prep school offer - what to advise DD?

[f152tall]

I have a question for those familiar with the USAFA Prep School. When I went to a USAFA, long time ago, we had preppies and i remember them saying their 1 year plus the four years count towards retirement meaning they only need 15 years to get 20 active years. Is that true? Is that only the case if they were prior enlisted? Or if they are civilian straight from HS would that still apply? Thanks in advance.

 

[flieger83]

Unless things have changed, the year at the prep school is a year of EAD. So...at 19 years commissioned service, with no "prior enlisted time" the member should have 20 years of service. The four years at the academy will count for the USAF longevity service ribbon, but time as a cadet/midshipman is specifically tagged in USC 10 as NOT counting toward retirement.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

 

[proud_prep_dad]

I've been lurking here for years. Son previously graduated from USAFA.

DD received offer to the USAFA prep school. She's disappointed and too a large extent doesn't really know how to evaluate the prep school versus other universities. I'm posting here for advice from those of you who are intimately knowledgeable with the Academy's workings, the programme, and how the prep school factors into these matters.

She had low SAT scores. However, her grades are all A's for last two years of high school and mostly A's and a few B's for prior years. Stanford would give credit for her junior and senior courses, including calculus and physics. Her education has been in three countries. As to her low SAT, they literally were the first and only multiple choice exams she ever had in her education. However, her A's do include her taking national exams which are graded independently of her teachers and place her in the top 10%. However, those exams are less focused on speed and more focused on depth of knowledge and accuracy. Think, a small number of questions for which they expect in depth calculations and analysis as opposed to the SATs large number of questions where speed is probably more important.

She applied to five universities and was accepted to four. The only rejection was from an aspirational STEM university, think top 3 university. The universities to which she has been accepted include one in the top 10 and another in the top 15. In addition to those she has the prep offer from USAFA and is still waiting to hear from USNA.

Career wise she is interested in Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering. She is most interested in military career as being a path to working in a aerospace related field (missiles/satellites/aeronautical engineering) and a possible gateway to NASA. When I say NASA it is an interest in space related engineering. She's not necessarily interested in being an astronaut. So for USAF she is not necessarily thinking pilot. However, she does like the types of activities, discipline, structure and organization which are part of cadet/officer life. She also hopes to play on a sports team at university.

The last item in background, is that she already has an offer for a summer internship at NASA after she completes her first year of university, so summer 2021.

Now as to how she seems to be evaluating this.

(1) She is viewing the prep school as academically repeating high school. We know the prep school seems to present itself as at least junior college level. However, it's not necessarily advancing her academic education. She's concerned about loosing a year academically.

(2) Concerned that if she subsequently receives an appointment that cadets from the prep school may be viewed as "inferior" to other cadets or considered as second class citizens in some manner.

(3) Probably causes her to lose the NASA summer internship. There would be BCT summer of 2021. If she had been accepted to USAFA, she knows it would be up to USAFA, but her ALO gave her the impression she might be allowed to pursue a NASA summer internship if she gave up her vacation.

(4) The prep school doesn't have a women's team in her sport. She would lose a year of playing time which may adversely impact her ability to gain a place if she is subsequently accepted to USAFA. She's pretty confident she would earn a spot at her other universities.

(5) I've suggested to her that she could defer entry by a year to one of the universities to which she has been accepted, and basically view prep as a year of physical/military training. She realizes that but is generally interested in moving forward in life and sees prep as being a delay.

Financially, she would be better off at a service academy both for spending money and debt. Although, her other universities are not likely to result in total debt in excess of $30-40k. So that is not that much of a factor.

I think her issues are the academic content of the prep school courses, whether she feels she would be challenged academically, probability of being subsequently accepted to USAFA, and the desire to be moving forward with her life. She only received one nomination (Representative), are they likely to give a repeat nomination?

Is this something her USAFA counselor or ALO would be willing to discuss with her? Are they likely to give her any feedback as to why they offered a prep school spot? Was it really the low SAT or some other issues? Are the likely to provide insights as to what would have to be different to gain an appointment next year? Should she approach her Representative's office to see how they view the prep school?

DD went to the P and graduated, USAFA class of 2019. I can help answer some questions if you ping me offline.

DS was hoping to follow big sister's footsteps but just received a TWE. He would have taken the prep had it been offered.

He's off to Embry-Riddle AZ, majoring in Aeronautical Engineering.

Best of luck to your DD.

 

[Humey]

Maybe I am mistaken, but if this person does get into the academy, does get a Aerospace enginerring degree and does commmission, it doenst mean that when she goes active duty, her job will have anything to do with engineering. Am i wrong about this?

 

[USAFA10s]

^^ @Humey Is getting at what I was going to say. @USMA 1994 hit the nail on the head with responses to your questions, but I think the bigger question is whether the AF is the right path for what she wants to do. I am a USAFA 2012 grad (female) that majored in math and physics, did extensive research as an undergrad at USAFA including a sweet summer internship, and got a PhD on the Air Force's dime. I am now a 61D in the Air Force, which is the AFSC for scientist/physicist working on space related programs (and have been most of my career - I'm currently in the space vehicles directorate of the Air Force Research Lab, which is moving to the Space Force). I also played tennis at USAFA and while I was not a prep student, we had students at the prep school hit with us to keep their skills sharp.

The important thing to understand is that the USAFA/AF path is generally not the right one if the interest is in doing technical work yourself. However, if the interest is in LEADING technical projects or later on, organizations at the technical strategic level, then the Air Force is GREAT. I am as close as you can get to a true scientist in the Air Force, but I still spend at least half my time managing projects and not actually doing technical work myself.

Bottom line: The prep school IS a golden ticket, not a lost year - the question is whether or not the Air Force is the right path.

Happy to discuss details of life as a scientist in the Air Force since your daughter seems to have very similar ideas to mine before I headed to USAFA.

 

[USNA2021_Dad]

I'm also a USAFA grad (back in the brown shoe days) who went on to get a PhD at Stanford in Aero/Astro, not on the AF's dime. The programs are strong at both schools but as stated, they have entirely different missions. The ROTC programs at Stanford are strong, shared with UC Berkeley and have produced many fine officers. If your daughter got into Stanford, it's unlikely she will have academic challenges at the prep school and as stated, a golden ticket into USAFA and becoming an officer in the Air Force. If she just wants to be a top notch aerospace engineer doing technical work as stated by @USAFA10s, I'd recommend 'the Farm' in Palo Alto. DW also went to Stanford undergrad and loved it but be ready, the competition for pure academics is far more keen than USAFA.