FFS Last Minute Decision

GlennS87

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Joined
Jun 22, 2022
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My son was just notified today that he was offered a FFS. At this late juncture I feel like a ton of pressure was just dumped on us. After not getting accepted at USAFA, he accepted at Virginia Tech in the Corp of Cadets. He has his heart srt on attending USAFA. IOt seems like FFS is a great path to get to USAFA although it doesn't say how much of the prep school tuition that they pay. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Jump on the FFS website and absorb everything. Identify the partner schools. Your son can then research those schools and get on the phone with them for detailed questions about their SA prep, as well as what money will be owed over and above scholarship. He can then start doing the comparative analysis. Your son can prepare his questions and call the FFS folks. They are used to these late-cycle calls every year. Everyone will be very helpful.
 
My daughter went to NWP as a self prep, non-sponsored. All of the Sponsored prep kids did get accepted into the program which sponsored them, I believe there were 50+ Falcon Foundation scholars, and a handful from Navy and Army. I believe the scholarship covered most of their semester and then they went home to complete the second semester at a local university, that was not covered as far as I can remember. As a self prep my daughter applied to all the academies and chose her top choice of USMA. If he wants to go to USAFA the FFS is the best route for next year. Study hard and he will be accepted into class of 2027. Call Mr and Mrs Durbeck at NWP they run a great program and are the best mentors!
 
The FFS pays 50% of selected prep school tuition, the prep school provides a scholarship or discount of 25% leaving the responsibility for the remaining 25% on the cadet/family. If your DS wants USAFA, being selected for the FFS essentially means he'll be appointed next year. My DS received the FFS in May of 2020, attended NWP for the fall of 2020 (remotely as part of their covid class year) then attended Embry Riddle online (also at our expense) for the Spring '21 semester. He received USAFA appointment mid-February of '21. We dropped him off at I-day last year.

Not sure which prep schools are available to select from at this late stage, but I would expect NWP is on the list as they get the lion's share of Falcons. I heartily second what @DDmom suggested, call the Durbecks at NWP.

With NWPs program, your son would attend the school of his choice in the spring. This can be community college or perhaps he can do a deferred admission to Virginia Tech. The acceptance rate for Falcon Scholars across all the FFS prep schools is very high, basically 95ish percent. If his heart is set on USAFA, the FFS means he almost certainly got it, and he should be starting next year. That's why the FFS is referred to as the golden ticket. Congratulations and good luck!
 
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