USAFA Prep School -- Day One?

[Oscar Whiskey]

So for those of you whose DS/DD are going to USAFA Prep Summer 2018 -- are you sending them alone or traveling with them? Does anyone know if there are info sessions for the parents that day--or do we just drop them off? Are there any recent prep school grads or families on-line who can give us some advice?

 

[Rapids]

Sending them alone.

 

[JRS92078]

Mine does NOT want me to go with him. He is planning to drive himself with his girlfriend and then fly her back. Insert eye roll - and know I am not thrilled. I had visions of a last family road trip before I handed him off to the Prep Academy - so much for the visions of sugar plums that danced in my head...

 

[Oscar Whiskey]

My intention is to drop him st the airport forbid journey. But I realize that’s based on my own experience of thirty years ago—just wanted to gather other opinions. I think part of the transition is the flight and meeting up with other c/c’s on the way and on the bus from COS to USAFAPS.

 

[Oscar Whiskey]

Mine does NOT want me to go with him. He is planning to drive himself with his girlfriend and then fly her back. Insert eye roll - and know I am not thrilled. I had visions of a last family road trip before I handed him off to the Prep Academy - so much for the visions of sugar plums that danced in my head...

So your DS is taking his car?

 

[JRS92078]

So your DS is taking his car?

Yes, he will need his vehicle to get to his club sport because it’s not offered at the Prep school. He will also have to have it to transport his Vaulting Poles out to Colorado

 

[refdad]

So for those of you whose DS/DD are going to USAFA Prep Summer 2018 -- are you sending them alone or traveling with them? Does anyone know if there are info sessions for the parents that day--or do we just drop them off? Are there any recent prep school grads or families on-line who can give us some advice?

Last year we dropped our DS off at airport. We could not make trip out for every event so we choose to go out for parents weekend. Now trying to decide if we should go out for prep graduation.

 

[Oscar Whiskey]

So for those of you whose DS/DD are going to USAFA Prep Summer 2018 -- are you sending them alone or traveling with them? Does anyone know if there are info sessions for the parents that day--or do we just drop them off? Are there any recent prep school grads or families on-line who can give us some advice?

Last year we dropped our DS off at airport. We could not make trip out for every event so we choose to go out for parents weekend. Now trying to decide if we should go out for prep graduation.

Congrats on the graduation! What was the year like? Are all the worries I and my DS went through true— reapplying for nominations and admission? Car/no car? Continuing CFTs?

 

[refdad]

So for those of you whose DS/DD are going to USAFA Prep Summer 2018 -- are you sending them alone or traveling with them? Does anyone know if there are info sessions for the parents that day--or do we just drop them off? Are there any recent prep school grads or families on-line who can give us some advice?

Last year we dropped our DS off at airport. We could not make trip out for every event so we choose to go out for parents weekend. Now trying to decide if we should go out for prep graduation.

Congrats on the graduation! What was the year like? Are all the worries I and my DS went through true— reapplying for nominations and admission? Car/no car? Continuing CFTs?

Thank you

All preps must reapply for nominations use all available sources, senate, representative and VP. Was not a big deal for parents, DS son handled and received nomination from senator over Christmas break.

No real admission application like they had to complete for prep, everything is transferred over and the preps appointment will be based on completion of prep school.

Most preps will not have cars, except for prior service and few other cadets that drive up will have cars. After Christmas preps have a lot of freedom, not like the first year at the academy.

They will have to continue to take fitness test throughout the year. Fitness is very important at the academy.

 

[Oscar Whiskey]

So for those of you whose DS/DD are going to USAFA Prep Summer 2018 -- are you sending them alone or traveling with them? Does anyone know if there are info sessions for the parents that day--or do we just drop them off? Are there any recent prep school grads or families on-line who can give us some advice?

Last year we dropped our DS off at airport. We could not make trip out for every event so we choose to go out for parents weekend. Now trying to decide if we should go out for prep graduation.

Congrats on the graduation! What was the year like? Are all the worries I and my DS went through true— reapplying for nominations and admission? Car/no car? Continuing CFTs?

