<p>As many of are waiting your appointments into the Academy, I sit here at Marion Military Institute eagerly awaiting my appointment too.</p>
<p>Just last year at this time, I had my Air Force Academy application completed and hoped to receive an appointment to the Academy. As back ups, I had applied to the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Embry Riddle (Florida), and Penn State. I was accepted into all of those colleges and also had an AFROTC scholarship to use on them.</p>
<p>My credentials as a senior in high school were:</p>
<p>GPA: unweighted: 3.67
weighted: 4.56</p>
<p>SAT scores:
Verbal: 610
Math: 660</p>
<p>Sports:
Football
Swimming
Karate</p>
<p>Education:
IB Diploma Program (which I recieved this past summer 
)</p>
<p>Community Service:
350+ hours</p>
<p>CFA:
73 pushups
72 situps
8 pull ups
8.2 shuttle run
72 feet basketball throw
7:44 mile run (which sucks, I know)</p>
<p>In May, I was planning to attend Embry Riddle in Florida, as the Air Force Academy had not given me an acceptance or rejection and I needed to go somewhere. AFROTC at Embry Riddle is a great program and I suggest it to anyone.</p>
<p>However, about near the end of May, the Falcon Foundation offered me a four thousand dollar scholarship to any of their selected preporatory schools in order to receive an appointment for the following year. (the next day, my air force academy letter of declination came in the mail.) The choices were: Valley Forge in Penn, Marion Military Institute in Al, New Mexico Military Institute, some California Prep school, and some Arkansas prep school.</p>
<p>My decision to either accept or decline this offer took me a few days. Did I want to go through another year of basically a senior year of high school? Is the Air Force Academy really that important to me?</p>
<p>As I debated over those and other questions in my head, I came to the conclusion that the Air Force Academy was the place for me and I would do whatever it took to get there. I chose Marion Military Institute as it was only 3 1/2 hours away from my home in Florida.</p>
<p>Marion Military has been and still is a great stepping stone towards the Academy. The military knowledge I have learned, the military bearing I have learned, and the self-discipline I have attained will greatly help me at the Academy.</p>
<p>I went through a 4 week new cadet cycle which is basically a small version of boot camp. It was a mental shock though. The things you had to do and memorize were tough, but I propelled through it. </p>
<p>My new CFA scores are:
75 pushups
76 situps
10 pull ups
8.1 shuttle run
76 feet basketball throw
6:34 mile run</p>
<p>^ that can be accredited to the P.T. that is mandatory for all Service Academy Prep students.</p>
<p>I have been almost guaranteed a slot at the Air Force Academy unless I majorly screw up (by having a kid, getting caught with drugs, etc.). I look forward to seeing many of you at the Air Force Academy and I’ll most certainly do the best I can to help all of you through BCT, as I’ve gone through a similar phase at Marion Military Institute.</p>
<p>If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.</p>