How to answer the "Why" question..

coolfredw

coolfredw

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Jun 7, 2021
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For me the question of "why" has always been the hardest to answer. I feel like there are good reasons for why you should want to go to USAFA, and bad reasons. The reasons I want to go are simple:

  • Expand my leadership and management capabilities
  • Be in a field I love (aviation)
  • To be around, learn from, and connect with smart hard working people with similar interests
  • To serve my country
To me these are the exact reasons I want to go. Now I don't know if any of these reasons are what they are looking for, but they are my reasons. I guess I was wondering if there are any reasons for why I want to attend USAFA that they are looking for in particular. This is my third time applying to USAFA so I'm really trying to bring the best package forward.

Thanks, Freddie
 
It shouldn’t be a question of what “they” are looking for. What they want isn’t important. What is important is what you are looking for. If USAFA is where you want to be, then I think that the responses you provided are reason enough to go. Good luck on your next application!
 
The only thing I would say is what is your long term why and be a little more specific on your current why’s. Why do you love aviation? What are the interests you believe the other cadets would share with you? Etc.

Good luck!
 
Ironically, I think 'family legacy' will not be helpful. Everything I have seen/read is the military recognizes it is reliant on filling it's ranks with people that already have some connection to the military. They won't turn away those people, but any opportunity to reach outside that group and snag someone is both a short and long term win.

There was a report in the past year that being a pilot before attending USAFA was now a negative since it was a symbol of privilege.
 
Cerberi said:
There was a report in the past year that being a pilot before attending USAFA was now a negative since it was a symbol of privilege.
Click to expand...
Can you share any details about that report? Thanks!
 
It is important to think about what they are looking for in an essay. You want to go to the Air Force Academy and you want to maximize your chances of getting in. So, naturally, you want to write an essay that resonates with them.
I think the best approach is to consider their core values: "Integrity First. Service Before Self. Excellence In All We Do." Write an essay that incorporates these values. For example, you could write about how important integrity is to your sports team. How, without integrity, there really is no team. Everyone has to trust each other. Give examples. Then how you give much of your spare time to practice your sport. Even when you don't feel like it, you still practice. All year. You do it to get better. You do it for the team. The school. The community. You show how you are selflessly giving up your time for the benefit of others (service before self). Finally, you talk about how practice is also a pursuit of excellence. Just like all the studying you do is a pursuit of academic excellence. The point is, give examples of your real life that relate to their core values. This is how you write an essay for any school. I have a kid who got into an Ivy doing this and another who got into USAFA doing this. Good luck!
 
Cerberi said:
Ironically, I think 'family legacy' will not be helpful. Everything I have seen/read is the military recognizes it is reliant on filling it's ranks with people that already have some connection to the military. They won't turn away those people, but any opportunity to reach outside that group and snag someone is both a short and long term win.

There was a report in the past year that being a pilot before attending USAFA was now a negative since it was a symbol of privilege.
Click to expand...
That seems strange to me as my DS is completing his check ride in May and that was a big topic in his interview and seemed to be a positive, especially considering that pilots are in demand. Of course our situation is anecdotal, but that was our experience. By the way, there are ways to get your pilot's license without paying out of pocket such as an AOPA or EAA scholarship (they have several cycles you can try for) as well as other avenues I have read on this forum that I am not as familiar with. You do have to be an AOPA or EAA member to apply for the scholarships. My DH holds a PPL and is a member of both. If you do go for an AOPA or EAA scholarship, I highly recommend you come in with your written test passed. That seems to be the ticket!
 
DS was a 3 time applicant. That, in itself, says a lot about how badly you want to be there. Be sure to add this to your "why" equation. "Because I feel like it's my Destiny", or some version thereof, could work it's way into your answers.
I'm not certain whether your focused on answering the "why" question in essays, or in interviews? Or in both.
Regardless, I suggest you seek out some interviewing counseling, with a professional in the area. Then find someone with Military background, preferably SA if possible, to talk to. And run these questions past them.
In my limited knowledge of the process, I'm still convinced that interviews (and behind the scenes less formal communications) play a bigger part in this than most realize. The Gatekeepers involved are looking for that "something" that makes you stand out. In your case "Perseverance" and how that will make you a better leader and teammate with others ought to be strongly communicated.
Start now on showing improvement in all areas of the WCS concept. Especially in any perceived areas of weakness. Example, if your test scores are reasonably high now, then grades in University level course work similar to Doolie/Plebe level coursework, will probably become more valuable. DS didn't bother to retake SAT third time through this, instead continuing to focus on all A's, and building Military Leadership profile.
Obviously "your results may vary".
Your own intuition should be guidance enough at this point, for where you need to show improvement. Nevertheless, use every possible opportunity to communicate with your AOs and point of contacts at congressional level. Ie: Congressman's SA committee coordinator.
Put your absolute best efforts forward, starting NOW, for the next 8+ critical months.
Anything in the area of community service hours in something outside of your comfort zone, might also make an impact, as well as be a valuable experience. If I were an admissions person, and I heard some kid tell me that they "volunteered" by serving as a peer-to-peer guidance person in their churches youth group, that might be helpful, but Id REALLY wanna hear about the kid who got out in the homeless encampments handing out brown bag lunches, face to face with those less fortunate in life. Get involved with a group of that type. Only my opinion, but find a way to make it Real.
Third time is the Charm!
 
