USAFA Applications down 27.6%?

At NAPS approx 1/3 every year that start the year, will not make it to graduation.

I don’t see this as a problem I see it as a normal turn of events for those joining the military and finding out it’s not for them. Or finding out the academic s are not for them.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
At NAPS approx 1/3 every year that start the year, will not make it to graduation.

I don’t see this as a problem I see it as a normal turn of events for those joining the military and finding out it’s not for them. Or finding out the academic s are not for them.
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Or applying for the wrong reasons….to please parents. Or the prestige factor. Happens every year. Spoke to my CO TAD son this last weekend and that was exactly the reasoning the plebe he counseled out, quit. No changing their mind. And they left early. ‘I only applied bc of my mom and dad’.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
At NAPS approx 1/3 every year that start the year, will not make it to graduation.
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I suppose the NAPS number being higher makes a lot of sense. Those folks weren't admitted because they weren't quite ready yet, but just moving to NAPS isn't going to magically make them all more successful. Some aren't going to be able improve enough, or want to deal with the work, or want to live that lifestyle. Anything that might make you drop from the academy plus a hurdle or two in front of those can make for a rough road for some.
 
StPaulDad said:
I suppose the NAPS number being higher makes a lot of sense. Those folks weren't admitted because they weren't quite ready yet, but just moving to NAPS isn't going to magically make them all more successful. Some aren't going to be able improve enough, or want to deal with the work, or want to live that lifestyle. Anything that might make you drop from the academy plus a hurdle or two in front of those can make for a rough road for some.
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It’s a guess , based on a distant second hand view, my guess is that more dropped out, DOR, from the shock of the military life or training , more so than from poor academic performance.

There were kids dropping out the first day at NAPS. And that continued throughout the year.

some people are smart enough, tough enough, and want to do well, but just can’t deal with the stress
 
I know of 2 personal stories of Cadets that have left from DS's starting class. One left for academic reasons he fell behind Doolie year and knew that he just didn't have the academic strength to continue. I honestly think he was homesick and missed his GF too lol. The second cadet started to feel numbness in his legs at the start of Recognition, as the days progressed he couldn't feel anything in his lower extremities. He made it through REC but when he got home he took an MRI and found out he had a nerve lesion that affected his spinal cord. Unfortunately he recently went before the medical board and had to separate from the academy. We will miss him, he was an outstanding young man.

My point is behind this when looking at number of those that have left the Academy, we cannot assume all left voluntarily.
 
Could be the press on the Woke Culture and CRT at the Academies. The Academies have always been known as apolitical but now have had a different light shed on them. Whether it is accurate or not is another story.
 
MSNavy said:
Could be the press on the Woke Culture and CRT at the Academies. The Academies have always been known as apolitical but now have had a different light shed on them. Whether it is accurate or not is another story.
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I'm not buying this argument. I stay in touch will all social media for academy and hardly see anything that would define so called "woke culture". If people have issues with diversity then my opinion is maybe it is good thing they stay away from wanting to serve. I know that CRT is not being taught at USAFA. One class introduced the concept but it was not taught as curriculum.
 
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It'll be interesting to see what happens with applications this year. While general fitness is an overall issue, I think it still comes down to SAT/ACT testing. I am a math teacher/tutor and math skills took a huge hit during COVID with 2026ers taking the brunt of it. Many lost a quarter of their algebra year and all of their geometry year which comprise most of the SAT/ACT math portion. Our school districts weren't allowing teachers to introduce new instruction for the last quarter of the 2019-20 school year and most were on Zoom for 2020-21. The students I've encountered are behind. The SAs have well established and published standards. So, I wonder if the problems is two-fold: 1. Bubble applicants aren't applying because their scores are too low (and they don't want to put in hard work to raise them). 2. There are so many schools that did not require SAT/ACT scores through the last application cycle and they chose the path of least resistance.

The SAs were the only schools my DS applied to that required scores last year. Most of those are reinstating testing requirements this cycle but a few of his friends applied test-optional...the ones who didn't score well. They still took the SAT in school so they all had scores, but didn't submit them. Based on GPA and such, they got into decent schools and are happy. I do think the classes of 2026 at all the SAs are of high quality. These kids have been tested and succeeded. I'm excited to see what they do in the future.

Interestingly, one of our friends from the Baltimore area thought test-optional truly meant test-optional at top-teir universities. His daughter (valedictorian, academic all-star...ya-da, ya-da) really wanted to go to an Ivy League school. She took the SAT and did well but not Ivy League well. Instead of retesting just decided to apply test optional. Didn't get into a single one and was CRUSHED. Our friend (her dad) was livid because test-optional should mean just that. I don't think he understood the competition to get into that type of school. I'm sure she'll be living her best life at Pitt this year.
 
