How to Improve Chances for Air Force Academy

ElectedTuna

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Hello,
I'm a high school grad of 2016 planning on applying to the Air Force Academy for the class of 2021 and was curious how to improve my application. I'm aware that I can't just improve my chances in a matter of weeks, but I'm curious about ways to improve my application immediately and ways to improve it in case I plan on applying next year. I'm currently a candidate and applying for a nomination.

Here's a quick run down of my accomplishments and I'll try and be specific. I attended one of the better schools in my area, ranked around #1800 in the nation. I took one pre-AP class my freshman year and had poor grades first semester. I then turned it around and improved grades and took several Pre-AP classes and one AP sophomore year. My first two years I finished with about a 3.1 GPA. I then did a program to take community college classes my second two years. I didn't focus too much on STEM classes and am only at basic college level math. I finished that with a 3.58 GPA with honors. I took the old SAT once and got a 590 in reading and 560 in math.

For sports, I did two years of JV Cross Country (around a 19:42 5k pr). I haven't taken the CFA yet but during my mock test I did slightly above average. My extra-curriculars include volunteer work, I started up a club and am the Vice-President. I also went on a trip dozens of miles away for Habitat for Humanity and volunteer at Sharehouse (around 100 hours total). I also work a part time job as a courtesy clerk, I started senior year and averaged 20 hours a week.

Here's my plans to improve my application and questions. I'm planning on continuing full time at community college to improve my math and chemistry, I'm continuing to stay in shape to do well on my CFA (including BJJ classes), and also continue volunteer work and my job. I'd like to know how important additional references are to the academy. I have old professors who graduated from service academies who would be willing to help. I'm wondering whether or not I should retake the SAT as well, I'm signed up for October 1st to retake it once. I also want to know what specific classes I should take to improve my chances or if I should stop going to a community college. If you have any feedback on my chances of getting accepted that would help to, I'm not too concerned though because I'm not planning on applying to any other school.
 
Yes, continue to focus on all the standard classes (math, science, history, english, etc). I would try to at least take some calculus. It is not necessarily required, but it is the basis for a lot of higher-level courses. Retake the SAT and try the ACT. Some people do better on one than the other.
Remember, the academies look at three main areas for admissions--academics (by far the most heavily weighted), athletics, and leadership (extracurriculars).

Why are you only apply to one school? There are multiple ways to become an Air Force officer. Look into AFROTC, OTS, and guard/reserve options.
 
Hello, thanks for the advice, it was helpful. I have applied to other schools and gotten accepted but I decided not to pursue it because I had trouble finding a college I liked. I've talked with AFROTC staff and I've been talking to an air guard recruiter but after seeing what academy life has to offer, I felt like I finally found the college experience I was looking for while being able to become an Air Force Officer. If I can still do ROTC and/or the guard it would be exciting, but the Air Force Academy is the only school that I really get excited about and has the program I want.
 
Have you considered a senior military college as a plan B?
 
First, best of luck to you. Continue to chase your dream!

Second, a lot depends on who your competition is for the appointments in your area. It is impossible to know how you match up against the others in your area seeking an appointment to the class of 2021. You should still strive to put the best resume forward as possible. This means improving your GPA, taking and succeeding in challenging courses. Improving test scores (SAT and ACT) so you are above the median score for the class of 2020 (somewhere around 30-31 on the ACT), and taking on some leadership in clubs and community events.

Third, my DS told me over the weekend he learned that most think the key to admission is getting great recommendations from the ALO and MOC. There is so much parity among applicants that those who get in seem to have this in common. A couple of things to keep in mind: one of my DS' roommates didn't get in on his first try. My son said his resume was great, but he didn't have the tie to the ALO and MOC the first year. He went to a local university in AFROTC and reapplied and was accepted. The Squadron leader for my DS who was also a BCT leader was denied twice and attended military school for two years until he got accepted. He has excelled at USAFA.

