Already updated to Candidate Status

gp_1022

c/o 2026 applicant
Joined
Oct 20, 2020
Messages
31
I just got an email from USAFA Admissions that says my PCQ has been reviewed and approved, and I will move on to begin the candidate phase on July 1st. I was not expecting such a quick decision on my PCQ, I’m so excited! In the meantime, is there anything I should be doing other than pursuing noms until July? Of course, I will also be preparing for the CFA and finishing out the school year. Thank you to all of you for your help in this process so far!
 
Here's coming from a reapplicant:

Whatever you don't have on your resume, get on it right now.

I had bad CFA scores and no sports to my name last year. I didn't get in. I fixed all of the issues with my application, and got an appointment this time around.

Bad run times? Start running. No leadership? Find some leadership extracurriculars. Low SAT score? Start practicing now.

It's never too early to start putting in the work. You don't want to get to March and miss out on a slot because you didn't work hard enough in June. Everything that the Academy asks for, start working on it now.
 
Each post has already provided great advice. The first thing I recommend is training for the CFA. If you don't already play a spring sport, track will be very helpful if it is an option for you. Regardless of whether you run sprints, mid or long distance, it will make a huge difference (I personally run mid to get a combination of sprints and distance). Also, when you train for the CFA, make sure to devote some time to completing the exercises consecutively. Simply running a mile or maxing out on push-ups feels very different when you've done all of the other events with minimal rest. Definitley study for your SATs -- Khan Academy is a great resoruce that is free and tailored to your strengths and weaknesses. Also, I'm not sure what leadership positions you have, but in my personal experience a new position that was only available for my senior was to become an officer in the National Honor Society. At my school, those who qualify for the society can apply during their junior or senior years and must have at least one year of experience before they can run for office (you have to be inducted junior year if you want to have the chance to run for office senior year at my school). I was elected to serve as the Vice President and it has molded me into a stronger leader while simultansously looking good on the resume and providing some good leadership examples for interviews (you will want to provide specific examples of leadership when you interview -- don't just say "I'm a good leader" -- show them WHY). If you are already asking questions on this forum you are on the right track (and way ahead of where I was when I started the application process). Best of luck.
 
I got mine about a day ago too! I got a 27 on the ACT, so good enough for the Pre-Candidate Questionnaire, but I'm retaking it in hopes of getting a 30+. What I had to really focus on was my course schedule for senior year. You need to show the Academy that you're not taking it easy because it's senior year, they want to see that you're determined and focused on staying on track for college. That and also make sure your ACT and SAT scores are the best they can be, just because they're good enough for the PCQ doesn't mean it's good in the long run.
 
Surprisingly, the same thing happened to me. You said something that caught my eye though. Should I start looking into nominations now? I got the impression that it started a bit later, but I could be wrong. Honestly, I'd be glad to have another thing to work on right now.
 
Surprisingly, the same thing happened to me. You said something that caught my eye though. Should I start looking into nominations now? I got the impression that it started a bit later, but I could be wrong. Honestly, I'd be glad to have another thing to work on right now.
I would look into the nomination process and be aware of key dates/requirements. But the actual application shouldn’t be due until the fall. Start brainstorming essay ideas because there are a lot of them and they are all different.
 
I just got an email from USAFA Admissions that says my PCQ has been reviewed and approved, and I will move on to begin the candidate phase on July 1st. I was not expecting such a quick decision on my PCQ, I’m so excited! In the meantime, is there anything I should be doing other than pursuing noms until July? Of course, I will also be preparing for the CFA and finishing out the school year. Thank you to all of you for your help in this process so far!
Patience. Patience. Patience. I had the same dates as you last year. I did my CFA in June before it got too hot in my state. I was lucky to have 4th Q last year to train while not being in school. I had everything submitted by early August. I even had my Evaluator interview completed by the end of August. I heard from USAFA on September 21 and did not hear from them until I received an appointment this past week- six long months. Years before I had looked at senator and MOC applications and had an idea what essays they required. I worked on my essays a lot!
 
Last edited:
Surprisingly, the same thing happened to me. You said something that caught my eye though. Should I start looking into nominations now? I got the impression that it started a bit later, but I could be wrong. Honestly, I'd be glad to have another thing to work on right now.

Each Member of Congress has different deadlines and requirements for applying for a nomination. Go to each one’s website and get their specific information.

Stealth_81
 
To those that have received the email stating that there PCQ has been reviewed and approved. Did you apply via the Summer Seminar application and if you don’t mind sharing, on or about what date did you submit that application. Thank you.
 
To those that have received the email stating that there PCQ has been reviewed and approved. Did you apply via the Summer Seminar application and if you don’t mind sharing, on or about what date did you submit that application. Thank you.
When I applied for the Summer Seminar, I did check the box that said I wanted it to also count for my PCQ. I sent in my Summer Seminar application on January 14. Then, on March 15, I opened my PCQ application, and most of it was already filled out for me. I am assuming that was from my Summer Seminar... Either way, the PCQ is super short and easy. I sent my PCQ in on March 16, then heard back on March 17.
 
To those that have received the email stating that there PCQ has been reviewed and approved. Did you apply via the Summer Seminar application and if you don’t mind sharing, on or about what date did you submit that application. Thank you.
I didn't go through the SS application. I submitted my PCQ on the 17th and an email on the 19th that told me I was moved to candidate status. Like @ittybittyfalcon said, it was super short, and I filled it out during my lunch period.
 
I didn't go through the SS application. I submitted my PCQ on the 17th and an email on the 19th that told me I was moved to candidate status. Like @ittybittyfalcon said, it was super short, and I filled it out during my lunch period.
yeah, it's a lot shorter than the SS application. It just asks for test scores/gpa/class size. So make sure to check your transcript if anything's updated so all info is current.
 
Each Member of Congress has different deadlines and requirements for applying for a nomination. Go to each one’s website and get their specific information.

Stealth_81
This is excellent advice. Some members of Congress have deadlines that are surprisingly early (September and sometimes August) and if you are not careful, you can easily miss them.
 
This is excellent advice. Some members of Congress have deadlines that are surprisingly early (September and sometimes August) and if you are not careful, you can easily miss them.

Both of my senators + my rep haven't updated their nomination websites yet (Still shows C/O 2025). Is this normal? I thought that they should be starting the nom process soon, so I'm just a little worried. Any advice would be great!
 
Both of my senators + my rep haven't updated their nomination websites yet (Still shows C/O 2025). Is this normal? I thought that they should be starting the nom process soon, so I'm just a little worried. Any advice would be great!
Mine were the same way. I believe it was about June or July that they updated to the next cycle. The original due dates were early September but were pushed back due to COVID. Again though, every MOC does it a bit differently.
 
Back
Top