Congressional Appointments & CFA Deadline

[TSucin]

I only recently found out about USAFA halfway through my first college semester, but I already know this is where I have to go. I have a lot of work to do so I can perform well on the CFA, and I know that congressional appointment deadlines are approaching.

My questions are if I should wait until next year to apply, or if there's still a chance. Also if I decide to apply this year, will it hurt my future chances of getting accepted if I get rejected? (The phrase "your file will be closed" from the pre-candidate booklet sounds like being rejected dulls my future chances.)



P.S. I'm new to this forum, so apologies if there's a better place to ask.

Thank you for any input!

 

[justdoit19]

I don’t know if you should wait or not, but there is a large number of applicants who don’t make it the first time. It is NOT frowned upon in the least. In fact, it shows tenacity and dedication. And plays into your favor (assuming you are competitive). There is even a whole tabbed section at the top of the forums for reapplicants.

As far as applying this cycle, probably the soonest deadline would be your nominating sources. Those deadlines would be the your first indication as to whether you have time.

 

[MidCakePa]

Run, don’t walk, to the info stickies provided here. They have just about all the details you need for the application process. Including some terminology, e.g. they’re congressional nominations, not appointments. Should you be accepted, you’d receive an offer of appointment from the SA.

As @justdoit19 says, no shame at all to be rejected and then reapply. Might even be a badge of honor. If you’ve missed nom app deadlines — which I’m guessing is the case — see the bright side: You have an early start on building the best possible application package in time for next year’s cycle.

 

[dddad]

Some congressional nomination deadlines have closed. If you have nominating sources available, it is not too late.

You did not share sufficient information for anyone to provide individualized advice. SAs are open to looking at candidates who are persistent across admissions cycles and show improvement. For a college applicant, your college performance on a USAFA-like schedule will be key. If you aren’t taking that type of schedule and performing well, you might be better off waiting despite the fact that re-applicants are not disfavored.

 

[MidCakePa]

Some congressional nomination deadlines have closed. If you have nominating sources available, it is not too late.

Good clarification above. If you miss MOC nomination deadlines, carry on with your SA application anyway. And see if there are other nom sources for which you’re eligible, e.g. VP nom.

Each year, there are some applicants who initially don’t have a nomination but get an offer of appointment anyway. The SA will “find” you a nomination if they want you badly enough.

 

[crymsonwynters]

I can see how this is a tough call for you, but here's my advice, as someone who is applying for the second time:

It seems that whether or not you complete an application this year, you'll still apply next year as well (this is only if you don't get an appointment this first time around). Here's how I look at this:

1. If you apply this cycle, you have a shot to get into the c/o 2025. If you don't apply, you have no shot.
2. USAFA really likes to see reapplicants. It shows maturity and demonstrates to Admissions a true desire to be at the Academy even though it will be more difficult than their current path.
3. If you apply now and also apply next year, USAFA has the chance to see how you have grown from one admissions cycle to the next.
4. USAFA demands that their Cadets are the best of the best, and as such, their Admissions team has to be top-of-the-line to pick the right Cadets for the Academy. This means the Admissions team is pretty damn smart. You have a chance in your essay portion to explain how you didn't learn about them until just this year. They'll completely understand. It will basically say to them "they aren't quite ready for USAFA, but it's not because they're incapable. It's just because the didn't have enough time to prepare."

None of this is to say I think you don't have a shot. I don't think that at all. I think, even in your situation, there are plenty of ways to get there, and if you put in the work and you show USAFA that you would be an outstanding Cadet, you do have a real shot. This isn't a guarantee, but I'm certainly not saying you don't have a chance.

Long story short? Applying now is most likely going to do more good than harm (if it does any harm at all). But, if you take one thing away from this, get in contact with your ALO and ask them for advice. They know better than any of us.

 

[TSucin]

I can see how this is a tough call for you, but here's my advice, as someone who is applying for the second time:

It seems that whether or not you complete an application this year, you'll still apply next year as well (this is only if you don't get an appointment this first time around). Here's how I look at this:

1. If you apply this cycle, you have a shot to get into the c/o 2025. If you don't apply, you have no shot.
2. USAFA really likes to see reapplicants. It shows maturity and demonstrates to Admissions a true desire to be at the Academy even though it will be more difficult than their current path.
3. If you apply now and also apply next year, USAFA has the chance to see how you have grown from one admissions cycle to the next.
4. USAFA demands that their Cadets are the best of the best, and as such, their Admissions team has to be top-of-the-line to pick the right Cadets for the Academy. This means the Admissions team is pretty damn smart. You have a chance in your essay portion to explain how you didn't learn about them until just this year. They'll completely understand. It will basically say to them "they aren't quite ready for USAFA, but it's not because they're incapable. It's just because the didn't have enough time to prepare."

None of this is to say I think you don't have a shot. I don't think that at all. I think, even in your situation, there are plenty of ways to get there, and if you put in the work and you show USAFA that you would be an outstanding Cadet, you do have a real shot. This isn't a guarantee, but I'm certainly not saying you don't have a chance.

Long story short? Applying now is most likely going to do more good than harm (if it does any harm at all). But, if you take one thing away from this, get in contact with your ALO and ask them for advice. They know better than any of us.

Thank you to everyone for your advice, especially crymsonwynters. I've decided to go for it, and have been making good progress over the past few days. Knowing that not making it this year will be far from the end of the world, I'll keep doing everything what I can!