USAFA Summer Seminar 2019

Hello, I know there are about 4,000 other competitive junior kids trying to get into the Summer Seminar and then hopefully attend the academy once they graduate, as I do. When I started the application for the summer seminar it seemed pretty straight forward, nothing super complex. The only question I have is on the last page when you are about to hit submit you have two choices one that says "I certify that the information I have supplied with this application to the US Air Force Academy Summer Seminar program is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge. I further affirm than any additions or modifications I make to this application at a later date or time are covered by this certification." and you can check off that box and then another box that says "Option to Apply to the USAFA class of 2024:
In addition to Summer Seminar, please use this submission as an application to the United States Air Force Academy class of 2024. I understand that my application will automatically be considered when general applications open on March 1." I do want to apply to USAFA class of 2024 but Im not sure if it is a good idea to send out the information that I have from my summer seminar. Should I wait till I bring up my SAT score and do many more community service hours, I also believe multiple things will advance on my resume this year and I am not sure if I want the people seeing my application to see not the most recent information. What does everyone else think? please get back to me as soon you can. thank you

I think you should hit submit. It is a working application. You still have lots of time to amend and you knock things off the list. That application is a huge amount of work and there simply isn't a good reason to duplicate your efforts.

When I applied to summer seminar I elected to use the application as my actual candidate application.

One thing to keep in mind; USAFA Admissions uses a rolling deadline for their applications, meaning that from the time you open your application you have (if memory serves) roughly three or four months. When I did this for my SS application, my actual application was due on October 31, whereas there were others who started later whose applications were not due until January.

Your call on what to do. One advantage of starting later is that you would have more time to take the ACT/SAT. I didn't go this route; just some food for thought.

It is my understanding that Admissions will only consider your highest scores on your tests when reviewing your candidate file. Therefore, if you submitted your summer seminar application with let's say a 28 ACT, but later on the actual application was able to score a 32, you won't be viewed any differently than someone who only had the 32 ACT on their application.

Best of luck in the application process.

MtJo said:

I think you should hit submit. It is a working application. You still have lots of time to amend and you knock things off the list. That application is a huge amount of work and there simply isn't a good reason to duplicate your efforts.

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Very solid advice. October of 2019 is a long way off and going about the process efficiently is never a bad thing.

MtJo said:

I think you should hit submit. It is a working application. You still have lots of time to amend and you knock things off the list. That application is a huge amount of work and there simply isn't a good reason to duplicate your efforts.

Click to expand...

So you believe that I should just hit the regular submission for the summer seminar and the one to apply for the class of 2024 at the academy, correct? if you meant otherwise please let me know.

AF22SIS said:

When I applied to summer seminar I elected to use the application as my actual candidate application.

One thing to keep in mind; USAFA Admissions uses a rolling deadline for their applications, meaning that from the time you open your application you have (if memory serves) roughly three or four months. When I did this for my SS application, my actual application was due on October 31, whereas there were others who started later whose applications were not due until January.

Your call on what to do. One advantage of starting later is that you would have more time to take the ACT/SAT. I didn't go this route; just some food for thought.

It is my understanding that Admissions will only consider your highest scores on your tests when reviewing your candidate file. Therefore, if you submitted your summer seminar application with let's say a 28 ACT, but later on the actual application was able to score a 32, you won't be viewed any differently than someone who only had the 32 ACT on their application.

Best of luck in the application process.

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Thank you so much for the advise, I know that I am going to take the SAT again here in March with my school and hope to improve my score. I want the highest possible chance of being able to get into the school. I believe you say it might be better to hit submit right now on both of them and I might just do that. Thank you once more for the advise.

I think the biggest factor for you to consider is the rolling admissions situation. Our DS did not roll his SS application over to the USAFA one. Instead he opened his USAFA portal the first week of July and had a deadline of 10 Nov. If you use your SS application as the basis for the USAFA app--you're likely to have an earlier deadline. It's a complex and challenging process no matter when you do it (although totally worth it). In his estimation the amount of data entry work it would've saved him was negligible. So I believe the biggest decision point would be the application deadline. No matter when you open your application--you'll likely need every day of the full period they give you. Our DS uploaded his last document a mere two days prior to the deadline. Good luck!!

