Feeling Undeserving of Appointment

Maplerock said:
Trollish post perhaps? ChristCorp really went to bat for you. I'm sure that there are lots of forum members that will shake their heads in wonder if it is a genuine post.

Good luck if it is genuine. You can't control whom the admissions selects. You're a male, and one seemingly without remarkable stats in any area.

Why do YOU think you got the nod over kids with higher scores, more leadership, & sports? If they want you, they want you. Something made them pull the trigger. Now you're job is to make them right!
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Put away your self doubt and prepare yourself for the road ahead. I know lots of folks who were "less qualified" on paper than their peers. However, through hard work, determination, and a vision of what they wanted to become, they went on to accomplish great things for the Air Force and for their nation. They left those that were "more qualified" in the dust.

Lace up your running shoes, focus your mind, and prepare yourself!
 
Zeno, you are not alone. Many students on their way to college experience "imposter syndrome".
I experienced it after stepping into my first classroom 35 years ago at an elite, private university. I wondered if I was truly qualified. Maybe they admitted me to fulfill a quota, I speculated. I persevered and graduated. My daughter experienced it years later stepping into college on a full athletic scholarship. She wondered if she could handle the academics. She persevered and graduated with honors. Know that USAFA sees something in you that you at the moment do not see. So what! Go, think positive thoughts and know that there are others out there as well that are wondering how they got there... I will be successful. I do belong... repeat.

p.s. Now, as an alum, I interview applicants for that elite, private university. I see many brilliant on paper students get denied admittance. The admissions officers know who they want and what they are looking for. Be proud that you are accepted. You do belong.

I will be successful. I do belong... repeat
 
I read an article about Justice Gorsuch today that had a quote appropriate to this situation. Apparently when Justice Clarence Thomas joined the court, Justice White told him, "For the first five years you will wonder how you got here. After that you will wonder how your colleagues got here."
 
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Perhaps the Congressional District you live in is not very competitive and they had a few slots open in the academy and you were one of the only ones to apply. I'm not 100% sure if that's how it works but it might be.
 
ItsWes said:
Perhaps the Congressional District you live in is not very competitive and they had a few slots open in the academy and you were one of the only ones to apply. I'm not 100% sure if that's how it works but it might be.
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How inspiring! Way to encourage your fellow cadet! Expect low marks for team work.

EDIT: I would add if the OP was not qualified, he or she would not have received an appointment.
 
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I'm not sure what you would like me to say? "Oh, you belong at USAFA! Don't doubt yourself, they made no mistake." That's like putting a bandaid on a stab wound. What I said wasn't supposed to bring him down, but give insight to how he may have been appointed. See he may not have taken someone else's appointment, which is what he felt guilty about. He could have simply been the right person for the position that needed to be filled. The reason that you must get a nomination and why each congressman can only have a few in the academy is because they want geographical diversity. They don't want 100 kids from NYC even though there are probably a lot of qualified students. They want kids from all over the country because when they go back home you don't just have leaders in a few densely populated cities, but spread all throughout the country.
To Zeno: I'm not 100% sure of what your actual purpose was in writing this post. Maybe you just needed people to encourage you and tell you that the admissions didn't make any mistake and you are completely qualified to be a cadet. I can tell from one sentence that the admissions made no mistake in choosing you, "I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity, and I am fully committed to being to the best officer I can be." Keep this mentality and I assure you that you will have earned your appointment just as much as the next guy. The Air Force doesn't need brutes or geniuses to lead, no they need people fully committed to being the best officer they can be.
 
ItsWes said:
I'm not sure what you would like me to say? "Oh, you belong at USAFA! Don't doubt yourself, they made no mistake." That's like putting a bandaid on a stab wound. What I said wasn't supposed to bring him down, but give insight to how he may have been appointed. See he may not have taken someone else's appointment, which is what he felt guilty about. He could have simply been the right person for the position that needed to be filled. The reason that you must get a nomination and why each congressman can only have a few in the academy is because they want geographical diversity. They don't want 100 kids from NYC even though there are probably a lot of qualified students. They want kids from all over the country because when they go back home you don't just have leaders in a few densely populated cities, but spread all throughout the country.
To Zeno: I'm not 100% sure of what your actual purpose was in writing this post. Maybe you just needed people to encourage you and tell you that the admissions didn't make any mistake and you are completely qualified to be a cadet. I can tell from one sentence that the admissions made no mistake in choosing you, "I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity, and I am fully committed to being to the best officer I can be." Keep this mentality and I assure you that you will have earned your appointment just as much as the next guy. The Air Force doesn't need brutes or geniuses to lead, no they need people fully committed to being the best officer they can be.
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That may be what you meant when you wrote it but it surely isn't what came across in your post. Maybe be less subtle next time.
 
