All the responses so far have good advice. My daughter was a little different. She told me early in her junior year that she was interested in the coast guard academy. I was surprised. Her older sister had no interest at all, but they are very different people.
I found this forum and learned what I could. She applied for AIM and was selected. I thought for sure she would no longer be interested after AIM, but again she surprised me. She enjoyed it immensely. She worked hard on her application and had reasonably good stats. Those earned her a spot on the waitlist last year. She had no interest in the other SA’s. She did not make it off the waitlist.
She went off to plan B school, did extremely well, and reapplied this year. She was offered an appointment, which she will accept.
Bottom line: if your daughter is interested, support her decisions and guide her along the journey. The process is a long one, and the waiting is difficult. But if attending CGA is her goal, it is achievable - even if not selected the first time.
