Ask a Doolie Anything

Airbud123

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2020
Messages
81
Hey I’m a doolie at USAFA I used this platform a lot to help me through the admissions process. If anyone has any questions about being a freshmen or would like some help on anything just message me!
 
What type of classes do you believe that you took helped you get into USAFA? Also did athletics play a large part into that as well?
 
What's your mental health like? I've heard that it is pretty rough just because of the class load and everything. Do you feel supported by your friends and staff there?
 
Do you know anybody at USAFA who didn’t do varsity athletics in high school and got in? (Without a principal nomination)
yes. While many cadets come with an athletic background, it is not mandatory. They look at your whole application and if you have other strengths in your profile (such as leadership, academics, etc.) you will definitely be considered. Good Luck!
 
Do you know anybody at USAFA who didn’t do varsity athletics in high school and got in? (Without a principal nomination)
My son did. He is a junior at USAFA and never played a varsity sport. He did have some great opportunities in leadership within and outside of school. He also did not have a principal nom.
 
My son (2018 grad) did not play a varsity sport. He did participate in Track and Field for the four years of HS. We also thought at the time that not being a varsity athlete would hurt his chances. He also had other leadership opportunities in and outside of HS.
 
In high-school, what was your strongest and weakest area on your application. And what good traits should I start practicing as a high school student to increase my chances of receiving an appointment.
 
What does a day in your life at USAFA look like?
We get up around 6 every morning (6:40 on days we don't have minitues) and either get to breakfast before our first period classes or just stay in our dorms until we have class. We have M days and T days which each of them have different set of schedule and it goes as a pattern (40 M and T days each in one semester). Noon meal formations happen every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday right before the noon meal around 11:30. You have to be there unless you have a valid reason. Noon meal itself is also mandatory. After lunch we either have M5 (only on M days) where we meet as a whole squad or by specific class year. Then we go back to classes. School is over around 3:40 pm and sometimes we have training sessions. It could be either a beat session (lots of PT and yelling) or an informational teaching session(such as learning how to navigate, patrol, etc). Training sessions cannot go beyond 2 hours in length so will definitely be over before 6. Then we usually go dinner or do whatever we need to do. The Mess hall opens at 5pm and closes at 8 so you'll have to schedule your things properly to not skip any meals. Academic call of quarters starts at 7:45pm which means upperclassmen cannot bother doolies anymore and where we can focus on our homework. I personally do my homework or hit the gym or the pool then do some more work and go to bed around 10:30 but there are plenty of cadets that stay up late- either doing hw or socializing.
 
We get up around 6 every morning (6:40 on days we don't have minitues) and either get to breakfast before our first period classes or just stay in our dorms until we have class. We have M days and T days which each of them have different set of schedule and it goes as a pattern (40 M and T days each in one semester). Noon meal formations happen every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday right before the noon meal around 11:30. You have to be there unless you have a valid reason. Noon meal itself is also mandatory. After lunch we either have M5 (only on M days) where we meet as a whole squad or by specific class year. Then we go back to classes. School is over around 3:40 pm and sometimes we have training sessions. It could be either a beat session (lots of PT and yelling) or an informational teaching session(such as learning how to navigate, patrol, etc). Training sessions cannot go beyond 2 hours in length so will definitely be over before 6. Then we usually go dinner or do whatever we need to do. The Mess hall opens at 5pm and closes at 8 so you'll have to schedule your things properly to not skip any meals. Academic call of quarters starts at 7:45pm which means upperclassmen cannot bother doolies anymore and where we can focus on our homework. I personally do my homework or hit the gym or the pool then do some more work and go to bed around 10:30 but there are plenty of cadets that stay up late- either doing hw or socializing.
Only to add wake up times, like many other things, are squadron dependent. DS's squadron's minutes are at 4:50AM. Or he wakes up then for 5AM minutes. I don't want to misstate, but it is early either way.
 
Only to add wake up times, like many other things, are squadron dependent. DS's squadron's minutes are at 4:50AM. Or he wakes up then for 5AM minutes. I don't want to misstate, but it is early either way.
That would shock me....curious to hear from other current cadets if that is actually a thing some squadrons do.

Very few (if any) upperclassman outside of training staff would be remotely ok with that...cadets value their sleep highly. Now if all of USAFA decided to have something mandatory super early, then sure - but sounds like that is not currently the case.
 
That would shock me....curious to hear from other current cadets if that is actually a thing some squadrons do.

Very few (if any) upperclassman outside of training staff would be remotely ok with that...cadets value their sleep highly. Now if all of USAFA decided to have something mandatory super early, then sure - but sounds like that is not currently the case.

As you suspect, this is not the case in most squads. On the Routine Order, Minutes are always scheduled for 0630 in the morning. The earliest our squad would ever move the start time was to 0615 in order to have enough time to complete standups one day every other week. Doolies would usually wake up around 0530 for the 0615 start in order to put on service dress and memorize the day's knowledge.
 
That would shock me....curious to hear from other current cadets if that is actually a thing some squadrons do.

Very few (if any) upperclassman outside of training staff would be remotely ok with that...cadets value their sleep highly. Now if all of USAFA decided to have something mandatory super early, then sure - but sounds like that is not currently the case.
I asked my C4C DS. He said EVERYONE has to be in the hall at 6:20 for minutes. Everything is squadron dependent, so some squads get up earlier than others.
 
What type of classes do you believe that you took helped you get into USAFA? Also did athletics play a large part into that as well?
I feel that my calculus physics and chemistry classes helped. Athletics helped a ton I played 3 sports in high school- volleyball, basketball, softball
 
What's your mental health like? I've heard that it is pretty rough just because of the class load and everything. Do you feel supported by your friends and staff there?
I’m not going to lie. Some days it is really really hard. But my friends are the BEST the friends that I have made here I am so blessed with. Mental health is hard especially being a doolie. But it will be better once Recognition happens! Just have to keep in mind the goal!
 
What does a day in your life at USAFA look like?
It’s well… crazy
5:30 wake up
6:30 minutes
7:30-11:20 classes
11:20-11:35 noon meal formation Monday Wednesday Fridays
11:35-12:15 mandatory lunch
12:45-3:38 school
3:50-6 training session or sports practice
7-1am study
1-5:30 sleep
 
Back
Top