How do applications get reviewed?
- Thread starter Calliope423
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Pima
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What do you mean no black boxes?
If you are talking about your GC. Your GC will also submit paperwork. For them it is really a school profile. This is where they tell the AFA basically how competitive the school is. I.E. How many go IVY, Private, Public, OOS, 2 yr, trade, etc. Obviously if 50% of your class goes to an IVY then ranking in the top 25% will not be the same if 50% go 2 yr and you rank in the top 25%.
They also tell them how many APs are offered, and the % of students that take APs.
This is why people will tell you take the most rigorous schedule you can to make yourself more competitive since it will come into play. This is also why some candidates will have their wgpa changed because of the school profile. I.E. 4.5 AP at one school, but 5.0 at another.
Right now it is more important like fencer said to concentrate on getting the noms. How the AFA scores will mean nothing if you don't have a nom.
If you are talking about your GC. Your GC will also submit paperwork. For them it is really a school profile. This is where they tell the AFA basically how competitive the school is. I.E. How many go IVY, Private, Public, OOS, 2 yr, trade, etc. Obviously if 50% of your class goes to an IVY then ranking in the top 25% will not be the same if 50% go 2 yr and you rank in the top 25%.
They also tell them how many APs are offered, and the % of students that take APs.
This is why people will tell you take the most rigorous schedule you can to make yourself more competitive since it will come into play. This is also why some candidates will have their wgpa changed because of the school profile. I.E. 4.5 AP at one school, but 5.0 at another.
Right now it is more important like fencer said to concentrate on getting the noms. How the AFA scores will mean nothing if you don't have a nom.
1993A10
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Black boxes
The admissions advisor said they go over everything in the app process and if something isn't up to snuff, they color in the box for it, i.e. a black box. MOC doesn't do nom until late October but file goes before the board at their meeting this week.
The admissions advisor said they go over everything in the app process and if something isn't up to snuff, they color in the box for it, i.e. a black box. MOC doesn't do nom until late October but file goes before the board at their meeting this week.
Pima
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If I am reading you correctly, I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the black box issue. I am also assuming the counselor is not a guidance counselor, but an actual AFA regional advisor for your son.
For example,
What I would assume (and we know what that means) is your DS has met the mins to be deemed competitive for PAR. The AFA is the only SA to state score 490 and below on V and you will not be deemed competitive. I think it is 25 on the SAT.
Now that could mean if you score 500 on V you won't get a black box, but that doesn't mean you are competitive.
In almost 3 yrs here, I have never heard of the black box issue, I am not saying it isn't true, just saying it is new info that I have never heard of in the past.
Next,
I know the board is meeting soon, but again don't be snoopy over the mailbox...there will be no BFE until you have a nom.
While yo are waiting for that nom, keep updating that file. If he gets an award get it into the file.
I would place less concern on what the admissions advisor says and more on what your ALO feels about your child. Your DS's ALO will write a rec that the board will place into the WCS. There is a big difference between the ALO saying he is his no.1 pick, and being one of his top picks. ALO's are AD/ret military members and they know how that one statement can make a difference.
Have your child talk to the ALO, and ask them frankly where do I rack and stack on their list. Remember, ALO's can have a dozen or more candidates. A NOM slate can have only 10. For our DS's ALO, he was the only one that got all 3 noms. He was the only one to get the Cong. nom.
If that ALO, like our DS's ALO only serves 1 cong., but the cong. has many more hs districts, you will be able to quickly gleam how competitive it will be for the nom. He needs the nom. first and foremost.
Have him talk to his ALO. Have him ask the ALO to review his essays. The ALO is probably the most under used asset that the AFA candidate has in their arsenal. These are people who know the system not only within the AFA, but your community, and have had yrs of experience of telling what set the candidate apart from the appointee. Use them.
Caveat: ALO's are volunteers, they have jobs, lives and other candidates besides your own child, so if it takes them a few days to get back, don't get your feathers up in frustration, they will, but respect them as a person too.
We had the absolute best ALO ever (minus flieger), he spent hrs with our DS cleaning up his essays, he took him to Daedalion dinners, he was proactive in shoring up his weaknesses in his packet. We never called the admissions office, he would contact them for DS and update him, almost on a weekly basis. He even called us and told DS when he was going to meet the board.
