<p>My D went to a college fair last night and talked to the person from the Air Force Academy. Suprising to me, she was very intrigued by the AFA. </p>
<p>I know nothing about the AFA and have no idea if she would be even considered for admission. She would like to apply for the summer session and see if this is something that she could see herself doing. To be honest, she hasn’t been very engaged by the college process, it was very interesting to see her excited about something.</p>
<p>A little about my D. She’s a junior in HS and wants to major in engineering, maybe electrical. Her grade point is around a 3.7uw (I’m really not sure but she usually gets all A’s and one B per semester). She goes to a very competive HS that does not rank. She is in Honors in Math and Science, there are only 2 kids in her class that are in all Honors and I would expect that she would be near the top of the class, but again, I don’t know. Her major EC’s are cross country (she places second on her team), music (school plus private lessons, outside ensembles, summer camp and district honor band in a very competive instrument), Model UN. She does other things such as volunteering but nothing really important. She also has caddied at a country club for the past two summers and will again next summer.</p>
<p>My D looked at the information that the Air Force liasion gave her and the one thing missing from her resume is leadership roles. Being a captain on XC is a matter of running a certain time and not being voted on by her peers or appointed by the coach. I’m not sure what the time is but she might make that time by the end of the year and therefore would be a senior captain. No other leadership positions. </p>
<p>She would like to play her instrument in college if possible and wonders if there are music opportunities at the academy.</p>
<p>Based on her grades, career aspirations and EC’s would it be worth it to apply to the summer session or to pursue an appointment to the academy. We have had no one in our family think about an academy and know nothing about it. Her HS profile said that they have sent one person to the Naval Academy in the last 5 years but it’s not something you hear about much in our community.</p>
<p>It never hurts anything to go to the Summer Seminar...and if she gets in thats a good indication that she has a good chance of being accepted, especially with the Seminar on her resume. (Note this does not mean not getting into the Seminar means you won't get in, its just less likely.)</p>
<p>Have her apply for the Seminar for sure. Secondly, tell her to get as many opportunities for leadership as possible between now and next year...perhaps sacrifice a few things here and there for some leadership opportunities if they arise. That's her choice though.</p>
<p>Keep encouraging her. It is always "worth it," and if she wants it badly enough and has the qualifications for it (which to me looks like she does) she will get in.</p>
<p>That sounds a lot like my situation. I surprised my partents by looking at the USAFA booth at a local college fair. She looks like she would have a decent shot at the academy. Some more leadership positions would help. There are more ways to get leadership than just sports and clubs though, be creative. Make sure she cites all of her activities (clubs, sports, jobs, volunteering, etc.). Often, these activities may be viewed as insignificant by applicants, but they add up very quickly.</p>
<p>Summer Seminar is definitely worth applying for. It is a very good introduction into the Academy, much more so than a simple visit in my opinion. (Although visits are good too!)</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your replies. It's very encouraging. I will have her look at the app for the summer session and talk to her about leadership opportunities. I have to admit, it's not something that she has pursued in the past.</p>
<p>One other question. I briefly looked at the summer seminar application. It talks about PSAT/SAT/PLAN/ACT scores. On the sheet that the liason gave us, it said that you should apply to summer seminar by January. She only has her sophomore PSAT/PLAN and will not receive her junior PSAT score until Jan. Should she wait to apply until after the PSAT to maximize her chances or apply with sophomore scores that would not be as high? (she was ill during her sophomore PSAT and while it's okay, it's not as high as her GPA would expect).</p>
<p>I would not wait but I WOULD immediatly update the file when the new scores are available. They will only look at the highest score anyway. Moving the process along is the most important thing IMO.</p>
<p>I would certainly NOT wait to apply to SS. You can alway send a letter indicating that her PSAT/PLAN scores are from her Soph. year and that her Oct. 06' scores will follow.<br>
The MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do as a parent is to SUPPORT your D's interests. Our S is now a freshman (C4C) at the AFA. Never in a million years did my husband believe our S had a chance for an Appointment. He applied to SS but did not get a spot. That never discouraged him from seeking an Appointment. His GPA was a 3.68, was a three sport athlete at a very competetive school. He earned his Varsity letter in wrestling 10th, 11th and 12th grade, XC letter 11th and 12th, and aTrack letter at the end of his senior year. He was NEVER a team captain. He did not play in the school band but did play guitar since age 7. He played in our church's praise band. His test scores were not high enough for the Academy when the application process started. He did get his scores up on the fall testing dates of his senior year. I strongly suggest that your D take the ACT AND SAT as often as possible. She may score better on one than the other. Even though the Academies see all the scores, they still consider the highest score in each subject category. You mentioned that your D did some volunteer work "but nothing really important". DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HOW IMPORTANT HER WORK IS!!!!! The applicant is evaluated on the "whole person" score. They do not pick the applicants that only have great scores. Your D has much more on her plate to juggle and that speaks volumes for the type of leader they are looking for. </p>
<p>On a side note, has she considered any other Academy or ROTC? I do not have any statistics but I recall many applicants applied to more than just one military academy. If your D's desire is to serve her country, she may also consider other branches of service. The application process is almost identical. The standards are similar. The Academies even have exchange programs where cadets from one Academy will study at a different Academy. My son did not want to be on a ship, therefore he did not apply to the Navel Academy. He did however apply to West Point, AFA, and BOTH the Army and AF ROTC programs for scholarships. He ended up with his Appointments to the AFA in December and West Point in February. He also had full offers for Army ROTC and AFROTC at both civilian colleges he applied to.<br>
