I have been a longtime lurker on this forum. I currently have two cadets at USAFA. For those of you who recently received TWEs and are considering reapplication for next year, I want to offer a possible helpful suggestion – or at least something to seriously think about.
Every year, many applicants who seem to “have it all,” do not receive appointments. As others have commented, you will likely never know why you did not receive one. However, I have noticed something over these many years of reading that is worth mentioning. Please do not take this as criticism of the hard work so many have put in, only to be disappointed.
Over time, when you look at the qualifications in “chance me” and similar threads, you find that LOTS of applicants have very similar profiles. Naturally, that makes sense. Awesome scores, awesome grades, awesome activities, awesome leadership. But...they are all so ALIKE. Remember that the panel who ultimately makes appointment decisions has not met you personally. When so many great applicants all look alike on paper...what distinguishes one from another? How can they know that you have that “extra” quality that will make you succeed not only at USAFA, but also as a military leader? What makes you stand out from the rest? It can't “just be” all the awesome things above. Because so many great applicants have those in common.
As my children went through their high school years with their sights set on USAFA, I counseled them to think of developing a skill/pursuing an activity that would really stand out – something that was so uniquely qualifying that only a handful of applicants each year might have that skill set/experience. Something that demonstrated extreme commitment, initiative, required a minimum of a year of intense pursuit (ideally more) and was really hard to accomplish. And something that would demonstrate their understanding of the qualities and skill sets instrumental to our country's military future. For example – starting a highly successful charity, starting a successful business, opening a tutoring center, attaining a high degree of proficiency in a critical foreign language stressed by USAFA (higher proficiency than the average applicant), starting an outreach in the community, etc. In other words, finding something that not only did they enjoy, but also that would be a unique qualifier--- differentiating them from the rest of the highly qualified applicants. Obviously, you can't know for sure what other applicants are pursuing. But try to hypothesize on ideas that meet the criteria I outlined above, that are unlikely to be pursued by many.
For privacy reasons, I am not going to say what activities my kids pursued. But we eventually received feedback that the ones they chose were indeed rare among the applicant pool.
So if you are considering reapplying...or are looking forward to applying for the first time in the next couple of years...please consider this suggestion. Brainstorm possibilities with your parents, mentors, former military officers, and other experienced adults. And be willing to sacrifice a lot to achieve something really unique.
Every year, many applicants who seem to “have it all,” do not receive appointments. As others have commented, you will likely never know why you did not receive one. However, I have noticed something over these many years of reading that is worth mentioning. Please do not take this as criticism of the hard work so many have put in, only to be disappointed.
Over time, when you look at the qualifications in “chance me” and similar threads, you find that LOTS of applicants have very similar profiles. Naturally, that makes sense. Awesome scores, awesome grades, awesome activities, awesome leadership. But...they are all so ALIKE. Remember that the panel who ultimately makes appointment decisions has not met you personally. When so many great applicants all look alike on paper...what distinguishes one from another? How can they know that you have that “extra” quality that will make you succeed not only at USAFA, but also as a military leader? What makes you stand out from the rest? It can't “just be” all the awesome things above. Because so many great applicants have those in common.
As my children went through their high school years with their sights set on USAFA, I counseled them to think of developing a skill/pursuing an activity that would really stand out – something that was so uniquely qualifying that only a handful of applicants each year might have that skill set/experience. Something that demonstrated extreme commitment, initiative, required a minimum of a year of intense pursuit (ideally more) and was really hard to accomplish. And something that would demonstrate their understanding of the qualities and skill sets instrumental to our country's military future. For example – starting a highly successful charity, starting a successful business, opening a tutoring center, attaining a high degree of proficiency in a critical foreign language stressed by USAFA (higher proficiency than the average applicant), starting an outreach in the community, etc. In other words, finding something that not only did they enjoy, but also that would be a unique qualifier--- differentiating them from the rest of the highly qualified applicants. Obviously, you can't know for sure what other applicants are pursuing. But try to hypothesize on ideas that meet the criteria I outlined above, that are unlikely to be pursued by many.
For privacy reasons, I am not going to say what activities my kids pursued. But we eventually received feedback that the ones they chose were indeed rare among the applicant pool.
So if you are considering reapplying...or are looking forward to applying for the first time in the next couple of years...please consider this suggestion. Brainstorm possibilities with your parents, mentors, former military officers, and other experienced adults. And be willing to sacrifice a lot to achieve something really unique.