Is anyone currently attending the AIr Force Academy, or has?

[mrchainsaw]

I just got a letter from the Air Force Academy and it sounded like they were interested in me. Recently I've been kind of interested in attending the Academy also.

They said I should get physically fit and take college prep courses, both I've been doing for a while. They also said I should develop leadership skills. Does this mean I need to become a team captain or something?

Also, I'm going to be a sophomore this coming year. I'm taking the most advance math I can, I'm taking Chemistry so I can later take Physics, and I'm doing Cross Country and possibly Track. Is there anything else I can be doing to add to my chances of getting accepted?

[BCTAv8r]

Not to rain on your parade but they send those letters to many people. I got many letters from them and they stopped after asking me for my social security number 50 times, which I didn't give them.

I will probably do ROTC as I'm still 3 years away from becoming a citizen and the AFA requires that. I'm taking English and American History AP but I might drop that. I don't want to kill myself with those courses.

[woodreau]

Have you started tickling your representative and two senators for a nomination yet?

Student council/government can work as well.

[mrchainsaw]

What are you talking about? Do I have to know the senators?

[Mike Lewis]

To get accepted to the Air Force Academy, one has to receive a nomination from your Representative or Senator, or if you are a military brat, you can get one from the President. You should start contacting their offices to see what you will need to do to apply for a nomination (they will give you codes for you to send your SAT/ACT scores to, etc).

You will need to apply for the academy during the spring of your junior year, so you should start thinking about it now.

Any position of leadership, be it a sport captain, president of student council, Eagle Scout, club president, work shift leader/manager, etc counts, as they are looking for the future leaders of the Air Force, and they want to assess your leadership potential. It all counts, no matter how small.

Good luck!

[Timmypig]

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I'm taking Chemistry so I can later take Physics

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How is Chemistry a prerequisite for Physics? Is that normal in US schools?

[aloft]

A friend of mine graduated from the "zoo" in '03 and is in his last 60 days of UPT right now. I'll see if I can talk him into coming on here and answering your questions.

[BCTAv8r]

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[ QUOTE ]
I'm taking Chemistry so I can later take Physics

[/ QUOTE ]

How is Chemistry a prerequisite for Physics? Is that normal in US schools?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not here in FL. In fact, Chemistry is not even a required course at my school, it is an elective. I'm just taking it because I heard that's what colleges want to see.

[mrchainsaw]

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How is Chemistry a prerequisite for Physics? Is that normal in US schools?

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought it was kinda weird too. The only sciences my high school has is biology, chemistry, physics, and anatomy. I don't know why it's that way, but I do know that I've heard many people say physics is awesome.

[ QUOTE ]
A friend of mine graduated from the "zoo" in '03 and is in his last 60 days of UPT right now. I'll see if I can talk him into coming on here and answering your questions.

[/ QUOTE ]

That would be great if he could come on here. Or, if he has an email address, I could ask him that way. But that way nobody else could learn from him.

[JNaugle]

Aloft tells me you might have some questions about the Academy. I graduated in 2003 and I am most of the way through pilot training right now.

I'm not sure where you are in the process, but here are a few general ideas for you:

Any college wants to see strong academics, strong athletics, and strong extra curricular leadership. In the context of the Academies that means:
1. Take hard math/science classes and do well in them.
2. Take the SATs/ACTs early and often to build up your score.

3. Play varsity sports and be a captain of your team if you can.
4. Be in excellent health and physical condition

5. Look into Boy Scouts, JROTC, and Civil Air Patrol. Progress through their ranks and learn what you can from them.
6. Enjoy being young and relatively free from responsibility while it lasts (get out, date girls, build up social skills so the Academy doesn't beat all of them out of you).

Another aspect of your preparation, and I believe the most important, is to ask yourself why you want to go. To fly airplanes? To get a free education? Because you enjoy marching and getting yelled at? Because dad went there? Or because you think it is the greatest school in the world and you want to serve the best country in the world by being an Air Force officer?

Bring the questions. You are also welcome to email me at JNaugle@aol.com

-James Naugle

[mrchainsaw]

Thanks for coming on to help me out.

I'm looking to go to the academy for a few different reasons. One, right now in my life I want to have a career in aviation. The academy offers free training and quality training. Two, my older brother is attending a university right now and I'm not sure my parents could financially handle me going also. Three, it sounds like a very good place to get an education. Four, I get to serve my country while flying planes and seeing things most people never get to do/see.

I know I still have time to change my mind and I know it's a big commitment, but I currently think it's worth it.

