Am I Ready?

[A6E Dad]

concur with OldRetSWO

getting to work NOW on indoor track, running, lifting etc, and getting onto the spring track team, and willing yourself to earn a varsity letter will be worth more than the best essay ever written.

track is one of the only sports in HS where you can walk on with zero experience and still earn a letter if you are willing to put in the work

 

[justdoit19]

I really do enjoy being president of chess club and Mu Alpha Theta, though. It's nice being able to teach and play chess with beginners and more advanced players, and Mu Alpha Theta lets me review math concepts as well as challenge myself in units I am proficient in.

As for the organization Second Chance Bike Shop, they clean up and repair old bikes so that people who can't afford them can have a like-new bike for free. Since I'm looking to major in Mechanical Engineering, this experience is honestly perfect for me and I've been really happy working there for the past few weeks. I'm glad you mentioned this though, and I'll start to look towards more engineering/mechanics focused volunteer experiences instead of ones more food or education focused.

I don’t think anyone is trying to tell you what you should/shouldn’t do. Rather, give you different things to consider. Posters here are of various backgrounds: present candidate applicant, a seasoned BGO, a seasoned USAFA advisor, parent of a few SA applicants/appointees, fellow young applicants. Look who is missing....ADMISSIONS! And THEY are the ones that make the decisions.

Take the advice here and make your choices/decisions, but within the framework of knowing we are all anonymous, on an internet forum, offering advice. Some advice is good. Some bad. Some right. Some wrong. But it should All be filtered through the primary website of your SA website.

Do your best you. Make your best application. Also work alternate plans. And don’t forget to enjoy your senior year with friends and family.

Good luck to you!!!

 

[justdoit19]

concur with OldRetSWO

getting to work NOW on indoor track, running, lifting etc, and getting onto the spring track team, and willing yourself to earn a varsity letter will be worth more than the best essay ever written.

track is one of the only sports in HS where you can walk on with zero experience and still earn a letter if you are willing to put in the work

BTW...they are working out now. Off-season workouts. They are getting busy in the gym at 0530, lifting after school. You can ‘join the team’ today!!

 

[FrauTeufelshund]

Funny you mention the ‘250 plus’ volunteer hrs. I was just having a discussion with a potential candidate about this. He was telling me that he has xxx things planned this summer, to increase the hours (and he already has a ton!)

Its a misconception that ‘more equates better’. That’s incorrect. It’s the quality of the volunteerism, more than the number of hours, that matters. Finding ways to lead, to make a difference in the volunteering that will stand out. Vs packing in more hours. Anyone can volunteer their time. Not everyone can make difference. So to readers, don’t volunteer just to pack hours on your resume. My candidate hadn’t even thought about that, he thought more hours was better (which, BTW, is not written anywhere on the USNA/USAFA websites as far as I know. And also not in the most recent BGO training).

Many schools have cancelled their volunteering programs (service cord) due to COVID. Imo, a student who finds a way to make a difference presently does stand out! But still, it’s not the quantity. Its that quality of finding and making a difference.

The original post mentioned that he/she was being nominated for an award for 250 plus hours of volunteer work. My first response was that he/she should go into detail about that in their essay, not only list the number of hours but draw on his/her experiences in doing them. My son's BGO advised him to "stand out".

 

[PyroSweets]

The original post mentioned that he/she was being nominated for an award for 250 plus hours of volunteer work. My first response was that he/she should go into detail about that in their essay, not only list the number of hours but draw on his/her experiences in doing them. My son's BGO advised him to "stand out".

Thanks! I never thought of it that way, and now that you mention it, I do have plenty that I've learned so far from my experience volunteering.

 

[BuckeyeDad20]

Two thoughts:

1) Volunteering may play well for a nomination - one MOC for my DS was specifically interested in volunteering. That being said, getting accepted is much harder than getting a nomination so if you have it use it, but don't volunteer to the detriment of anything else.

2) Play a spring sport NOW. Play a fall sport too with the intention of going back to the spring sport next year. You do not have to be a star or the captain. You don't even have to start. You just have to be on the team. Imho, there is a seasoning that goes on when you play a sport. You learn how to deal with physical struggles, how to work with other people and how to interact around people. You get knocked down or moved to a lesser position - you learn to deal with it. You see a kid bragging about his last game and you realize, you want to be more modest in your success. You have a teammate who is dogging it - you learn to deal with it. There are a lot of social cues and lessons to be learned. There are plenty of kids on recondo at USAFA that shows you don't have to be a tri-athlete to make it - but they want you to go through that seasoning on a team.

 

[St.Katherine]

Hi! I'm looking to attend the USAFA or USMA class of 2026, as I'm a Junior in high school right now. I've been working on my portfolio since the beginning of my Freshman year, but I'm not sure if it's enough.

GPA (Unweighted): 3.846
GPA (Weighted): 4.29
Class Rank (Unweighted): 40 of 445
Class Rank (Weighted): 30 of 445
ACT Composite: 32
AP classes taken (currently taking last 3):

• AP Human Geography
• AP Biology
• AP World History
• AP Calculus BC
• AP Physics 1
• AP English Language and Composition

Honors classes taken:

• Algebra 2 Honors
• English 9 Honors
• English 10 Honors
• Chemistry Honors

Concurrent Enrollment classes taken (through Colorado's CCA, currently taking last one):

• Computer Aided Design 256
• Engineering Drawing and Design (CAD 257)
• College Trigonometry
• US History 101
• US History 102

Extracurriculars and Electives

• Spanish 2 and 3 class in grade 9,10
• Piano class in grade 9,10
• Jazz band class in grade 11
• Individual and Team sports classes in grade 9,10
• Weight training classes in grade 11
• Architectural drawing class in grade 11
• Speech and Debate club in grades 9,10,11
• Chess Club in grades 9,10,11 (President in grade 11)
• Mu Alpha Theta in grades 10,11 (President in grade 11)
• National Honor Society in grades 10,11
• FCCLA Officer in grade 11
• Students Organized Against Racism in grade 11

Sorry for the large amount of info, but I didn't want to leave a single item off the list in case if it helps. I'm also working on getting the gold Presidential Medal of Volunteerism (250+ hours in one year), and I've been nominated by my school to be their one student to receive the Carson Scholarship. In terms of the fitness aspect, however, I've never been in organized sports and have only taken the gym classes listed above (I'm also working on reducing my weight by 15 pounds in order to be eligible). Other than that, that's where I'm at right now in the process. Am I a desirable candidate for the USAFA or USMA?

Suggestions: Run the mile in 6:30 minutes.
SAT score in the 1400s.
Be extremely careful with the essays. Have the school journalism teacher review it.
Do 11+ pull-ups.