Finally, getting in is just the first part. The academics are very challenging so you have to be prepared for them. Challenge yourself while in high school and it will serve you well.
 
Have you considered a senior military college as a plan B?
Hello, I've considered attending a prep-university so I could reapply to the academy but haven't considered a senior military college. Probably due to my lack of knowledge about them, but also because I really want to do a political science/economics major with a concentration in a foreign language which most schools lack. USAFA allows you to travel a lot and have intensive foreign language immersion, this would allow me to be more successful as an officer because I'm aware of where my strengths lie. This is why the dual AFROTC and Flagship program appeals to me.
 
First, best of luck to you. Continue to chase your dream!

Second, a lot depends on who your competition is for the appointments in your area. It is impossible to know how you match up against the others in your area seeking an appointment to the class of 2021. You should still strive to put the best resume forward as possible. This means improving your GPA, taking and succeeding in challenging courses. Improving test scores (SAT and ACT) so you are above the median score for the class of 2020 (somewhere around 30-31 on the ACT), and taking on some leadership in clubs and community events.

Third, my DS told me over the weekend he learned that most think the key to admission is getting great recommendations from the ALO and MOC. There is so much parity among applicants that those who get in seem to have this in common. A couple of things to keep in mind: one of my DS' roommates didn't get in on his first try. My son said his resume was great, but he didn't have the tie to the ALO and MOC the first year. He went to a local university in AFROTC and reapplied and was accepted. The Squadron leader for my DS who was also a BCT leader was denied twice and attended military school for two years until he got accepted. He has excelled at USAFA.

Finally, getting in is just the first part. The academics are very challenging so you have to be prepared for them. Challenge yourself while in high school and it will serve you well.

Hello, thank you for the advice, it was as very helpful! But how exactly do you have a great recommendation from your MOC? I assumed they just gave people nominations with the same format as anyone. Also, I'm working on contacting my ALO but it seems like he doesn't check his e-mail often so I'll see what I can do. I liked your anecdote about your son in AFROTC, at least I know I can do that and still reapply so I'm not wasting my time.
 
Hello, I've considered attending a prep-university so I could reapply to the academy but haven't considered a senior military college. Probably due to my lack of knowledge about them, but also because I really want to do a political science/economics major with a concentration in a foreign language which most schools lack. USAFA allows you to travel a lot and have intensive foreign language immersion, this would allow me to be more successful as an officer because I'm aware of where my strengths lie. This is why the dual AFROTC and Flagship program appeals to me.

Just a suggestion. Texas A & M is ranked #25 in political Science, and #42 in Economics and I believe they offer in-state tution for members of the Corps of Cadets.
 
What exactly is your intended career field?

Sorry, but I chuckled a little at the comment of "allows you to travel a lot". You and I must have a big difference in the idea of traveling a lot as a USAFA cadet.

Here is my big question:
Have you looked at the mandated curriculum for every USAFA cadet, be it Poli Sci or Engineering? I suggest you take a gander at the amount of Math and science you will be required to take.

Do you know what USAFA is called by members in the ADAF world? The Little Engineering School in the Rockies. This is not a LAC education...aka Liberal Arts.

I am not trying to rain on your parade. I am agreeing with raimius. There are multiple routes and if you want to be an officer than keep every door open.
~ I know in our state, that AFROTC allows CC students to be x-town cadets. Why should you do this now? Because as an AFROTC cadet, even if you are at a CC doing it x-town, aka not at the host campus, you can get another nomination. ROTC.
~~ Plus with every nomination, you meet another slate before hitting the national pool.
 
What exactly is your intended career field?

Sorry, but I chuckled a little at the comment of "allows you to travel a lot". You and I must have a big difference in the idea of traveling a lot as a USAFA cadet.

Here is my big question:
Have you looked at the mandated curriculum for every USAFA cadet, be it Poli Sci or Engineering? I suggest you take a gander at the amount of Math and science you will be required to take.

Do you know what USAFA is called by members in the ADAF world? The Little Engineering School in the Rockies. This is not a LAC education...aka Liberal Arts.

