What happens next after you accept the appointment?

HardWorker

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Earlier today I accepted my appointment for the USAFA class of 2021. After submitting my acceptance the status changed to: Appointment Accepted. Will I be getting any other information soon? Also, will there be a check list of paperwork I need to get done? When should I expect that to be added to my portal? I appreciate any information you may give!
 
Yes. Yes. Soon (Insider may be able to give exact lag time).
 
The appointment instruction kit was mailed earlier in the month so I would guess you will get yours through the portal any day. There are specific instructions including your reporting date and time, travel information and more documents to complete and return.

My advice is to stay in shape. Buy a pair of boots (there are plenty of threads to search on the board regarding boots) and run in them. Do push-ups and pull-ups to prepare for BCT. Stay out of trouble and finish your senior year strong and try not to injure yourself. Enjoy the next few months with friends and family as the time will fly.

In late June you will report to BCT on I Day and your world will change. Prepare for very limited interaction with family and really others for 6 weeks during BCT. You will get through it as have thousands before you. After BCT there is A Day when you get your shoulder boards and officially become a Cadet 4th Class (Doolie). On A Day there are a couple of hours where you can spend time with family if they can make the event. A few weeks later is Parents Weekend and your first chance since June to leave the campus. PW was really the first sign to my DS that he was at USAFA for school. If your parents plan to come for Parent's Weekend then go ahead and make reservations soon as rooms in Colorado Springs book quickly.

The rest you will figure out as you go.
 
Congratulations! Now two things: 1) don't panic! 2) search through this site and you will find all sorts of answers to all sorts of questions.
 
Parents weekend is almost always over Labor Day weekend. Starts on Friday morning with a parade. Ends on Monday evening. All Cadets have to be at the Saturday football game.
I can't copy the URL on my phone, but if you go to the USAFA website, select cadet information on the right, the 2017 - 2018 calendar link is there. Parents' weekend is Labor day weekend.
 
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Thanks guys!
My son just got an appointment. We weren't expecting it nor did we think that he wanted it. Looks like he's going to be a falcon!
So let me get this straight. He will report in June on his own, correct? We definitely want to make it to Parent's Weekend but my work schedule is a bit challenging to manipulate to get a large block of days off during peak season such as summer and holiday weekends.
 
Thanks guys!
My son just got an appointment. We weren't expecting it nor did we think that he wanted it. Looks like he's going to be a falcon!
So let me get this straight. He will report in June on his own, correct? We definitely want to make it to Parent's Weekend but my work schedule is a bit challenging to manipulate to get a large block of days off during peak season such as summer and holiday weekends.

Congratulations to you and your DS! I Day (when you report) is June 29. He can either report on his own or you can go with him. His Instructions to Appointees packet will explain further. I suggest reading it "cover to cover" (so to say) because it has a lot of great information about all things you need to know.
 
Thanks guys!
My son just got an appointment. We weren't expecting it nor did we think that he wanted it. Looks like he's going to be a falcon!

Congrats on your son's appointment!
Would you mind telling us why you weren't expecting an appointment?
Mainly because it was his second time around and seems like competition only gets stiffer over time. In any case, I'm proud that he never gave up. I value that form of attitude more than the appointment itself. It's when those butter bars are on their shoulders is when the real race starts.
 
Our son received his USAFA appointment letter via the portal this morning. Does a more formal offer (book-like format) follow shortly? His appointments to West Point and Coast Guard Academy came in nice leather-like portfolios (not sure what else to call them) and wondering if USAFA does the same. Thanks.
 
Parents' Weekend (not week) begins the Thursday before Labor Day and continues until 7 pm Labor Day.
 
Our son will report on his own. But we will be there parent's weekend!!
 
Dropped son off at O'Hare for I Day. Fast forward to Parent's Weekend. Almost didn't recognize him. He had grown into a man.
 
I still remember, will never forget, seeing TwinA's hand waving to me from that plane window. When we saw them again for Parents Weekend, yes, they were not 18 year old boys any longer, but men, strong, confident, a little homesick. Had they returned home then, it would not have been the same boys sharing their room with posters and guitars and a little indentation in the lower bunk where the dog sneaked in and slept during the day.
 
Congrats to all on the appointments. You are in for a grand adventure.

Whether or not to bring your cadet or have them go on their own is a personal decision for each family. Everyone is different and will have different decisions for the choices they make. We used the reporting date as a family trip. We went out a day early because it is what our DS wanted to do. There was a gathering of 2020 families at Garden of the Gods and we had dinner with another 2020 family from our state who we did not know prior to the trip. We stayed over after I Day and watched the Swearing-in Parade the next morning. It was awesome, but it was all for us and not our DS. The good-bye wasn't that hard because it happens so quickly once you get to USAFA on I Day. I think the Cadets are so nervous about the bus ride and BCT they kind of zone out of the good-bye in the moment. For those new to military service the Academy does a parent orientation during I Day that gives you a lot of information and a chance to ask the administration questions. The gist of the meeting though is to explain again to parents that in the eyes of the Academy your child is an adult and member of the military so trust the process that has worked for thousands successfully before you.

Sign-up for web guy through the AOG (Association of Graduates). It will be your lifeline during BCT. You will become addicted to finding Waldo. They do a great job of getting photos of every squad.

After I Day is A Day (Acceptance Day). It was another quick and short trip to Colorado and we debated going. We ended up biting the bullet and booking a flight one evening and heading home the next afternoon, but the parade was amazing and spending a few hours with our DS and getting that hug after 6 long and quiet weeks was worth every penny. For those who can't make it Web Guy has it covered too.

Parents Weekend follows and usually is on Labor Day. This weekend involves all classes so hotels book up fast. It includes a football game, exhibitions from the various flying and jumping teams, tours of facilities (including Jack's Valley), and most importantly the opportunity for your DS/DD to leave campus for a few days. We took the family and enjoyed a couple of days with our DS around USAFA and then headed to the mountains for a night get away and rafting trip before dropping him back off just before reporting time. PW buys you time until Thanksgiving break which is the first real opportunity for most Cadets to come home.
 
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