USAFA Waiting Thread C/O 2027

[MSNavy]

Honestly my whole opinion of this process is not good right now! My DD has Two Congressional nominations - maintains a 4.3 GPA all honors and AP classes - Team competitive gymnast for the past 10 years, Student pilot with several solos under her belt, volunteer coach at gym, National Spanish honors society and just an all around amazing kid - cryptic message from her today seems like she might have received a rejection - Not hearing back just a text from her. My heart is breaking right now

Sorry for the heartbreak! Get off the forums for today and plan something fun for your daughter today. Time is slipping through the hour glass to spend with them. I suspect release times for decisions will be on mountain time after 8:00am. Your DD sounds amazing! I am certain her plans include amazing schools that are not service academies! Know you are in good company with the waiting!!!

 

[Beach66]

Sorry for the heartbreak! Get off the forums for today and plan something fun for your daughter today. Time is slipping through the hour glass to spend with them. I suspect release times for decisions will be on mountain time after 8:00am. Your DD sounds amazing! I am certain her plans include amazing schools that are not service academies! Know you are in good company with the waiting!!!

She has a strong back up plan for sure-she will be getting her EMT Certification this summer and preparing for her College in the fall. Not sad about her staying closer to home - but she has received alot of Wait lists to throw into the mix! Her twin brother was sworn into the Air National Guard for Cyber Security and leaves for Lackland on July 10 - I keep joking she could go to boot camp with her brother. I will be holding my breath the rest of day waiting to hear back from her and knowing for sure. Amazing things are ahead for this kid - I know that for sure!

 

[Beach66]

She sounds like an amazing kid. DD was turned down last week from USNA and we're still waiting to hear from USAFA. In the same boat, but don't be discouraged. As @Capt MJ and so many others have stated, these are ALL amazing kids. It is heartbreaking and stings a bit, but don't let it change your outlook. She should apply again! Perseverance and determination goes a long way.

Honestly she will not apply again (this was way too stressful) - she will put this behind her and move forward with Plan B -she has worked too hard to get delayed by a year towards her degree and applying to Med School.

 

[enj3mom]

Honestly she will not apply again (this was way too stressful) - she will put this behind her and move forward with Plan B -she has worked too hard to get delayed by a year towards her degree and applying to Med School.

That sounds like an amazing Plan B. I read your reply above as well, EMT Cert this summer is amazing. To say this process has been stressful is an understatement, I completely agree. Sounds like she will be successful in whatever path she takes. Good Luck to her and to her twin brother!

 

[Sqwak7700]

Honestly my whole opinion of this process is not good right now! My DD has Two Congressional nominations - maintains a 4.3 GPA all honors and AP classes - Team competitive gymnast for the past 10 years, Student pilot with several solos under her belt, volunteer coach at gym, National Spanish honors society and just an all around amazing kid - cryptic message from her today seems like she might have received a rejection - Not hearing back just a text from her. My heart is breaking right now

We are in similar situations (you can read my post about DD a few pages back). I also forgot to add that my daughter, like yours, had 2 congressional noms (both Rep and Sen), and even a Presidential nom (which is awarded to dependents of retired military members...so even more flexibility for Academy). But I'm nearly positive now that it's a done deal...the music has stopped and all seats are taken. It's a bitter pill to swallow, BUT we are full steam ahead on other plans. We had a fantastic visit to one of the civilian schools she was accepted to, and it left a very good impression with us. If your DD had the credentials to get 2 noms and a serious look by the academies, then she also likely has the resilience and fortitude to find another path. I was watching a documentary about the Apollo 8 program with DD recently, and one of the astronauts (Lovell?) had ALL sorts of false starts, setbacks, and disappointments in his pursuit of a military/aeronautical/space career. It was compelling evidence that there are many paths to a desired outcome. USAFA is just one...and it might not even be the preferred path for us.