I am not trying to rain on your parade. I am agreeing with raimius. There are multiple routes and if you want to be an officer than keep every door open.
~ I know in our state, that AFROTC allows CC students to be x-town cadets. Why should you do this now? Because as an AFROTC cadet, even if you are at a CC doing it x-town, aka not at the host campus, you can get another nomination. ROTC.
~~ Plus with every nomination, you meet another slate before hitting the national pool.
Hello, I appreciate your concern, I have had to ask hard questions about whether or not the academy is for me. I have no problem taking STEM classes, I've taken several economics classes and done well (my intended major). I'm behind on math for different reasons but math is not an issue, engineering is probably my biggest issue although I'm aware I'll have to take a few mandatory engineering courses. To sum it up, I've seen the curriculum and am very satisfied with it although I know it will be demanding.

My point by saying "traveling a lot" is that I looked into the academy's academic programs and they have many opportunities for studying abroad and visiting foreign defense academies. I'm not trying to be naive about what traveling means in the military vs. civilian life, but I'm sure if I minor in a foreign language that it would allow me to put that skill to use since I know the Air Force is big on that area of study. Although economics isn't the most "exciting" major for travel, I'm sure I could be a successful Intelligence Officer with both these skills. I've talked with an old professor who was a USAFA grad and did the same major I'm interested in. Although he was a pilot and he traveled for his job, including Vietnam, he still valued his experiences very much. Same with most former Air Force officers who I've discussed this with, although I know my experiences will be different.

Finally, I'm still considering doing AFROTC but USAFA has a much better program for what I'm interested in and the school feels right for me. I trust my intuition and believe I'm fully capable of getting an appointment, enjoying my experiences at the academy, then graduating some day. I appreciate your advice, there really are so many options out there but I want to attend the academy.
 
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You should find out how each MOC nominates candidates to the SAs. Some send a slate and let the SA rank them while others send a ranked list to each SA. The nomination is important. I think reaching out to the MOC staff member responsible for the process and asking questions and getting to know them before the interview is one way to show legitimate interest. My DS met with both Senators and our Congressman the summer before he applied. He went to our Congressman's Academy Days from the 7th grade through his senior year. It showed his genuine interest. He prepared for the interviews by practicing and understanding where some of the tougher questions may come from based on his application (he was prepared to answer questions about his lowest grade in high school and to discuss his curriculum. He followed a similar path with his ALO who specifically called this out when he awarded him the appointment at graduation.

As I stated above, this worked for my DS and may not work for you. It is intended to show you one way someone made themselves stand out among other strong candidates. Best of luck.
 
elected,

The fact is that the academy does have these programs, but at least to my knowledge they are competitive. and not a guarantee. I would look into how many opportunities for the foreign language you intend to major in exist.
~ IE let's say they have 50 in total. However, there are 3 here, 4 there, 9 in this one, so on and so forth. However, for the language you are minoring in there could be only 2 and maybe 30 applying. It is not a given.

I am all for USAFA over other commissioning sources in certain situations. Mainly the opportunities they offer for ED upon commissioning. I do not know the true stats for programs like AFIT, but my guess is that they beat AFROTC numbers by an extreme number, even though AFROTC commissions more officers.
~ Christcorps DS had the excellent opportunity to go to RAND right out of USAFA for his ph.D. It is a 3 yr tour. Only 1 O1 in the AF gets that slot. His DS got that slot after hornetguy finished his tour. hornetguy went after another USAFA grad finished their tour. IOWS if you want that slot you want to be at USAFA.

As far as my remark about it being a STEM college it came from 1 thing you stated in your original post. 560 math. Not to be rude or mean, but that is very low compared to the median. You are off by at least 120+ points if my memory serves me right. I believe the M number is around 683.
~ Being off that much begged the question regarding how strong you are in math.
You state Math is not a problem, but engineering is Math. Look at how your HS curriculum, or even now your college curriculum works. You can't take Physics unless you have taken very specific Math classes. Have you ever seen someone in HS take Physics with just Geometry under their belt and not at least being dual enrolled in pre-calc? Probably not. The reason why is Physics requires a higher level of Math. Now expound upon that for engineering classes because the last time I checked Physics is an integral part of engineering with things like torque.

