Senior currently at the Academy - AMA

BlueSkies24

BlueSkies24

Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
41
I remember browsing these forums before I came to USAFA and found some use in them. I'm opening it up to all questions about the Academy and what it has to offer. However, I do not have any involvement with the admission processes.

I'm heading to graduate school after graduation and then pilot training after that. I'm also a STEM major and have been heavily involved with Soaring/airmanship while at the Academy so I can speak to these topics quite well.
 
asap.airman said:
Can you participate in soaring and also earn your parachutist badge? I would love to participate in as many airmanship courses as I can!
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Yes! You'll learn more if you come here, but you can take all airmanship programs... it's just a matter of timing it right. I've been fortunate to have taken both the soaring and jump programs (got my parachutist badge last month). I was given the option to take powered flight but gave it up because I already had a lot of airmanship experience from the soaring program and other opportunities.
 
I know this is a cliche question, but what boots did you use during basic and/or during the academic year?
 
Falconiform-mom said:
If you come in with your private pilot do you validate AM 201 or any other airmanship courses?
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Nope. Airmanship courses are kind of a privilege to take so I wouldn't necessarily want to validate the courses even if you have a PPL. On top of learning fundamental flying, you get to see what an active duty flying squadron looks like and get to meet enlisted/officers who bring valuable experience and expertise from their previous airframes/squadrons. The 10+ year pilot commitment is not to be taken lightly, but USAFA does a relatively good job of showing you what its like before you have to put in job preferences.
 
What are you studying in grad school? How competitive is getting a spot in a grad program after USAFA? How does all of that affect your path to becoming a pilot?
 
asap.airman said:
I know this is a cliche question, but what boots did you use during basic and/or during the academic year?
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I've been using Nike boots since I got here. I got a new pair entering junior year since we switched uniforms so they're pretty durable. I also like them because they're light compared to the issued boots. However, I've heard good things about other brands too. Just know it's not necessary to buy boots before basic if you want to wait for the issued pair.
 
CincyAFACandidate said:
What are you studying in grad school? How competitive is getting a spot in a grad program after USAFA? How does all of that affect your path to becoming a pilot?
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18-month masters in Aerospace Engineering at a civilian school. Normally around the top 10% of the graduating class goes to grad school so it is kind of competitive. There are normally more spots for STEM programs than non-STEM just because AFIT (the Air Force's version of graduate school) offers a lot of STEM degrees and they try to send you there if you don't have the approval to go to a civilian school. The Academy also just started a program called Awaiting Pilot Training where they will send you to AFIT for a 12-month no-thesis masters while you wait in the pilot training backlog.

As far as grad school and pilot goes, the Air Force will hold your pilot slot until you finish your degree.
 
CincyAFACandidate said:
What are you studying in grad school? How competitive is getting a spot in a grad program after USAFA? How does all of that affect your path to becoming a pilot?
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If you are selected for a national/international fellowship (e.g. Rhodes, Gate-Cambridge, etc), then the USAF will almost always allow you to attend grad school immediately after USAFA. These are obviously very competitive but it is not uncommon for a few USAFA cadets to be selected each year.

The academic departments will also sponsor their top 1-2 cadets through the Graduate Scholars Program (GSP) to pursue a masters under the condition that they eventually return to teach. This would be through the the Air Force Institute of Tech (AFIT) unless you can secure funding at a civilian school and obtain a waiver from the USAF to attend in lieu of AFIT.

If you are interested in math/statistics/data science and are selected to be a 15A - Operations Research analyst, then you are pretty much guaranteed at least a free masters through AFIT or even a civilian school. . . often as a first or second assignment. It is also very common to pursue a PhD.

Once you're on active duty there are boards each year for graduate school assignments through
  1. Advanced Academic Degree (AAD) program
  2. Secretary of the Air Force STEM degree program
  3. Chief of Staff of the Air Force Prestigious Captains program
  4. Olmsted Scholars program
  5. Developing-the-Airmen-We-Need - Education (DAWN-ED) program.
There are probably more that I missed. Cadets can apply for the AAD and DAWN-ED programs before they graduate and attend grad school immediately after USAFA. Each program has its own purpose and will grant slots to officers pursuing specific academic fields or in certain career fields.

