<p>I’d love to get some feedback about a situation I am dealing with. I have a young woman who is being recruited to play basketball at the Air Force Academy. She has has just made a verbal commitment to the Academy.</p>
<p>I am concerned that she seems quite unconcerned about the application process. She told me, for instance, that the coach said it was unnecessary for her to gain a nomination from a MOC. As I understand it, recruiting doesn’t ensure appointment, so I urged her to do everything she could to send in the strongest possible application. That is, follow every step and do it as well as possible. I have to add that I do not know how seriously she is being recruited.</p>
<p>So, I’m wondering… what is the reality? Is it possible for coaches to grease the skids for athletes so that they don’t have to go through the rigorous admissions process that other academy applicants do? Not that I would ever recommend counting on this, but I’d like to know to what extent it goes on. Thanks for any feedback.</p>
<p>If they really want someone, they can offer a lot of help and maybe even find a source for a nomination that most candidates would miss (MOCs aren’t the only ones, but they are the “normal” way). They cannot do the application for you though.</p>
<p>I would HIGHLY advise that she do the full process, to keep as many options open as possible. If she isn’t willing to take the time to apply, just how much does she want to go to the academy? It isn’t a “normal” school, and I’ve seen more than one athlete who came to play sports rather than become an officer in the USAF. The majority of them were not very happy.</p>
<p>I agree with raimus - I think this girl needs to evaluate why she is considering the Air Force Academy. Unlike other schools, this is a commitment not just for the next 4 years, but for the 5 years after that. If the Academy is the best choice for her for school and her career goals, she should go through the entire admission process (which is quite complicated; my daughter is currently in the process of applying to the Naval Academy). If the Air Force Academy is not the right choice, she should pursue other options.</p>