cmanning75
Member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2022
- Messages
- 27
Hello, I am currently applying to the Air Force Academy for the class of 2027, but I have a unique situation:
I go to a small school (class size of 20), and this school doesn't offer any clubs, organizations, student newspapers etc, instead they have a "Leadership Program"
There are several events throughout the year, as well as ranks in the program, the events are:
Leadership Camp:
This is a week before school, where the first two days we take the army fitness test to get our base scores, do more pt, do some navigation and camp-craft/survival skills, as well as learn different types of leadership etc, and we get trained and certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED. We also are divided into 5 squads, with around 5 teams in each squad, and the "Senior Leaders" are the leaders of these teams (I am a Senior Leader, and leader of team "Kilo", but more on the Senior Leader Process later). Then the last 2 days, we put our training to the test, where we go to a camp-ground to camp out and survive with our squad, where we cook ourselves and set up shelters for ourselves, and we also partake in the Field EX.(Which is a 3 ish hour long navigation course)
Immersion Week:
Immersion week is in between 1st and 2nd quarter, and you will take 3 days to do community service, one day of an education experience(For example we went to this property to research this type of plant, write a report and send it to the property's owner), and we do one trek at the end (a 6-7 mile hike with your team)
Winter Expedition:
This is the week before 2nd semester begins, and we go up north and partake in more community service, another learning experience(usually a museum of some sort), and we do another 7-8 mile trek. This is also a chance for the "New" Senior Leaders to lead their first teams, while the current Senior Leaders shadow and give them advice/monitor how they lead.
Vision Quest:
This is for Juniors and Seniors only, Juniors will be going in teams of 2 or 3, Seniors will be going solo. We go to a private property and survive in the woods for about 3 days, where we provide our own food, shelter, etc.
Senior Mission Trip:
The Seniors then go to an international location to have their own mission trip, where they will serve, minister, and learn about different types of culture.(1 Week-Long)
Junior Mission Trip:
Same as the Senior mission trip, except it is in a the nation (Usually on the other side of the country, so far but still not outside of the country)
And as mentioned before, there are 3 different ranks:
Student Leader(The Bare-Minimum you must do to graduate from our school, you only have to go to leadership camp and immersion week)
Journey-man(You can apply for this in 10th grade, where you will be required to go on at least 1 mission trip, and 2 winter ex's, as well as have more responsibility
Senior Leader: The hardest rank to get, you can first start the process in your 10th grade year, and you first must memorize a manual with information that you received upon arrival at leadership camp, and you must have a teacher or faculty member recommend you, and do a performance review based on your leadership in the classroom as throughout the year. You them must fill out an application, and then you will be eligible to go the first phase of training:
1st Phase:
This is more of the "try out" phase, where they will see your physical capabilities, as well as your decision making skills under stress, your overall leadership ability, and your ability to work as a team. The first thing you must do is pass the Army physical fitness test, but while doing so, the current senior leaders are yelling at you, and quizzing you on the data you had to memorize. One this is done, the senior leader candidates are assigned teams, and you must work with your team through a variety of obstacles, team challenges, and then you will do an individual timed obstacle course. After this, we do the main scenario: You are a paramedic rescue team who is in the eye of a hurricane, and you only have 90 minutes to rescue these lost campers and take them to an evacuation point. The problem is, this scenario is designed for you to fail, so they can truly see your teamwork and leadership capability, as well as how you do under stress. You and your team must find these victims, bandage them, and carry them to the evacuation point: easier said than done. Some of the victims were miles away from the evacuation point, and our time was cut by 30 minutes halfway through the experience. The current senior leaders are also shadowing us (out of sight) and monitoring our abilities.
2nd Phase: If you pass 1st phase (around 5 people are cut), you will then go to the 2nd phase of training. This is more of a class-room based phase, and you will learn different leadership styles, skills, and practice more advanced wilderness medical treatment. We then do a 2nd scenario, which is shorter, but more intense than the last one:You must distribute these "earthworm medication" to these school representatives, each school has a certain number, and the current senior leaders get to act as these representatives. While this is happening, the numbers of the bags change several times, making us restart, while the senior leaders are yelling and instructing us who's bag they want, others are completely messing us up, flipping over tables, emptying out bags, etc. It is just 30 minutes of pure chaos, and you still must cope under the stress
Before you make it to 3rd phase, you must pass a written exam, if you get more than a 90%, you pass to the 3rd, and last phase
3rd Phase: The 3rd and hardest phase is deemed "The Long Night", which starts at 12:00pm, and will last till midnight that night. The scenario is you are missionaries in this middle-eastern country, where you must form an underground church, and take the villagers there to the church and minister to them. The only problem is, this country is infested with a terrorist group. They will regular drive down your path, making you have to jump into the bushes to avoid being seen, if you are seen, you will be captures, tied up, and must be rescues or bargain with them. There are also several illegal items, such as electronics(flashlights, watches, phones, radios) and if they find it on you or in your bag, it will be taken and you will then be interrogated. This is a stressful night, but going through this really makes your leadership skills you've developed shined, as you work as a team to form this underground church, while also having to rescue your fellow team-mates.
Upon completion of the Long Night, you are officially deemed a "Senior Leader", and will help mentor, train, and lead teams for the following years. You are also held to a higher responsibility, and must demonstrate leadership in, and outside the classroom. Failure to do so, will result in your demotion of your rank. Only around 15 out of the 90 high schoolers are Senior Leaders, with many being demoted throughout the year. I have rose to be one of the best Senior Leaders, and have received many awards for this.
For anyone who has read all of this, thank you, and I would like to ask:
How appealing does this look to the admissions team as USAFA, and how do I reflect this program on my application?
