Official USAFA Class of 2016 Appointment thread

Thanks polevault. What do you mean? like the scores are not competative enough for the prep school?
 
Your scores are competitive enough!

Hi,
Your scores are certainly competitive enough for the academy right now. The Falcon program is designed for students who need a year of extra prep time- usually academic prep time to be prepared for the rigors of the schoolwork at the academy. I believe the comment meant that your scores were in fact "too high" to make you eligible for the prep school. They are not too low.
We'll be praying for you to receive a BFE. Best regards.
Batmom
 
Prep school exists for academic purposes. Academically your scores are strong, thus, you are not the "ideal" prep candidate.

In yrs past prep selection goes to a high CGPA, but a low SAT, and they want you to have another yr of academic foundation.

Remember, the SAT is national, but cgpa is school by school, county by county, state by state.

The thought process is the high cgpa, low SAT is due to grade inflation at your school.

I am not with polevault that prep is out because of only 1 reason.

AFA is the "little engineering school in the Rockies" 640 M is low. CR is high, but again this is a science/math oriented school and that 640 hurts.

Prep is not "1st runner up". That is not their mission. AFA can take 1300, but numbers 1301-1501 WCS will not go to prep.

The ones selected have that "complete" package, but they need a little more academics for the direct appointment.

Yes, Prep can be red-shirt from a collegiate perspective, yet for 99% it is academic.

You seem to have it all, thus Polevault stated prep is probably not occurring.

With that stated, Prep is a feeder to the AFA. If the avg AFA appointee has a 1470, 3.8 cgpa for this yr group. 1380, 3.6 may be "prep" in their eyes.

I wish you the best of luck, but I also hope you take this time and review the mandated core courses at the AFA for the 4 yrs. Math is going to be your life, and a 640 is an issue. I could go with test anxiety if you score in the 600's for CR, but you didn't. That leaves me with one option your math foundation.
 
Pima said:
Prep school exists for academic purposes. Academically your scores are strong, thus, you are not the "ideal" prep candidate.

In yrs past prep selection goes to a high CGPA, but a low SAT, and they want you to have another yr of academic foundation.

Remember, the SAT is national, but cgpa is school by school, county by county, state by state.

The thought process is the high cgpa, low SAT is due to grade inflation at your school.

I am not with polevault that prep is out because of only 1 reason.

AFA is the "little engineering school in the Rockies" 640 M is low. CR is high, but again this is a science/math oriented school and that 640 hurts.

Prep is not "1st runner up". That is not their mission. AFA can take 1300, but numbers 1301-1501 WCS will not go to prep.

The ones selected have that "complete" package, but they need a little more academics for the direct appointment.

Yes, Prep can be red-shirt from a collegiate perspective, yet for 99% it is academic.

You seem to have it all, thus Polevault stated prep is probably not occurring.

With that stated, Prep is a feeder to the AFA. If the avg AFA appointee has a 1470, 3.8 cgpa for this yr group. 1380, 3.6 may be "prep" in their eyes.

I wish you the best of luck, but I also hope you take this time and review the mandated core courses at the AFA for the 4 yrs. Math is going to be your life, and a 640 is an issue. I could go with test anxiety if you score in the 600's for CR, but you didn't. That leaves me with one option your math foundation.
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Pima is correct on all accounts. Most of us preps had SAT/ACT issues along with low GPA's in high school or low PT scores. For me, my ACT math is 28 and SAT is 620. But don't worry, if you're a Falcon next year (usaffanatic), you'll have plenty of chances to get up that score. If you hated the SAT before, you'll REALLY hate it after some time here at prep school!:rolleyes:

But also to put it in perspective, Falcon preps become exempt from taking the SAT once they reach a 650 in each area of the test (or 30 on each ACT area). So you're pretty close to that marker... Best wishes!
 
Pima said:
Math is going to be your life, and a 640 is an issue. I could go with test anxiety if you score in the 600's for CR, but you didn't. That leaves me with one option your math foundation.
Click to expand...

The math section on the SAT/ACT is only slightly correlated, at very best, to performance in college math courses.

I took the ACT, and my math score was also the lowest of all, but I'd say that my best classes in my last two years of college were math classes (and as a physics/math major, they were basically all my classes).

I'm not sure how the AFA does it, but almost all my collegiate courses were proof-based and not about computation. The SAT does not test your mathematical ability, but merely your ability to recognize problems and plug and chug with formulas. It's a test that can be studied for, and doesn't require proper understanding. Real math is much different, so the SAT shouldn't really be used as a direct indication of mathematical ability (it's just a silly standardized test anyway).
 
3QConcerns said:
True, but you just have to play along with it and not take it too seriously! :thumb:
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If your score is the difference between getting into the Academy or not, I would say that taking it seriously is pretty important.

Stealth_81
 
I could write volumes about how your thought process is off 3Q, but sky said it the best.

Just a silly test that can determine if you get into a school or not!
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To infer to any applicant/candidate/lurker not to worry about this is hurting them.

Be thankful that the SAs which are Ivies have prep. Apply to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and they will not pay on their dime to attend a prep. SA's do!

Transitioning into college is not easy, and the SAs get that.

Xposted with 3Q and Stealth.

I agree with Stealth. I would say if you don't get that this could be your make or break than you have yet to fathom the next 4 yrs at an SA from an academic perspective. Worse yet, you are underestimating your competition in the AD world. Rated is a cut throat world, and guess what... they take standardized tests for make or break when it comes to tracking, not essay, but A,B,C,D.

Congrats on your appointment.
 
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Stealth_81 said:
If your score is the difference between getting into the Academy or not, I would say that taking it seriously is pretty important.