About being qualified, I'm going to be a sophomore this coming year. I'm taking the hardest math and science classes I can and averaging A's so far in high school. I'm participating in my second year of cross country this fall and I might do track in the spring. I'm confident in my academic and physical abilities, just not with the leadership part. I don't see myself as being on the varsity team or being team captain.

It would help if you could tell me how I could better prepare and what you did to get accepted. What were your grades, physical abilities, what sports/extracurricular activies you did, what leadership roles you had. Thanks for the help.

[JNaugle]

I wrote an article about my journey into darkness. It is posted at:

http://www.cadetstuff.org/archives/000103.html#000103

Don't laugh, I wrote it when I was still a teenager.

As for making yourself more competitve:
A "competitive candidate" has a 1300-1500 SAT score, a 3.75 + GPA, has no less than one varsity letter, was captain of something (even if it was the chess club), and was president of something.

For track I would say, "run faster" and make sure your coach knows you are working toward a goal.

For leadership... join a school club or check out the youth military leadership programs. Civil Air Patrol not only helped my resume, but it also helped me decided whether I wanted to do the military thing in the first place.

I also suggest the Academy's Summer Scientific Seminar for the summer going into your senior year. It is a great opportunity to check out the Academy.

Books you should read:
Sense of Honor by James Webb
Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy
The USAF Academy Candidate's Book by William Smallwood

Do you have an email address I can send a bunch of stuff to?

[Aaron_Kearney]

JNaugle,

Great posts ... your insight invaluable. If you could, send that information to kearney.aaron@gmail.com please

[aloft]

That's "Lieutenant Naugle" to you, smackwad. (li'l zoo humor there)

[mrchainsaw]

Could you send the stuff to tomthoren@gmail.com. Thanks for all your help.

[GirlInTraining]

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I had a few things working against me in my efforts to get into the Academy. My grades were acceptable, but not great, I didn't play any sports, I was over weight by about thirty pounds, I didn't have 20/20 vision, and I was a huge dork.

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I guess some things never change....

See you in class Tues!

[JNaugle]

Don't hate, I'm doing a public service here.

I'm still waiting for questions from you guys about the zoo. What do you want to know?

[mrchainsaw]

I'll wait to ask any until I read all the stuff you sent to me. Thanks for the help.

[MikeD]

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I'm still waiting for questions from you guys about the zoo. What do you want to know?



[/ QUOTE ]

What's the current scandal going on there?

[JNaugle]

The current one is religious intolerance. The gripe was that senior ranking cadets and officers were encouraging junior ranking cadets to seek out religion. There is some truth to this gripe... I personally witnessed several instances where religion was advanced inappropriately. But like all scandals, this has been blown out of proportion, and there has since been a pretty severe back lash and over-reaction.

For those interested in seeing the scandals and all the stuff not on the brochure, I suggest www.edodo.org, the electronic underground newsletter of the Academy. If you check out the folklore section you will see that scandals are kind of a tradition there. You can also check out West Point's at www.centerstall.com and Army ROTC's at www.aisforarmy.com

[ian]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I'm still waiting for questions from you guys about the zoo. What do you want to know?



[/ QUOTE ]

What's the current scandal going on there?

[/ QUOTE ]

Religious Intollerence.

[ian]

[ QUOTE ]
The current one is religious intolerance. The gripe was that senior ranking cadets and officers were encouraging junior ranking cadets to seek out religion. There is some truth to this gripe... I personally witnessed several instances where religion was advanced inappropriately. But like all scandals, this has been blown out of proportion, and there has since been a pretty severe back lash and over-reaction.

For those interested in seeing the scandals and all the stuff not on the brochure, I suggest www.edodo.org, the electronic underground newsletter of the Academy. If you check out the folklore section you will see that scandals are kind of a tradition there. You can also check out West Point's at www.centerstall.com and Army ROTC's at www.aisforarmy.com

[/ QUOTE ]

It's mainly people complaining about the "heathen flight" during BCT..which is what the cadre jokingly call the cadets that choose not to go to church on Sundays..also I heard something of a Jewish kid saying some Christian kids were making fun of him or something like that...

[JNaugle]

I proudly marched in heathen flight as a basic... at the time no one I knew seemed to think of it as derogatory.

[MikeD]

Man.....the Academy is one problem after another. I don't know if it's so much with the cadets themselves, but just the fact that the place seems to attract problem after problem.

But I'm sure removal of the "Bring Me Men" sign would've solved all that....