That 1st yr at any SA is a killer in so many ways. If you do not have that strong academic foundation in Math and Science now, than impo you are going to want to use this year at the CC taking those classes at the highest level they will allow so you have that under your belt.

Getting there is one thing. Staying there is another. Earning the opportunity to study abroad is also another thing. See above that an opportunity does not equal will go. Your cgpa is going to matter, and if you are just tweaking out those STEM classes even while maintaining As in your major and minor, your cgpa will take the hit.

Finally, as a college student, IF I am correct (CC and flieger can clarify if I am wrong). they will not appoint you until after they receive your 1st semesters transcripts even if you have a nomination. Caveat is if they offer you an LOA and you have a nom.

I wish you the very best and hope all of your wishes and dreams come true. My criticism is not to do anything more than make sure you to think about every angle.
 
elected,

The fact is that the academy does have these programs, but at least to my knowledge they are competitive. and not a guarantee. I would look into how many opportunities for the foreign language you intend to major in exist.
~ IE let's say they have 50 in total. However, there are 3 here, 4 there, 9 in this one, so on and so forth. However, for the language you are minoring in there could be only 2 and maybe 30 applying. It is not a given.

I am all for USAFA over other commissioning sources in certain situations. Mainly the opportunities they offer for ED upon commissioning. I do not know the true stats for programs like AFIT, but my guess is that they beat AFROTC numbers by an extreme number, even though AFROTC commissions more officers.
~ Christcorps DS had the excellent opportunity to go to RAND right out of USAFA for his ph.D. It is a 3 yr tour. Only 1 O1 in the AF gets that slot. His DS got that slot after hornetguy finished his tour. hornetguy went after another USAFA grad finished their tour. IOWS if you want that slot you want to be at USAFA.

As far as my remark about it being a STEM college it came from 1 thing you stated in your original post. 560 math. Not to be rude or mean, but that is very low compared to the median. You are off by at least 120+ points if my memory serves me right. I believe the M number is around 683.
~ Being off that much begged the question regarding how strong you are in math.
You state Math is not a problem, but engineering is Math. Look at how your HS curriculum, or even now your college curriculum works. You can't take Physics unless you have taken very specific Math classes. Have you ever seen someone in HS take Physics with just Geometry under their belt and not at least being dual enrolled in pre-calc? Probably not. The reason why is Physics requires a higher level of Math. Now expound upon that for engineering classes because the last time I checked Physics is an integral part of engineering with things like torque.

That 1st yr at any SA is a killer in so many ways. If you do not have that strong academic foundation in Math and Science now, than impo you are going to want to use this year at the CC taking those classes at the highest level they will allow so you have that under your belt.

Getting there is one thing. Staying there is another. Earning the opportunity to study abroad is also another thing. See above that an opportunity does not equal will go. Your cgpa is going to matter, and if you are just tweaking out those STEM classes even while maintaining As in your major and minor, your cgpa will take the hit.

Finally, as a college student, IF I am correct (CC and flieger can clarify if I am wrong). they will not appoint you until after they receive your 1st semesters transcripts even if you have a nomination. Caveat is if they offer you an LOA and you have a nom.

I wish you the very best and hope all of your wishes and dreams come true. My criticism is not to do anything more than make sure you to think about every angle.
Thank you Pima,

I understand you criticize because the academy and the Air Force demands our best. I'll look more into the programs and see how many people are offered them. Right now I'm focusing specifically on STEM fields and math and I'm planning on strengthening my math even if I don't get accepted for the C/O 2021. The problem is that my state has a program to take CC classes while in High School, in order to do this I had to get accepted into college level math. I passed the test but never took Algebra 2 in High School but I passed college trigonometry. I guess my point was I've done well in math in the past, but I need more exposure to it in order to do better on the SAT. The CC I attend is based on a quarter system and I get my grades a few weeks before my final application is due so I should be fine.