While my school doesn't offer any clubs or organizations, they do have this, so how well will the air force academy perceive this?
I go to a small school (class size of 20), and this school doesn't offer any clubs, organizations, student newspapers etc, instead they have a "Leadership Program"
There are several events throughout the year, as well as ranks in the program, the events are:
Leadership Camp:
This is a week before school, where the first two days we take the army fitness test to get our base scores, do more pt, do some navigation and camp-craft/survival skills, as well as learn different types of leadership etc, and we get trained and certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED. We also are divided into 5 squads, with around 5 teams in each squad, and the "Senior Leaders" are the leaders of these teams (I am a Senior Leader, and leader of team "Kilo", but more on the Senior Leader Process later). Then the last 2 days, we put our training to the test, where we go to a camp-ground to camp out and survive with our squad, where we cook ourselves and set up shelters for ourselves, and we also partake in the Field EX.(Which is a 3 ish hour long navigation course)
Immersion Week:
Immersion week is in between 1st and 2nd quarter, and you will take 3 days to do community service, one day of an education experience(For example we went to this property to research this type of plant, write a report and send it to the property's owner), and we do one trek at the end (a 6-7 mile hike with your team)
Winter Expedition:
This is the week before 2nd semester begins, and we go up north and partake in more community service, another learning experience(usually a museum of some sort), and we do another 7-8 mile trek. This is also a chance for the "New" Senior Leaders to lead their first teams, while the current Senior Leaders shadow and give them advice/monitor how they lead.
Vision Quest:
This is for Juniors and Seniors only, Juniors will be going in teams of 2 or 3, Seniors will be going solo. We go to a private property and survive in the woods for about 3 days, where we provide our own food, shelter, etc.
Senior Mission Trip:
The Seniors then go to an international location to have their own mission trip, where they will serve, minister, and learn about different types of culture.(1 Week-Long)
Junior Mission Trip:
Same as the Senior mission trip, except it is in a the nation (Usually on the other side of the country, so far but still not outside of the country)
And as mentioned before, there are 3 different ranks:
Student Leader(The Bare-Minimum you must do to graduate from our school, you only have to go to leadership camp and immersion week)
Journey-man(You can apply for this in 10th grade, where you will be required to go on at least 1 mission trip, and 2 winter ex's, as well as have more responsibility
Senior Leader: The hardest rank to get, you can first start the process in your 10th grade year, and you first must memorize a manual with information that you received upon arrival at leadership camp, and you must have a teacher or faculty member recommend you, and do a performance review based on your leadership in the classroom as throughout the year. You them must fill out an application, and then you will be eligible to go the first phase of training:
1st Phase:
This is more of the "try out" phase, where they will see your physical capabilities, as well as your decision making skills under stress, your overall leadership ability, and your ability to work as a team. The first thing you must do is pass the Army physical fitness test, but while doing so, the current senior leaders are yelling at you, and quizzing you on the data you had to memorize. One this is done, the senior leader candidates are assigned teams, and you must work with your team through a variety of obstacles, team challenges, and then you will do an individual timed obstacle course. After this, we do the main scenario: You are a paramedic rescue team who is in the eye of a hurricane, and you only have 90 minutes to rescue these lost campers and take them to an evacuation point. The problem is, this scenario is designed for you to fail, so they can truly see your teamwork and leadership capability, as well as how you do under stress. You and your team must find these victims, bandage them, and carry them to the evacuation point: easier said than done. Some of the victims were miles away from the evacuation point, and our time was cut by 30 minutes halfway through the experience. The current senior leaders are also shadowing us (out of sight) and monitoring our abilities.
2nd Phase: If you pass 1st phase (around 5 people are cut), you will then go to the 2nd phase of training. This is more of a class-room based phase, and you will learn different leadership styles, skills, and practice more advanced wilderness medical treatment. We then do a 2nd scenario, which is shorter, but more intense than the last one:You must distribute these "earthworm medication" to these school representatives, each school has a certain number, and the current senior leaders get to act as these representatives. While this is happening, the numbers of the bags change several times, making us restart, while the senior leaders are yelling and instructing us who's bag they want, others are completely messing us up, flipping over tables, emptying out bags, etc. It is just 30 minutes of pure chaos, and you still must cope under the stress
Before you make it to 3rd phase, you must pass a written exam, if you get more than a 90%, you pass to the 3rd, and last phase
3rd Phase: The 3rd and hardest phase is deemed "The Long Night", which starts at 12:00pm, and will last till midnight that night. The scenario is you are missionaries in this middle-eastern country, where you must form an underground church, and take the villagers there to the church and minister to them. The only problem is, this country is infested with a terrorist group. They will regular drive down your path, making you have to jump into the bushes to avoid being seen, if you are seen, you will be captures, tied up, and must be rescues or bargain with them. There are also several illegal items, such as electronics(flashlights, watches, phones, radios) and if they find it on you or in your bag, it will be taken and you will then be interrogated. This is a stressful night, but going through this really makes your leadership skills you've developed shined, as you work as a team to form this underground church, while also having to rescue your fellow team-mates.
Upon completion of the Long Night, you are officially deemed a "Senior Leader", and will help mentor, train, and lead teams for the following years. You are also held to a higher responsibility, and must demonstrate leadership in, and outside the classroom. Failure to do so, will result in your demotion of your rank. Only around 15 out of the 90 high schoolers are Senior Leaders, with many being demoted throughout the year. I have rose to be one of the best Senior Leaders, and have received many awards for this.
For anyone who has read all of this, thank you, and I would like to ask:
How appealing does this look to the admissions team as USAFA, and how do I reflect this program on my application?
While my school doesn't offer any clubs or organizations, they do have this, so how well will the air force academy perceive this?
