Status of application question; Class of 2022

jennvberg

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I checked my application status this morning for the Air Force Academy and it says that I am competitive! I am still an applicant as I have not sent out my nominations yet. What does being "competitive" really mean?
 
I checked my application status this morning for the Air Force Academy and it says that I am competitive! I am still an applicant as I have not sent out my nominations yet. What does being "competitive" really mean?
I emailed my admissions counselor and my alo with a similar question. My understanding of it is that because of the new rolling admission process, applicants deemed competitive will become candidates as of July first. Once we are candidates, that is when we start submitting nominations, transcripts, and CFAs, etc. My question was do we start applying for nominations now or do we have to wait?
 
My question was do we start applying for nominations now or do we have to wait?

Each nomination source is different. For example, my congresswoman does not open her nomination application until the beginning of April. My senators open theirs around the middle of April. Check the websites of each of your nomination sources to find when theirs open. Vice President Pence's is opened right now if you wish to start on that process. Until your sources open up, it's a waiting game.

Good luck.
 
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@Edgehog63, My DS applied to both Senators and our US Congressman. All three wanted a "complete package" which included a transcript with Junior year final grades. For him that meant he could not submit anything until the end of June (20 days after last day of school). Additionally, all three wanted letters of recommendation, test scores, resume, personal statement or essay, and a picture. He submitted his nom application packages in July but did not interview and receive nominations until December.

So what you can do now?
-Figure out who you will ask for rec letters and get them now. You'll need a copy for each nominating source and eventually to send to the SA. Now is the best time to do this. If you wait until summer it can be challenging to reach teachers/coaches and in the fall ALL the seniors are asking for college recs.

-Work on your resume. You will want to give a copy to your teachers/coaches/etc so that they have what they need to write a great letter on your behalf.

Good Luck!
 
I understand the anticipation, but the academies are really focused on completing the class of 2021. They have reviewed your self-submitted scores and believe that you may have the background to be admitted. It is just a broad look that says they will let you start the process. When the Class of 2021 enters this summer, the application portal will open to those for the Class of 2022. This will be the real start of the process. You will have many task on the portal to complete and get your information submitted.
In terms of nominations, you should go to each of your MOCs website and understand what they want. There process starts usually early in your senior year. 99.9% of the time they will want letters of recommendation so it would be good to start identifying who you may ask now.
This is a marathon and not a sprint. Pace yourself and keep doing your best.
 
I checked my application status this morning for the Air Force Academy and it says that I am competitive! I am still an applicant as I have not sent out my nominations yet. What does being "competitive" really mean?
Being competitive simply means that you may may be eligible for one of USAFA's programs to include the Prep School, Falcon Foundation or direct entry into the Academy. The Academy will send you a full application--usually at the beginning of July.

There is a long way to go before USAFA knows whether you will actually meet the requirements. This includes officially determining your medical, physical and academic qualifications. BTW you must also receive a nomination so you should also APPLY TO ALL NOMINATION SOURCES FOR WHICH YOU ARE ELIGIBLE.

Read your instructions to Pre-candidates. That will give you a good start.

Once your application opens, complete it quickly. The Academy begins reviewing files in October.
 
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