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Just sharing
- Thread starter BuckeyeDad20
- Start date
BuckeyeDad20
Member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2019
- Messages
- 317
Just to close the loop on this. I have updated the stats/resume.
My DS did receive an appointment to USAFA and is now a Doolie in the class of 2024. Very happy for him.
There has been some discussion about Ivy Leagues. In the spirit of simply providing data points, my DS applied to MIT and Stanford and did not get in. He did get a 4yr Type 1 scholarship from AFROTC and accepted into engineering programs at Georgia Tech, Purdue and Michigan. In the end, pursuing Aerospace Engineering at USAFA was his choice.
Applicant Details:
Gender: Male
Race: White (non-Hispanic)
Height: 5’ 10
Weight: 178lbs
Family: My wife and I are both former USAF officers. My DS also has 3 uncles and 1 aunt that were USAF officers (two of which attended USAFA)
GPA: 4.0 unweighted (13 AP classes through high school)
Class Rank: 3/258
Desired Major: Aerospace Engineering
ACT:
March 2019: 32 composite
Summer 2019: 35 composite
Sports:
Football 1
Rugby 1, 2, 3, (4)
Track 3, (4)
Extracurriculars:
Mock Trial 1
Speech and Debate 1, 2, 3, 4
NHS
Leadership:
Sophomore House Captain
Senior House Captain
Captain Speech and Debate 1, 2, 3, 4
Community Service:
Lots
Work:
Has worked part time during school year and full time summer since 8th grade
Other:
Earned his private pilot's license Nov 2019 and had about 75 total flight hours by Spring
Attended Air Camp 2016
Attended USNA Summer Stem 2018
Attended USNA Summer Seminar 2019
Attended Buckeye Boys State 2019
Applied but not selected for USAFA Summer Seminar 2019
CFA results:
June 2019
BBall Throw: 75ft
Pull-ups: 10
Sit-ups: 60
Push Ups: 40
Shuttle Run: 9.18
Mile: 7:11
Aug 2019
BBall Throw: 85ft
Pull-ups: 18
Sit-ups: 88
Push Ups: 62
Shuttle Run: 8.70
Mile: 6:08
NOTE the significant improvement in CFA scores. He worked out everyday over the summer and took his final CFA just before school started. This represents about 8 weeks of physical training, weight-lifting combined with pushups, situps, and chin-ups plus a mile run for time on MWF, and running interval training on TTh. So for those of you considering, know if you put the work in, you can get your CFA scores up to good levels.
My thoughts:
DISCLAIMER:
I have no special knowledge or experience. My comments are purely based on what I have read online like many of you and my experience in the USAF (which is now 22 years old for whatever that is worth) and my experience in this process. My opinion only represents my perspective and view as I have witnessed it and certainly isn't a complete picture or applicable to all people.
Academics:
Academically he was very strong. He has always been in Honors/AP classes and never got below an A.
He scored a 32 on his first ACT and a 35 on his second which is well above the mean for USAFA.
Athletics:
He is cursed with his parents DNA and is not very athletic nor tall. He played Varsity Rugby as a Junior so he probably just checks the box in this category as he is not a stand out talent nor does he play 3 varsity sports each year. But he has played a team sport at least every year and played two sports his Freshman and Junior years.
Extra-Curricular:
Speech & Debate is a big deal for him. He has grown the team from 4 people his first year to 25 his senior year.
Work:
Work is part-time during the school year and full time in the summer to fund his flight training.
Leadership:
Captain of Speech & Debate for all four years. Served as House Captain Sophomore year and again his Senior year (school divides student body into 6 Houses). Its a fairly big deal at his school. As a Senior he lead about 160 kids.
Overall:
Obviously he was competitive since he got an appointment. We never received a score or indication what mattered most on his resume so I have no way of judging the importance of any category. There is a RAND corporation study that discusses recommended weightings for admissions that is an interesting read you can find on the internet. About 25% of appointees are recruited athletes so that is a route some can take. My DS had no shot at that, played team sports, but he knew academics were going to have to be his ticket in. I am sure the total package mattered, but my instinct is that the grades, ACT score combined with 75 flight hours showed him to be a good fit for USAFA and the team sports and leadership just rounded it out.