Stealth_81
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I was implying that if you think of it as a game, you tend to do much better. A lot of things benefit from not taking them too seriously. I did much better taking it the second time by just having fun with the test, spotting where they were trying to trick me, etc.

It's a serious matter, sure, and if you have a 1900 and are trying to apply to USAFA, you obviously need to recognize the need to improve. But it shouldn't be a horrible, stressful experience and when test day comes, I think having fun with the exam is the best course of action; people tend to do better when they take a more lighthearted approach.
 
Pima said:
I agree with Stealth. I would say if you don't get that this could be your make or break than you have yet to fathom the next 4 yrs at an SA from an academic perspective.
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I applied as a sophomore from an Ivy, so I think I have a better idea of the academics than most people (who haven't yet attended).
 
You are in college correct?

Did you apply for AFA or AFROTC as a HS student? If you feel comfortable can you share your experience regarding results?

I am only asking to get a feel of your perspective.

Easy to say take a light hearted approach in hindsight.

AFA superscores the SAT/ACT, AFROTC takes best sitting.

Xposted with 3Q

You are at an Ivy, but still did you apply as a SR in HS?
 
Pima said:
You are in college correct?

Did you apply for AFA or AFROTC as a HS student? If you feel comfortable can you share your experience regarding results?

I am only asking to get a feel of your perspective.

Easy to say take a light hearted approach in hindsight.

AFA superscores the SAT/ACT, AFROTC takes best sitting.

Xposted with 3Q

You are at an Ivy, but still did you apply as a SR in HS?
Click to expand...

I didn't apply to an SR nor to an ROTC program out of HS. But my parents have always encouraged the "have fun with it" approach, and it's served me well. (Especially now, where my exams are not just regurgitating knowledge and you have to figure out something/be mathematically creative--it's hard to do that when you're nervous and sweating all over the place!)

To be clear, I'm not saying be carefree: just that unnecessarily overstressing yourself is silly.
 
Pima said:
Prep school exists for academic purposes. Academically your scores are strong, thus, you are not the "ideal" prep candidate.

In yrs past prep selection goes to a high CGPA, but a low SAT, and they want you to have another yr of academic foundation.

Remember, the SAT is national, but cgpa is school by school, county by county, state by state.

The thought process is the high cgpa, low SAT is due to grade inflation at your school.

I am not with polevault that prep is out because of only 1 reason.

AFA is the "little engineering school in the Rockies" 640 M is low. CR is high, but again this is a science/math oriented school and that 640 hurts.

Prep is not "1st runner up". That is not their mission. AFA can take 1300, but numbers 1301-1501 WCS will not go to prep.

The ones selected have that "complete" package, but they need a little more academics for the direct appointment.

Yes, Prep can be red-shirt from a collegiate perspective, yet for 99% it is academic.

You seem to have it all, thus Polevault stated prep is probably not occurring.

With that stated, Prep is a feeder to the AFA. If the avg AFA appointee has a 1470, 3.8 cgpa for this yr group. 1380, 3.6 may be "prep" in their eyes.

I wish you the best of luck, but I also hope you take this time and review the mandated core courses at the AFA for the 4 yrs. Math is going to be your life, and a 640 is an issue. I could go with test anxiety if you score in the 600's for CR, but you didn't. That leaves me with one option your math foundation.
Click to expand...

If this is what the majority of what the candidate scores are looking like, then I don't know how I made it this far without getting a TWE (probably just jinxed myself). I mean yeah, they (admissions) converted my cgpa to a 4.0 (literally), but I feel so inferior to the rest of the candidates in the standardized test score area right now. :redface: Goodluck to all of the candidate's who are still holding on for that BFE!
 
I dont like thats how the prep school runs. I think it should go to the next most qualified candidates.
 
Just wondering what the ACT equivalent would be. Just wanna know to prepare mentally How does this stack up:

33 English
32 CR
31 M
31 SR

CAP Cadet Commander; Varsity Tennis, Track & XC; 3.8 GPA; Student Body President.

USAFA 2016 Candidate
 
usaffanatic said:
I dont like thats how the prep school runs. I think it should go to the next most qualified candidates.
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I think maybe you're confused. There's a difference in the ACTUAL prep school and the Falcon Foundation prep school sponsorships... They go to different candidates.
 
iDeltaStorm said:
Just wondering what the ACT equivalent would be. Just wanna know to prepare mentally How does this stack up:

33 English
32 CR
31 M
31 SR

CAP Cadet Commander; Varsity Tennis, Track & XC; 3.8 GPA; Student Body President.

USAFA 2016 Candidate
Click to expand...

The problem with "what are my chances" questions is that no one on these forums is on the selection board. It looks like you have taken advantage of a lot of opportunities you have had. You look strong. However, we don't know who you're competing against. It could be an IC athlete with a 3.9 GPA and a 34 composite ACT. At some point you have to say to yourself, "I have done my best" and let things happen. Again, you look great and I wish you the best.

Good luck. :thumb:
 
Please explain!

USAFA: 2016! said:
I think maybe you're confused. There's a difference in the ACTUAL prep school and the Falcon Foundation prep school sponsorships... They go to different candidates.
Click to expand...

:confused:
Would you please explain what you mean? Of course they go to different candidates, but do you mean the selection criteria is different? I thought Prep and Falcon Foundation selections were done based on the same criteria. So that's not true? Prep is for candidates who are promising, but need some academic help, and FF is for_____? Is FF for the candidates who didn't make the USAFA class but would've been next in line if the DOD budget allowed for a larger class size?

Thanks!
 
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