Academically, I had a 1470 SAT, 4.8 GPA (that's the USAFA recalculated one), took a mix of AP and IB classes. Athletically, my CFA wasn't anything special, but I played and lettered in 3 high school sports, and was the captain of two of them. I was in NHS, and did a lot of volunteering through that, and on my own. I found a couple projects that I was really passionate about and dedicated a lot of time to those so that I could really make an impact instead of spreading myself too thin.
I submitted my PCQ in May 2018, and got candidate status July 2018. My application was due 14 November 2019 I think. Anyways, there were no updates to my portal, and I heard nothing from USAFA until 17 April 2019 when I got offered an appointment. If you look at last year's appointment thread (search 2023 appointment thread), you'll see that a lot of appointments were dropped around the end of April...this means, buckle up, it could be a while until you hear anything.
What kind of changes? You can be broad, it doesn’t matter.
I've enjoyed it so far. There's a lot of rules doolies have to follow that are pretty annoying, and that can be frustrating. My squad has a great training staff that holds us to a high standard, but they always make sure to let us know the purpose behind the training. They make the training sessions meaningful, but not every squad does. Training sessions are tough, mentally and physically like basic. I'd say the best part is the friends I've made in and out of squad. It's great when your best friends live down the hall and know exactly what you're going through. Academics are tough, and time management is everything.
Nothing is set in stone, and we don't really know enough specifics. I don't want to spread anything because I honestly don't know what it's going to look like. The new commandant has a vision for changing up training and BCT, so I'll just leave it at that. Either way, you guys will still be challenged and pushed to your limits.
Doolies are at rest in Fairchild (the academic buildings) the gym, Arnold hall, your dorm room (at rest means you can talk, walk without your hands cupped, and don't greet). There's places where you can be at ease (no greeting or walking at attention, but you don't have to greet) such as the ramps down to the gym or the bridges to Fairchild. In Mitchell hall, you're at attention until the table commadant places you at rest or ease, but again, all these ROEs will be spelled out for you in the CSI and you'll be briefed and tested on them early in the year. And also they vary year to year.
Do you think it is wise to submit a not so great application senior year of HS, in hopes that when the board sees your improved application freshmen year of college, they will see the perseverance?
For me it was the CFA and essays. I was a 3 sport athlete in high school, but I wasn't used to doing pushups and running a mile for time. It just took some dedication and training and I got where I needed to be eventually.
Do you have any time to do the gym during the week? And if so, how much time