My point is for your D to consider all her options. The Senator and Congressional nominations are the first milestone. I strongly suggest she go for the most! Stand beside her ALL the WAY and pick her up when she needs it. Being a parent of a cadet is such an honor! We may have to help them get there but they have to have what it takes to even be considered.</p>
<p>Summer Seminar is a great place to start. She will need to prepare now so her application is ready in February. She needs a resume that details Academic Achievements, Clubs, and Activities she has participated in going back to junior high. There will be an interview with the ALO (Air Liason Officer) for your community, and she should take the SAT in November or December. You will need the scores for the application. This is a lonk to pictures from our daughters SS <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rty7vZPxiJE%5B/url%5D">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rty7vZPxiJE</a> it was a great experience.</p>
<p>As to music, there are a number of bands and ensemble groups (check out the website <a href="http://www.usafa.af.mil/cadetFocus/cadetClubs/)but%5B/url%5D">http://www.usafa.af.mil/cadetFocus/cadetClubs/)but</a> you should know that there may not be a lot of time to pursue music during the 4th deg. year (freshman). The AF academy is not the place to go to pursue music in great depth as a major but if your daughter wants to become an AF Officer and wants to serve her country, she will be able to keep up her musical interest though it will clearly be a bit lower on her priority list than it might otherwise be if she attends the Academy. One quick anecdote: my son is a pretty gifted pianist with a Billy Joel style. At one point he played and sang for a number of cadets who went crazy over it but the comment he heard was: "Hey, that's fantastic but what are you doing here? This isn't the place for that kind of talent!" While they were kidding around, the sentiment rings true. If my son didn't have other strong interests, he would not have chosen AFA. Hill be the first to tell you,hoever, that there ARE opportunities to play and it really helps him to be able to do so.</p>
<p>Do encourage her to apply to SS! And apply to SS for the other academies. My dd went to 3, with AFA at the top. By the end of the summer, her list had switched around. She'll get a better view of academy life from others than AFA's. SS there is rather laid back compared to CGA's and USNA's.</p>
<p>As far as the test scores go for summer seminar, I would just have your daughter apply and then notify the academy when she gets the new scores. I didn't take any official college board test until the June SAT of my junior year (bad, I know). I applied and got into seminar right away without them, so I think that shows that if a precandidate's scores are lacking (or don't yet exist :)), there are other qualities that can be a good indicator of what they're looking for. I had been stressing out about it and thought I wouldn't get in, but that's what a woman on the admissions board told me in an email. And it sounds like your daughter has a lot of good material for a resume. Seminar is a blast, and it really solidified my desire to attend USAFA. That's how most people felt, so I'm sure it will be a great thing for your daughter too. :)</p>
<p>The SS application is active on January 1-end of February/early March (this date has changed year to year)</p>
<p>My S applied to SS this year on January 5th, had an interview mid January and got an email at the end of January that he got in. He loved his week at AF. </p>
<p>We had been told that they key off the Jr. PSAT scores(190s or higher are good). My S had taken his ACTs in October so we had those also for the SS application.</p>
<p>You will have your PSAT scores before it is possible to begin applying for Summer Seminar. Applying early is certainly a good thing, but don't let all us overachievers in this discussion group scare you into a panic. Learn all you can about the application process both for SS and for the Academy, then begin to approach the whole process in a thoughtful, methodical and business-like way. I suspect your daughter has a good chance for success if she develops her own personal program for becoming a conspicuously well qualified candidate. Keep us posted!</p>
<p>I definately second redhead's notion to apply to seminar. It was a blast. From it I decided that I really want to go to USAFA and serve my country. Even for the kids that decided against it, it was still an awesome experience. Think of it as a summer camp on afterburners.</p>
<p>Also, you will make friends with lots of like-minded people who are from all over the country. I keep in touch with some of them still.</p>
<p>Like ZMAN07 said, you can actually make some really good friends even in the space of a week at seminar because the students there have similar interests and goals. It's nice because I know a lot of people stay in touch with their seminar buddies; you can track your application progress with people you know personally who are doing the same thing. It's very useful getting to have a bunch of cadets essentially at your disposal so that you can drill them with questions and get a feel for what life there is like.</p>
<p>I made a few friends at the Summer Seminar amongst my element of 11 other people. About 6 of them ended up coming to USAFA including me. I've met and talked to 3 of them, and one of them even ended up in my squadron. So...you can make friends. Plus I still talk to the cadet who was my element leader now and then.</p>
<p>I want to thank each and every person who replied. I knew absolutely nothing about military academies when I posted. To hear so many encouraging words, I can't express how it made me feel. Also the fact that cadets took the time to answer and to be encouraging, it must be a great group of students in Colorado Springs.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the information and helpful tips about summer seminars. I talked to her last night and she is very open to applying to more than one seminar.</p>
<p>I do think that I will talk to her about taking the ACT in December. The CR portion of the SAT is giving her fits, she complains that there are more than one right answer and she can't figure out which one is the best right answer. Since the PSAT is right around the corner, we'll see where her score comes out, hopefully her Math will bring it up quite a bit.</p>
<p>Again, thank you so much. I know that I am going to have a million questions before this is over.</p>
<p>All us cadets here are very willing to give help and advice. Only a few months ago I was on the other side. Feels good to help out now. Good luck!</p>