site called Gain Service Academy Admissions

C

chicagotousna '26

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I found this relatively new site called https://www.gainserviceacademyadmission.com/, and they claim to have a couple of high ranking SA grads. They have a lot of information that isnt on other sites like “CFA calculator” or specific information about the VP nomination. I was just curious what you guys thought of the site and if they information they present is accurate or if they are trying to scam people. They also partnered with a fitness site called Platoon fitness when I click on the CFA dropdown which I thought was a little strange. Anyway, what do you all think?
 
The more the merrier.

I don’t necessarily think it adds anything more than what google, the SA websites, and this forum already provides.

But I am sure some prospective candidates will benefit.
 
My DD worked with Lt Col Kirkland who heads this group. Go see the review of his advice regarding his book on AFROTC scholarships.

Amazon.com: The Insider's Guide to the Air Force ROTC Scholarship for High School Students and Their Parents: 9781535319720: Kirkland, Robert: Books

Amazon.com: The Insider's Guide to the Air Force ROTC Scholarship for High School Students and Their Parents: 9781535319720: Kirkland, Robert: Books
www.amazon.com

She got into the top 4.55% to win a Type I full AFROTC scholarship, Kirkland helped enormously.

Fees are between 2k and 6k. If we're talking about a 200k+ scholarship.... then hell yes I would advise paying and getting best advice you can.
 
I actually think this guy (Kirkland) is solid. We purchased his ROTC book last spring and my son used his advice to obtain an AROTC scholarship during the first round. My son used the CFA calculator to determine when he was consistently scoring well on the CFA. He has now been admitted to 2/3 Service Academies to which he applied. We did not pay for consulting services, though I could see where some candidates could benefit. If the SA book is anything like the AROTC book, it is worth the money--especially if you already know yourself to be a solid candidate.
 
Then again, there are many who pay nothing and are sucessfull in getting into a SA. Actually, between this forum, the web, SA websites ... everything you need is there. My DS got appointed into two SA's and spent less than 100 $ for SAT tests. Parents should be careful about pushing tieir children into a SA just for the Scholarship-having said that...the scholarship is icing on the cake if a SA is right for the student-and the student is right for the SA.
 
Honestly it’s such an individualized decision. IMO, and in my experience, everything you need to know is available for free. Google/forums. I mean...you have the ACTUAL Deputy Director of DODMERB here, almost 24/7. For free.

My methodology teaches that one always, always strives to be the best they can. So if you have a blueprint for applying (through all the advice here), and do your own ABSOLUTE best, then how can a 3rd party such as this help you? At all?

Nothing at all against using a helper. To me, it’s like a wedding. One really can do it all themselves. But, one can also hire a wedding planner and use them to guide the way. I have two at USNA, both used SAF forums for the questions they had.

Obviously, primary websites, admissions, chat bubbles, social media events are THE source. But OP was asking about 3rd party.
 
Usnaprospectivestudent said:
I found this relatively new site called https://www.gainserviceacademyadmission.com/, and they claim to have a couple of high ranking SA grads. They have a lot of information that isnt on other sites like “CFA calculator” or specific information about the VP nomination. I was just curious what you guys thought of the site and if they information they present is accurate or if they are trying to scam people. They also partnered with a fitness site called Platoon fitness when I click on the CFA dropdown which I thought was a little strange. Anyway, what do you all think?
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The website ends in .com, so presumably it is a for-profit organization. It may well offer legitimate and useful services.

Thousands and thousands have gotten into SAs over the years without paying in any way. They start early, do the research at the primary source sa.edu websites, develop and execute a plan, find free assistance from reliable sites, figure it out themselves.

There will always be contenders for your dollars in the broad field of college consulting, relying on the fact there are people willing to pay for stuff they aren’t willing to do themselves. Some will offer true value; some will not.
 
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Some people hire "College Consultants" to help their children figure out which college they want to attend.
Others may enroll their children with face to face tutors at significant expense to push their test scores.
There are parents of newborns who franticly push to get their children into the waiting list for the "best" nursery
schools.
.
All of this makes me feel like an uncaring and probably neglectful father for not doing any of this for my kids.
Somehow through, they've managed to do very well in spite of my neglect.
.
Then again, I know of a parent who has engaged a CFA consultant to get his (multi varsity sport) kid through the
rigors/horrors of the Service Academy CFA. I don't even know how to process this as I did zero preps for my
own CFA and I'm pretty sure that my son did zero for his - it was just expected that an active kid who was a
varsity athlete could do reasonably well on the CFA.
 