But again, thanks for the detailed response! I would rather have people criticizing my weak points rather than telling me that my application is perfect.
 
I wish you the best. I hope you get an appointment.

If you want my 0.01987t3 cents worth regarding your situation. I won't give it until I know more factors or clarification.
1. You stated in HS you finished with AL 2, but passed college trig. What are you taking right now at your CC? Trig, or Calc?
2. At my kids HS (military brats. 2 of my 3 went to 2 different HSs in 2 different states) they could not take Physics without at least being in pre-calc at the same time. What science class are you in right now at your CC.

I am not pro-AFROTC anti-USAFA. I am pro-commissioning. I have yet to read why you are not joining the closest AFROTC det. As an AFROTC cadet you get an edge...it is called a ROTC nomination. AFROTC CoCs impo are not possessive over their cadets. Their goal is the same as USAFA to train and commission the best. If a cadet wants to leave AFROTC to go to USAFA they will typically support it 110%.
~ JMPO, but if you really want to attend USAFA and IF you have a college campus (x-town) that offers AFROTC why are you not joining it now...for the very least to experience PT and LLAB.
~~ I do get it if the closest is an hr. away.
~~ I don't get it if you are not thinking long term. CCs are 2 yrs. Sooner or later you will need to transfer to a 4 yr college if you want to commission. How many credits will you end with at the end of your freshmen yr? Less than 30 and you are still eligible for the HSSP. Not even going to go down the rabbit hole of SFT for AFROTC cadets and how not joining AFROTC before your jr. yr (assumption that you are forced into AFROTC as a rising jr) how that impacts you from a commissioning aspect.

I will say it is great to have these goals, but as a long time poster that has seen so many posts every Mar/April regarding getting the TWE, I just never get the "placing all of my eggs in this one basket" aspect. I get the I want an SA education/lifestyle. I truly do. It is unique in so many ways. starting from the bonding as cadets to the Ivy league level education to the summer opportunities. I just don't get it when someone like you as a freshmen in college is not pushing forward with a plan B for the nest year, by not applying to another school. Sorry, but that is just my personal opinion.

If you asked me why this is my opinion, it comes down to what I believe is the greatest thing about our military leaders...they always have plan A in place, but expect that they may need to utilize plan B, C or D. to complete their mission.
~ They don't say...
I'm not too concerned though because I'm not planning on applying to any other school.

