Recent content by Cider42

My DD was NWP (now a C2C). One piece of advice is to have all the nomination packages organized and ready to send (or sent) before he heads up the mountain. It will be one less item to deal with once he's up there. He'll be retaking the SAT and ACT, so he'll have new and better scores to...

One other thing to keep in mind too. Admissions typically gives the nominating member of Congress an opportunity to call the appointee and offer congrats a few days before the letter posts in the portal. Word to the wise, answer every phone call regardless of the number. My DD got a call from...

My DD was a NWP Falcon. Received her appointment in February. If you look back at the self-generated lists of appointments from 2021-2023, you may spot a batch of Falcons posting around that timeframe. The Falcon Foundation website also has the data on appointments received for each class, which...

Pikes Peak Rodeo - July 15 (no phones) March Out to Jacks - July 17 DDO - July 29 (phones) - DDO was before Jacks last year, but appears to have been pushed to after the return from Jacks on July 28 Per the Important Dates for Parents calendar

It has been awhile, but as a squadron intel officer (with AFSOC) back in the day, I was fortunate to work with our in-house SERE experts pretty often. We devised training scenarios for the aircrew - to include collecting them after a training flight and depositing them in the jungle for SERE...

My DD attended NWP as a FFS and is currently USAFA '26er. She deferred an admission at an out of state school but ultimately chose to do the required spring courses at a community college in the spring, which saved a lot of money and got the job done. NWP prepared her well. It is a unique and...

There are two overlooks as you drive up the hill from North Gate that provide a nice vantage point to view the academy from the north side. We made sure to get through North Gate early (anticipating a delay that didn't materialize), so we had some extra time before the scheduled drop off time...

I'm sure this thread will generate lots of great advice. Feel free to PM me with any questions. DD is a '26er. We arrived a few days early, but tried to keep the activity level light and focused on R&R, hydration and staying calm. There was plenty to do pre/post drop off for the parents and...

We (parents) went to '26's A-Day and really enjoyed it. Not as much ROI as Parents' Weekend (particularly Friday-Saturday), but still very much worth it IMO. PM me if you want more background.

For what it's worth, know that you have many people rooting for you "back home" and beyond....particular as a NWP 21er (my DD is your classmate). There aren't too many channels through which to show this support, but know that it is there and we are cheering for you to succeed. We are incredibly...

Do you have a Passport (or have it overnight mailed to you)? The email says one document is needed.

DD has had an issue with the 0 dropping from the beginning of our zip code. Emailed tech support listed on the portal and they appear to have corrected the issue in all of the zip code questions except for the permanent home record at the beginning for the kit. Replied to them with that issue on...

Call Mrs. Durbeck at NWP and get a full briefing on the opportunity (do the same with your other options for that matter). You can also look at the data posted on the FF website and get a sense of how many FFS go to each school. Also, if you are planning to go to NWP, you might want to reach out...

The Falcon Foundation president visits your school (e.g. NWP) in the fall and will present you with a few things. Each FFS receives a specific scholarship in the name of a notable person.

My DD is Class of 2026. I signed up for WebGuy/AOG and its been fun to look over last years pics to get a sense of things. A few tips, there is a lag time from the moment you sign up (pay) to when you have access to the photos. I'm still waiting for the app to work for me. Also, check your...