I’ll add this interesting funny (at least to me). Both of my Mids took some survey thingamabob to see ‘If they have what it takes’ to gain an appointment. They took it as Mids. Both needed help, improvement. And the survey solicited was happy to sign them up for a fee.

We all laughed. Perhaps it’s just the solicitors marketing technique. But as Mids, one would think it obvious they have what it takes already. I guess it also points out, that one can never chance a student. Due to the nomination piece, WCS, geographical elements, and whatever else admissions seems important or significant about the applicant that cycle/class.
 
OldRetSWO said:
Some people hire "College Consultants" to help their children figure out which college they want to attend.
Others may enroll their children with face to face tutors at significant expense to push their test scores.
There are parents of newborns who franticly push to get their children into the waiting list for the "best" nursery
schools.
.
All of this makes me feel like an uncaring and probably neglectful father for not doing any of this for my kids.
Somehow through, they've managed to do very well in spite of my neglect.
.
Then again, I know of a parent who has engaged a CFA consultant to get his (multi varsity sport) kid through the
rigors/horrors of the Service Academy CFA. I don't even know how to process this as I did zero preps for my
own CFA and I'm pretty sure that my son did zero for his - it was just expected that an active kid who was a
varsity athlete could do reasonably well on the CFA.
Click to expand...
We didn't even know our DS applied for his AROTC scholarship until after it was awarded.
 
Buyer beware... There was a DODMERB consultant that people raved about here for awhile..then everyone went sour on him.

Of course, any consultant can give advice, and some of that advice may "help" you get Admission, but at the end of the day, the individuals record is what counts.

I can't fault the guy -- he recognized a market for parents who will pay anything to help their kids achieve their dreams. However, if he is honest and ethical, he will turn away the potential clients that are shoe-ins and those that really aren't competitive. I suspect that there are some that could use the additional support, but most are going to get in or get declined no matter what outside they get.

One other thought ...USNA Admissions has made it clear that diversity and inclusion is an objective. Who do you think is going to be using services like this ? If I was USNA Admissions, I would be asking for a disclosure of consultants used to assist in the application process. I would also expect that Admissions is astute enough to recognize when someone is getting outside assistance- if there is a disconnect between the application and candidates record, use of the Consultant could backfire.
 
-Most applicants self discover the process and go solo through the process.
-Some applicants find SAF, or other online resources to become better educated about the schools, the process, and gain access to a knowledgeable community of people who have previously taken the journey.

-Some musicians and athletes pay for private lessons. These lessons are focused on what the student needs and can compress learning curves with targeted information and guidance. I view sites like this as personal coaching. They cannot invent greatness nor guarantee success, but they can guide/review/shape/instruct/simplify things for the candidate.

Bottom line - if you are here, you probably don't need to pay for the service. However, 99% of parents and applicants would accept specific coaching on this process if offered but only some could afford the prices being charged. Yes - I am certain it would be 99% :)
 
Old Navy BGO said:
Buyer beware... There was a DODMERB consultant that people raved about here for awhile..then everyone went sour on him.

Of course, any consultant can give advice, and some of that advice may "help" you get Admission, but at the end of the day, the individuals record is what counts.

I can't fault the guy -- he recognized a market for parents who will pay anything to help their kids achieve their dreams. However, if he is honest and ethical, he will turn away the potential clients that are shoe-ins and those that really aren't competitive. I suspect that there are some that could use the additional support, but most are going to get in or get declined no matter what outside they get.

One other thought ...USNA Admissions has made it clear that diversity and inclusion is an objective. Who do you think is going to be using services like this ? If I was USNA Admissions, I would be asking for a disclosure of consultants used to assist in the application process. I would also expect that Admissions is astute enough to recognize when someone is getting outside assistance- if there is a disconnect between the application and candidates record, use of the Consultant could backfire.
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Do you inquire if this in your BGO interviews?

Interesting thought, for usna to require disclosure.

