<p>I am currently a senior in high school and the USAFA is one of my two dream schools (partnered with MIT). Due to complications beyond my control, My high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores are not near as good as typical applicants to the USAFA have. It is because of this fact that I plan to enlist for two years and apply through the LEAD program (it should be good for me to get a break from school and get into shape). I have heard many different things about this program so I would like to hear from people who have been through it. My GPA is about 3.2, Rank is about 50%, and SAT is about 1700. I know that they are incredibly low but I plan to get at least a 2000 for SAT. I am also taking really hard classes like AP Japanese, AP Spanish, AP calculus AB, AP Chemistry, and AP Literature. I am not asking for a chance thread, just to get some advice on my best course of action at this point in time. Thanks for your time and effort in this matter.</p>
<p>i would recommend talking to your education office when you get to your first base after BMT and tech school. They will be able to tell you exactly what you have to do from that point to get in. I know people who went that route, and when I talked to them about how to get where they did, that was the advice they gave me to pass on. best of luck.</p>
<p>I would but I would like to know before hand. If things don’t work out, I don’t want to be stuck in the AF doing jobs that I would prefer not to do.</p>
<p>hmm, I am no expert, but that is not a good way to look at it. There are never any guarantees with the AF. You may want to consider a different route or a different job entirely if that is how you feel.</p>
<p>I know that there are never any guarantees in the air force. I guess I am just trying to make sure that I won’t regret it and end up dying. Is your message still applicable or am I not putting the country before myself?</p>
<p>well what do you want to do in the Air Force after USAFA? If you do the same careerfield enlisted then it shouldn’t really matter. Look at the reasons you have (you don’t need to share them with us if you don’t want) for wanting to attend the academy. USAFA should not be the end goal you have in mind. Whether it’s getting a pilot slot, getting paid to get an undergraduate degree, or a path to serve your country as an officer, you need to make sure you know what that goal is. If enlisting will help you reach USAFA and your ultimate goal, then go for it. If it won’t or provides too big an obstacle because you see yourself as putting your life on the line, then perhaps you need to re-assess your goals.</p>
<p>First off, I would like to either work with computers through a degree in computer science (most likely security or networking) or get a degree in aerospace engineering and work with companies like Lockheed martin and Boeing design planes for the AF. I would also like to study Japanese and go to a base in Japan. It just seems like the best place for me to go would be the academy because I get paid to learn what I love and I wouldn’t be put in positions that I have no interest in because most there are no positions below a aerospace engineer in the field. Those are just my goals. Please tell me if they are realistic and what you think would be my best options at this moment.</p>
<p>I think they are realistic, and I know you can be a linguist or work with computers as an enlisted member, there is a cadet who was in my freshman squadron who was a Korean linguist before he came to USAFA. It is really up to you, I don’t know enough to tell you what your best options is.</p>