Hi, I'm a parent who just attended the AEP February session that occurred yesterday and today. DS attended AIM last year but wanted exposure to a day in the life of a cadet while classes were in session so asked to attend AEP. He's glad he did. He wondered how it would differ from the swab summer experience and had his questions answered. He really liked that he was teamed up with a 4th class cadet as the cadet and his peers were most close in age and still getting through their first year. DS found the experience informative and reassuring.
As mentioned by
@applicant, there were originally three appointees intending to sign commitments today, but at least three more made up their minds last night or this morning and committed to attending. It was fun to watch the surprise on a few faces as someone's DD or DS decided then and there it was the right place for them to be and went forward to sign. The signings occurred in the museum which made for nice surroundings. I believe most of the parents found some part of the AEP beneficial and informative. I found the staff and cadet representatives very transparent. I'm extremely impressed with how open the USCGA has been. Meeting other parents and sharing experiences and dilemmas was valuable. If DS does commit it will be nice to see familiar faces in the future (DS remains undecided as he's waiting on responses from other schools before making a final decision). The dinner sponsored Thursday evening featured Academy staff, Admissions staff and some senior (1/class) cadets. It was informal and they floated around to try and touch base with all the parents and answer any questions asked. On the second day we met the faculty from the academic department DS had chosen as his area of interest, and this was very rewarding.
If a student is unsure or on the fence I would encourage attending AEP. If a parent wants to learn more about the USCGA and has a chance to attend I would recommend it. If a student is already committed to attending USCGA and had the opportunity to visit at an earlier date it may not be worth the trip, unless it's not a financial and time burden. We live just under 300 miles away and have family in CT so it wasn't a huge burden for us to drive. For what it's worth, if you have to fly and can afford a ticket to Hartford or Providence it's well worth avoiding the potential traffic issues with Boston's Logan airport or NYC area airports. Boston vs NYC airports? - go with Boston unless you're planning a visit to NYC or the NYC metro area.
Hope this was helpful.
