<p>Hi i;m a sohpmore in highschool our highschool has air force jrotc i have not participated in it and i don’t plan on to. I would like to go to air force academy i have around a 4.0 grade average i am active not in school atheletics but club lacrosse. I am trying to think what i’m going to do with my life my grandfather was an air force pilot i look up to him and i am interested in serving our countr. What is yor advice?</p>
<p>I am not quite sure what you are looking for here. </p>
<p>If you are interested in attending the Air Force Academy visit the website below:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.academyadmissions.com%5B/url%5D">www.academyadmissions.com</a></p>
<p>Advice? A few questions are necessary. Here we go:</p>
<p>1) Why don't you plan on joining JROTC? Can you not fit it into your schedule or do you just not want to?</p>
<p>2) Do you do anything extracurricularly besides club lacrosse? </p>
<p>My advice at this point would be to answer the questions and then ask yourself one more question. There are many, many ways to serve our country, and the Air Force happens to be one of them. Why the Air Force? Is it just because your grandfather was a pilot in the USAF? </p>
<p>You're doing the right thing by getting started with this college business now. Sophomore year is a great time to start contact academies and civilian colleges alike to get more information and try and decide what you may want to do with your life. Keep asking questions and learning new things, it will pay off!</p>
<p>Roland; you ask a very profound question that many young people ask. "What am I going to do with my life".</p>
<p>I am quite sure that you are very proud of your grandfather and his service. You should be. But you have to realize that you aren't your grandfather. You aren't your father. You aren't anyone else except you. The air force academy and serving the military afterwards is not something you do because others have or because it sounds like a good idea. You have to really want it. You have to want it more than staying close to home and relatives. You have to want it more than girl friends and other friends. You have to want it more than college and education itself. I say this because the academy and the military is much more than an education. It means basically leaving what you call "HOME" forever. You can come back and visit. You could even come back after your commitment with the air force. Either way, it won't be the same. Neither will your family or friends. You will become a different person.</p>
<p>Many people serve their country, even in the military, without going to the academy. There are those who still want their home and family. Many of them join the guard or reserves. Both will get you a college education if you like. Some want an easier transition and get an ROTC scholarship or go to college on their own and join the air force through OTS and become an officer after they graduate. Both of these methods allow an easier transition.</p>
<p>My comments are not meant to discourage you from the academy. Just to put it into perspective. If you want to go to the air force academy and you know in your heart that a normal college, ROTC, OTC, normal life, etc.... would be a BACKUP PLAN; then by all means pursue the academy. JROTC isn't essential. My son's school has it and he never did it. He also never did boy scouts or civil air patrol. While many people mention these types of extra curriculum, they are just some of many options. The academy is looking for a well rounded kid. Without mentioning my son's grades or test scores; (I don't post that online); I will tell you what he's done. He's in the IB program taking the most difficult classes in his high school. He is in the NHS. Went to boy's state. Varsity football 3 years and varsity soccer 3 years. 200+ hours of volunteer time. Play it smart program. Secretary of the NHS. Those sort of things. The academy wants well rounded. High grades. High class ranking. High SAT/ACT scores. Volunteer time. Hardest classes you can do well at. Varsity sports or club. Leadership positions. Extra curricular activities that promote teamwork, leadership, following, etc... attributes.</p>
<p>If you do these things, you will be competitive. Maybe you do lacrosse instead of football. Maybe you are on the debate team instead of boy's state. Maybe you are the president of an environmental club instead of NHS. Maybe you do JROTC or Boy scouts instead of something else. What you do isn't as important as how well you do it; how well rounded you are in those activities; and the passion in which you do them. If you want the academy, do these things. If those or the reasons for wanting to go to the academy don't seem like your cup of tea, then maybe the guard, reserve, ROTC, OTC, enlisted, etc... is another way to serve for you in the military. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments. I think i was a bit quick on my first post. I can not do JROTC because i cannot fit it in my schedule due to exhausting AP and honor classes. Also I did not think about joining the air force because it seemed like a good idea or because my grandfather served. I thought about this because i am interested in serving the country. i know as cliche as it sounds i am just plain interested in it i can not give you a motive. Right now i am thinking of what would interest me. I have read about the air force how it works and what it comes down to what you have to do. I'm just wondering how roided up i'm going to have to make my college application that i send in 2 years to whichever college i decide which probably includes the academy.
Thanks for your comments.</p>
<p><a href="http://academyadmissions.com/admissions/preparation/index.php%5B/url%5D">http://academyadmissions.com/admissions/preparation/index.php</a> Has the basic info (also use the links on the right hand side for more specifics).</p>
<p>Look for a 3.8uwGPA or above, 29-30+ on the ACT or 600+ on the SAT verbal and math, at least one good leadership possition (more is better), at least one varsity/club level sport. Community service or a job can also be helpful.</p>
<p>Verbalizing your motivation to attend an academy is very important. You will need to explain it to nomination boards and your ALO. Don't worry if you cannot do it now, but give it some thought. (Cliches are not bad, if they are true.)</p>
<p>I would think you need a higher SAT than 600+...I would try to get near 670 at least in M, median is 658. For ACT I would try to get a composite of at least 31. They do place all of the individual scores on the record. ACT under 24 V is non-comp</p>
<p>Becareful of your uw gpa, b/c some schools grade on a 10 pt and some on a 7, since DS's gpa did not change I am assuming they go by a 7 pt. scale, b/c if they went by 10 it would have increase by .27 (College board and ACT re-weight you gpa, both gave him a higher score, gc, agreed that the higher score was 10 pt when she re-calc. it on that scale...92 is a B for us)</p>
<p>True, the numbers I gave were on the low-medium side (usually 75-50th percentile). Higher is better!</p>