Boy's State Importance

palmettoag

palmettoag

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets 2026
Joined
Feb 4, 2020
Messages
96
Good Evening or whenever you are reading this,
I'm a junior at the moment and was thinking about attending the Boy's State for my state. I contacted my guidance counselor about the topic and he said my school had a sponsor and if I would like to attend (if COVID does not stop it) I can. I will most likely attend(seems pretty fun!!), assuming all is well, but I would like to know if anyone on this forum knows the importance of going to a Boy's/Girl's State on a Service Academy Application. Thanks!

Very Respectfully,
Usafa2026
 
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Don't pass up the opportunity my son swore by it and also went back and worked it
 
Our son had the time of his life, made life long friends with other attendees and found mentors in the counselors who he talks to regularly. He was shocked to win governor and even more so to attend boys nation. The boys who he met in both locations are still in group chats and actively discuss current politics, events, school etc.
Regardless of points or resume building, it was an invaluable experience and one that brought life long friends into his life.
 
Givvit90 said:
Great experience for myself and my sons! Just going there counts big, but don't be afraid to run for something big. If you lose, you might have a good interview story! A good documentary on Netflix about Texas Boys State. Those guys were a lot more motivated than I was!
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Welcome - based on your first few posts, you will be an a great source of info. Thank you for your service and welcome!
 
Go if you get the chance. My DS had to do the online version last summer. He didn't get nearly the experience I did 40 years ago, but still worthwhile.
 
Usafa2026 said:
Good Evening or whenever you are reading this,
I'm a junior at the moment and was thinking about attending the Boy's State for my state. I contacted my guidance counselor about the topic and he said my school had a sponsor and if I would like to attend (if COVID does not stop it) I can. I will most likely attend(seems pretty fun!!), assuming all is well, but I would like to know if anyone on this forum knows the importance of going to a Boy's/Girl's State on a Service Academy Application. Thanks!

Very Respectfully,
Usafa2026
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Attend.
 
I "did" Boys State this year. Due to Covid, there was no in-person event but if we were interested we could take a citizenship test, which gave us the same credit. I don't know what it will look like this year, but if it is that test format there is no downside to trying.
 
Since it is called out specifically on the application, you can assume it is worth a few points on the overall WCS. It is a great program. If you get the opportunity you should go.
 
My son (Boys State) and daughter (Girls State) both very much enjoyed it. But in our state, they had to be selected. There were interviews and recommendations required. If you are interested in attending, I would suggest you are sure of the requirements and deadlines for attending.
 
Givvit90 said:
Great experience for myself and my sons! Just going there counts big, but don't be afraid to run for something big. If you lose, you might have a good interview story! A good documentary on Netflix about Texas Boys State. Those guys were a lot more motivated than I was!
Click to expand...
I will definitely look into that documentary.. Thanks!
 
I can tell you from my own experience that it's an amazing time you'll have, and much more fun when you participate in what it has to offer. I, myself, didn't know what to expect, but as the week goes on, you just discover more about it and it makes you wanna dive right into as much as you can. For me, I came in without a clue of what I was going to do. The next thing I knew, I competed for county clerk and won by a landslide and also competed in my party for party-candidate for attorney general. I could tell you a whole lot more about what I did, but again I came without a clue about what I was doing so I assume it's designed that way. So I'd rather you dive in without a pre-conceptualized idea and come out with your own experience than spoil the surprises here.

I will say that you'll meet mentors there that you can stay in touch with for anything after Boys State. I was extremely lucky, as one of my mentors was a current USAFA cadet. He should be a first-class student right now, ready to commission by the end of this semester. I go to him every now and then when I have questions in my USAFA application and he's there to help. There was also a delegate there who was applying to USNA and got in. 10/10 recommend you go if you can, you never know who you may meet.
 
Go! Go! Go! Not for the leadership points but for the experience itself! Last summer it was cancelled and so my son will never get to have that experience.

The application process seems daunting but it's not bad at all. There are different ways to find sponsors. Your school, a VFW post, even a parent can be a sponsor. Our VFW was thrilled to sponsor someone after years of not sending anyone for years. You will learn so much. I wish I could turn back time and go myself!
 
DS had an interesting experience last year with COVID. Before all of that happened, he interviewed to get in to Boy’s State with the local American Legion, which was a great experience for him. He was disappointed when word came down that it was canceled, but they offered a college class on the constitution and governmental process for all those who were nominated which he took online during the summer.

