USAFA Admissions

Hello
First off, sorry for any naive and ignorant questions. Im just trying to get an idea of the whole process. Ive tried to look through other threads but I have not found anything so far.

I have already received my offer of appointment to the Naval Academy(greatest day of my life, Presidential nomination) and my LOA to USMA. I know this does not relate to anything with USAFA accepting me or not, but I was wondering if USAFA was as far into the admissions cycle as the other academies. If you were to give a rough estimate(I know this is hard and possibly not accurate) would you say USAFA has given out as much offer of appointments/LOA as the other academies yet or have they not?

Also(this might be the most gut wrenching question to knowledgable people), do academies communicate? When I was at my congressional nomination interview one person on the panel almost took it as an insult for me to continue to compete for a USAFA nomination even though I already had my USNA appointment. They almost seemed like I was being greedy? Kind of a bummer to hear...

Also, strategically speaking, is it possible that USAFA would wait and see if my congressman would nominate me before using my Presidential nomination?

Like I said before, I know it is impossible to give me any information on this topic with a high level of confidence but I would like to hear thoughts.

Thank you for all responses!
HAPPY VETERANS DAY
Jett

Pretty sure it’s impossible for anyone here to say how many offers of appointment or LOAs USAFA has issued and how they compare to the other SAs. Anyone who says they know, or can even estimate...well, they may also have some land in southern Florida they want to sell you.

No, the SAs don’t communicate with each other regarding candidates. They take great pride in finding their own ideal cadets/mids, so no need to coordinate. There may be a lot of similarities between the candidates they choose, but also some important differences.

Thank you! Also, is it bad to inform my USAFA ALO about my acceptance into USNA?

You don’t need to volunteer the information. If he/she asks, be honest. If he/she asks what your preference is, be honest.

MidCakePa said:

Pretty sure it’s impossible for anyone here to say how many offers of appointment or LOAs USAFA has issued and how they compare to the other SAs. Anyone who says they know, or can even estimate...well, they may also have some land in southern Florida they want to sell you.

No, the SAs don’t communicate with each other regarding candidates. They take great pride in finding their own ideal cadets/mids, so no need to coordinate. There may be a lot of similarities between the candidates they choose, but also some important differences.

Click to expand...

Is it strategically better for USAFA to wait and see if I get my congressional nomination or no?

1. AFA admission's cycle is not behind the other SA's; they're just on a different schedule-LOL. IOW, the other SA's will be offering their appnts. before the bulk of AFA's.
2. From what I recall from similar threads, the AFA does not give out anywhere near the # of LOA's as the others, don't sweat that though.
3. Some MOC's share noms, while others don't. It's out of your control, so don't worry about it. Good Luck.

USAFA is stingy beyond measure on LOA's...they're used with recruited athletes and some "superstar candidates" but the majority of offers...on the order of over 80% will be made in March. That's the cycle.

Trust me...it's been a question for years as to why...they have a reason and it works for USAFA so...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

Adding to this, DS’s experience last year going through all of this, was that USAFA was noticeably less communicative throughout the process than USNA (didn’t apply to other SA’s). And we read a lot of discussion about that here on the forums last year.

As stated, they are completely independent and one cannot make any conclusions based upon the status of another academy. On top of that, USAFA was very much less “in touch” with DS than USNA. So don’t make assumptions based upon how much you HAVE heard from the other academies. They all do their own thing, their own way.

Congrats, and excited to hear where you end up!

Jett22 said:

When I was at my congressional nomination interview one person on the panel almost took it as an insult for me to continue to compete for a USAFA nomination even though I already had my USNA appointment. They almost seemed like I was being greedy? Kind of a bummer to hear...

Click to expand...

You indicated the USNA acceptance was the greatest day of your life. Is USNA your first choice?

Do you have a preferred path? Have you visited USNA, USMA or USAFA? How do you want to serve? - do you want to lead troops on the ground? fly a plane or drone? support flight missions, subs, helicopters? These are the questions you need to answer and the answers really should not change based on who accepts you.

Now, if you need an acceptance to USAFA so that you can then go visit there or do an overnight so you can completely discern your choices, that can be a component of the process. But, the reality is, you should base the decision on how you want to serve.

flieger83 said:

USAFA is stingy beyond measure on LOA's...they're used with recruited athletes and some "superstar candidates" but the majority of offers...on the order of over 80% will be made in March. That's the cycle.

Trust me...it's been a question for years as to why...they have a reason and it works for USAFA so...

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

Click to expand...

Thank you!!!!

jebdad said:

You indicated the USNA acceptance was the greatest day of your life. Is USNA your first choice?

Do you have a preferred path? Have you visited USNA, USMA or USAFA? How do you want to serve? - do you want to lead troops on the ground? fly a plane or drone? support flight missions, subs, helicopters? These are the questions you need to answer and the answers really should not change based on who accepts you.

Now, if you need an acceptance to USAFA so that you can then go visit there or do an overnight so you can completely discern your choices, that can be a component of the process. But, the reality is, you should base the decision on how you want to serve.

Click to expand...

I love both paths equally! I have been to Summer Seminar for both USNA and USAFA. I want to fly.

Jett22 said:

jebdad said:

You indicated the USNA acceptance was the greatest day of your life. Is USNA your first choice?

Do you have a preferred path? Have you visited USNA, USMA or USAFA? How do you want to serve? - do you want to lead troops on the ground? fly a plane or drone? support flight missions, subs, helicopters? These are the questions you need to answer and the answers really should not change based on who accepts you.

Now, if you need an acceptance to USAFA so that you can then go visit there or do an overnight so you can completely discern your choices, that can be a component of the process. But, the reality is, you should base the decision on how you want to serve.

Click to expand...

I love both paths equally! I have been to Summer Seminar for both USNA and USAFA. I want to fly.

Click to expand...

I'm crossing my fingers that the stars align and you are able to fly. But please do yourself a favor and look at the options available for both the Navy and Air Force should something occur that prevents you flying. There are many fulfilling career options available with each service, but only you can determine which is the best fit for you. Good luck.