coolfredw said:
For me the question of "why" has always been the hardest to answer. I feel like there are good reasons for why you should want to go to USAFA, and bad reasons. The reasons I want to go are simple:

  • Expand my leadership and management capabilities
  • Be in a field I love (aviation)
  • To be around, learn from, and connect with smart hard working people with similar interests
  • To serve my country
To me these are the exact reasons I want to go. Now I don't know if any of these reasons are what they are looking for, but they are my reasons. I guess I was wondering if there are any reasons for why I want to attend USAFA that they are looking for in particular. This is my third time applying to USAFA so I'm really trying to bring the best package forward.

Thanks, Freddie
Click to expand...
Honesty is the best policy. Just be honest. Why do YOU want to go to USAFA? A genuine and personal essay will prevail over a forged one, and I’m not expert or anything but I’d like to bet USAFA admissions knows how to weed out the truth from the bs.

I just applied last cycle and am joining the Class of 2027 shortly. I have no real advantages in my application other than a high SAT score. What I believe got me into the academy was me being honest and consistent in my personal aspects of the application, combined with dedication, hard work, and persistence shown in my academics and ECAs.

In my essay I talked about my uncle and grandfather inspiring me with their stories of their times in the air force since oh as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to serve, just took me a while to decide how specifically. My mom suggested I join Civil Air Patrol because I had a lot of free time and it was military related, and in my first orientation flight I had finally found something I was truly passionate about. So I decided then and there that I was going to be a pilot, and THAT was how I was going to serve the country I love. The academy has the best chances for pilot slots. I also wanted a challenge and to be part of something way bigger than any single person, so I made my shot and applied.

Guess what I’m trying to say is that you are the one applying, so just show them who YOU are. Don’t leave anything out. Sell yourself fully. And don’t fall into the trap of trying to feed them what they want to hear, because I can bet anything they just want to learn about you, so show them. Godspeed with your third time applying and I’m sure I speak for all of us that we wish you the best of luck. Third times the charm :)
 
I'll comment on two of these from the standpoint of being an interviewer for USNA and having also served on Congressional and Senatorial panels over the years.

Jetbill said:
In my limited knowledge of the process, I'm still convinced that interviews (and behind the scenes less formal communications) play a bigger part in this than most realize. The Gatekeepers involved are looking for that "something" that makes you stand out. In your case "Perseverance" and how that will make you a better leader and teammate with others ought to be strongly communicated.
Click to expand...

Both in my USNA BGO interviews and in my panels it was never about what made a candidate "stand out".
In both cases that I've experienced, there are areas where the candidate is evaluated and we need to "score" the candidate in them.
You might think that being an entrepreneur that made a a million dollars might be something that made a candidate stand out (it kind
of would) but it doesn't really fit into more than one of the evaluation categories that I've seen.

If you want to impress me? Dress appropriately, be respectful, know something about the particular academy and service and probably
most important, BE FORTHCOMING AND ANSWER MY QUESTIONS FULLY. Trust me on this, I think every interviewer on this site can tell
you about candidates would give us short, even one word answers and we had to PULL the real answers out of them.


Jetbill said:
Anything in the area of community service hours in something outside of your comfort zone, might also make an impact, as well as be a valuable experience. If I were an admissions person, and I heard some kid tell me that they "volunteered" by serving as a peer-to-peer guidance person in their churches youth group, that might be helpful, but Id REALLY wanna hear about the kid who got out in the homeless encampments handing out brown bag lunches, face to face with those less fortunate in life. Get involved with a group of that type. Only my opinion, but find a way to make it Real.
Third time is the Charm!
Click to expand...
It's great that you are a big proponent of community service and I certainly value it as well but it is not a thing that the academies look
for. It might be useful in an interview when it shows leadership but the act of doing the community service is simply not going to get you WCS/WPM points from the academies. Now there are MOCs whose criteria ask about it and its been a (minor) factor on one board that I sit on but really, this is not good advice for Service Academy admissions. You might think that someone whose resume shows them volunteering for 10 hours a week making sandwiches at the soup kitchen since age 10 would make a big impact but it would not. Another candidate who organized and led a "Read to the Children" activity where you and 5 friends did just that for a time or two would probably give more "points"
 
My seagoing colleague, OldRetSWO said it so eloquently:

"If you want to impress me? Dress appropriately, be respectful, know something about the particular academy and service and probably
most important, BE FORTHCOMING AND ANSWER MY QUESTIONS FULLY. Trust me on this, I think every interviewer on this site can tell
you about candidates would give us short, even one word answers and we had to PULL the real answers out of them."

I have been "the guy on the MOCs interview board" more times than I care to count...and what you just read is SO SO SO true!! If you take nothing else away from this thread and discussion, take the above!!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
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