MMShape said:

I think the biggest factor for you to consider is the rolling admissions situation. Our DS did not roll his SS application over to the USAFA one. Instead he opened his USAFA portal the first week of July and had a deadline of 10 Nov. If you use your SS application as the basis for the USAFA app--you're likely to have an earlier deadline. It's a complex and challenging process no matter when you do it (although totally worth it). In his estimation the amount of data entry work it would've saved him was negligible. So I believe the biggest decision point would be the application deadline. No matter when you open your application--you'll likely need every day of the full period they give you. Our DS uploaded his last document a mere two days prior to the deadline. Good luck!!

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Okay thank you for this advice, I might wait then because if I send it now Im not going to have a lot of time from March-June. So I might wait in June to start the application because I want the most amount of time as possible. Do you know how much time someone has to work on their application?

Take a look at academyadmissions.com because theres a timeline and everything about the admissions process timing is explained there. From the time you are promoted to candidate status, you will have 4 months to complete the package.

@Sock Send it now! By using the USAFA application option, you will automatically be considered for Candidate status when the official application period opens ~July 1. Your USAFA deadline will be 4 months from the date you are officially promoted from prospect to Candidate. You will not be able to officially submit information until that time. Not having time March-June should not be a factor in your decision if you are serious about applying for the class of 2024. I would advise you to get a head start on your personal statements, fitness training & SAT/ACT prep during the summer. I believe the summer seminar app asks for self-reported PSAT or SAT scores & they are not required. Good Luck!

ppr.84 said:

@Sock Send it now! By using the USAFA application option, you will automatically be considered for Candidate status when the official application period opens ~July 1. Your USAFA deadline will be 4 months from the date you are officially promoted from prospect to Candidate. You will not be able to officially submit information until that time. Not having time March-June should not be a factor in your decision if you are serious about applying for the class of 2024. I would advise you to get a head start on your personal statements, fitness training & SAT/ACT prep during the summer. I believe the summer seminar app asks for self-reported PSAT or SAT scores & they are not required. Good Luck!

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Thank you so much for the reply, it really helps. How long does it take from prospect to Candidate? Once sending in this application, will I be considered a prospect? How do I go about the whole process of applying to the school?

Sock said:

ppr.84 said:

@Sock Send it now! By using the USAFA application option, you will automatically be considered for Candidate status when the official application period opens ~July 1. Your USAFA deadline will be 4 months from the date you are officially promoted from prospect to Candidate. You will not be able to officially submit information until that time. Not having time March-June should not be a factor in your decision if you are serious about applying for the class of 2024. I would advise you to get a head start on your personal statements, fitness training & SAT/ACT prep during the summer. I believe the summer seminar app asks for self-reported PSAT or SAT scores & they are not required. Good Luck!

Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the reply, it really helps. How long does it take from prospect to Candidate? Once sending in this application, will I be considered a prospect? How do I go about the whole process of applying to the school?

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USAFA typically promotes the first batch of individuals to candidate status on July 1st - once an individual is named a candidate, the application portal will open and the clock will start to complete the application (those designated as candidates on 07/01 have historically been given four months to complete their applications).

I would highly recommend that you study each link and menu on the USAFA Admissions site - it lists the application steps, provides a checklist, etc. Your summer seminar application should serve as your pre-candidate questionnaire. Good luck.

Like other posters have mentioned, the rolling deadline is key. The earliest wave usually has an end of October deadline. This limits your teacher evaluations to junior year as the senior year teachers will most likely have less than 2 months of observation. If you want to have more options for your Math and English teachers, a later deadline is optimal. A later deadline is also helpful if you want to take multiple SAT and ACTs. However, with the initial wave, you can initiate your DODMERB physical earlier (3 pieces of your application must be complete prior to getting this eval). If you feel that you may have issues that require waivers, starting the process earlier is optimal. No matter which deadline you choose, it is critical to realize that the packages for Congressional nominations have different timelines and those should be started ASAP!

Thank you everyone that has responded to my questions, I just submitted my application to the Summer Seminar, now I wait. I am so nervous but who knows.