We also haven’t Heard anyone inquire about the medical doctor consultant, that would take your money and then disappear. I can’t recall his name. Maybe he’s in jail finally. Or at least stopped offering his ‘service’s’. I believe this is the first cycle there hasn’t been someone posting about him. Wanting to sue 🤔
 
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justdoit19 said:
Do you inquire if this in your BGO interviews?
Click to expand...

I've never felt the need...Over the years, I've only had a few parents that were over-involved, and frankly don't think I'm in an area where these type of service are commonly used. (Perhaps I'm prejudging, but I can guess the biggest market areas for this type of service)
 
Keep in mind that the admissions processes for each SA is different, most notably in what they focus on, how they view certain elements of the application, their goals and objectives in forming the class (beyond the obvious of having the best class possible), etc. The leaders of the website team are all AF and Army. Thus, while they may know a lot about USAFA and USMA admissions, not sure how much they will know about USNA. It's why most of us who post here don't opine on admissions policies of other SAs.

Also, the Admissions process can change subtly over time in terms of focus areas, etc. That's why BGOs (and presumably those in similar roles at other SAs) must take refresher training at least every 5 years. So, if you're not currently involved with SA admissions, your knowledge could be dated.

The above said, they might be able to provide some guidance on things that are the same for all SAs, such as the general process of a SA application, applying for noms, things to focus on generally.

My personal view is that you can do just as well without paying someone -- using free available resources. However, I also realize that in this day of helo-parenting, many parents feel better knowing they've done "all they can" and are willing to spend money to get there. If a candidate who uses such a service is appointed, there's no way to know if it was due, in part, to the service or if the candidate would have been admitted anyway. Hard to measure success.
 
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Does this service make you a better Student?

If you pay for this service, what is the return on investment?

Will you be happier to have done it yourself or have someone else do it?

How good are you at research and finding solutions to your own problems?

**** Anything you want to know is out there for free. I wouldn’t pay a dime. And if you can’t find what you want ... be creative.
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The OP asked about "scam." For me, a scam is someone taking your money and not doing what they promised. For example, a consultant says it will provide comments on your essay and conduct mock interviews. You pay the money and the consultant does nothing. That's a scam.

Value for money is another question. Is the above worth $200 or $2000? The consultant can do everything promised and DS / DD still doesn't get in. That's not a scam. Kid may simply not be sufficiently competitive and no consultant in the world can change that.

Consider what specifically you're getting (other than hand holding) and whether those activities are worth the amount being charged / whether you could obtain them free of charge via other means. If you decide to use any consultant, be sure to get in writing the specific things they will do and timing ("offer advice" vs. "conduct two 15-minute mock interviews before Sept. 1"). Avoid paying 100% up front if at all possible -- that way, if you're not pleased or the consultant doesn't deliver, you mitigate the financial damage.
 
There are better ways to spend your money. All you really need is the fee for the SAT/ACT (and perhaps a couple prep books to study), a decent pair of running shoes for the CFA, and a well-fitting suit for your interviews if you can’t borrow one.

But if you do have expendable cash and want to put it towards admissions prep, even then this seems like a waste of money to me. Take that $200 or $4000 and spend it on some sessions with a professional math tutor so you can bring up your SAT scores. If you struggle with physical fitness, maybe a personal trainer could help. If you struggle with interviews, there’s a lot of preparation material out there online, both free and paid.

The catch is that even by spending money on this stuff you still need to dedicate many hours of deliberate work to reap the benefits. It’s human nature to gravitate toward what appears to be a quick fix, and I think thats how this consultant is marketing himself. Spending money might make you feel like you are doing something to gain an advantage, but the reality is any information that these people are going to charge you for is freely available elsewhere. College admissions has become a huge industry in the US, but the recipe for success hasn’t changed: Have a great GPA, high standardized test scores, demonstrate leadership potential, write well, do well in your interviews, and hope for the best. If you want to spend money on this and can afford it, I don’t think it’s a problem but I also don’t think it will make a difference. The self-motivated applicant will be able to navigate this process without outside assistance.
 
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There are two (2) types of problems ...

1. Problems that you solve,
2. Problems that you kick down the road

Why is this problem so difficult to solve? Why can’t the OP solve it? It’s not like they’re re-roofing their house.
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