Completing application vs Better CFA

Alpineskier

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Messages
111
My original plan was to take the CFA in late November so I would be done with every step of the application. I have no idea if its my body build or what but i cant do pull ups..... i never have been able to and i have been working on them for 9 week CONSISTENTLY and i have made little to no improvement and its driving me crazy. I am good on everything else on the CFA but pull ups so should i push my CFA back to late December so i have the best possible score? But i heard the earlier you get your application in the better chance you have. Any advice? Thanks!
 
Alpine,

Your WCS is more important then when you turn in your application. The vast majority of candidates will not hear anything until March or April. Don't let the excitement of the few who have received appointments rush you. You need pull-ups in your CFA score. If you Google, there are some great posts online that focus just on how to increase the number of pull-ups you are able to do. You have time until your app is due. Use every minute of it. Great the absolute best WCS you can. Then sit back a wait knowing you did your best.
 
You need to understand the CFA. It is a Pass/Fail in one way. You bust one portion and you bust the whole thing. 0 on pull-ups, max everything else = BUST!

A trick this site taught us was to put a pull up bar on the door of our DS's room. Everytime he entered or exited he had to do X amt of pull-ups and we increased the amount every few days. He went from 3 to 14 in about a month. You'd be amazed how often you walk in and out of your room daily.

Only the AFA can re-open the CFA portal, I would not submit yet, especially now when ALO's like Flieger and CC are saying Mass Mailing March is really going to be the bulk.

The problem you may have is if you are applying as plan B AFROTC scholarship. The CFA and PFA are different, but if you wait to submit your PFA too late, i.e. Feb. you will only have one shot for the scholarship (March).

Buy the 20 buck pull up bar and place it somewhere that you will practice alot. Don't cheat and enter or exit without doing it. Think about...exit your room for school, exit to go to the bathroom, come down for dinner, enter your room from school, from the bathroom, from dinner. I have you doing pull ups at least 6 times a day every day. Way different than doing it 1x a day at the gym.
 
Don't forget to practice the "whole" CFA before you enter your scores. Many are surprised by the draining factor. Think "a once a week" practice test, just so it isn't a surprise during the actual test. Agree with PIMA, practice, practice, practice those pull-ups. Male or Female? You might also try a "helper" such as a chair to rest your feet on until you can do a pull-up without it. The first pull-up is the HARDEST one, after that they do come easier.
 
Incline pullups. Find a waist level pipe or bar, grab onto it, rest your heels on the ground. Pull up. Practice those until you can get a decent number of them; then try pullups again.

Once you get that first pullup, just do more pullups. The best way to get better is to do more and more and more.
 
What if you are a female candidate and you cannot complete one pull up, is that a CFA bust?
 
What if you are a female candidate and you cannot complete one pull up, is that a CFA bust?

No, it is not at bust. It is infinitely better if you can do one at least. Eventually you will have to do one or more if you get to the Academy. There is a timed flexed arm hang for women if you cannot do one pull-up. You score more points though for 1 pull-up than, any length of timed flexed arm hang.

DD could not do a pull-up for her CFA (class of 2014).
 
is a 59 foot basketball throw considered a "BUST" Thats what I got...
 
Back
Top