Differing Deadlines

lmmcc

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Jan 12, 2020
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Prior to being issued a different deadline than what I thought was the standard January 31st date, I was unaware USAFA had different deadlines for different candidates. It was my assumption that all candidates had until January 31st to get their application in; however, I was assigned a November 1st deadline. Does anyone know why different deadlines are assigned or the process behind it? Thank you in advance.
 
USAFA uses rolling deadlines. This allows them time to sort through applications and not be bombarded at once. How they choose your deadline is when you submitted the pre-candidate application. If you turned it on March then your deadline is nov 1st. The later you turned it in the later you have to submit everything.
 
USAFA uses rolling deadlines. This allows them time to sort through applications and not be bombarded at once. How they choose your deadline is when you submitted the pre-candidate application. If you turned it on March then your deadline is nov 1st. The later you turned it in the later you have to submit everything.
Gotcha, that makes sense, thank you.
 
read the letter you got when you were promoted to candidate status... it is all explained right there
Upon re-reading, the candidate and rolling deadline letters make much more sense. Thank you.
 
I did not realize USAFA had rolling admissions dead lines and this is our second time through the process. I always went off of what DD's communicated as their deadline. Do other SA's have rolling admissions deadlines? Thanks!
 
Prior to being issued a different deadline than what I thought was the standard January 31st date, I was unaware USAFA had different deadlines for different candidates. It was my assumption that all candidates had until January 31st to get their application in; however, I was assigned a November 1st deadline. Does anyone know why different deadlines are assigned or the process behind it? Thank you in advance.

Did you miss the deadline then?
 
Prior to being issued a different deadline than what I thought was the standard January 31st date, I was unaware USAFA had different deadlines for different candidates. It was my assumption that all candidates had until January 31st to get their application in; however, I was assigned a November 1st deadline. Does anyone know why different deadlines are assigned or the process behind it? Thank you in advance.
The Directorate of Admissions goes to great lengths to explain the application procedures. 1. Letters are published on the portal. 2. Instructions to Candidates are posted on the portal 3. Candidates are assigned a counseling team that the candidate can contact. Your deadline was prominently posted on your portal.

As an adult, you won't be told what to do anymore. Following directions and paying attention to detail are important. You are expected to do your research; to read the literature; and to pay attention to detail. The adult world still relies primarily on e-mail not texts. Missteps like failing to read a letter posted on your portal (or not reading it carefully) can create a negative impression right off the bat. This is how the adult world works.

As an aside, I was just talking to an ALO friend not but 10 minutes ago. They were incredibly annoyed that a candidate that they were going to interview took two weeks to get back to them. Then in trying to schedule the interview the candidate gave excuses for not being able to meet on the many proposed dates--"I'm all booked up." Finally, they agreed on Veteran's day. The candidate has no idea how this disrupted the ALO's plans for the day. The ALO has a deadline to get the interviews accomplished. They are doing their job in a volunteer status. What do you think the ALO's first impression of the candidate is going to be? What do think anyone's impression will be of a candidate if information is prominently posted and ignored? This is how the adult world works. This may sound harsh, but this is how the adult world works.
 
The Directorate of Admissions goes to great lengths to explain the application procedures. 1. Letters are published on the portal. 2. Instructions to Candidates are posted on the portal 3. Candidates are assigned a counseling team that the candidate can contact. Your deadline was prominently posted on your portal.

As an adult, you won't be told what to do anymore. Following directions and paying attention to detail are important. You are expected to do your research; to read the literature; and to pay attention to detail. The adult world still relies primarily on e-mail not texts. Missteps like failing to read a letter posted on your portal (or not reading it carefully) can create a negative impression right off the bat. This is how the adult world works.

As an aside, I was just talking to an ALO friend not but 10 minutes ago. They were incredibly annoyed that a candidate that they were going to interview took two weeks to get back to them. Then in trying to schedule the interview the candidate gave excuses for not being able to meet on the many proposed dates--"I'm all booked up." Finally, they agreed on Veteran's day. The candidate has no idea how this disrupted the ALO's plans for the day. The ALO has a deadline to get the interviews accomplished. They are doing their job in a volunteer status. What do you think the ALO's first impression of the candidate is going to be? What do think anyone's impression will be of a candidate if information is prominently posted and ignored? This is how the adult world works. This may sound harsh, but this is how the adult world works.
I completely understand. I may have given off the impression that I'm ill-informed and ignorant of the plethora of resources available; however, I can assure you I've gone to great lengths to research and keep up with the process. If there's one thing I'm well kept up on, it's the academies. That's why it was so surprising to me that I was unaware of the changing deadline for USAFA considering the amount of time and effort I've spent learning and researching for a few years now. I always make sure to keep up with communications and read posted materials. Looking back, I didn't understand the rolling deadline process like I thought I did. It's not a matter of me being unaware of my deadline, it was more so that I didn't understand why it wasn't what I thought was the fixed January 31st date. I'm well aware that in the adult world, it's up to me to keep up and pay attention to detail. Always learning, always improving.
 
The Directorate of Admissions goes to great lengths to explain the application procedures. 1. Letters are published on the portal. 2. Instructions to Candidates are posted on the portal 3. Candidates are assigned a counseling team that the candidate can contact. Your deadline was prominently posted on your portal.

As an adult, you won't be told what to do anymore. Following directions and paying attention to detail are important. You are expected to do your research; to read the literature; and to pay attention to detail. The adult world still relies primarily on e-mail not texts. Missteps like failing to read a letter posted on your portal (or not reading it carefully) can create a negative impression right off the bat. This is how the adult world works.

As an aside, I was just talking to an ALO friend not but 10 minutes ago. They were incredibly annoyed that a candidate that they were going to interview took two weeks to get back to them. Then in trying to schedule the interview the candidate gave excuses for not being able to meet on the many proposed dates--"I'm all booked up." Finally, they agreed on Veteran's day. The candidate has no idea how this disrupted the ALO's plans for the day. The ALO has a deadline to get the interviews accomplished. They are doing their job in a volunteer status. What do you think the ALO's first impression of the candidate is going to be? What do think anyone's impression will be of a candidate if information is prominently posted and ignored? This is how the adult world works. This may sound harsh, but this is how the adult world works.

This may sound harsh, but the ALO is not doing the candidate a favor by volunteering, they are doing USAFA a favor by volunteering. USAFA established the process and needs ALOs. Volunteering sometimes is inconvenient, this how the adult world works. Furthermore, the ALO likely could have managed the situation with the candidate better and established veteran's day as unavailable. The ALO is an officer in the USAF, they could have managed it to a different outcome.

I agree it is a bad first impression and I can see the ALO dinging the candidate for the way this went down. At a minimum it calls into question the candidate's commitment and the importance of USAFA to them. By all means, take that into consideration. I would also be skeptical that the candidate was not available on those dates and would have doubted their sincerity of interest in USAF if that was the case. But, you shouldn't condescend to the kid with the "adult world" lines when the ALO should have managed the situation better and if the ALO did them a favor by meeting on Vet's Day then +1 to him/her, but then -1 because they whinged about it when it was their control to begin with. If you want to be high and mighty on the 18yr old kid, you should be high and mighty on the USAF officer too. Just be fair.
 
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