Harsh remark? Probably! IMPO, YES
~ Not applying to any other school = no plan B, C or D. It is plan A and plan A only. How does that look to them when it comes to career field...are you all about you or the needs of the AF and will do whatever they say?
~~ If your MOC interviews for the nom. How are you going to answer that cliche question of if you do not get an appointment this year to USAFA, what is your intentions for next year? Are you going to do AFROTC? If not why?
~~~ Go ahead convince me and other posters why you did not apply for AFROTC or will not do AFROTC. For me, you only get a pass if it is 60 miles away from your CC. Sorry, but if you are not picked up for USAFA and do not join AFROTC I have to question if this is about you and that USAFA education or doing anything and everything in your power to commission. USAFA is just the icing on the cake when it comes to commissioning. Either way in the end, be it USAFA, ROTC or OCS you will have butter bars, nobody in the op world gives a rats butt about the commissioning source. Don't believe me? Google Colin Powell. Think that he is an exception to the rule, than do some more research regarding generals from USAFA compared to ROTC commissions. It is basically a 50/50 .


I really want you to get that BFE, but I have to say what I want more is for you to commission in 2021.
 
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I really should've clarified my situation in more detail, I just wasn't sure if anyone was going to read that far into it. So let me clarify my whole situation with what classes I have/am taking and why I'm not doing AFROTC.

So first of all regarding my classes, I was in advanced math in middle school but I had little to no motivation at that time. Although I passed the class with a B, my teacher said I lacked motivation and made me retake pre-algebra in Middle School. Due to this situation, I was in Algebra one my Freshman year but was also in pre-AP biology. I aced the class and my school's test and then took basic chemistry and pre-AP geometry. I was unable to do Algebra 2 because I wasn't taking any high school classes, I tried to skip into college algebra so I could get my classes paid for but I withdrew due to the rigor (since I tried to skip a year in math and take advanced algebra). I'm trying to make up for it now by taking Intermediate Algebra, intro to chemistry, and intro to stats at my local CC. I have taken college trigonometry, human biology, environmental biology, and physical science all at my CC. I'm using the rest of the year to catch up on math and science while saving money.

Onto my reason for not applying to other schools. I didn't realize I didn't clarify this already, it's because I'm ALREADY enrolled at a university. Here's what happened... Basically I want to get my major in economics but I also wanted to do the Russian Flagship program at Portland State University. This leads to a lot of credits that need to be accomplished first, and after talking to my adviser he said I was behind on math as well which would further require more credits. This is a problem because I would be paying out of state tuition, I live in Washington. Also, the drive is awful due to excessive traffic across the bridge between both states. If it weren't bad enough, AFROTC is at a crosstown university. Basically what my situation came down to was that my adviser wanted me to take about 17 credits a term, I would have to drive an average of 2-3 hours a day in heavy traffic, find a way to pay for all of this, and also make time for . I had no money to live on campus since I am completely left on my own in terms of paying for college. I've been talking to an air guard recruiter recently and that was my plan since there is a base in Portland.

My way of solving this was to tell both the ROTC recruiting officer that I was unable to do ROTC this year and I said the same thing to the director of the Flagship program. Both told me to reapply next year if I'm interested. I know I could've gotten an in college scholarship to ROTC but it was a chance, I wanted to make sure this is what I wanted to do before I racked myself into debt. I was unaware about the commissioning process for air guard or ROTC cadets but it's good to know that they value it. Anyways, I realized that my grades and resume were a lot better than I imagined so I got ambition to join the academy. It's something I've always wanted to do but never believed I was good enough after my poor PAR but it's much improved now and I'm trying to bolster my chances of joining the academy.

Anyways, I do appreciate the advice a lot. I've already mentioned before how the academy is my dream school, but I'm still interested in gaining any military experience I can to prepare myself for a commission.
 
so confused now

I'm trying to make up for it now by taking Intermediate Algebra, intro to chemistry, and intro to stats at my local CC. I have taken college trigonometry, human biology, environmental biology, and physical science all at my CC.
I'm ALREADY enrolled at a university. Here's what happened... Basically I want to get my major in economics but I also wanted to do the Russian Flagship program at Portland State University. This leads to a lot of credits that need to be accomplished first, and after talking to my adviser he said I was behind on math as well which would further require more credits. This is a problem because I would be paying out of state tuition

