<p>Thanks for your help in advance.
I am a high school sophomore and want to attend the USAFA. My grades are great (top 3% in class of 1500). It is, however, very difficult to obtain a varsity letter. I am physically fit but do not play a sport. I am in multiple extracurriculars such as orchestra (I will get a varsity letter in that, but its not athletic), I founded a club that sends care packages/letters to deployed soldiers, and won the presidential volunteer service award. This is just to name a few things. I really want to attend the USAFA. I was wondering if I had a chance of getting in to the USAFA without the varsity letter and if my other credetials would make up for it. Please help me, I am so worried! I tagged you, hornetguy, because you seemed to be very willing to help us wanna-be AFA cadets. THanks again for your time.</p>
<p>obviously having a varsity letter is important because it shows your atheletic potential as well as the understanding of playing as a team. an athletic letter however will not make or break you. while we cannot say “yes/no your other things will/will not make up for it” don’t stress over it. it’s much more important for you to have fun in high school and challenge yourself in what you enjoy to learn leadership, teamwork, and followership than doing a specific activity. as long as you stay in shape and can demonstrate that, just do what you can.</p>
<p>keep up the good work and continue to push yourself, and best of luck with your process!</p>
<p>I wouldnt mind AFROTC and my dad did that. I think that what attracts me to USAFA is the rigidity/rigor of the schedule and the camaraderie involved. Thanks for your help. I just hope that i’ll get in. I will serve my country and be proud to do it no matter what commissioning source, but it would make it all the better in my mind if I did it through USAFA. THanks for your time.
-JPL</p>
<p>no prob. and i would encourage you to look into both USAFA and AFROTC as you get closer to college searches. both have different advantages. if you have other questions as you go along with the process, ask away on the forum!</p>
<p>PMed you Eastpanther (or emailed)</p>
<p>email me at my email, not through this site if that helps. Then we’ll take it from there.
email is <a href="mailto:joeylamb81■■■■■■.com">joeylamb81■■■■■■.com</a>.
comment when you read this and i’ll delete this post.</p>
<p>just read it</p>
<p>lol, I’ve been requested! 
I will say, I had ZERO varsity or even junior varsity letters in high school. I did Taekwondo for 8 years before the academy. My credentials there helped make up for a complete lack of HS sports. I was a Texas state Champion and ended up 6th in the world that same season. However, when I talked to admissions, they told me I would likely have had an LOA if I had just had HS team sports on my application! </p>
<p>So, I am proof alone that varsity letters do not make it impossible, but the statistics certainly show that few are here without them. With that said, you seem to have solid extracurriculars. You are only a sophomore, see if you can find a sport (if not already) as a hobby. If you did it in a club, that helps as well. The reason team sports are a big deal is they prove that a person has a certain level of the “teamwork” mentality which is absolutely key to success in BCT and in your cadet career. </p>
<p>Some more encouragement - I was top 3% in a class of 650 or so at my HS. Looks even better with 1500! If you academics are VERY strong at a competative school along with high SAT/ACT scores, that will help your admissions score quite a bit. I had a high class rank at a distinguished Texas HS. </p>
<p>With that in mind, take the most advanced classes you can handle, continue to excel academically, keep up with your extracurricular activities, and remember, you can’t enter if you don’t apply. Good luck.</p>
<p>@hornetguy
Thanks for the advice. I’m in Texas too, what high school did you attend? I’m in the Plano district. Anyway, would playing basketball in a rec league help? Because I like b-ball but wouldnt make the high school team. Also, I played football my freshman year in high school, but certainly not at a varsity level. I lost 60 pounds and began to get thrown around lol. Thank you again so much.
-JPL</p>
<p>idk how to delete the post so watever, no big deal</p>
<p>idk how to delete the post so watever, no big deal</p>
<p>Sure, if you would enjoy it, join a rec league!</p>
<p>I think the football helps!</p>
<p>Plano has a good school system as I remember, that will help! I went to James E. Taylor HS in Katy ISD.</p>
<p>I mean, I want to do b-ball also for the purpose of making up for my lack of a varsity sport, similar to what you did. There is no way that I will excel as much at b-ball as you did at tkd but I just hope that I will get that LOA and appointment. I was wondering if that year of Football and four years of rec b-ball in addition to tremendous extracurriculars would appear as the equivalent to a varsity sport in the admission committee’s eyes. I feel that other than the sports thing, I am on track for a very high chance at an appointment. Also, did you attend the summer seminar. Sorry about all these questions and Thanks for your time!!!</p>
<p>Just have to wait and see. Do what you can, that’s all you can do!</p>
<p>I did not attend summer seminar, didn’t know it existed until it was too late!</p>
<p>HOw early did you contact the ppl who nominated you? I was thinking about sending them a letter soon.</p>
<p>I contacted them at the end of my Junior year. Early contact can’t hurt, but it won’t necessarily help.</p>
<p>If I manage to think of any more questions I will definitely tag you! Btw, are you currently at USAFA? Good luck on your commission and thank you for serving your country. Thanks for your help!!!</p>
<p>I am in the FINAL semester. Almost done. Right now I have an interview for Harvard Med School in Feb and I will be turning in my MIT and Harvard KSG applications this week. Fingers crossed. Have the RAND and UofMaryland applications later this month.</p>
<p>Well the best of luck to you! I hope to attend USAFA and if that doesnt work out, I will seek a commission through AFROTC. I hate high school lol. But, in all seriousness, I would like to serve my country.</p>
<p>hey hornet… tomorrow is our last M1 ever!!!</p>