Teacher Evaluations / LOR

[AFAhopeful6201]

Hi, my DS is applying to the USAF for 2029 class. On the website it states he will need 3 Teacher Evaluations and 2 optional Letters of Recommendation. Are the Teacher Evaluations the same thing as a Letter of Recommendation or will they be sending the teachers a link to fill out some sort of scoring/ranking of him as a student in their class. He's preparing to ask the English, Math & Science teachers and wants to prepare them that they will either be writing a LOR or they should be expecting a Q/A "how was he as a student in your class" questionnaire type form. I hope this makes sense. Also, will the LORs be submitted electronically or will they need to mail them in? Thank you!

 

[bethf]

I don't know what they send the teachers, but I do know that they are electronically submitted directly. You will see on the portal when they have been received at USAFA.

 

[JacoAZ]

Just a quick reaction, your son needs to figure all this out. It is great that you are interested in making sure that timetables are met but it is quite crucial that he takes over the details of the applications.

 

[fromupnorth]

The Letters of Evaluation are a classic letter of rec, plus some drop downs where the teacher percentile rates you in certain categories.

 

[StarSon2028]

Hi, my DS is applying to the USAF for 2029 class. On the website it states he will need 3 Teacher Evaluations and 2 optional Letters of Recommendation. Are the Teacher Evaluations the same thing as a Letter of Recommendation or will they be sending the teachers a link to fill out some sort of scoring/ranking of him as a student in their class. He's preparing to ask the English, Math & Science teachers and wants to prepare them that they will either be writing a LOR or they should be expecting a Q/A "how was he as a student in your class" questionnaire type form. I hope this makes sense. Also, will the LORs be submitted electronically or will they need to mail them in? Thank you!

If this year's application is as last year's, teacher evaluation links will be emailed by USAFA directly to the instructors your DS provides in his application. LORs work similarly - your DS inputs the contact information, and a link is provided to that contact for sharing the LOR.

Before your DS pulls the trigger on preparing his teachers/LOR writers, I'd encourage him to get the big picture of what's needed for the ENTIRE application process (nominations require LORs as do many colleges). He will want to prepare his LOR/evaluators well and make this process as seamless as possible for them. In addition to prepping LOR writers for Service Academy related LORs, your DS might request a copy of LORs be made out "To Whom it May Concern" for those college applications.

I'm a parent who provided guidance to my DS where LORs are concerned. I know several very smart 16/17 year olds, but very few have the organizational planning needed, nor prior experience, of mapping out an entire year of needed items for Service Academy, College, ROTC, and FAFSA applications. Guidance is to be expected.

 

[T-37IP]

Many school emails will block outside emails. Both of my sons used their teacher's personal emails so they wouldn't get blocked. Also, start thinking about the CFA. He needs to practice and arrange for a coach, PE teacher, etc to administer it when the time comes. Don't wait until the last minute.

 

[T-37IP]

I'm a parent who provided guidance to my DS where LORs are concerned. I know several very smart 16/17 year olds, but very few have the organizational planning needed, nor prior experience, of mapping out an entire year of needed items for Service Academy, College, ROTC, and FAFSA applications. Guidance is to be expected.

This. Run in the background. Ask questions, help them organize, review essays, keep them focused, etc. I have two at USAFA and this worked well for us.

 

[AFAhopeful6201]

This. Run in the background. Ask questions, help them organize, review essays, keep them focused, etc. I have two at USAFA and this worked well for us.

Thank you!! He's taking the reigns but I'm his support system so I plan to help guide him as much as I'm needed. This whole process is a beast, I'm 47yrs old and would want someone in my corner helping me if it were me going through it LOL

 

[AFAhopeful6201]

Many school emails will block outside emails. Both of my sons used their teacher's personal emails so they wouldn't get blocked. Also, start thinking about the CFA. He needs to practice and arrange for a coach, PE teacher, etc to administer it when the time comes. Don't wait until the last minute.

Thank you for that, he is attending the USNA SS and West Point SLE. I know they do the CFA at WP and I think they do at USNA SS as well. Not sure if those are "practice" or if they count toward his application but he's been practicing the CFA since his Sophomore year. He's obsessed lol

 

[Academician]

The application itself provides details along with the two booklets that your son will find inside his portal: Instructions to Pre-Candidates and Instructions to Candidates. The latter will be available when your son is designated as an AFA "candidate." I have all of my students read both documents as they provide lots of details.

 

[AFAhopeful6201]

The application itself provides details along with the two booklets that your son will find inside his portal: Instructions to Pre-Candidates and Instructions to Candidates. The latter will be available when your son is designated as an AFA "candidate." I have all of my students read both documents as they provide lots of details.

Thank you! He read the Pre-Candidate instruction booklet and was just promoted to Candidate status for AFA. I'll mention that one to him too.

 

[Nytoga330]

Thank you! He read the Pre-Candidate instruction booklet and was just promoted to Candidate status for AFA. I'll mention that one to him too.

My son got that email too! But it said the application won’t be live until July 1st. For some reason I thought it would be sooner so he could get his teacher recommendations in by May/June?

 

[2029hopeful1984]

The application itself provides details along with the two booklets that your son will find inside his portal: Instructions to Pre-Candidates and Instructions to Candidates. The latter will be available when your son is designated as an AFA "candidate." I have all of my students read both documents as they provide lots of details.

