<p>Ok, so the USAFA really likes sports. My favorite sport is bowling. It may not be a very athletic sport, but my school does have a bowling team and such. I am going to try out for the bowling team next year (when I am in 11th grade, i’m in 10th now), and incase I don’t make it, I will probably join cross country.</p>
<p>Is bowling still considered a good sport to be a part of, or would the USAFA rather see things like track?</p>
<p>What I can do is cross country during the fall, bowling during the winter, and track during the spring… But then again… I have so many other things. I plan on getting a job in 2 months, I am part of CAP, I am in 3 AP classes. I wonder if I can keep up with everything :).</p>
<p>So, my general question is, is bowling a good sport to be part of or does the USAFA want to see more athletic sports? After all, bowling does build upon leadership and teamwork, so I assume it is better than nothing. (And I know you will all say to do what I think is fun, but I am asking this fact wise, would they pick someone with a different sport over bowling if everything else was the same)?</p>
<p>Well, I'm on the flag squad (it's kinda like colorguard/winterguard...) and that's why I never played a sport. I love it though, and I'm captain. </p>
<p>I'm not at USAFA yet, I don't really know... but I think they want dedication and leadership. I think if you like bowling you should bowl. It's not like you're sitting around doing nothing. I don't think you should totally build everything you do in HS around the Academy to the point that you don't do something you really enjoy.</p>
<p>That's all good, because it is considered a Varsity sport, you fall into the category of 85-90% of all appointees. So, that is not a problem. Just keep working away, never give up.</p>
<p>My friend xcrunner707 referred me to you, btw.</p>
<p>They might want a little more physical sport. I am on the varsity golf team and also team captain and they don't seem to be too impressed. Actually, today my ALO pretty much told me he hopes I have good backup college. Kind of a bummer, and I thought I was a pretty good candidate, maybe not though.</p>
<p>Would track or cross country count as more physical, or do you mean team sports like football or baseball or basketball?</p>
<p>I think I should really research the academy and make sure I want to spend not only the 4 years there, but then many years after serving. Maybe I should just go to Embry-Riddle... It is one of the best aviation schools, afterall... But I need to pay tuition... That also make the academy nice, no tuition...</p>
<p>I guess for now I will still work towards getting into the academy but I shouldn't stress over it... Maybe I should make my main goal Embry-Riddle and I can apply to the academy anyway and see what happens. I hope I get to visit Embry and the Academy this summer, it may help with my decision.</p>
<p>It's kinda impotant to really want the academy. If you're not really into it you not only (probably) won't be accepted, but if you get there you will be miserable. Applying to an academy isn't something you should do "just because." I thought about applying to the naval academy, but when I sat down and actually thought about it, I didn't want the Navy I want the Air Force. So I concentrated my focus on USAFA and AFROTC. </p>
<p>Moral: USAFA should be something you really want to pursue, not just a back up plan B.</p>
<p>If your only reason for applying to the academy is an interest in flying, I would recommend sticking to Embry-Riddle. "No tuition" is also a very weak reason. If you were to answer the "why do you want to go to the academy" question during one of your interviews, those types of answers, along with the academy being a "plan B", would end your chances at getting into the academy instantly. My ALO and congressional interview board made this very clear.</p>
<p>andyJ is right. The AOL interview is mostly were USAFA get's their idea of how badly and why you want it. The Lt. Col. that is my AOL actually refused to write recommendations for people that were flippant and didn't show too much interest.</p>
<p>I think it's awesome that you're starting to sort all this stuff out so early. If after you visit E-R and USAFA (I think you should visit both) and E-R is the one...I say great. You just saved yourself alot of time and effort.</p>
<p>don't give up b/c you feel a little overwhelmed. i fyou like flying and want to serve your country strive towards usafa, but if you just like flying e-r sounds good. but, don't make usafa backup. there are thousands that would take your place, so if you're serious about it go for it otherwise go for e-r. </p>
<p>p.s. its good to think about this stuff early. trust me.</p>
<p>On the topic of sports, the Academy will look more favorably at something like x-country or track.</p>
<p>On the topic of not being sure where to go, as some others have already mentioned, the Academy (or any service academy for that matter) is not something you do if you're unsure. If you come here being uncertain, there's a huge chance you won't make it. If you want to come, then by all means do the necessary stuff to try to gain acceptance, but don't do it if your hearts not in it; not only will it not be pleasant for you but you could potentially take the place of someone else who really wanted to come.</p>
<p>The USAFA is not a backup, I was just saying that I only just learned about it like a month ago so how can I truly say it is what I want? The USAFA site doesn't privide too much specific information, and all of it shows the positives of the academy, not the negative.</p>
<p>The main reason why I am not sure if I want to go to the USAFA is because I am not sure if I want to join the actual Air Force. This is not because I don't want to, but because I have absolutely no idea about being in the Military. Like, how many days a week would I be working, how many hours, what will I be doing, how much would I get paid, etc. Do graduates from the USAFA or from E-R generally get paid more (of course I am not basing my decision on this, but it is good to know).</p>
<p>I am not sure about the USAFA because I have not been fully educated about it. After all, that's why I joined these forums, to learn more about the academy so I can make a decision.</p>
<p>gglock -- it may seem obvious, but your next step really should be a long discussion with someone in the military or a recent academy grad. You really need to understand what that kind of life is like. Good questions and perfectly reasonable. Check out military.com too for some good info and possible a way to connect with some who really know what's it like. Wonder if DocFrance might be willing to help out (he used to moderate this board). you could send him a private note. Good luck!</p>
<p>I just joined the Civil Air Patrol last Tuesday so I am learning the military life. More than that, I want to find out the academy specifically and what happens after. I am a part of military.com already, I will ask there. Thanks.</p>
<p>Hey guys i'm a new member here on these postings, but I have been striving for the Academy for a long time now and I was wondering if you guys know anything about the Academy's Ski Team?? When I was reading about the Academy's sports I thought I read something about it but it was not really descriptive... So if any of you guys know anything about it I would greatly appreciate your responses!! Thanks and I hope to be an upcoming cadet!!!</p>
<p>gglock, I would really base my decision on your gut feelings on the lifestyle of the military and the academy. Those should be the most important things. You're living atleast 9 years of military life, 15 (for pilots). You just need the gut feeling that you want attend the academy and go into the military. For me, I can't really pinpoint a specific reason on why I want to go there. I'm just really excited that I get to go and do all the things that the academy offers. I just love it! It's like liking a girl (boy). You can't pinpoint a specific reason why you want to be around her/him. If you don't have this feeling, then, I would say, try something else. Good luck, dude.</p>