I've applied to both schools, have been accepted (conditionally) into the CGA and waiting to hear from the AFA. I would be honored to attend either, but what are some of the advantages that one has over the other? What's life like as a Air Force officer vs a Coast Guard officer? Missions? Lifestyle? Opportunities? Flying? Any info would be good
Do you want to be in the Coast Guard or the Air Force? If you are PQ, it is easier to get a flight slot directly from USAFA, as (I think) 50% of the class gets one. I was one of the guys in the USAF who didn't fly, and was in a niche community (missiles) that did operations other than flight. Save for guys like me and those involved in space ops, most of the other non-flying career fields support, in one way or another, the flying mission. The USAF is a lot bigger than the USCG, and there are bases all over the world. That said, we have some bases in less than pristine locations (Minot...where I was, being an example). I guess the USCG has remote duty stations too (Alaska) but for the most part, those guys are near the water, which is nice.
No one can answer the question for you. LITS is the best poster to talk to about active duty USCG, but in the end the choice has got to be based on what interests you personally. I like that the USCG always has a "real world" mission, even when not at war...that is unique to them. Really, I get the vibe that since USCG is so small, it really has to multi-task a lot of things. In the USAF, you are pretty much going to be focused on your specialty. That means, if you are a pilot, all you will do is fly and prepare to fly. If you are a missileer, all you will do is pull alerts and train to launch missiles (so that you become, in USAF parlance, a "weapon system expert"). Leadership opportunities come later when you advance in rank in the USAF if you are an operator. Interestingly, the support guys in the USAF start out with a lot of enlisted guys under them; however, because pilots run the USAF, they top out a lot sooner and do not get pristine gigs like Wing Commander. I would guess the USCG is like the Navy, in that you have to learn your weapon system (they call it earning qualifications in the Navy anyway) while still being in charge of guys. I'm not sure if that's how it works with USCG pilots, but my guess is that's how it works for the dudes on the cutters (LITS will have to elaborate).
That's the best advice I can give. Also, the USCGA and USAFA are considerably different in terms of size and location. The end question is which branch you prefer; however, the east coast vs. mountains and 980 vs. 4000 student body is something to consider.
best of luck