I've been talking to an air guard recruiter recently and that was my plan since there is a base in Portland.



1. Just realized that you never took ALG II. 560 M with only Geometry is pretty impressive.
2. How is it you are taking ALG now, but have already taken trig, and you are on a quarter system? Intermediate Alg should be a pre-req to Trig, It is kind of like putting the cart (trig) before the horse (Intermediate Al)
3. What university are you enrolled in? The way your post reads is you are not a part of the PSU Russian Flagship. It reads like it is a goal to get into Portland State, and currently you are not a student at that university, thus, it begs the question what university are you attending, and if I read it right you are NOT in that flagship program or a student at PSU. In essence, you need to be accepted by them..have you applied to that school?
4. I am not the only one that is saying you are behind the 8 ball for math. 17 credits for a school on a quarter system seems insane. 17 for a semester student in a STEM program is about par, maybe on the light side. 17 on a quarter system is 68 a yr...basically a kill me now situation
~ My DS 2 is a bio-chem major. not in ROTC and he typically carries at least 20 credits per semester or 40 annually.
5. ANG is not like AFROTC.
~ Just like USAFA, AFROTC and ANG have fine print details.
~ No offense to any recruiter, but their job is to recruit enlisted, not officers. What is the fine print?

Sorry.
 
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elected,

The fact is that the academy does have these programs, but at least to my knowledge they are competitive. and not a guarantee. I would look into how many opportunities for the foreign language you intend to major in exist.
You are correct. The programs that allow you to travel are normally very competitive. Most of the traveling opportunities are funded by individual donors or scholarships and not by USAFA (a.k.a. the taxpayers). Our son was chosen to go to PLA (Chinese Academy) with foreign cadets from around the world as well as a summer immersion to China. Both were selective to get picked (top students). Another year, he also attended a college classes in Hong Kong during the summer which was a competitive international scholarship program. Those study abroad spots were also very rare. Finally, he traveled to Chile for Wings of Blue which is a competitive team to get on. Under 1/2 of the WOB member went to Chili and only the demo team.

Putting it another way, I would say the vast majority of students (95%??) didn't travel internationally. The chances of traveling internationally are dramatically enhanced by being one of the top students in a language (which normally means you are one of the top students at USAFA). I am sure there are other opportunities to travel abroad that I am not aware of.

To your point: If a big reason a person is picking USAFA for college is to travel abroad, the odds are stacked against you.
 
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Hi, I realize I was still unclear. I'll respond to all those points so hopefully I can explain myself better.
1. Thanks, I did have experience with algebra through Khan Academy and taking College algebra (although I ended up dropping it).
2. Well my state's program allows you to earn both high school and college credit simultaneously, but you're treated as a college student. My high school only advised me on what to take, it was completely up to me and the state doesn't pay for below 100 level classes. My CC is based on quarters, College trig and College algebra make up the high school equivalent of pre-calc. I don't know exactly how it's supposed to work but my trig class had almost no algebra and I was able to pass it just fine.
3. This is where I mostly confused myself. I was accepted to PSU, I then enrolled in the school for this Fall but then backed out. I was accepted in the Flagship program but told the director I'm waiting a year and he said I can join next year without having to reapply. I shouldn't have said I am enrolled, I was enrolled but will be able to attend next year.
4. Yes, PSU is based quarterly as well and 17 credits per quarter is a lot. I am aware I'm behind on math, I'm trying to make it up with my year off. I have been taking 15 a quarter my CC for the past 2 years and earned my AA and high school diploma simultaneously. Also, I wasn't including summer quarter since the Flagship program expects you to study abroad plus with ROTC field training I wouldn't be able to.
5. I never thought the ANG was like AFROTC, I mentioned it because there's a nomination process for it as well. This was my main reason for taking a gap year, I could join the ANG and get military experience, a stable job, the Montgomery GI bill plus a paycheck, and be able to do AFROTC at the same time. I'm considering it to start a military career being a traditional guardsmen and save money for PSU next year. Plus, I would be ranked as an E-3 due to my AA degree.

I hope I clarified everything, I've been confusing myself with all of this as well. I'm going to talk to my ALO and discuss all of this with him. I'm just hoping I can get into the academy this year, but I can find other ways to gain experience. Thanks for taking the time to read through all of this.
 
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate all the advice I'm getting from everyone.