It gave him three credit hours, and he didn’t think anything of the importance of the experience until last week when he got the appointment call from his US Senator. The Senator specially asked about the Boy’s State alternative solution and asked him his thoughts on the constitution and the class in particular.

Then he told him he was being accepted to West Point.

It matters.

Go.
 
I just remembered something a counselor told a busload of Boys State Attendees (our DS on the bus), 'you will get out of this week what you put into it'. At the time, it sounded kind of cheesy, our DS said. But after a week of almost no sleep and non stop action, it was a very prescient statement. Great experiences to be had for sure.
 
Some parts of the application will be an uphill battle, and others you will be spectacularly positioned to sail through them - in YOUR case, this is one of them! Your GC is well aware of Boys State. She says you are selected, sounds like no competitive rounds/selection on your campus, and your school already has a sponsor in place. It doesn't get easier than that!!! GO!!!!!

It is up to you to parse the information available and information on the internet. Look up the USMA RAND study; that is what is referenced YOY on "Boys State = Eagle Scout". Look up a hardcopy of the USAFA application bubble sheet - it's a bit harder to find but it has also been posted here on SAF, as recently as within the 2024 class cycle. The fact that Boys State has appeared on every SA application, and also in certain civilian colleges for scholarships/special programs (especially leadership-based) indicates it's importance, although we don't know exactly how much.

Agree with the above, you get what you put in. It is fun because you make it fun; don't expect anyone to make it fun for you. You will read experiences from nearly complete disengagement to nonstop action nearly 24/7 engaging, producing, learning, leading, and making lifelong friends along with your check boxes.
 
I attended Boys State mumble mumble years ago and it was probably a huge part of me ending up at USNA which in turn was instrumental in the course of my life. My son (USNA 2011) also attended when he was a junior.

I believe in the program and am now coordinate applications and sponsorships for my county as well as spend the week onsite at Boys State where I am the assistant to the Dean of Education. Boys State is a program of the American Legion and Girls State of the American Legion Auxiliary. Any other organizations that sponsor slots do so through the Legion. Many/most states went virtual for 2020 but we did not, we postponed our 2020 statesmen to this year and are planning for a double or at least a very large session for 2021 with both this years Junior and this years Seniors. The 20 or so Legion posts in my county send approx 80 boys to Boys State in a typical year and I hope to see over 100 this year.

Good Program - Lots of government and political education as well as career and college counseling. Plus Sports. Plus Music. Ours is held at a college campus and attendees can get three college credits for attending.

For many of our boys this is their first "college-style" experience. We hold a Service Academy info session and get hundreds of attendees.
 
HCopter said:
Some parts of the application will be an uphill battle, and others you will be spectacularly positioned to sail through them - in YOUR case, this is one of them! Your GC is well aware of Boys State. She says you are selected, sounds like no competitive rounds/selection on your campus, and your school already has a sponsor in place. It doesn't get easier than that!!! GO!!!!!

It is up to you to parse the information available and information on the internet. Look up the USMA RAND study; that is what is referenced YOY on "Boys State = Eagle Scout". Look up a hardcopy of the USAFA application bubble sheet - it's a bit harder to find but it has also been posted here on SAF, as recently as within the 2024 class cycle. The fact that Boys State has appeared on every SA application, and also in certain civilian colleges for scholarships/special programs (especially leadership-based) indicates it's importance, although we don't know exactly how much.

Agree with the above, you get what you put in. It is fun because you make it fun; don't expect anyone to make it fun for you. You will read experiences from nearly complete disengagement to nonstop action nearly 24/7 engaging, producing, learning, leading, and making lifelong friends along with your check boxes.
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Thank you for the feedback, just looked into the USMA and USAFA RAND Studies and quite interesting to say the least. With Boy's State, I go to a small preparatory school with a lot of connections(for sponsors and etc. outside of Boy's State) and only like 3-4 people want to go to Boy's State every year and they all get accepted to go( well since I've been in HS everyone I know who wanted to attend, did). Also just watched some videos of it and it seems like a blast. One final thing, I did look up some class profiles for USAFA and it says that roughly about 20% of each class does Boy's/Girl's State, so I'm guessing that attending Boy's State would help on the application process to get an competitive edge and I also heard that it is a good talking point in interviews. As a citizen said from my state's Boy's State said, “Boys State can’t be explained, it has to be experienced!”
 
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