FFR meeting for 2022 hopeful

S

Spirit mom

5-Year Member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Messages
14
Finally, after multiple attempts, my son received an email back from his FFR with an offer of a meeting. He is very independent and wants to go alone. I want to go with him, but he is really resisting. Did most parents attend this initial meeting?

Note: This isn't our first rodeo. My oldest son is at USMA, and we (he, rather) did his entire application process without the FFR. My second son's resume mirrors his brother's in terms of grades, ACTs, sports and other activities.

So do we let this strong minded young man meet with his FFR alone, or do we insist on tagging along? And will she tell us anything we haven't done with our oldest or can find on the internet ourselves?
 
Why would you go? Do you have specific questions about USAFA that you are unable to find the answer?

One of the first questions USAFA wants to determine is who is applying - the candidate or the parent. This has helped tremendously with attrition because historically too many times it was the parent that wanted the candidate to go and not the candidate.

If you have legitimate questions, go and ask them, but it is very important that the candidate demonstrate they want it.

I am happy to speak with parents, but I also make sure I speak alone and directly to the candidate themselves.

I am a USAFA Prop & Wings Officer, a USAFA graduate and my daughter is at USNA. I wouldn't recognize her BGO if she was standing next to me. I am certain she would have met with me if I had specific 'parent' questions (her sons are USNA graduates) but otherwise I knew the drill. (She also had an appointment from USAFA) and I did not know her ALO until after her process had completed.
 
To provide a second opinion, when I went through the interview process, my ALO stated he that he preferred to meet somewhere where my parents were present. Despite this, the interview was solely between us two.

I went through the entire apppication process alone, and don't regret not having my parents involved. I've heard from plenty people whose parents drove the entire process for them. In fact, the first question my ALO asked me was "are your parents making you do this?" If the candidate answers yes, the Academy stops all contact.

Speaking from the perspective of a "child" who will be moving halfway across the country by himself in 40 days, trust me when I say that you need to allow your child to be independent. I know this goes against your instincts as a parent, but there comes a point in your child's lift when they need to be on their own. The only thing you can do is support them in their endeavors.
 
We did not go with our DS. Eventually the ALO did want to talk to us, but it was after their initial interview. The ALO took him to a Daedalion dinner, thus it would not have been appropriate for us to attend. A week or so later the ALO did a phone interview with us, about 10 minutes long.

Some ALOs want to meet with the parents, some don't. I would take the lead from the ALO. If the ALO wants you to attend he/she will somehow inform your child.
 
I accompanied my DS to his ALO, BGO, and FFR interviews - after a quick meet and greet to see if I had any questions, exited so that 95+% of the time was spent without me in the equation.

At the end of the day, opting for a SA was my DS's educational/career choice, so he needed to represent his experience, strengths, and dreams during these interviews.
 
We provided encouragement from the time our DS stated he was interested in a SA in the 6th grade. We rode him pretty hard to keep him on track, but routinely let him know that if he changed his goals then we would alter our approach as well. He didn't.

We asked questions throughout the process, but left it up to him to complete the application, schedule and obtain needed documents, and develop relationships that might help him secure an appointment. The Blue and Gold interview included parents for part of the interview and was held in our home. The ALO interview did not include parents and was held at the office of our ALO.

All of that being said, I think each child is different so I would talk with my DS/DD to see how much involvement they needed and not cross the line once it is decided.
 
Is a FFR similar to an ALO? My DD went alone to her appointment and he never asked to speak to us but gave her his contact info and said if we had questions to call or email and he would be happy to answer all our questions.
 
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