Hi!
I've posted this before but as there are "newbies" here, I'm happy to repeat it.
ALL the posters have been dead-on accurate.
My "bona fides" are: I'm an Admission Liaison Officer, also known as the ALO. I'm part of the admission process for USAFA, and to a lesser extent, AFROTC. IF you are a candidate for USAFA you WILL get to know me, or one of my counterparts!
I have done this for 15 years...and I will tell you in a nutshell: NOBODY here can tell you what your chances of admission are. They are precisely...unknown.
Why?
Because EVERY candidate is evaluated upon their entire package of information. It's called the "whole candidate concept." EVERYTHING about you is evaluated. We limit it: from the first day of 9th grade onward, everything you've done, will do, etc., is graded, evaluated, and reviewed. NOTHING is too small to report; everything will be graded and have points assigned.
In the end, you will receive a "weighted composite" score. You won't see this score; your ALO will but he/she won't be allowed to tell you. Why? Because we don't know what it will mean in the end until it's all over. But that score is what will decide whether or not you are accepted.
DODMERB, your ACT/SAT scores, your letters of recommendation, your resume, academic transcript, etc...etc...etc...will ALL be scrutinized MANY times. EVERYTHING will receive a score. NOTHING is too small.
I said that twice, didn't I. Hmm...wonder why?
So...that being said, here's what I tell my "interested students" regarding admission.
a. TAKE THE HARD COURSES!!! Math, science, literature, etc...etc...AP if you can, it's always a bonus
b. Take the ACT/SAT EVERY time you can afford ($$) too! You can NEVER hurt yourself by taking these tests; the academies ALL take the highest scores and never downgrade you!!!
c. BE FIT! VERY FIT!!! MOST of your HS classmates are NOT fit. Simple question for males: can you do 45 pushups, 65 situps, 7 pullups, run 2 miles in 16 minutes? If the answer is YES, then you're doing okay...if the answer is NO, then you have work to do! For females, fewer pushups and pullups, MORE situps, run...same number. My "ideal" female candidate would mirror my classmate Renee Lovy: 21 pullups (yes, really), 100 situps in 2 min's, 45 pushups (guys, take note) and 2 miles in a little over 12 minutes. Ahhh to find a candidate like "Red!"
d. ASK EVERY QUESTION you can think of. The only stupid question is the one you DO NOT ASK!!!
e. CALL YOUR ALO early and often. WE are your points of contact, we are NOT assigned to this job; we volunteer and are screened pretty hard for it. We WANT to help YOU!!!
'Nuff said!
Steve
Stephen E. Wood, Lt Col, USAFR
Deputy Liaison Officer Director for Arizona
USAFA '83