<p>Just wanted to say howdy, and thanks for all the great information being provided on this forum. My son is a candidate for the 2008 year and I found this site. Most of the posts are from parents with kids already in the academy, so I won’t post a lot of noob stuff. I’ll mostly read and learn. Hopefully my Son can be a future cadet. He’s always wanted to follow in my footsteps. (I didn’t go to the academy, but I recently retired from the Air Force). Anyway, thanks for having a good forum to learn from. Later… Mike…</p>
<p>Good to hear from you and glad your son is interested in joining the class of 2012!
You'll be hearing a lot more from prospects in your son's year when they start getting back results from their DODMERB exams, deal with ALO interviews, congressional interviews, and the most sought after prize - the beginning mailouts of Letters of Assurance in October or November.
I think most of the successful candidates and their parents would say the best advice is don't wait for deadlines. Make "now" your deadline as much as possible.
Looking forward to hearing about your son's progress. You'll find this forum to be a very supportive group.</p>
<p>Well, we are in the total "Hurry up and Wait" crowd. Everything is completed. Including the medical. The DODMERB online shows him completed and qualified and that they sent us a mailing yesterday. Same with all other requirement. ALO interviews, physical fitness test, sample writings, teachers recommendations, etc... all 100% complete. Time now to wait, pray, and see. Later.... Mike....</p>
<p>you're way ahead of the game.. i'm just aiming to get all mine through (besides CFA) before school starts august 6. but the nomination stuff is certainly slowing me down from finishing academy stuff.. thats really great that you're finished so early, maybe you'll have a chance at an LOA (letter of assurance), good luck!</p>
<p>Please let us know if there's anything we can do for you...we'll be here. :)</p>
<p>Yes, jump right in if you have questions or whatever. There are no bad questions and most everyone participates here for the same basic reasons:
- ask/answer questions
- share experiences
- offer advice</p>
<p>Don't be bashful about asking and just ignore those who seem overbearing or pretend to know all the answers!!!! Encourage your son to ask away as he goes through the admission process.</p>
<p>NO ONE person on here has all the answers.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I understand how stressful times like this can be. For both students and parents. We're still doing some nomination stuff, but we're hoping my son is one of the lucky ones for the presidential nomination. Still haven't figured that one out 100%. We're authorized, applied, and online it even says under nomination; "Received - Presidential". But I was under the impression that only 100 were selected for that. If so, I have to believe that received doesn't necessarily mean you got that nomination. Hence the reason to continue on with the senate and house. I've also got a VP in also in case. I definitely think the nominations part is the most difficult.</p>
<p>It indeed would be great if we knew during the early nomination/appointment period in October-November. Also aren't quite sure how that works. If you don't get selected then, are you still qualified for the selection in March??? They only take about 1300 a year, so if not that many are available for review in the fall, but you don't get selected, you could very possibly be more qualified than some in the spring. Wouldn't you think. </p>
<p>Also, there are so many students applying for so few slots. No matter how good you think your child is, there's equally hundreds if not thousands that are just as good. Definitely where the stress comes in for us. It would indeed be nice to know in October so we can just apply to our backup schools in November-December and not have to worry about applying to all the other colleges. </p>
<p>Anyway, thanks again everyone for the warm welcome. If there is anything I can do for anyone please let me know. Most of you have more experience on this board than I do, but ask if you think I can be of assistance. Later... Mike...</p>
<p>the way i've understood it to be- and others probably know more- is that if you finish your file before october, and everythin is in and processed, then the selection panel (which starts meeting in october) sees your name more.. and if you're highly qualified, they'll send out a letter of assurance (LOA) saying as soon as you get your nomination, you'll be an appointee.. if you've already gotten your nomination, they'll go ahead and appoint you.. but, if your file isnt done in october, everyone else will get there appointments starting early march.. it indeed would be amazing to know in october, it'd take away alot of stress and waiting.. hehe. but getting in is getting in. everyone else, feel free to add to this :)</p>
<p>Sorry, don't know much more than you on the whole application/nomination thing. I also know someone who is currently applying. Will keep you posted as he progresses.</p>
<p>Does your son only want to go to the Air Force Academy? Others I have talked to involved with the various Academies also encourage applying to the Naval Academy and WestPoint if that suits your interests. Remember, Navy also has pilots as an example, if flying is his thing.</p>
<p>Also good to have a back-up plan. Lots are applying for a very small number of positions. He can 'swing for the fences' with the Military Academy and still be successful at any number of other colleges.</p>
<p>Also check out that link I posted the other day on a movie now in production about life at the Air Force Academy. The trailer is just amazing.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wingsofhonormovie.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.wingsofhonormovie.com</a></p>
