Advice for Application

Ghayd44

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2020
Messages
16
Hello, I am a junior in high school and I am looking forward to applying for summer seminar in the next couple weeks. I wanted to outline my stats and see if anybody her any advice or ways to help it stand out. So here they are:

4.0 unweighted GPA
4.6 weighted GPA
13 Honors Classes so far
2 APs (APUSH and AP Lang)
3 More APs next year (Gov, Lit, and Calc B/C)
3 Years of Honors PLTW Engineering classes through the school including aerospace, principles, and intro.
3 year varsity tennis player
2x state championship qualifier
1 of 2 seniors on the team next year which means that I will be a captain
Vice President of Finance for DECA/FBLA this year
Running for President next year but I am the only junior VP so I have a very good shot at it.
Started a Make-A-Wish campaign at my school
Member of NHS, applying for officer position next year
Starting 6 month volunteer program at local Animal Shelter
Awarded the James C. Ray Flight Scholarship but was unable to complete it due to COVID
Part of the LINK program at my school which helps freshman transition into their high school experience
Worked as a groundskeeper for a local club this past summer and then later switched to being a pool attendant.
Taking ACT in February
Taking SAT in March
My PSAT scores come out in December

I appreciate anybody who is willing to read this and give me feedback as I have read all of the other forums and the USAFA website but I am just looking for ways to stand out a little.
 
Did you search the 100's of threads that are almost exactly the same as yours BEFORE you posted?
 
Did you search the 100's of threads that are almost exactly the same as yours BEFORE you posted?

Sorry, but that’s not the way this forum operates. Every candidate and parent is welcome to post what they feel is important. Every candidate is unique, so even though there are lots of “chances” threads and most get the same answers, we never criticize anyone who posts a legitimate thread. If there is any question about a thread’s appropriateness there are moderators to deal with it. Not you.

Stealth_81
 
Sorry, but that’s not the way this forum operates. Every candidate and parent is welcome to post what they feel is important. Every candidate is unique, so even though there are lots of “chances” threads and most get the same answers, we never criticize anyone who posts a legitimate thread. If there is any question about a thread’s appropriateness there are moderators to deal with it. Not you.

Stealth_81

Thanks, but I didn't say or imply that was the way the forum operated.

I simply asked if the poster had searched "the 100's of threads that are almost exactly the same as [his/hers] BEFORE [he/she] posted." At no time was the poster "criticized" or was the thread's "appropriateness" questioned.
 
Hello, I am a junior in high school and I am looking forward to applying for summer seminar in the next couple weeks. I wanted to outline my stats and see if anybody her any advice or ways to help it stand out. So here they are:

4.0 unweighted GPA
4.6 weighted GPA
13 Honors Classes so far
2 APs (APUSH and AP Lang)
3 More APs next year (Gov, Lit, and Calc B/C)
3 Years of Honors PLTW Engineering classes through the school including aerospace, principles, and intro.
3 year varsity tennis player
2x state championship qualifier
1 of 2 seniors on the team next year which means that I will be a captain
Vice President of Finance for DECA/FBLA this year
Running for President next year but I am the only junior VP so I have a very good shot at it.
Started a Make-A-Wish campaign at my school
Member of NHS, applying for officer position next year
Starting 6 month volunteer program at local Animal Shelter
Awarded the James C. Ray Flight Scholarship but was unable to complete it due to COVID
Part of the LINK program at my school which helps freshman transition into their high school experience
Worked as a groundskeeper for a local club this past summer and then later switched to being a pool attendant.
Taking ACT in February
Taking SAT in March
My PSAT scores come out in December

I appreciate anybody who is willing to read this and give me feedback as I have read all of the other forums and the USAFA website but I am just looking for ways to stand out a little.
Sounds like you are starting very strong. Do well on your ACT and/or SAT and definitely apply to summer seminar. I view summer seminar like this - if you get in, you are a strong candidate. If you don’t get in, it is no big deal. I’d also apply to the other service academy summer programs. Good luck and great work so far.
 
