Choosing Summer Seminar Programs

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Service_Academy_Seeker

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I got into the USAFA SS, the NASS, and the USMA SLE. The problem is I have Boys State the week of session #2 for the USNA and USMA. I have zero exposure to any of the Academies, but the Air Force Academy has been my #1 school for a long time. Any suggestions on which programs I should attend? Would rejecting the Air Force to attend a different academy program look bad on a future application?
 
Do USAFA if you want to go there and then I say USMA because that one is an experience unlike the others. They do very well putting it on.
 
Service_Academy_Seeker said:
I got into the USAFA SS, the NASS, and the USMA SLE. The problem is I have Boys State the week of session #2 for the USNA and USMA. I have zero exposure to any of the Academies, but the Air Force Academy has been my #1 school for a long time. Any suggestions on which programs I should attend? Would rejecting the Air Force to attend a different academy program look bad on a future application?
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I would not miss Boys State for any of the summer seminars at an Academy. Boys State will actually improve your admissions application whereas SS will not. So go to all the SS you can as long as it doesn’t conflict with Boys State.
 
Do you have any other highly desirable, high level leadership skills such as commander level experience in CAP, or JROTC? If yes, then go to USAFASS since that's your first choice. If no, then go to Boys State.
 
snarfly said:
Do you have any other highly desirable, high level leadership skills such as commander level experience in CAP, or JROTC? If yes, then go to USAFASS since that's your first choice. If no, then go to Boys State.
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I for sure will be attending Boys State, although I was a CAP cadet. My main question was if there would be any valuable experience from the other academies. The common census seems to be the USAFA SS, which I will more than likely go to now that I have feedback.
 
Service_Academy_Seeker said:
I for sure will be attending Boys State, although I was a CAP cadet. My main question was if there would be any valuable experience from the other academies. The common census seems to be the USAFA SS, which I will more than likely go to now that I have feedback.
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Not really. SS/SLE are mostly for marketing purposes. If you were in phase 3 or 4 of CAP and held some wing, regional, or national positions, I'd say skip Boys State and go to SS just for fun and exposure since you said you have none, but if you're ok with going to any SA without experiencing it, then it's wise to skip SS/SLE and go to Boys State.
 
SS/SLE are positioned as marketing outreach programs for sure. Attending a summer program isn't for their acceptance for you but you for them. Use that experience to help you determine your fit and career alignment - and ask a lot of questions during free time. Hanging out with the other summer attendees isn't a high priority but will make it fun. Most of the summer kids won't be a cadet/midshipman at the said academy in the end. Our DS got accepted to all 3 programs and attended two (after realizing one wasn't a fit for his interests and he didn't care for environment after a spring break visit.) What sold him on USAFA was the cadre he met at Seminar. He knew they'd be there if/when he was a C4C along with the campus/base which they did a nice job showcasing to the students. We aren't from a military family but he learned so much in those two programs that he felt it made a huge impact to his confidence in his choosing AF over Army and Navy. It is all a very personal decision - I believe the other SAs are amazing opportunities, but this is a time to see what motivates you for 'college' and a longer term career path
 
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