USCGA 2020 Academy Experience Program

[TexasAggie204]

Has anybody from the future USCGA Class of 2024 signed up for the AEP yet? My DS is very interested in attending sometime before making his final decision, but has yet to receive any information on this. Maybe we're jumping the gun and this will be covered when he receives his BFE (nothing as of USPS delivery yesterday).

 

[cave9269]

1. No BFE yet for my DS neither.
2. DS has visited 3x including an overnight
3. DS is ACCEPTING Appointment
4. No info on the Program you mention- what is it?

 

[TexasAggie204]

So this is the info he had found from the Class of 2023 Handbook:

"Be a “Cadet for a Day” by visiting campus. By now you have hopefully visited the campus. If not, do it! Our two-day Academy Experience Programs (AEP) begin in late February and run through April. You will have the opportunity to meet our faculty and coaches, eat in the Cadet Wardroom, and have meaningful discussions with current cadets. The Academy Experience also includes a comprehensive Q&A session for your parents and guests, so log-in to your Bear’s Den portal and follow the links to “Register To Visit” to learn more and reserve your visitation dates online; other programs are available if you cannot do AEP!"

DS has only visited for AIM, and would definitely like to get a better sense of what life is like during the academic year. I believe he heard that this opportunity is only available to individuals who have already been appointed???

I guess this information for the Class of 2024 will be forthcoming - I think we're all just getting a little antsy!

 

[cave9269]

Gotcha! Makes sense. Sounds like Cadet for a Day Overnight for Appointed. Great Idea to capture those "on the fence".
Being DS is committed and already did 3 Visits including an overnight- it might not be necessary for him.

Keep me posted!...........pun intended.

 

[Haveaniceday]

For those who have been offered an appointment, now the ball is back in your court. The decision to apply was easy, the decision to accept and commit to the USCG is much more difficult.

For AEP planning, recommend the cadet log into Bears Den (admissions portal) and look at MyEvents or the Calendar/Invitations. When the AEP dates are set, they will be listed there, and you enroll through the portal. If you are not eligible to attend, ie. have not been offered an appointment, the links will be grayed out. You will also get an email from your AO inviting you to attend. For folks who must fly to attend, and want to book early to save on airfares, the portal in the past has been the first place to find the dates.

Best to attend early so you have more time to decide before May 1st. Also, it leaves more open slots in the later AEP sessions for later admitted candidates.

If you live near a Coast Guard unit, recommend you visit them as well. This is what life after the Academy looks like, and they will have a lot of good candid information to share.

Below is the past AEP General Itinerary:

GENERAL ITINERARY Day One 0830 - Registration 0900 - Students and Parents - Welcome and Program Overview for Academics, Athletic, & Extracurriculars 1130 - Students pair up with Cadets 1200 - Parent lunch with Admissions, Faculty, & Staff at the Officer's Club. $10/person 1300 - Campus Tour led by Cadets Day Two 0800 - Students and Parents - Breakfast Social Hour 0900 - Academy Academic Major Review 1015 - Cadet Panel 1100 - Q&A with Admissions 1100 - Program Conclusion 1115 - Appointment Acceptance Signing (Optional)

 

[tycarpen]

@Haveaniceday Thanks for the last year's itinerary...it's very helpful! Last week DS emailed AO to schedule the March AEP (wish he could do February, but big team event he can't miss). He logged in to Bears Den today and the March dates are no longer showing on the calendar. Anyone else notice that? I'm so excited to make the trip to New London! Grew up in upstate NY, but never spent anytime in coastal CT.

 

[franknd]

For AEP planning, recommend the cadet log into Bears Den (admissions portal) and look at MyEvents or the Calendar/Invitations. When the AEP dates are set, they will be listed there, and you enroll through the portal. . . . You will also get an email from your AO inviting you to attend.

The first two sentences are excellent advice. If Genesis is representative of such invitations, however, then DO NOT assume you will receive an email or any other affirmative contact from an AO or anyone else at the CGA inviting you. My son found his Genesis "invitation" (exactly as you described, latently sitting in the events calendar) when it was essentially too late to accept. That was the only "notice" he received. (And, yes, he checked "spam," etc. after the fact just to make sure he hadn't missed it.)