Hello All,
I am extremely motivated to earn an appointment to one of the service academies, but my biggest hurdle is my CFA. Of course I'm working out twice a day 6 days a week in order to get into much better shape, but would I be offered a spot in a prep school to remedy a low CFA score? I believe the other areas in my application are solid?
Thanks!
Don’t pin any hope on that. The SAs may choose to use their prep school in any way they wish, but the purpose is to generally prepare prepsters academically for the rigors of a SA curriculum. The CFA is much more under the control of the individual to achieve, with will, skill and sweat. Anyone healthy in their teens and early twenties should be able to meet and pass CFA criteria.
You may be working out a lot, but are you working smarter?
Have you taken an inventory CFA, exactly as it is required to be administered, to assess your weak points? Researched and created a strategic workout plan to address them? Consulted a coach or PE teacher if needed?
Have you reviewed the official YouTube videos - USMA’s are very good - on proper technique, do’s and don’ts? There is no point in upping reps if you are doing them incorrectly from the get-go; they won’t be counted. Look up “USMA CFA pull-ups” on YouTube. Great visuals on what not to do.
Have you found Stew Smith’s CFA advice on his website and YouTube videos on various individual events? Stew is a USNA grad, former SEAL and USNA staff officer, now a fitness professional.
Do you know anyone else working toward a SA appointment you could do CFA-focused workouts with? It’s helpful to have someone assess your technique, so you are not wasting the effort on bad form.
^^^^All rhetorical questions. No answers needed.
Will, skill and sweat. Good that you are doing this now, instead of those posters who pop up in December in a complete panic over the fact they can’t do “X” for the CFA. You’re conditioning your body to work every day, good, now get strategic and smart about specific objectives, set a goal date for your CFA and interim inventories. Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate. If you leave it too late and too close to application close date, you risk bad weather, injury-illness, family emergency, sudden non-availability of your test administrator and find yourself begging for an extension because of your own poor planning.
Good luck! Let us know how it’s going.