.0, MSU-72, PU-48, MILE-7:02
ATHLETICS: XC, BB, SOC, SB -- captain and multiple letters in each
EXTRA: Student Government officer, National Honor Society

2. We are visiting the AFA at the end of February. How can we leverage our trip to improve DD's chances?

3. Is it too late to reach out to coaches? Does anyone know how the competitive clubs (softball) work? Should we be reaching out to those coaches too?

4. Does the AFA accept funding from private scholarships? I know the cadets get a stipend, but I understand that it hardly covers the cadet's expenses. Can scholarship money supplement these expenses?

Any and all encouragement, advise and prayers are welcome!

Thank you.

I have one at AFA and senior in the same waiting game. Here's some quick responses, and I'm sure others more knowledgable will chip in:

1. Scores look good - but the process seems unpredictable at best.

2. Don't think there is anything to do at this point but wait.

3. I would say reach out to the coaches even if not recruited. It helps if they can be part of a team and have a built-in support structure when they arrive (very helpful). No idea on softball, but many clubs like rugby are extremely competitive nationally. My first was recruited and my second plans on competing for D1 team even though not recruited - already reached out to coaches and they responded (send stats, videos, website link, etc).

4. Yes is the answer to this I believe. I don't know the details but there are previous posts with the info you'll need.

Good luck.

The wait...

The wait kills us all, some more than others. This is my second year of "waiting".

Don't worry there will be a stalker thread soon and we can all commiserate on there together.

trust me the wait is killin' me too and all my liason said he can tell me is that i am competitive and that all i can do is wait

it's been pretty daunting sitting here with a nom and everything else in line thinking that all i'm waiting for is a yes or no from the academy. and this yes or no pretty much dictates what my future will be. fingers crossed, good luck!

I completely agree, the wait is the worst. My DS had great scores 34 ACT with 36 math and science. We didn't hear until April 1st. Believe me, the reward is worrh it.
I remember seeing information regarding the scholarships in paperwork somewhere, may have been in the big packet. This can be used to supplement costs and they will have less deductions in their paychecks.

Proud Utah Mom said:

I've been following this forum for several months and sincerely appreciate the insight and advise of all of you! Thank you. I was encouraged by an earlier post that suggested that the board met weekly to review candidate files and make appointments. However, a recent post suggests the process has changed. Argh!!! The waiting is killing me. I've got several questions:

1. Can you give me a gut check on my DD chances?
2 nominations
GPA: 4.0; Rank 1 of 431, some AP, concurrent college enrollment
ACT: Eng-31, Math 28, Read 32, Sci 29
PFT: BBT-52, PU-0 (hang 27 sec), SHRUN-9.0, MSU-72, PU-48, MILE-7:02
ATHLETICS: XC, BB, SOC, SB -- captain and multiple letters in each
EXTRA: Student Government officer, National Honor Society

2. We are visiting the AFA at the end of February. How can we leverage our trip to improve DD's chances?

3. Is it too late to reach out to coaches? Does anyone know how the competitive clubs (softball) work? Should we be reaching out to those coaches too?

4. Does the AFA accept funding from private scholarships? I know the cadets get a stipend, but I understand that it hardly covers the cadet's expenses. Can scholarship money supplement these expenses?

Any and all encouragement, advise and prayers are welcome!

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Quick answers:

1 Agree with the above response. She looks pretty good, but no one here can give you a solid 'yes' or 'no' answer.

2. Probably nothing you can do.

3. It won't hurt to contact the coach, but it probably won't help either. This late in the game the coaches have their top recruits and if your daughter isn't on their list already they won't be of much help in admissions. I'm not sure if club coaches would have any pull. My son was a ranked powerlifter in HS and did powerlifting for the USAFA club team. The club coach knew about him ahead of time and contacted him immediately after I-day, but would have had no pull with admissions. There are tryouts for the competitive club teams. Not familiar with softball in particular.