Advice:
GRADES. GRADES. GRADES. There is no magic bullet to get into USAFA, but academics are the single most significant factor in the formula. GPA is also the most significant category in their class rank at USAFA as well. Academics are obviously and clearly important to USAFA. So, what should you focus on? Your school work. Maybe you are a star athlete and do not need the GPA as badly, but I cannot speak to that. For those of you who are not recruited athletes, study, study and study some more. It is boring advice, but it works. GPA is not enough though, you still have to find time to find leadership opportunities and develop interests. If you play team sports (even without being a starter), get very good grades and have some leadership examples, you have a good shot I think.
What about the Private Pilot License?
I have been asked this a few times. Do I think it is necessary? Absolutely not. Did it help? Absolutely...I think - I don't really know since no one gave us feedback. But consider the following:
1) USAFA is currently trying to boost the number of cadets eligible for rated positions (flight). Furthermore, in the formula for a pilot slot, USAF takes into account flight hours when evaluating USAFA and AFROTC cadets. It is not THE factor, it is only one of several GPA being a big one), but it does count. USAFA has a significant airmanship program with its powered flight, soaring, and parachute programs. A cadet with a PPL has demonstrated their aptitude to a degree already.
2) Getting the PPL demonstrates a passion for flight and airmanship which is a big part of the academy and the USAF. Knowing that a cadet has the passion and drive to get the PPL suggests he/she will more likely be a good fit at USAFA.
That being said, half of the parents I talked to on I-Day said their DS/DD did not want to fly. I may be just rationalizing the effort and expense he incurred getting the PPL. When people ask me if they should get a PPL, I tell them to do it if they want to. It is expensive. It is a huge commitment and does not guarantee anything. Do not do it just to put on your resume. Pursue a PPL to determine if you like flight, you may find out it doesn't make you excited and you will learn something about yourself. You may learn that you love the experience and enjoy the math behind the flight planning, etc and feel better about becoming a pilot in the USAF. He started it, loved and never wanted to stop. For my DS it was worth it with or without USAFA. I think his journey to get the PPL was more significant in his admission than the PPL itself and I think his GPA and ACT were more important than the PPL.
Good luck to all of you hoping to make it to you USAFA, USNA or USMA one day. Make sure you are doing it for yourself and not your parents or anyone else.
Take care.
My DS did receive an appointment to USAFA and is now a Doolie in the class of 2024. Very happy for him.
There has been some discussion about Ivy Leagues. In the spirit of simply providing data points, my DS applied to MIT and Stanford and did not get in. He did get a 4yr Type 1 scholarship from AFROTC and accepted into engineering programs at Georgia Tech, Purdue and Michigan. In the end, pursuing Aerospace Engineering at USAFA was his choice.
Applicant Details:
Gender: Male
Race: White (non-Hispanic)
Height: 5’ 10
Weight: 178lbs
Family: My wife and I are both former USAF officers. My DS also has 3 uncles and 1 aunt that were USAF officers (two of which attended USAFA)
GPA: 4.0 unweighted (13 AP classes through high school)
Class Rank: 3/258
Desired Major: Aerospace Engineering
ACT:
March 2019: 32 composite
Summer 2019: 35 composite
Sports:
Football 1
Rugby 1, 2, 3, (4)
Track 3, (4)
Extracurriculars:
Mock Trial 1
Speech and Debate 1, 2, 3, 4
NHS
Leadership:
Sophomore House Captain
Senior House Captain
Captain Speech and Debate 1, 2, 3, 4
Community Service:
Lots
Work:
Has worked part time during school year and full time summer since 8th grade
Other:
Earned his private pilot's license Nov 2019 and had about 75 total flight hours by Spring
Attended Air Camp 2016
Attended USNA Summer Stem 2018
Attended USNA Summer Seminar 2019
Attended Buckeye Boys State 2019
Applied but not selected for USAFA Summer Seminar 2019
CFA results:
June 2019
BBall Throw: 75ft
Pull-ups: 10
Sit-ups: 60
Push Ups: 40
Shuttle Run: 9.18
Mile: 7:11
Aug 2019
BBall Throw: 85ft
Pull-ups: 18
Sit-ups: 88
Push Ups: 62
Shuttle Run: 8.70
Mile: 6:08
NOTE the significant improvement in CFA scores. He worked out everyday over the summer and took his final CFA just before school started. This represents about 8 weeks of physical training, weight-lifting combined with pushups, situps, and chin-ups plus a mile run for time on MWF, and running interval training on TTh. So for those of you considering, know if you put the work in, you can get your CFA scores up to good levels.
