Girls State Schedule Conflicts

S

sky1123

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Apr 12, 2022
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Hi everyone,
I was selected to Girls State, but the dates conflict with a national championship. I’ve been urged to choose Girls State, which I understand, but my team will be disqualified without me.
I once read in this forum that your ALO can coordinate to have you attend Girls State for another state (thus different dates) in these cases. So should I request a state change to my ALO? Any and all advice is welcome.
 
My 2 Cents: Please talk to your ALO for advice and see what they say.
Apart from their response, Girls State weighs a lot in a service academy application. I’d say try to get another date/State, and if you can then perfect! If not, then you can discuss with your ALO what would be best for you.
 
Service Before Self is an Air Force core value. It is easier to explain how you held up your bargain for your team to play for a national championship than it is to explain how you allowed your team to be disqualified so you could attend Girls State. Adult decisions are hard. Talk to your ALO, your parents, etc. One answer makes for a great interview question, the other, not so much. Of course, this is just all my opinion.
 
sky1123 said:
Hi everyone,
I was selected to Girls State, but the dates conflict with a national championship. I’ve been urged to choose Girls State, which I understand, but my team will be disqualified without me.
I once read in this forum that your ALO can coordinate to have you attend Girls State for another state (thus different dates) in these cases. So should I request a state change to my ALO? Any and all advice is welcome.
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I would be surprised if an ALO can arrange for you to attend another state, but that is not an area which I am familiar. If you can, fantastic.

You have been selected to Girls State. IMHO you can check the Girls State box on the application. While the experience received through GS is valuable and you will miss out on opportunity to hold office, you were selected. Just my 2 cents.

Each of us has to wake up and look the man/woman in the mirror each day. Can you look that young woman in the eye and state I was selected GS on your resume/application? More importantly, can you look that same young women in the eye, if you bail on your team? I wish you well on your decision and future.
 
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sky1123 said:
Hi everyone,
I was selected to Girls State, but the dates conflict with a national championship. I’ve been urged to choose Girls State, which I understand, but my team will be disqualified without me.
I once read in this forum that your ALO can coordinate to have you attend Girls State for another state (thus different dates) in these cases. So should I request a state change to my ALO? Any and all advice is welcome.
Click to expand...
In some states, there are areas that don't promote girls or boys state, and many many applicants get into the USAFA without ever having attended state. Being with your team and helping lead them to a National Championship (whether you take it or not) shows many of the same qualities that kids who attend state display. I am not sure if your ALO can change you to another state as selection criteria and how state is held varies in each state, but its worth a try to check on the off chance you can do both. I agree with T-37IP and add that being a great leader means sacrifing for the betterance of all... you've worked hard for both and for your team to make a National Championship is huge. While having State on your application can look good, so can a high level national championship. So due whichever makes you happy and make sure that you will be ok with missing whichever one you don't attend.
 
Gabe_ said:
I would be surprised if an ALO can arrange for you to attend another state, but that is not an area which I am familiar. If you can, fantastic.

You have been selected to Girls State. IMHO you can check the Girls State box on the application. While the experience received through GS is valuable and you will miss out on opportunity to hold office, you were selected. Just my 2 cents.

Each of us has to wake up and look the man/woman in the mirror each day. Can you look that young woman in the eye and state I was selected GS on your resume/application? More importantly, can you look that same young women in the eye, if you bail on your team? I wish you well on your decision and future.
Click to expand...
I don't agree that you can check the box if you are selected to go but do not attend. Each application is different, but West Point's specifically says Boys/Girls State Attendee as did ds's nomination apps. USAFA allows you to put in extra info, so I guess you could explain it there but I would hesistate (read: ask admissions) to check the box without clarification. I would check wording/intent on any applications before checking boxes on a technicality. This could come up in the counselor review or interviews and would not look good. However, there is ample opportunity to explain that OP was selected for GS but chose not to go for a very good reason. OP, your reason for not going to GS is important and admissions should know the details.
 
If this were a poll:

I vote for national championship.
On resume, some combination of these phrases:
Girls State delegate/my school's sole nominee (if true)/declined due to national championship requiring my attendance for team competition
Do not check the box unless it specifies selection (vs attendee)
 
If you need to choose between the two I would agree that you should support your team. However, at this point I would work on trying to do both. Perhaps you could reach out to your sponsoring post and explain the situation. They may agree to reach out to the American Legion of a neighboring state on your behalf. I would do that asap.

Good luck.
 
I had never even heard of Girls State...as an athlete that would have killed for the chance to go to nationals with my high school team (that's not a thing in my sport), I say do that! Sounds like an amazing opportunity and a chance to put into practice the leadership and skills that come from sports that USAFA values so highly. Seems like it'd be pretty easy to discuss why you chose not to go to Girls State even though you were selected and I certainly would never recommend going because it might make your application a little better.

I'm not admissions, but if I were interviewing you I'd want to know why you thought it was a good idea to abandon your team no matter how good the other opportunity is.
 
99Gold said:
I don't agree that you can check the box if you are selected to go but do not attend. Each application is different, but West Point's specifically says Boys/Girls State Attendee as did ds's nomination apps. USAFA allows you to put in extra info, so I guess you could explain it there but I would hesistate (read: ask admissions) to check the box without clarification. I would check wording/intent on any applications before checking boxes on a technicality. This could come up in the counselor review or interviews and would not look good. However, there is ample opportunity to explain that OP was selected for GS but chose not to go for a very good reason. OP, your reason for not going to GS is important and admissions should know the details.
Click to expand...
I wanted to put this out there as a conversation starter. I hope I expressed it well enough. This is not black/white IMHO. There does need to be clarification around the “checked box”. If the box says attendee, I would change the way I would advise my kid to answer. It is my understanding it’s a box that simply says Girls State Delegate. This young lady was selected. That is a huge accomplishment. Why should she not be able to state she was selected? If she was appointed to USAFA, but did not accept, could she say she was appointed? Slightly different but what about the kids that were selected, but could not attained due to Covid? I am not sure this is the forum to discuss or that I have the capability to express my fully in a nuanced situation. My comments are not meant to be contrarian. Ultimatley, I believe a person receives an honor and cant’ attend due to another great honor, why would anyone want to punish them. I would think admissions would want to know the honor. I know as a people leader, I would. If I am interviewing someone, I would expect such a circumstance to be on a resume, so it could be discussed
 
With respect to Boys/Girls State, the words delegate, attendee, and citizen are interchangeable. In her case, if she doesn't go, check no, and talk about it in the essay and interview. There was an alternate procedure during COVID for a virtual Boys/Girls state.

It is always best, in this application process, to not give the impression of being dishonest. That bell is impossible to unring.
 
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