Sorry, but that’s not the way this forum operates. Every candidate and parent is welcome to post what they feel is important. Every candidate is unique, so even though there are lots of “chances” threads and most get the same answers, we never criticize anyone who posts a legitimate thread. If there is any question about a thread’s appropriateness there are moderators to deal with it. Not you.

Stealth_81
Sorry I didn’t mean to make it repetitive or anything. I saw other people doing it and wanted some extra advice. If need to take it off I’d be more than willing to.
 
Sounds like you are starting very strong. Do well on your ACT and/or SAT and definitely apply to summer seminar. I view summer seminar like this - if you get in, you are a strong candidate. If you don’t get in, it is no big deal. I’d also apply to the other service academy summer programs. Good luck and great work so far.
Thanks so much for the help, I really appreciate it!
 
If you are applying to Summer Seminar I want to remind you that it has no correlation to your eventual appointment. Do not get discouraged if you are not accepted to Summer Seminar. Although, I got into SS last summer (it was cancelled of course) and your stats look very similar to mine. Make sure to crush the ACT or SAT and do not underestimate the CFA! Good luck!
 
If you are applying to Summer Seminar I want to remind you that it has no correlation to your eventual appointment. Do not get discouraged if you are not accepted to Summer Seminar. Although, I got into SS last summer (it was cancelled of course) and your stats look very similar to mine. Make sure to crush the ACT or SAT and do not underestimate the CFA! Good luck!
Thanks so much for the response! It makes me feel better that somebody else had similar stats. Appreciate it!
 
Hello, I am a junior in high school and I am looking forward to applying for summer seminar in the next couple weeks. I wanted to outline my stats and see if anybody her any advice or ways to help it stand out. So here they are:

4.0 unweighted GPA
4.6 weighted GPA
13 Honors Classes so far
2 APs (APUSH and AP Lang)
3 More APs next year (Gov, Lit, and Calc B/C)
3 Years of Honors PLTW Engineering classes through the school including aerospace, principles, and intro.
3 year varsity tennis player
2x state championship qualifier
1 of 2 seniors on the team next year which means that I will be a captain
Vice President of Finance for DECA/FBLA this year
Running for President next year but I am the only junior VP so I have a very good shot at it.
Started a Make-A-Wish campaign at my school
Member of NHS, applying for officer position next year
Starting 6 month volunteer program at local Animal Shelter
Awarded the James C. Ray Flight Scholarship but was unable to complete it due to COVID
Part of the LINK program at my school which helps freshman transition into their high school experience
Worked as a groundskeeper for a local club this past summer and then later switched to being a pool attendant.
Taking ACT in February
Taking SAT in March
My PSAT scores come out in December

I appreciate anybody who is willing to read this and give me feedback as I have read all of the other forums and the USAFA website but I am just looking for ways to stand out a little.
You should try to take the SAT and ACE much earlier if at all possible. March is late in my opinion. Consider that I often see Summer Seminar applicants who already have scores (by January) . Don't wait for the PSATs to be done, jump on the SAT/ACT ASAP.
 
You should try to take the SAT and ACE much earlier if at all possible. March is late in my opinion. Consider that I often see Summer Seminar applicants who already have scores (by January) . Don't wait for the PSATs to be done, jump on the SAT/ACT ASAP.
Yah I completely agree with you on that one the only reason that I decided to do it in February and March was because the ACT in February would give me ample time to study and prepare and try to get a very high score instead of being rushed. For the SAT, my school offers it for free in March so I thought that it would align nicely with the ACT studying as well as not having loads of pressure on me if I do well on the ACT. I really appreciate your input though it means a lot to me.
 
My two cents....Summer Seminar is a recruiting tool more than an evaluation tool. My DS, child of two USAF officers and had his PPL did not get into Summer Seminar. He did get into USNA Summer Seminar. He is now a Doolie. My take is, they knew they pretty much had him in the bag and didn't need to convince him by bringing him out to Summer Seminar - his parents talked to him about USAF and he clearly was interested in flying. Moreover, he wasn't in a demographic that they wanted to be more aggressive with. So if you have competitive scores AND in a demographic they are looking to target, you have a good chance. We live in Ohio, 60 mins from WPAFB - I expect they have no problem getting interest from this part of the country.
 