I wouldn't say that studying abroad was one of my main reasons for wanting to attend the academy, but I did rank it higher than I should've as a reason to attend. I was mainly talking about all the opportunities the Academy provides such as all the clubs, extracurriculars, and excellent academics (one thing I feel strongly about). Studying abroad is definitely the best opportunity in my mind and something I want to explore. I'm sure the weight of attending USAFA and doing well academically is enough to convince most organizations to allow you to study abroad vs. competing with other cadets. I'm not sure if they allow you to attend scholarships through other organizations that often but I'd be willing to hear more about that if you know.

I'll have to look more into this myself though but I'd still like to apply to those programs if I get accepted.
 
I think you are missing the point regarding studying abroad as an AFA cadet. It is not like AFROTC where it is easier to get HQ AFROTC approval if a study abroad opportunity arrives, it is not a competition per se, you get one, you ask to go. Many ROTC cadets do study abroad or do internships during their college experience.
~ My DS was a govt major in an honors program. It was a requirement to either intern for a semester on the Hill or at the UN. He opted to intern for Sen. Burr which allowed him to stay at his college. Another cadet interned at the UN which meant they did a semester away from college.

USAFA is a competition with approved programs for studying abroad. Your post reads as if you think that you can apply to any program and the weight of USAFA will guarantee the slot by the organization offering the study abroad opportunity. However, you are missing the big part of the equation...you 1st need to be competitive enough at USAFA to get that opportunity. Note what MN Dad was saying was maybe 5% are OFFERED this opportunity.

Now for your points 4 and 5. I am confused again.
1. It is not a gap year or a year off. Gap years typically refer to do something that is not involving attending college. I.E. volunteering in a country to help the community like teaching. Or Habitat for Humanity.

In your case carrying 45+ credits in college is not considered a gap. You are considered a student. Trust me, when tax time rolls around your parents will be asked to check a box...student...they will get a tax deduction because you are a full time student in college. That is what the Hope and Lifetime deductions are about.

2. It is mid- Sept. and that means you are in college right now. It takes months to get into the ANG. It is not like you apply on Friday and show up next week. You will need to take the ASVAB, get a medical exam done. Go through training. Than once you go through all of that than you can ask for that nomination. However, in your case by the time you get through all of this the nomination deadline will most likely have passed. Nom. drop dead date is Jan. 31st.

Thus, you really will need to rely on the MoC noms. Had you joined AFROTC already you would def. have that one in your pocket for this year.

Now for some other points.
1. The HS program you are talking about is commonly referred to as JUMP START.
~ It worked exactly like what you stated for my kids in VA and NC. They chose whatever class they wanted to take at the CC. We had to pay for the classes at a reduced cost no matter what level. The only difference is probably what I stated in my earlier post. You go 1/2 day to HS and 1/2 day to the CC. You choose whether you go in the a.m or p.m
~ Believe me for many candidates if this is an option in HS they take it. My DS did jump start because academically on the HS level he had taken every AP available to him. (AP Physics, AP Calc, AP French, AP Lit, APENG, APUSH, APEURO, AP World). His only option was to move onto the CC program as a HS senior. In our state it is semesters. You can only do it as a senior. He also graduated in the top 7% of his class.
~~ Not trying to be harsh, just saying that these are the type of candidates you will be up against for your MoC nomination.
2. I would def. talk to the admissions dept. at PSU about automatic acceptance for the class of 2021. In VA if you carry a 3.0 out of the CC you are automatically accepted to any In state college.
3. If you go to PSU are you going ANG in another state? Yes, you can do both. DS2s friend is doing both, but it is not easy on him. He has ROTC on campus in VA and must go back to MA 1x a month to drill. He is a STEM major carrying 21+ credits a semester. It has been hard on him.
4. If you have an AA degree and are thinking about AFROTC, you need to talk to the PMS at the PSU det. The thing is you must attend SFT as an AFROTC cadet, and than be a POC for at least 18 months (3 semesters). SFT is a board that for sophomores will meet in the winter. If you do not join AFROTC now, than you can see that to commission via AFROTC might not be an option unless you delay your graduation date.
~ Start PSU next fall with 60 credits (soph). Do AFROTC as a 250 (soph). Get SFT 2018. That means you can't commission until Dec. 2019 under the AFROTC program at the earliest.

I am being a broken record now, and I know that, but I just feel like with every post you are not realistic on how the system works for any of these paths for commissioning.

I really wish you the best and hope that you get all of your wishes and dreams.
 
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