4. Scholarships can be used with some caveats. Son had one from my employer that he was able to use because it had no restrictions on it's use. All of the others that he had gotten were tied to being used for tuition or R & B, and since USAFA doesn't charge for either, he was not able to use them. The one scholarship that he was able to use sent a check to USAFA, and it was credited against his 'loan' and enabled him to pay it off sooner than scheduled. It didn't increase his net pay at all until the initial loan was paid off.

I would also disagree with the notion that the stipend 'hardly covers expenses'. The cadets will net at least a couple of hundred dollars every month, and much more in some months, even as a doolie. By the time they are 2 degrees they are getting $700-$800 a month net. Son graduated with several thousand in the bank and never went without spending money.

Stealth_81

I would definately reach out to the coaches. Just because a coach has recruited an athlete doesn't mean that he/she will be able to keep her. The late signing period for most sports is in the spring and there will be lots of movement of athletes deciding to change schools. Contact the coaches, show interest and it just may turn out! My high school senior committed to a school a year ago and she just changed commitments. It happens all the time. Good luck!

Most coaches have already been in contact with recruits for almost a year now and have the people they want locked in. Still, it can't hurt to try.

Proud Utah Mom

I can see why you are proud. Your daughter's credentials are excellent. Unless she has a personality that would turn off the ALO or made a bad impression at Summer Seminar, I think she is a lock.

You need to be aware that too much "involvement" at this time can be counterproductive. I knew a tremendous candidate with numbers like your daughter's that had a dad that wanted it so bad that he turned off the officials in admissions. No appointment for his son. Helicopter parents are frowned upon.

It sounds like you have done all you can, and your daughter has the numbers. I would encourage you to wait, rather than try to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

No sense worrying about, though as a mom, I understand the stress that waiting process holds. Make sure your plan B is in place, and when she does get that appointment, BUBBLE WRAP HER.

Worry Worry Worry

Hi
I can feel your pain. My DS is a recruited athlete and has MOC recommendation, LOA, clear medical and all applications and CFE done with good scores. Yet I still will worry until and after he reports on I-Day. It is what we do as parents. We have all seen the effort our DS or DD has put into this process and want only the best for them. Your DS sounds as qualified as many and higher than many. Hang in there and see what happens. If it is meant to be, it will be. Best of luck to your DD.
Regards
John

Thanks all for the encouragement! We will wait patiently!

Proud Utah Mom said:

I've been following this forum for several months and sincerely appreciate the insight and advise of all of you! Thank you. I was encouraged by an earlier post that suggested that the board met weekly to review candidate files and make appointments. However, a recent post suggests the process has changed. Argh!!! The waiting is killing me. I've got several questions:

1. Can you give me a gut check on my DD chances?
2 nominations
GPA: 4.0; Rank 1 of 431, some AP, concurrent college enrollment
ACT: Eng-31, Math 28, Read 32, Sci 29
PFT: BBT-52, PU-0 (hang 27 sec), SHRUN-9.0, MSU-72, PU-48, MILE-7:02
ATHLETICS: XC, BB, SOC, SB -- captain and multiple letters in each
EXTRA: Student Government officer, National Honor Society

2. We are visiting the AFA at the end of February. How can we leverage our trip to improve DD's chances?

3. Is it too late to reach out to coaches? Does anyone know how the competitive clubs (softball) work? Should we be reaching out to those coaches too?

4. Does the AFA accept funding from private scholarships? I know the cadets get a stipend, but I understand that it hardly covers the cadet's expenses. Can scholarship money supplement these expenses?

Any and all encouragement, advise and prayers are welcome!

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Join the club. I've had my app in since the summer, and I've been nominated since late november. It's going to take a long time to get anything from them. The wait is long and stressful, but I can imagine it will be worth it.

Just a side note about "working this to our advantage" bit, even if you did meet with someone who sits on the admissions process, (and its different this year, idk how) you wouldn't know who they are. If there was a way, everybody would be doing it.

I've resigned myself to hearing from USAFA this coming March. It helps me deal with the stress (though I do check my candiate portal dutifuly every morning). It's nice to have an appointment from the USMMA, but USAFA is the goal, and I will wait patiently along with the unknowing 75% of the class of 2017 who won't get their appointment until march either.

I wish your DD well, and i hope to see her on I-day.