<p>Best of luck....!!!!</p>
<p>If for some reason he doesn't get into the academy, then he will try for an ROTC scholarship. We've already started that process. We'll get that one going full force when school starts. That has to be done by January.</p>
<p>I've spoken to him about the other academies, but he wants to follow my footsteps. Air Force is all he's really interested in. He also doesn't want to go to our state university, so we'll have to apply to different ROTC schools.</p>
<p>The thing is, we think that he's done everything possible to qualify and be a good cadet and eventually an officer. But i'm sure that out of the 10,000 give or take that apply, probably half of them are very well qualified. That's why we wanted to get the early application and consideration taken care of. This way if he doesn't make it, for whatever reason, we can press on with ROTC and other options. </p>
<p>But even though we are trying to cover all our bases, my son, I and my wife just have to maintain a positive attitude that he will be accepted. He's busted his but all the way through school and everything is completed on the application process. Guess we just have to sit and wait. That's worse than the last 2 months of paperwork. Like I said, he really wants to be an officer and pilot. When he went to the summer seminar, it pumped him up that much more. I'm sure it's more stressful on me than him. LOL!!!!</p>
<p>Anyway, we'll have to see what happens next. Later.... Mike....</p>
<p>Yes, sounds like all of you are approaching this with the right attitude.</p>
<p>It truly has to be what he wants, you read all over the place about students who wash out because they attended for all the wrong reasons (i.e. my parents wanted me to attend,.....).</p>
<p>He may very well get accepted, but life is certainly not over if he doesn't get in, for whatever reason. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Hi, I'm really Falcons '11's mom. I'm borrowing his name while he is in Basic. You sound very knowledgeable already, so you're doing great. My son had all his paperwork in by Sept 1 last year and still had to wait until March for acceptance, but he's there now, the important part. The waiting is so hard. While we waited I went back through old threads on here and learned all kinds of info. It did help to learn more while we waited. Also attending SS is a great help, so you're ahead there too. Hope all goes well...and quickly.</p>
<p>Thank you Mom de la falcon 11. Definitely the best of luck and prayers to your son. Hope all goes well with him. Now that we've done everything we can for now, hopefully my son can enjoy his last couple weeks of summer. We'll follow up with nominations from our representatives and continue with the ROTC path in case. We both push so hard so that he can start school and concentrate on his studies and football and not have to worry about interviews, examinations, and other things.</p>
<p>It's a shame that more kids didn't get a chance to go to the summer seminar. My son jeremy said that there were already a couple of other kids there that realized after a few days that the academy probably isn't for them. It would be great if more kids were able to know more about what to expect.</p>
<p>Of course this week here in Wyoming is Cheyenne Frontier days. 10 days of the largest outdoor rodeo and parties. Every year the Thunderbirds perform here. Of course, that just perked up Jeremy's adrenaline that much more.</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck to all you candidates and your parents. Good look to all those in Basic right now. They are almost through that and hopefully they will all get to start school and life as a cadet. Thank you all again for having a place to go and learn, contribute, and vent our impatience. Later... Mike....</p>
<p>Ah FE Warren, Wife and I met and married there 24 years ago. Does son go to Central or Eastern? Good luck on the first leg of the adventure. Our Daughter is in BCT now, and it is an up and down ride. You will have questions when boards meet, packages arrive, selections start getting made, Academic visits occur, and orientation happens. The circle of life for prospects, cadets and parents.</p>
<p>Yes, good old F.E. Warren AFB. I retired from there about 8 years ago. Settled down here in Cheyenne. Son goes to East High School. He's really excited about this being his senior year. But he hopes to get to the academy.</p>
<p>I can only hope that we are fortunate enough to get to ask all those questions concerning new cadets. I guess the most difficult thing is waiting and wondering how they actually go through the selection process to offer appointments. With 9000-10000 applicants in this system, and only taking approximately 1300, there's obviously a lot of people turned down. I have to believe that a lot of them are normally very highly qualified. </p>
<p>Well, after 21 years of hurry up and wait, I guess I should be use to it. Anyway, thanks for the welcomes. Later... Mike....</p>
<p>Finding info like this place is a strong indicator of desire and support for future cadets, so glad to see you here. In the last 1 year this place has grown a LOT, good to see more coming in. :)</p>
<p>I highly suggest going ahead and sending in apps to his other choices. Kind of sounds like me, I did not apply to my state's main colleges (or any for that case) and applied elsewhere. If one of his top back-up choices has rolling admissions, then that would make life very easy. I applied in August or so for Rose-Hulman IT and Purdue and they got back to me in weeks that I was accepted. It was relieving to have a spot guaranteed so that if the academy didn't come through, still no worries. Also, if anything happens medically like an injury before entering if accepted to USAFA, then that college is still there for you (usually willing to help if after the deadline as well if you explain the situation). On a side note, ROTC rejected my application. :) lol</p>