Sock said:

Hello, I know there are about 4,000 other competitive junior kids trying to get into the Summer Seminar and then hopefully attend the academy once they graduate, as I do. When I started the application for the summer seminar it seemed pretty straight forward, nothing super complex. The only question I have is on the last page when you are about to hit submit you have two choices one that says "I certify that the information I have supplied with this application to the US Air Force Academy Summer Seminar program is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge. I further affirm than any additions or modifications I make to this application at a later date or time are covered by this certification." and you can check off that box and then another box that says "Option to Apply to the USAFA class of 2024:
In addition to Summer Seminar, please use this submission as an application to the United States Air Force Academy class of 2024. I understand that my application will automatically be considered when general applications open on March 1." I do want to apply to USAFA class of 2024 but Im not sure if it is a good idea to send out the information that I have from my summer seminar. Should I wait till I bring up my SAT score and do many more community service hours, I also believe multiple things will advance on my resume this year and I am not sure if I want the people seeing my application to see not the most recent information. What does everyone else think? please get back to me as soon you can. thank you

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I would hit submit because the summer seminar application is utilized as your precandidate application for USAFA. If USAFA deems you are competitve then you will become an official candidate sometime in July. After that you will have until January 31st to complete the SATs and send your highest scores in.

Sock said:

Thank you everyone that has responded to my questions, I just submitted my application to the Summer Seminar, now I wait. I am so nervous but who knows.

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Keep in mind that this is a very long process and there are many paths to becoming an officer. There could be setbacks and often summer seminar is seen as one (even though it shouldn’t be). There are many threads where kids didn’t get into SS and received appointments. I hope you are able to attend and experience a little piece of USAFA, but this by no means should be seen as an indication of a potential appointment (either way). Let it fuel your desire to serve.

Sock said:

Thank you everyone that has responded to my questions, I just submitted my application to the Summer Seminar, now I wait. I am so nervous but who knows.

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Good luck. But while you're waiting, go running. Often! Far and Fast! And do lots of pushups, sit-ups, forward leaning rest, and flutter kicks.

Bracken said:

Sock said:

Thank you everyone that has responded to my questions, I just submitted my application to the Summer Seminar, now I wait. I am so nervous but who knows.

Click to expand...

Good luck. But while you're waiting, go running. Often! Far and Fast! And do lots of pushups, sit-ups, forward leaning rest, and flutter kicks.

Click to expand...

Also start reviewing the information sites for each SA, ROTC branch, and each nomination source you'll be applying to. Study the requirements and log each and every deadline. Good luck.

Bracken said:

Sock said:

Thank you everyone that has responded to my questions, I just submitted my application to the Summer Seminar, now I wait. I am so nervous but who knows.

Click to expand...

Good luck. But while you're waiting, go running. Often! Far and Fast! And do lots of pushups, sit-ups, forward leaning rest, and flutter kicks.

Click to expand...

FMHS-79 said:

Bracken said:

Sock said:

Thank you everyone that has responded to my questions, I just submitted my application to the Summer Seminar, now I wait. I am so nervous but who knows.

Click to expand...

Good luck. But while you're waiting, go running. Often! Far and Fast! And do lots of pushups, sit-ups, forward leaning rest, and flutter kicks.

Click to expand...

Also start reviewing the information sites for each SA, ROTC branch, and each nomination source you'll be applying to. Study the requirements and log each and every deadline. Good luck.

Click to expand...

Thank you, will do

I used my SS Application as part of the Class of 2023 application and it saved me time. From information on my portal regarding rolling admissions:

“The Directorate of Admissions utilizes a "rolling" method of promoting applicants to candidate status and setting deadlines for the completion of the candidate kit. Applicants will be promoted in the order they applied and most deadlines to complete the candidate kit will occur between the 1st of November and the 31st of January. Once you are promoted to candidate status your specific deadline will be posted on your portal. Please be aware of the deadline since failure to complete the required items by the deadline will disqualify your application. We will send periodic reminders to you when you are two months, one month, two weeks, and one week from the deadline.
Promotions to candidate status will not start until the 1st of July. We expect that most applicants that meet our candidate guidelines and that applied before the 1st of July will be promoted to candidate status by the end of July. Applicants promoted to candidate status between the 1st of July and the 30th of September will have at least four months to complete their required items. Applicants promoted to candidate status on or after the 1st of October will typically have a deadline of the 31st of January to complete these tasks.
The Directorate of Admissions uses this method in order to provide better service to our candidates. Historical analysis shows that when we use a single deadline for all candidates the corresponding surge in our workload (as that deadline approaches) degrades our ability to respond to our candidates' inquires. Using the rolling deadlines method realigns some of the workload to lower peak periods so that we can better serve you.”

My application deadline for USAFA was November 15. I have attached a screenshot from my portal with a list of dates when things happened. FYI- I was “declined” for admission into SS (but I got into NASS and SLE). Yet I earned an appointment to USAFA and couldn’t be happier!