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You’ll see a lot of different baskets for sale during your cadet’s time at the Academy. I don’t buy them for my son because I prefer to send my own packages with items I know he’ll love instead of items picked out by someone else. As far as I can tell, he’s never felt left out because he didn’t...

It was worth every dime to me, but I’m a single mom who had just sent my only child across the country alone, so the pictures were my only comfort. I ended up with tons of pictures and made a scrapbook of them for my son for his first Christmas home. He absolutely loved it and showed it to everyone.

I’m just the mom of of a current cadet, so I’m really no expert, but it looks to me like you’re pretty well-rounded! You might want to consider taking the ACT since the academy will look at whichever test score is better. Also, make sure you really give it your all your senior year to get your...

When I wore my t-shirt with the big AF, my girlfriend said, “Aren’t you too Old to wear Abercrombie and Fitch?” [emoji23]

I completely agree with USAFA10s. My son and I both knew I’d be an emotional wreck when he left for BCT, so we decided together that he’d use the Bed and Breakfast program. It was the best decision he could have made because it allowed him to get his head on straight without having to deal with...

Congratulations on your appointment! This is what worked for my son and me: 1. He kept his checking account at our home bank, but also opened a USAA account. Keeping the home checking account allows me to put money in for him or pay any expenses that might come up. He can also transfer money...

From what I hear, a lot of cadets never visit before they show up for BCT. I’m sure it’s nice if you can visit, but it’s definitely not necessary. Oh, and congratulations on your appointment! My son is finishing up his first year, and he says it’s been the hardest and most rewarding year of his life!

Acceptance Day is a huge deal for the cadets. There’s a parade, and then they will get their shoulder boards. You’ll only get about 2 hours with your cadet, but if you can make it, it’s absolutely worth it! Last year, my son and I decided together that he’d go to I-Day by himself, and I’d fly...

He hasn’t decided his major for certain, but he’s leaning toward astronautical engineering. He also wants to be a pilot....if he doesn’t grow anymore! He’s 6’4” and the max height is 6’5” [emoji15]

Good luck to you! My son didn’t worry about his GPA, but he worried about his ACT score. He took it 5 or 6 times, and finally got a 29. He desperately wanted to attend USAFA, and I told him to apply and keep up hope until they told him no. Well, he applied, and they told him yes! He’s finishing...

I’m the mom of a recently recognized Cadet, so take my comment with a grain of salt since I have no firsthand experience, but my son said they did running, running, and more running, along with squats, flutter kicks, front leaning rests (30 minutes at a time[emoji15]), lunges, crab walks, and...

After taking x-rays, my son’s dentist recommended that he follow the Academy’s advice and have his wisdom teeth removed before I-Day. He had no problems with the surgery, and as a mom, I was glad he was able to recover at home. It’s a good idea for your future Cadet to have a dental exam and...

My son left that part blank, and I assume it was filled out by medical staff at the Academy.

My son took black compression shorts, which he was allowed to keep. He used a silver sharpie to write his ID on the waistband. He also took his own boots (Nike). He wears contacts, but since he had to wear glasses during BCT, he got a pair of prescription sunglasses. He didn’t get to wear them...

My son started his application process at the beginning of his senior year. He had ACT scores to enter into his pre-candidate questionnaire, but he took the test 2 or 3 more times after that and was able to update his scores each time. He also had his official ACT scores sent to USAFA each time...

I know you asked this about a month ago, but I just figured out the answer. TurboTax is NOT smart enough to ask if your child is attending a service academy. When I plugged the numbers in, TurboTax tried to charge the 10% withdrawal penalty for my USAFA Cadet.

My son had the same problem when he applied last year. He ended up calling admissions and telling them he’d tried to get in touch with his ALO but hadn’t gotten a response back. Within two days, he was assigned a different ALO who contacted him right away.

Your chances of getting into USAFA are based on your accomplishments, and visiting the Academy won’t make any difference as to whether or not you’re selected. My son received an appointment last year without ever having been to USAFA. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

After numerous phone calls and endless runaround, my DS finally got his USAA checking account opened last week. He emailed the same verification documents (appointment letter, travel orders, and drivers license) at least three times, and finally he was told that he needed to send a copy of both...

I'm glad you said this because I've been trying to decide if I've made the right decision in telling my DS that I can't go with him to I-day, but I'll be for A-day. He's my only child, and I've raised him by myself, so it's an understatement to say that I'm going to be a blubbering mess when he...