 

[Sqwak7700]

Hi

If your DD doesn't get an offer, then that will change my whole outlook on this whole thing. She sounds like a phenomenal kid.

Thanks. She's a great kid, indeed. She practices more discretion and exhibits less anxiety about all this than I do!!! It'll work in the end.

 

[Capt MJ]

Each year, there are stellar, high-performing, eye-wateringly impressive fully qualified candidates with nom(s) who are not offered appointments. There is just not enough room in the class. That is a fact in this process year in and year out.

If the end goal is to serve as a commissioned officer, they re-apply, or participate in ROTC or OTS/OCS until they attain that goal.

If they decide to move on to other paths after one cycle, with all that excellent potential, that is okay too. Either the desire to serve in that particular way runs deep enough to go through the process again and invest more time, or that desire to be useful or serve manifests in another way via another path of education and profession. It’s got to be a two-way fit.

P.S. The military gets most of its doctors, dentists, lawyers, nurses and many other staff professions through direct officer accession programs from medical school.

https://www.navy.com/sites/default/files/2021-06/navy-health-professions-scholarship-program-hpsp-brochure.pdf

In my network of providers in the Johns Hopkins Healthcare system, I am blessed to be cared for by many who went to top-tier med schools, did their time in the Navy, Army or Air Force Medical Corps, and now practice and teach in the Johns Hopkins system. My derm doc, my ob-gyn, my optometrist, my ophthalmologist, DH’s PCM, his derm doc…

There are still doorways to uniformed service further down the road. And, the military medical school at the Walter Reed NMMC campus, at USUHS. Just tuck this knowledge away if military service is still in the dream locker.

 

[Capt MJ]

A word about Presidential noms. Only 100 appointments in a class can be charged to that nom source. Every applicant who qualified for this nom, gets it. If 600 applicants are eligible, then 600 of those noms are given - but still only 100 appointments. This “nom bucket” is a national competition of the typically several hundred who can claim this nom.

 

[usafacan2023]

There was a decent amount of appointments on April 11 and 18 last year and it appears that those waves haven’t come through for this cycle. I think we should be a little more optimistic until we hear otherwise definitively.

 

[Sqwak7700]

Honestly she will not apply again (this was way too stressful) - she will put this behind her and move forward with Plan B -she has worked too hard to get delayed by a year towards her degree and applying to Med School.

^^^This^^^ The "are-you-good-enough-for-us?" dance goes both ways. My DD will be entering an accelerated B.S./M.S. track in engineering at a good school this fall. Hasta la vista!!

 

[Skyhigh315]

There was a decent amount of appointments on April 11 and 18 last year and it appears that those waves haven’t come through for this cycle. I think we should be a little more optimistic until we hear otherwise definitively.

Yep!

For every day that there's no TWE, that's another day of nail-biting, but another day of still being in the running. That's the way our family is trying to look at it!

 

[Skyhigh315]

Great question! I assume most FGO and above LORs are about the same. An active 2-star is certainly impressive and as a board member, I'd like to know if the 2-star actually knows the kid or just hooking up a parent. Hopefully, the letter will articulate an actual relationship more than just a "push". The SA board members would be able to distinguish the difference.

Hi,

In this case, he knows my DS from the Flight Academy. He only officiated the ceremony and pinned the wings, but he showed up the day before and got to know some of the kids and spent quite a bit of time with DS and I.

 

[Skyhigh315]

Even if the TWE comes, I'm gonna be way more heartbroken over it than my DS. He's already stopped checking the portal daily, and he's resolved in his heart to try again. Actually, he already started the app process for C/O '28. Now he's out putting up fliers for weed-whacking services so he can scrounge up some travel money to backpack Europe this summer. As a parent, knowing my kid is gonna get over the initial disappointment, then get right back up again is a comfort.