My thoughts:
DISCLAIMER:
I have no special knowledge or experience. My comments are purely based on what I have read online like many of you and my experience in the USAF (which is now 22 years old for whatever that is worth) and my experience in this process. My opinion only represents my perspective and view as I have witnessed it and certainly isn't a complete picture or applicable to all people.
Academics:
Academically he was very strong. He has always been in Honors/AP classes and never got below an A.
He scored a 32 on his first ACT and a 35 on his second which is well above the mean for USAFA.
Athletics:
He is cursed with his parents DNA and is not very athletic nor tall. He played Varsity Rugby as a Junior so he probably just checks the box in this category as he is not a stand out talent nor does he play 3 varsity sports each year. But he has played a team sport at least every year and played two sports his Freshman and Junior years.
Extra-Curricular:
Speech & Debate is a big deal for him. He has grown the team from 4 people his first year to 25 his senior year.
Work:
Work is part-time during the school year and full time in the summer to fund his flight training.
Leadership:
Captain of Speech & Debate for all four years. Served as House Captain Sophomore year and again his Senior year (school divides student body into 6 Houses). Its a fairly big deal at his school. As a Senior he lead about 160 kids.
Overall:
Obviously he was competitive since he got an appointment. We never received a score or indication what mattered most on his resume so I have no way of judging the importance of any category. There is a RAND corporation study that discusses recommended weightings for admissions that is an interesting read you can find on the internet. About 25% of appointees are recruited athletes so that is a route some can take. My DS had no shot at that, played team sports, but he knew academics were going to have to be his ticket in. I am sure the total package mattered, but my instinct is that the grades, ACT score combined with 75 flight hours showed him to be a good fit for USAFA and the team sports and leadership just rounded it out.
Advice:
GRADES. GRADES. GRADES. There is no magic bullet to get into USAFA, but academics are the single most significant factor in the formula. GPA is also the most significant category in their class rank at USAFA as well. Academics are obviously and clearly important to USAFA. So, what should you focus on? Your school work. Maybe you are a star athlete and do not need the GPA as badly, but I cannot speak to that. For those of you who are not recruited athletes, study, study and study some more. It is boring advice, but it works. GPA is not enough though, you still have to find time to find leadership opportunities and develop interests. If you play team sports (even without being a starter), get very good grades and have some leadership examples, you have a good shot I think.
What about the Private Pilot License?
I have been asked this a few times. Do I think it is necessary? Absolutely not. Did it help? Absolutely...I think - I don't really know since no one gave us feedback. But consider the following:
1) USAFA is currently trying to boost the number of cadets eligible for rated positions (flight). Furthermore, in the formula for a pilot slot, USAF takes into account flight hours when evaluating USAFA and AFROTC cadets. It is not THE factor, it is only one of several GPA being a big one), but it does count. USAFA has a significant airmanship program with its powered flight, soaring, and parachute programs. A cadet with a PPL has demonstrated their aptitude to a degree already.
2) Getting the PPL demonstrates a passion for flight and airmanship which is a big part of the academy and the USAF. Knowing that a cadet has the passion and drive to get the PPL suggests he/she will more likely be a good fit at USAFA.
That being said, half of the parents I talked to on I-Day said their DS/DD did not want to fly. I may be just rationalizing the effort and expense he incurred getting the PPL. When people ask me if they should get a PPL, I tell them to do it if they want to. It is expensive. It is a huge commitment and does not guarantee anything. Do not do it just to put on your resume. Pursue a PPL to determine if you like flight, you may find out it doesn't make you excited and you will learn something about yourself. You may learn that you love the experience and enjoy the math behind the flight planning, etc and feel better about becoming a pilot in the USAF. He started it, loved and never wanted to stop. For my DS it was worth it with or without USAFA. I think his journey to get the PPL was more significant in his admission than the PPL itself and I think his GPA and ACT were more important than the PPL.
Good luck to all of you hoping to make it to you USAFA, USNA or USMA one day. Make sure you are doing it for yourself and not your parents or anyone else.
Take care.
Very impressive improvements in his physical conditioning in a very short time. My prayers go out to him and you as he navigates his new world. It seem like yesterday my DS was in the same place, he is now a Cadre in his final year at USAFA. It goes by in the blink of an eye!