Submitting times/character count

[marybeth23]

does submitting your application early help you in admission? Does submitting it right at the deadline hurt it? Does USAFA take into account when you submit it? Or do they only care if you meet the deadline?

Also, when finishing his activities resume, my DS had 10084 characters. However, it would have been under 10000 (the max) if he deleted all of USAFAs pre-added text. Do you think he will get dinged for this? In other words, he would have less than 10000 from his text only.

 

[MidCakePa]

There are countless threads here about this topic, not just in the USAFA section but also in the USMA and USNA sections. The perspectives across all academies are very similar. That is: Submit the best application you can, as early as you can. If the package you submit now is the absolute best you can do, then go ahead. If waiting until October (or January) allows for a higher SAT/ACT score, better CFA stats or more carefully crafted essays, then definitely wait. USAFA doesn’t care when you send it, only that it’s before the deadline.

Word count is word count (or characters, if that’s how it’s done). If USAFA caps it at 10,000, then do not exceed 10,000. Your DS is applying to become a cadet, with aspirations of becoming an officer — roles that demand precision and the ability to follow orders. Pay attention to detail, do as you’re instructed, don’t try to nickel-and-dime the process. Best wishes to you.

 

[marybeth23]

Thank you very much MidCakePa. This information is very helpful.

Just one follow up question:
On the resume, USAFA has pre added text as guidllines. If you included the pre added text in the character count, it would have exceeded 10000. (10084) If you just count my DSs text that he entered, the character count would have been about 9800. He already submitted it so if he messed up, nothing we can do now. How negitively would this affect his application?

 

[MidCakePa]

When my DD was applying to the academies and civilian colleges, we found that application systems that used character counts had an automatic cut-off feature. So if you hit the max, you couldn’t type any further. Or it wouldn’t let you push “submit” until you edited down. Either way, it was made clear that you’d exceeded the limit.

So if you were able to submit the application, don’t worry about it. Especially if you know the character count wasn’t exceeded, you should be able to sleep at night. Again, best wishes.

 

[BBBRRRTT]

Can't hurt getting the application done early. You might get busy in the fall semester and then you will wish you finished it during the summer. At least what you can get done early is best.