<p>Also, on LOAs, if your file is not accepted in the first rounds during the panels in October/November, don't worry! My app was in their hands by september, and they finally accepted me in the main batch that was sent out in March. My disadvantage was that I lacked a high school team sport (counselor there told me), so having football for your son helps. </p>
<p>Anywho, feel free to tap the minds of those cadet and soon to be 4 digs coming out of BCT for info! Huge pool of knowledge and friends here.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great info. Glad to know that if he doesn't get selected in the first batch, there is still a chance. As far as we know, everything we can do is done. Although they don't update the onlineapplication page often enough. There are 2 things showing incomplete, yet they are indeed done. 1 is the medical, but we went on line to the DODMRB page and it shows it as complete, that he is qualified, and that they sent a letter to us. The 2nd is the Personal data record. It was submitted and received about 4 weeks ago. Still says awaiting processing. I'm hoping it's their last piece to process after the medical. All other items have been submitted and completed. I believe we got it in the 45 day window they requested to be eligible for the early considerations.</p>
<p>Yes, Jeremy has the football going for him, as well as soccer. Varsity lettered both in his Sophmore and Junior years. No reason not to varsity letter again this year. He's also one of the captains of the football team. He's got the grades, tests, EC, and pretty much every thing else they look for. Then again, I know that out of 10,000 applicants, there are a lot of other kids just as qualified. That's what makes it so difficult. </p>
<p>I don't remember the site I saw it on, but there were stats on how many students entering the AFA were 4.0 students, how many had varsity letters, how many were captain of the team, how many took honors classes, etc.. There's a lot of kids applying with excellent credentials. Hopefully everything will go our kid's way. I wish everyone the best of luck for present and future cadet opportunities. Later.... Mike.....</p>
<p>Certainly the academy is very competitive, but maybe not so scary-competitive as it might seem at this stage of the process. The academy will send out about 1700 acceptances to fill a class of 1300. Of the original 9 or 10 thousand applicants many will be disqualified outright for medical reasons. Also the nomination process is not as defeating as it might seem. Virtually everyone the academy wants gets a nomination of some sort. Even the superintendent is authorized to give nominations. If your son has high SAT/ACT scores, good grades, athletic and leadership achievement, and presents himself well in his interviews there is a very good chance he will be accepted. I know the waiting is hard, but the time will go by faster than you think. As for backup schools, even the most competitive schools rarely have deadlines earlier than Jan 1. We waited till November and once our son had an LOA, it made all the extra trouble and expense unnecessary. Some people continue with backup plans just in case of an injury or a change of heart, but that's something you should deal with as a family based on your own nervousness quotient. LOA's continue to be sent after November (rolling admissions). As far as USAFA updating your admissions file on the web, they are notoriously slow about that, and at this point you are way ahead of the game. Pity the seniors who wake up in November and decide to apply to an academy. Some manage to pull it off, but generally it really is the early bird who gets the worm (is that a mixed metaphor?)!</p>
<p>The Presidential Nomination he has is great, but make sure he goes after Wyomings 3 congressionals too. It doesn't matter which one gets used by the Academy, but can help during admissions. He should do fine. Sound like most of the kids that are part of this CC community, and even after the up's and down's of the admission year seems most have a ticket to the Beast by summer.</p>
<p>Glad to see that your son's application process is pretty much finished. My son is also at BCT right now, a member of the AFA Class of 2011 at the AFA. He also applied for ROTC, Purdue, Embry-Riddle, Naval Academy. He received letters of assurance from both Naval and Air Force (Naval came in the beginning of Oct/AF the end of October). However, don't get discouraged if one doesn't come through. His liason officer found the stats for him that only 92 or 93 kids received AFA letters of assurance. The majority of appointments will be coming after that. My son, however, did not advise Purdue until right before the deadline to get his full housing deposit back (May 1, I believe), in case...God forbid...something happened and he would be medically disqualified even after being accepted. It was nice to know ahead of time that, pending a nomination, all was set. But he didn't burn any bridges until absolutely necessary. Good luck to your son! Have him keep doing what he's been doing. They tell the applicants that even if they have an appointment, they will check on the kids to be sure they are maintaining what their appointments were based on. Sure enough, late May, his high school was sent a form to fill out inquiring on his 2nd semester grades, behavior, etc. (I work at his h.s. in the main office, so happened to be around when it came in the mail.) Best of luck...sounds like he's on the right track!</p>