 

[Tigers2023]

Even if the TWE comes, I'm gonna be way more heartbroken over it than my DS. He's already stopped checking the portal daily, and he's resolved in his heart to try again. Actually, he already started the app process for C/O '28. Now he's out putting up fliers for weed-whacking services so he can scrounge up some travel money to backpack Europe this summer. As a parent, knowing my kid is gonna get over the initial disappointment, then get right back up again is a comfort.

Great post Skyhigh! I’m really hoping your DS gets his appointment!

 

[1967chevy]

Looking for advice….

I haven’t received the TWE yet, but I’ve kind of accepted the fact that I probably won’t get in this year. I know that I want to apply again this next year. Should I enlist and go about the application process that way? Or should I wait and apply again the same way? I don’t really want to go to any colleges near me and I don’t want to have any college loans to pay… I would probably use the coming year to work and focus on reapplying. Any advice is welcome!

 

[Sqwak7700]

Here's something interesting. My wife and I have received 2 texts from the local Air Force recruiting offices inquiring specifically about our DD's interest in enlisting in the USAF. Hmmm. This can't be a coincidence. ("what's it gonna take to get you into this car today?")

 

[Gravity]

Looking for advice….

I haven’t received the TWE yet, but I’ve kind of accepted the fact that I probably won’t get in this year. I know that I want to apply again this next year. Should I enlist and go about the application process that way? Or should I wait and apply again the same way? I don’t really want to go to any colleges near me and I don’t want to have any college loans to pay… I would probably use the coming year to work and focus on reapplying. Any advice is welcome!

I am a LEAD appointee, and went through enlisting myself after applying for class of 25'. You will probably not be able to apply for 28' and instead should expect 29' if you go enlisted. It's not a bad choice if the end desire is to serve, but you need to keep the contract in mind because you can't just leave the Air Force if it doesn't work out. You could maybe consider the Air National Guard instead of going active, they get LEAD slots too. Additionally, some states will give you a full ride to a state school if you're in their guard program. If there are any states that are a short commute away that have that policy or if you're in a state that does, it's a great option.

If you go active, you also start accruing time towards retirement, which is awesome if your plan is to make this a career.

 

[99Gold]

Here's something interesting. My wife and I have received 2 texts from the local Air Force recruiting offices inquiring specifically about our DD's interest in enlisting in the USAF. Hmmm. This can't be a coincidence. ("what's it gonna take to get you into this car today?")

It might have nothing to do with her current USAFA app status. My ds started getting info about enlisting during his senior year and still gets texts from the USMC recruiter (he never show any interest in the Marines). The USAF enlistment flyers and texts did end after I-day.

 

[Tigers2023]

Looking for advice….

I haven’t received the TWE yet, but I’ve kind of accepted the fact that I probably won’t get in this year. I know that I want to apply again this next year. Should I enlist and go about the application process that way? Or should I wait and apply again the same way? I don’t really want to go to any colleges near me and I don’t want to have any college loans to pay… I would probably use the coming year to work and focus on reapplying. Any advice is welcome!

It’s not over yet, so hang in there until you know for sure.
In my opinion, it’s difficult getting a USAFA slot from the enlisted ranks. Certainly not impossible, but it’s competitive and a very uncertain path to get there. If you enlist, I’d plan on serving out my enlistment. There are some great educational benefits (GI Bill) that may help defray college costs afterward. You can also take courses while enlisted that are reduced price (or free). But I wouldn’t enlist unless you can picture yourself serving out that full commitment.
Other possibilities are Air National Guard/AF Reserves.
If you are competitive for USAFA, you should be competitive for academic scholarships. Maybe another way to defray costs?

 

[Avenger2027]

Here's something interesting. My wife and I have received 2 texts from the local Air Force recruiting offices inquiring specifically about our DD's interest in enlisting in the USAF. Hmmm. This can't be a coincidence. ("what's it gonna take to get you into this car today?")

I got that call a few weeks back. The recruiter said that he get a list of all seniors from the school and is just working the list to fill his recruiting numbers. He didn't I had applied for ROTC scholarships or to the SAs