Just because the board starts meeting next week, it doesn't mean your DS will be reviewed. The board meets for one day, and it is a first come first serve basis. Just because you have it in, doesn't mean they will get to it that 1st board. It is a supply and demand theory. IF they have 700 files, it doesn't mean they will get through all 700 files that day, they may only get through 600, and then the remaining 100 will be holdovers for the next week.
Also, there will be LOA's going out next week, because the file is complete, and the candidate scored high enough they know it is a def., but the candidate is missing the nom. As stated earlier, statistically, these are rare, you need some awesome stats to get that LOA. This board will start lighting up soon with LOA and apptmts, since an LOA could have a Presidential which makes them an appointee. However, don't place any attention to this, except to say congrats. You know what they call a cadet with an LOA compared to the cadet with no LOA? CADET!
For example,
What I would assume (and we know what that means) is your DS has met the mins to be deemed competitive for PAR. The AFA is the only SA to state score 490 and below on V and you will not be deemed competitive. I think it is 25 on the SAT.
Now that could mean if you score 500 on V you won't get a black box, but that doesn't mean you are competitive.
In almost 3 yrs here, I have never heard of the black box issue, I am not saying it isn't true, just saying it is new info that I have never heard of in the past.
Next,
I know the board is meeting soon, but again don't be snoopy over the mailbox...there will be no BFE until you have a nom.
While yo are waiting for that nom, keep updating that file. If he gets an award get it into the file.
I would place less concern on what the admissions advisor says and more on what your ALO feels about your child. Your DS's ALO will write a rec that the board will place into the WCS. There is a big difference between the ALO saying he is his no.1 pick, and being one of his top picks. ALO's are AD/ret military members and they know how that one statement can make a difference.
Have your child talk to the ALO, and ask them frankly where do I rack and stack on their list. Remember, ALO's can have a dozen or more candidates. A NOM slate can have only 10. For our DS's ALO, he was the only one that got all 3 noms. He was the only one to get the Cong. nom.
If that ALO, like our DS's ALO only serves 1 cong., but the cong. has many more hs districts, you will be able to quickly gleam how competitive it will be for the nom. He needs the nom. first and foremost.
Have him talk to his ALO. Have him ask the ALO to review his essays. The ALO is probably the most under used asset that the AFA candidate has in their arsenal. These are people who know the system not only within the AFA, but your community, and have had yrs of experience of telling what set the candidate apart from the appointee. Use them.
Caveat: ALO's are volunteers, they have jobs, lives and other candidates besides your own child, so if it takes them a few days to get back, don't get your feathers up in frustration, they will, but respect them as a person too.
We had the absolute best ALO ever (minus flieger), he spent hrs with our DS cleaning up his essays, he took him to Daedalion dinners, he was proactive in shoring up his weaknesses in his packet. We never called the admissions office, he would contact them for DS and update him, almost on a weekly basis. He even called us and told DS when he was going to meet the board.
Just because the board starts meeting next week, it doesn't mean your DS will be reviewed. The board meets for one day, and it is a first come first serve basis. Just because you have it in, doesn't mean they will get to it that 1st board. It is a supply and demand theory. IF they have 700 files, it doesn't mean they will get through all 700 files that day, they may only get through 600, and then the remaining 100 will be holdovers for the next week.
Also, there will be LOA's going out next week, because the file is complete, and the candidate scored high enough they know it is a def., but the candidate is missing the nom. As stated earlier, statistically, these are rare, you need some awesome stats to get that LOA. This board will start lighting up soon with LOA and apptmts, since an LOA could have a Presidential which makes them an appointee. However, don't place any attention to this, except to say congrats. You know what they call a cadet with an LOA compared to the cadet with no LOA? CADET!
1993A10
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Thanks for all the information. We were doing a campus visit at the Academy last Friday and had an appointment with an admissions counselor there. She had the complete file and mentioned his score. We just wondered if someone knew what a competitive level was.
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Most candidates won't know their score, so it's hard for anyone here to know what a really competitive score is.
Since I know your son's stats, I can say that he is very competitive in relation to all candidates. Right now all you can do is wait and see what happens. Like Pima said, getting the LOA isn't really going to make a difference for you. Getting the nomination and appointment is the goal.