Thank you

All preps must reapply for nominations use all available sources, senate, representative and VP. Was not a big deal for parents, DS son handled and received nomination from senator over Christmas break.

No real admission application like they had to complete for prep, everything is transferred over and the preps appointment will be based on completion of prep school.

Most preps will not have cars, except for prior service and few other cadets that drive up will have cars. After Christmas preps have a lot of freedom, not like the first year at the academy.

They will have to continue to take fitness test throughout the year. Fitness is very important at the academy.

Thanks for the info. Kudos to your son. That was a strategic decision to go prep. I was impressed with mine as well. With all the other opportunities available to them going prep to achieve your goal is a sign of perseverance- which they’ll need at USAFA! I think the sticking point my son had before deciding is all the “disclaimers “ on the Prep School that completion of prep doesn’t guarantee appointment to USAFA. But all of the former preppies he’s talked to said that everyone who wanted to go and kept their grades and conduct in order went to USAFA. Was that your sons experience?

 

[refdad]

So for those of you whose DS/DD are going to USAFA Prep Summer 2018 -- are you sending them alone or traveling with them? Does anyone know if there are info sessions for the parents that day--or do we just drop them off? Are there any recent prep school grads or families on-line who can give us some advice?

Last year we dropped our DS off at airport. We could not make trip out for every event so we choose to go out for parents weekend. Now trying to decide if we should go out for prep graduation.

Congrats on the graduation! What was the year like? Are all the worries I and my DS went through true— reapplying for nominations and admission? Car/no car? Continuing CFTs?

Thank you

All preps must reapply for nominations use all available sources, senate, representative and VP. Was not a big deal for parents, DS son handled and received nomination from senator over Christmas break.

No real admission application like they had to complete for prep, everything is transferred over and the preps appointment will be based on completion of prep school.

Most preps will not have cars, except for prior service and few other cadets that drive up will have cars. After Christmas preps have a lot of freedom, not like the first year at the academy.

They will have to continue to take fitness test throughout the year. Fitness is very important at the academy.

Thanks for the info. Kudos to your son. That was a strategic decision to go prep. I was impressed with mine as well. With all the other opportunities available to them going prep to achieve your goal is a sign of perseverance- which they’ll need at USAFA! I think the sticking point my son had before deciding is all the “disclaimers “ on the Prep School that completion of prep doesn’t guarantee appointment to USAFA. But all of the former preppies he’s talked to said that everyone who wanted to go and kept their grades and conduct in order went to USAFA. Was that your sons experience?

My DS class had a lot drop out over summer, mostly priors that decided they did not want it that bad. They had a few drop out during school year some on there own other for disciplinary reasons.

Everyone I have talked to has said if they graduate prep and want to attend academy they will get an appointment.

It is not guarantied but it weeds itself out during the year. Most of preps have LOA so they will most likely get appointments.

We are still waiting official notice, I am guessing comes after graduation in May.

 

[IronDadCO]

If your DS/DD is not a prior, there are information sessions at drop off, but most of the same info is presented on Friday of Parents' Weekend. Priors actually report 3 days early to take care of paperwork in advance of the direct entrants, and there's nothing for parents to do that day besides say goodbye at the F-100.

The process for reapplying to the Academy is pretty streamlined for Preppies, and they are required to apply to each nominating source for which they're eligible (Rep, Senator, VP, Presidential). There will be much more detail at the parent briefings over Parents' Weekend, but it seems those that do well at Prep (Academics, Fitness, Military Aptitude), and want to continue to the Hill, earn an appointment.

As for Graduation, there's a Baccalaureate (sp?) on Tuesday evening; Parade, awards ceremony, and reception at Arnold Hall (on the hill) Wednesday; and Graduation on Thursday morning, with release coming later Thursday. I think most families do attend, based on pictures from last year's graduation on WebGuy.

Finally, official notification of appointment to the Academy will likely come on the eve of Transition Exercise (TX), which is the culmination of the Prep year, and is the 5 days leading up to Graduation. There's a video of last year's class receiving their official appointments also out on WebGuy.