My son attended USMA and USAFA seminars summer of 2012. Prior to participation he preferred AFA based on online and personal research. After attending, West Point had completely won him over.
For him, it was all about the consistent discussion of building leaders of men at West Point. The teamwork, the men, the support, the character.
And then the history of West Point you just can't beat. Once he saw and experienced in person everything he had only read about; I think that made an impression he couldn't shake.
Physically, he appreciated what West Point provided. He talked about the professors at West Point taking time to discuss the courses with him individually.
When he came home he knew where he wanted to go and we are very excited that he received an appointment last week to the school of his dreams. I don't know if he can wait til July 1st to go to New York!
This is pretty much exactly what happened to me. Before attending SLS last summer I was very gung ho on attending USAFA. I had done extensive research and absolutely loved everything USAFA. I applied to West Point's SLS and Navy's SS almost as an after thought. The only one I really cared about was USAFA. I ended up getting into all 3 and had the financial means to go to 2, so I picked USAFA and West Point.
What really stood out to me was the camaraderie at USMA. The friendships I made and the caliber of people I met were just through the roof. I mean, you talk about character and leadership, those kids were the poster child. I thought everyone, from the professors to my squad mates, were just awesome people.
I think the day that really made me reconsider my plan to go to USAFA was the day of my foreign language workshop at USMA. I thought the French professor was amazing and felt like I could really succeed in an atmosphere like the one inside his classroom. The subsequent workshops only made me like USMA more and more. The professors were amazing and seemed like they really cared and enjoyed what they were doing. None of the workshops I attended were boring or felt like a drag.
A week later, when I attended USAFA, I expected to have a similar feeling as the one I got at USMA, however, that was not the case. I came in with an open mind, especially since that was my first choice SA, and for some reason I was very turned off about most things at USAFA. I didn't feel the same kinship with the people there. It was a very informal as compared to USMA. When I arrived I remember thinking how incredible it was that we referred to our squad leaders by their first name (except on doolie for a day). I also remembered how at some point during a brief, the speaker (can't remember who) had to ask for us to be quiet. This was a huge red flag for me. The kids at USAFA just seemed too laid-back to me as compared to USMA and at times a bit immature (but this is just my experience. I'm sure there were plenty of awesome people out there. And again, there were 3 sessions. I was only there for 1 of them)
The professors for the workshops weren't as engaging either. Most of the time it felt like "Hey, look at all of our cool toys. Come to USAFA." Even though they had plenty of cool equipment, I felt the workshops weren't amazing because the professors weren't amazing.
Like I said before though, my biggest reason for choosing USMA over USAFA, was the fact that I loved the people and the environment. If I had to pick people to serve my country with, I couldn't think of a better set of people than all of those I met at West Point. I have kept in contact and become close friends with everyone from my squad at USMA and even others who weren't in my squad.
When I got home from the seminars I emailed my ALO to let him know I was no longer interested in USAFA.
But remember, this was just my experience. I met a lot of people at USAFA and USMA who preferred USNA or USAFA after attending multiple Summer Seminars. You'll realize sooner or later what you expect from an SA and if you feel like that's the place for you.
My advice would be to go in with an open mind. Don't sweat it. And HAVE FUN! I had a blast at both Seminars, even though I clearly preferred one over the other.