I hope you enjoyed your visit to the Academy. My son was very happy to spend some time with you. Thanks for taking him with your family for the weekend and feeding him!
Stealth_81
Pima
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Strange, I have never heard of anyone being told their score. The AFA typically likes to hold those numbers close to the vest like the recipe for Bush's beans
Now that we have gotten to the point where you know the points assigned, here's the deal. Nobody could tell you how competitive because the way the apptmt system works.
As I stated earlier your DS will go up against everyone on his MOC slate. Highest score wins the appointment. For example, lets say your DS has 1245 points. Now for a non-competitive state, that could mean in because it is the highest on their slate, for another state that could mean #10 on the MOC slate.
The only answer is even if everyone knew their point score it doesn't mean anything because of the system. They are not going to take the top scoring 1600-1700 applicants and offer all of them appointments because that is not the system.
Did you ask the admissions what that score meant to them from a professional standpoint? I.E. Historically, in your opinion is this a very competitive score?
In case they responded with an um, uh. Please realize that they are regionals and then broken up by alphabet, so they don't know everyone that would be on your MOC slate, only those that are on your MOC slate with the same last initial range. So, if they said, I can't say, it could be because they can only see a small picture for that MOC, they don't know if someone in letters A-F has 500 more points than your DS. It would be wrong of them to say he has the top score if they do not know the others on the list.
Also, understand, that candidates do not need to submit their entire packet until early next yr., so your DS may have a score, but he could be the only one in your MOC region to have it completed. Thus, the reason they may also be hesitant in saying if he is competitive.
In the end, I would go back and ask the ALO how he/she feels about how competitive your DS is. You will actually know soon enough, no nom and it would mean that the score was high enough for the AFA, but not high enough for the competition within your community.
This yr will be the roller coaster ride of your lifetime. One day you will be living in fear worrying(how will the ALO interview go, Dodmerb, MOC, etc), the next day you will be screaming for joy,(no med dqs, got 3 noms) and it is a constant repeat until next June. You just have to buckle in, and understand every single person on this board has either taken the ride, is taking it or will take it. We all get where you are coming from.
Now that we have gotten to the point where you know the points assigned, here's the deal. Nobody could tell you how competitive because the way the apptmt system works.
As I stated earlier your DS will go up against everyone on his MOC slate. Highest score wins the appointment. For example, lets say your DS has 1245 points. Now for a non-competitive state, that could mean in because it is the highest on their slate, for another state that could mean #10 on the MOC slate.
The only answer is even if everyone knew their point score it doesn't mean anything because of the system. They are not going to take the top scoring 1600-1700 applicants and offer all of them appointments because that is not the system.
Did you ask the admissions what that score meant to them from a professional standpoint? I.E. Historically, in your opinion is this a very competitive score?
In case they responded with an um, uh. Please realize that they are regionals and then broken up by alphabet, so they don't know everyone that would be on your MOC slate, only those that are on your MOC slate with the same last initial range. So, if they said, I can't say, it could be because they can only see a small picture for that MOC, they don't know if someone in letters A-F has 500 more points than your DS. It would be wrong of them to say he has the top score if they do not know the others on the list.
Also, understand, that candidates do not need to submit their entire packet until early next yr., so your DS may have a score, but he could be the only one in your MOC region to have it completed. Thus, the reason they may also be hesitant in saying if he is competitive.
In the end, I would go back and ask the ALO how he/she feels about how competitive your DS is. You will actually know soon enough, no nom and it would mean that the score was high enough for the AFA, but not high enough for the competition within your community.
This yr will be the roller coaster ride of your lifetime. One day you will be living in fear worrying(how will the ALO interview go, Dodmerb, MOC, etc), the next day you will be screaming for joy,(no med dqs, got 3 noms) and it is a constant repeat until next June. You just have to buckle in, and understand every single person on this board has either taken the ride, is taking it or will take it. We all get where you are coming from.
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just out of curiosity, when next week does the board meet? and how often will they begin to meet? (weekly, monthly, etc.)
Christcorp
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Traditionally, it's every Monday. Towards the end of the season, they have been known to grab a few more days in to catch up.