My DS was promoted to Candidate Status, but that booklet is still not hyperlinked for him.

 

[2029hopeful1984]

My son got that email too! But it said the application won’t be live until July 1st. For some reason I thought it would be sooner so he could get his teacher recommendations in by May/June?

I remember last year the kit wasn't available until July 15th! My DS is also applying to USMA, and their kit will be available May 15 - I guess he can get started on theirs first.

 

[Academician]

The timing (as noted) has been routine for the last number of years. I'm sure the Instructions for Candidates will be 'released' fairly soon. Plus, as the last two years, you may find the application timing slips for July 1 to the 15th. We'll see. In the meantime, my students are setting-up plans for the online recommendations with their teachers now. I recommend others do the same.

 

[jerryseinfeld]

Hey everyone

This may be have been answered but: If an applicant is applying to multiple SAs, does she ask the LOR writer to be prepared to send the same LOR to multiple portals (for SAs and Noms)?

 

[Capt MJ]

Hey everyone

This may be have been answered but: If an applicant is applying to multiple SAs, does she ask the LOR writer to be prepared to send the same LOR to multiple portals (for SAs and Noms)?

The process is probably different than what you think it is.

I think the SAs all use a variation on the process where they specify who they want to see evaluations from for specific classes. You provide an email for the teacher. The SA sends them a link, which they access and respond to a series of evaluation questions about you. At least in the USNA teacher form, there is some open space for additional comments. They complete the form and submit it. You never see it.

Note: Be sure to ask for an alternate email for the teacher. Often a school email will block outside emails with a link.

You can be proactive and research each SA’s process on their website, and provide a “prep kit” on the process for a particular SA, as well as anything else you wish the teacher to know.

For example, on usna.edu:

School Official's Evaluation of Candidate

School Official's Evaluation of Candidate page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Tue Nov 12 04:23:09 EST 2024.

www.usna.edu

These are different than any option provided by the SA to upload additional optional letters of recommendation.

Bonus for you on usna.edu research, this is what your guidance counselor is asked for:

High School Transcript Application

High School Transcript Application page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Tue Nov 19 04:44:57 EST 2024.

www.usna.edu

If you haven’t yet put in the legwork to scour all of your target SA websites, reading every page, link and drop-down menu, noting due dates, action items and answers to dozens of questions, now is a great time to do that.

———————————————————————————

NOMS
I deliberately drew a line between nom processes and service academy processes.

For your elected official noms, your Senators and Representative can each run their nomination slate application, evaluation, selection, decision and notification process the way they want. That includes no interviews and no notifications, if they choose.

Therefore, scour their individual websites, use your best attention to detail skills, and comply with what they request. Then properly provide that info to your teachers or other recommenders.

 

[jerryseinfeld]

The process is probably different than what you think it is.

I think the SAs all use a variation on the process where they specify who they want to see evaluations from for specific classes. You provide an email for the teacher. The SA sends them a link, which they access and respond to a series of evaluation questions about you. At least in the USNA teacher form, there is some open space for additional comments. They complete the form and submit it. You never see it.

Note: Be sure to ask for an alternate email for the teacher. Often a school email will block outside emails with a link.

You can be proactive and research each SA’s process on their website, and provide a “prep kit” on the process for a particular SA, as well as anything else you wish the teacher to know.

For example, on usna.edu:

School Official's Evaluation of Candidate

School Official's Evaluation of Candidate page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Tue Nov 12 04:23:09 EST 2024.

www.usna.edu

These are different than any option provided by the SA to upload additional optional letters of recommendation.

Bonus for you on usna.edu research, this is what your guidance counselor is asked for:

High School Transcript Application

High School Transcript Application page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Tue Nov 19 04:44:57 EST 2024.

www.usna.edu

If you haven’t yet put in the legwork to scour all of your target SA websites, reading every page, link and drop-down menu, noting due dates, action items and answers to dozens of questions, now is a great time to do that.

———————————————————————————

NOMS
I deliberately drew a line between nom processes and service academy processes.

For your elected official noms, your Senators and Representative can each run their nomination slate application, evaluation, selection, decision and notification process the way they want. That includes no interviews and no notifications, if they choose.

Therefore, scour their individual websites, use your best attention to detail skills, and comply with what they request. Then properly provide that info to your teachers or other recommenders.

Thank you so much!!! DD will have some homework to do. It sounds like DD will have to inform her teachers that they each will have to write multiple (perhaps very similar or identical) LORs, one for each SA.... NOMs will be another matter.

 

[reagan9]

Besides teachers, who are the best people to ask for the two optional LORs? I'm thinking of asking a coach, but I'm not sure about the other one. I have a close family friend who served in the military and knows me very well. Is it a good idea to ask him to write me an LOR?

 

[Melissap7172]

Thank you for that, he is attending the USNA SS and West Point SLE. I know they do the CFA at WP and I think they do at USNA SS as well. Not sure if those are "practice" or if they count toward his application but he's been practicing the CFA since his Sophomore year. He's obsessed lol

My DS will be attending NASS and SLE both this summer. I wonder if they will be together? My son is doing SLE session 2 and NASS session 3. He must take the train from NYC to BWI to get to NASS from SLE.