99Gold said:
It'll be interesting to see what happens with applications this year. While general fitness is an overall issue, I think it still comes down to SAT/ACT testing. I am a math teacher/tutor and math skills took a huge hit during COVID with 2026ers taking the brunt of it. Many lost a quarter of their algebra year and all of their geometry year which comprise most of the SAT/ACT math portion. Our school districts weren't allowing teachers to introduce new instruction for the last quarter of the 2019-20 school year and most were on Zoom for 2020-21. The students I've encountered are behind. The SAs have well established and published standards. So, I wonder if the problems is two-fold: 1. Bubble applicants aren't applying because their scores are too low (and they don't want to put in hard work to raise them). 2. There are so many schools that did not require SAT/ACT scores through the last application cycle and they chose the path of least resistance.

The SAs were the only schools my DS applied to that required scores last year. Most of those are reinstating testing requirements this cycle but a few of his friends applied test-optional...the ones who didn't score well. They still took the SAT in school so they all had scores, but didn't submit them. Based on GPA and such, they got into decent schools and are happy. I do think the classes of 2026 at all the SAs are of high quality. These kids have been tested and succeeded. I'm excited to see what they do in the future.

Interestingly, one of our friends from the Baltimore area thought test-optional truly meant test-optional at top-teir universities. His daughter (valedictorian, academic all-star...ya-da, ya-da) really wanted to go to an Ivy League school. She took the SAT and did well but not Ivy League well. Instead of retesting just decided to apply test optional. Didn't get into a single one and was CRUSHED. Our friend (her dad) was livid because test-optional should mean just that. I don't think he understood the competition to get into that type of school. I'm sure she'll be living her best life at Pitt this year.
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Yes I’m sure she will be living her best life at Pitt…great school!
 
Could it be that even though CRT isn’t curriculum at the academies, there is a perception that it is? And could that perception be partially responsible for the lower number of applications even if it’s baseless?
 
Morey8525 said:
Could it be that even though CRT isn’t curriculum at the academies, there is a perception that it is? And could that perception be partially responsible for the lower number of applications even if it’s baseless?
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people always have reasons why they don’t want to serve their country in the military. Even during a time of war people can find lots of reasons not to serve. Some will take 5 deferments not to serve during a time of war.

i am old enough to remember the anti woke outrage over integration, woman, and gays being admitted or serving openly.
 
Morey8525 said:
Could it be that even though CRT isn’t curriculum at the academies, there is a perception that it is? And could that perception be partially responsible for the lower number of applications even if it’s baseless?
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What’s CRT
 
FH76 said:
I'm not buying this argument. I stay in touch will all social media for academy and hardly see anything that would define so called "woke culture". If people have issues with diversity then my opinion is maybe it is good thing they stay away from wanting to serve. I know that CRT is not being taught at USAFA. One class introduced the concept but it was not taught as curriculum.
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Despite what the SECDEF stated under oath in testimony to Congress in 2021 (denying CRT was being taught at service academies), a USAFA associate professor set the record straight with her Washington Post Op-ed a few weeks later in June 2021. Even the USAFA Dean praised the fact that CRT was being "taught" in an interview I watched for the graduate community. The real issue is whether or not subjects like CRT and BLM are being discussed/taught in a politically balanced environment or are Cadets being indoctrinated with CRT/BLM. https://nypost.com/2021/07/07/us-air-force-academy-professor-defends-teaching-critical-race-theory/

Today, appointees can't even be allowed to travel to USAFA for basic training until they have completed online BLM training. The record speaks for itself. See the following link to the first part of BLM required training for appointees. https://www.starrs.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Training-Clipy.mp4
 
The admissions office suggests a lack of outreach due to Covid-19 was to blame. Wouldn't that also have had a negative impact on the Class of 2025? Col. Arthur Primas is saying initial applications for the Class of 2027 are tracking to historical levels. It will be interesting to see how USAFA handles in-person outreach and what the impact is on applications.

gazette.com

Air Force Academy looking to reverse steep decline in application numbers

Applications to the Air Force Academy saw a significant decrease in the past year as military recruitment and college enrollment continue to suffer from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
gazette.com gazette.com
 
Falcon74 said:
Today, appointees can't even be allowed to travel to USAFA for basic training until they have completed online BLM training. The record speaks for itself. See the following link to the first part of BLM required training for appointees. https://www.starrs.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Training-Clipy.mp4
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You mean the basic Dignity and Respect training that happens to include some material on the BLM movement because it was at the forefront of social issues? Would you rather it be ignored? Honestly. . .
 
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