My two cents....Summer Seminar is a recruiting tool more than an evaluation tool. My DS, child of two USAF officers and had his PPL did not get into Summer Seminar. He did get into USNA Summer Seminar. He is now a Doolie. My take is, they knew they pretty much had him in the bag and didn't need to convince him by bringing him out to Summer Seminar - his parents talked to him about USAF and he clearly was interested in flying. Moreover, he wasn't in a demographic that they wanted to be more aggressive with. So if you have competitive scores AND in a demographic they are looking to target, you have a good chance. We live in Ohio, 60 mins from WPAFB - I expect they have no problem getting interest from this part of the country.
Yah I absolutely agree with you on that one. I am definitely in a demographic that they are not targeting specifically because (to not get too detailed) I live about 15 minutes away from the academy. But yah I’m definitely not extremely reliant on getting into SS and all the points made to me in this forum have been helpful in processing how my mindset should be regarding it. Thanks so much for the response!!
 
I second the advice regarding the Summer Seminar. Our son attended USNA STEM and was not accepted into the Summer Seminar. He was disappointed, thinking it reflected on his chances, which it absolutely did not. It is, like the other programs at each academy, a recruiting tool. They want to give as many people a chance to see and experience the academies as possible. He is currently a plebe. You have a nice-looking resume, get those tests taken, and keep training for the physical components. Make sure you have a good relationship with the teachers who will be writing the letters of recommendation and evaluations for you. Good luck to you.
 
I second the advice regarding the Summer Seminar. Our son attended USNA STEM and was not accepted into the Summer Seminar. He was disappointed, thinking it reflected on his chances, which it absolutely did not. It is, like the other programs at each academy, a recruiting tool. They want to give as many people a chance to see and experience the academies as possible. He is currently a plebe. You have a nice-looking resume, get those tests taken, and keep training for the physical components. Make sure you have a good relationship with the teachers who will be writing the letters of recommendation and evaluations for you. Good luck to you.
Yes I absolutely agree with all of those statements. I appreciate the response!
 
My two cents....Summer Seminar is a recruiting tool more than an evaluation tool. My DS, child of two USAF officers and had his PPL did not get into Summer Seminar. He did get into USNA Summer Seminar. He is now a Doolie. My take is, they knew they pretty much had him in the bag and didn't need to convince him by bringing him out to Summer Seminar - his parents talked to him about USAF and he clearly was interested in flying. Moreover, he wasn't in a demographic that they wanted to be more aggressive with. So if you have competitive scores AND in a demographic they are looking to target, you have a good chance. We live in Ohio, 60 mins from WPAFB - I expect they have no problem getting interest from this part of the country.
Quick question, what is the targeted demographics as to say?
 
Yah I absolutely agree with you on that one. I am definitely in a demographic that they are not targeting specifically because (to not get too detailed) I live about 15 minutes away from the academy. But yah I’m definitely not extremely reliant on getting into SS and all the points made to me in this forum have been helpful in processing how my mindset should be regarding it. Thanks so much for the response!!
You live 15 minutes away from the academy?! I bet your district is crazy competitive. Be sure to jump on the nomination process early because there will likely be many candidates who are competing for only a few nominations.
 
Quick question, what is the targeted demographics as to say?

I do not know the actual targeted demographics for admissions, but the Superintendent and Commandant were very up front in discussing the class of 2024 about trying to get the entry class to look like the demographics of America as a whole. That means more minorities and more women relative to recent classes. The idea is that they do not change standards, but change outreach to increase interest from those groups. Summer Seminar is a great tool to build interest in these cases.

Geographic diversity broadly speaking is baked in to a degree through the nomination process, but I wouldn't be surprised if certain parts of the country could be boosted by outreach as well.
 
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