There are quite a few opportunities.
 
How does Air Force vs Army work? Who gets to go? I live near globe life field (where they’ll be playing this years game), and I know that my day would be heavily restricted to attending the game if I can go, but it would be nice to fly down to watch the game. Can you elaborate more on how cadets are allowed the privilege of spectating some of the away games? Thank you! :w00t:
 
BlueSkies24 said:
I remember browsing these forums before I came to USAFA and found some use in them. I'm opening it up to all questions about the Academy and what it has to offer. However, I do not have any involvement with the admission processes.

I'm heading to graduate school after graduation and then pilot training after that. I'm also a STEM major and have been heavily involved with Soaring/airmanship while at the Academy so I can speak to these topics quite well.
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What leadership opportunities or clubs did you participate in high school?
 
If you attend a civilian grad school (ex.Stanford, MIT, Johns Hopkins) and USAFA pays for it, how much does the service requirement increase? I know it's already 5 years after graduation but is it an extra 1 or 2 years for every year in grad school? Thank you!
 
rockynyc said:
If you attend a civilian grad school (ex.Stanford, MIT, Johns Hopkins) and USAFA pays for it, how much does the service requirement increase? I know it's already 5 years after graduation but is it an extra 1 or 2 years for every year in grad school? Thank you!
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The payback is 3 years of service for every 1 year of grad school, capped at 5 years, served concurrently with any other commitments including the one incurred from USAFA. The clock starts once you finish the grad program.

So for example, if you are given 1.5 years to get a masters immediately following USAFA, then you have have 1.5/5 years of your (unrated) USAFA commitment completed (3.5 years remaining) once you finish grad school. Then a 4.5 year commitment begins which is served concurrently with the 3.5 years of remaining USAFA commitment. So essentially you'll be tacking an extra year on your USAFA commitment give or take a few months.

If you go rated, then the USAFA commitment is longer and will probably dominate the grad school commitment.
 
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How does USAFA determine pilot slots? Does the major factor in? What about PPL prior to starting at USAFA?
 
asap.airman said:
How does Air Force vs Army work? Who gets to go? I live near globe life field (where they’ll be playing this years game), and I know that my day would be heavily restricted to attending the game if I can go, but it would be nice to fly down to watch the game. Can you elaborate more on how cadets are allowed the privilege of spectating some of the away games? Thank you! :w00t:
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Normally service academy games are played at each respective academy, switching home/away every year. I honestly don't know why Air Force vs. Army was at the Globe Life field so I think it should be back to being played at each Academy now. As far as cadets attending away games, they normally send out an email about who's interested and you will be selected from there to attend.
 
Future968 said:
What leadership opportunities or clubs did you participate in high school?
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I was leadership in a few honor societies and was the Track team captain also. Honestly, I think it's more important to have depth than breadth as far as leadership experiences goes. If you play a sport, try to become the team captain, or if you're involved with a club, try to become the president. Not just to say you did it but because you actually learned something in the position.
 
nmdad said:
How does USAFA determine pilot slots? Does the major factor in? What about PPL prior to starting at USAFA?
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Pilot slots are determined by Air Force Personnel and change every year. Normally there are 400+ slots per year and if you're pilot qualified (medically) and you're not at the bottom of your class, your chances are pretty good at getting one. Right now, slots are given based 50% on your graduation order of merit and 50% on your Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) with your major not factoring in at all. Having a PPL is useful before coming in to USAFA if you want to join the Flying Team but is absolutely not a requirement. I came in with no flying hours and now have 100+ hours in the glider.
 
BlueSkies24 said:
Pilot slots are determined by Air Force Personnel and change every year. Normally there are 400+ slots per year and if you're pilot qualified (medically) and you're not at the bottom of your class, your chances are pretty good at getting one. Right now, slots are given based 50% on your graduation order of merit and 50% on your Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) with your major not factoring in at all. Having a PPL is useful before coming in to USAFA if you want to join the Flying Team but is absolutely not a requirement. I came in with no flying hours and now have 100+ hours in the glider.
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Do glider hours count equally towards PCSM as powered? I already have 90+ powered hours and am well beyond the cap but just curious
 
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