kinnem said:
That may be what you meant when you wrote it but it surely isn't what came across in your post. Maybe be less subtle next time.
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The only thing I saw in what was written by ITsWes was an honest attempt to answer how someone could get in with lower scores/etc. Kinnem, you may be a moderator, but there was nothing moderate in your reply.
 
It seem you just can't be so frank, Itswes. Today we must always err on the side of caution with the wording of each post. I can understand what you meant though.

In my local district a top 5 percent, 4.+ eagle scout, team captain, with a private pilots license and a wonderful, engaging attitude was not appointed last year. He was gung go, and very disappointed. Of course he rebounded, but one can easily see how someone with average scores and extracurriculars could doubt himself when such quality applicants didn't get selected.


People that tell any applicant he or she is going to be a great cadet are no more right or wrong than anyone else. We never know until it's all said and done.
 
Maplerock, what is your DS doing? You may have said last year, but I don't recall. I am sure he is excelling in whatever path he chose.
 
Moezam said:
The only thing I saw in what was written by ITsWes was an honest attempt to answer how someone could get in with lower scores/etc.
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As I mentioned before, the OP didn't say he had lower scores. But rather:
zeno said:
I'm a fairly mediocre student, just slightly above the average GPA & ACT of appointees.
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In other words, his ACT was >30 (95 percentile) and his GPA was just above the 3.8 appointee average. So while the OP felt "fairly mediocre", the numbers suggest otherwise (in the top 5% of national test takers) and a mostly A student with an occasional B sprinkled in. So as others positively suggested, he deserves his appointment.

As someone else posted, it's common to feel like you didn't deserve it when there is an mystique/aura about an institution.
 
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USMCGrunt said:
This thread is going nowhere fast. Is there really any value-added commentary at this point?
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I think my last point added value. Unfortunately, it had to be said twice. It people read the OP's post, it wouldn't have been confusing. Then about 15 posts could have been avoided including yours and mine. :)
 
zeno said:
AimHighReachForTheStars! said:
zeno said:
I've accepted my appointment for the Class of 2021, but for some reason I can't kick the feeling that I don't deserve it. I've known for a while that I wanted to be in the military, but I started the process later than most people. It wasn't until the beginning of my senior year that I decided I wanted to apply to the Academy. I'm a fairly mediocre student, just slightly above the average GPA & ACT of appointees. I was barely involved in my school - I didn't play any sports during high school, I was only involved in 3 extracurricular activities, and a leader in only 1 of them. For the most part I went to school, and left for work right after. I'm not the most physically fit; I barely scraped by in the CFA (1 point away from being DQ'd).

I've been reading this forum for a solid amount of time, and seeing all the students here that are much more qualified than I am being turned down makes me feel a little guilty for being accepted. Don't get me wrong - I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity, and I am fully committed to being to the best officer I can be. I just can't help but feel a little alienated from the majority of people here.
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Congrats on your appointment! There's more to your application package than just GPA and ACT. You met USAFA's criteria for whole person concept and would be a good fit for this year's class. How did you know you barely scrapped by 1 point on the CFA? What are you hoping to major in? Your appointment also gives hope to others with a similar application description.
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According to the unwritten minimums on the CFA, you must get at least 55 ft on the basketball throw, or a sub-8 minute mile, etc. in order to pass. I originally intended on majoring in mechanical engineering because that's what people pushed me to however I've had a change of heart and decided to major in biology or biochemistry with the hopes of attending medical school.
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Curious about where you found out about these unwritten minimums?
 
This is the only thread in which he's ever posted. He set off my trolldar on April 15. and it's still beeping strong today.
 
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