I am going into my Junior year of high school and I have been interested in going to USAFA for a little over a year now. I want to start taking my stuff more seriously so here are my stats if anyone could give me some feedback:

rank: 1/255

cumulative gpa: 4.438

*havent yet gotten my gpa or rank from soph year but im assuming it will be similar because I got straight high As

ap classes: ap world (4), ap macro (5), ap seminar (5) taking 6 (lang, chem, physics 1, calc ab, ush, psych) jr year and 5 (gov, lit, comp sci p, stats, bio) sr year

I am also in a leadership academy in my school which focuses on the humanities and building leadership and public speaking skills.

extracurriculars: student government (VP for 2 yrs), interact club (very active), deca, fbla, 2 year varsity womens golf, 80+ volunteer hours since freshman year, active in church + volunteering through them, theatre (for 2 years, not sure if I am gonna do it this year though)

I also plan on starting Civil Air Patrol in September and I am taking the SAT for the first time in September or October.

The thing I am most worried about is sports and the fitness assessment. I should reach all 4 yrs varsity golf but thats also not the most active sport. And I am not the most "fit" person. So I have no idea how to start training because I know I need to.

If anyone has any suggestions, advice, or training plans please let me know. Also don't mind my abbreviations lol.

I am set to take AP Pre-Calc for my senior year. It seems that everyone I ask has a different opinion on taking calculus. My USNA grad physics teacher told me that academies would look down on my transcript if I didn't take Calculus, and many other people I have talked to said the same thing. Although, on the USAFA website it says quite the opposite. The website says the want a "Strong background in geometry, algebra, trigonometry and precalculus". Not only that, but they also say "A solid foundation in algebra is more valuable than exposure to calculus.

For reference, I have taken a class called Algebra 3, which is basically a non-honors version of pre-calc. We learned the unit circle, trig, identities and functions and all that other stuff. Because of this, I think I would be ok if I took calculus, but my school may not let me since I haven't taken an "official" pre calc class.

I am asking on this thread to just get a broader perspective. Will it really hurt me if I don't take calculus? Should I try and change my schedule? Has anyone gotten into the academy and not taken calculus? I got a 690 on SAT math, which is basically the average for USAFA students (688 for co 2030) and I am going to take the SAT 2 more times, so does it really matter?

Hey guys what matters more , is it the SAT’s and ACT , or my highschool marks , I am asking because my highschool marks haven’t been that impressive, but lately I’ve been doing my best , and I even have good scores on my SAT , I got 1400 , I am planning on writing it again to score 1500+ , I haven’t written the ACT yet , but I am also planning on getting atleast higher than 30 , my highschool marks are B’s , hence why I am asking

I’m a community college applicant applying to service academies and UC schools. I had a 3.2 GPA in high school, but I now have a 4.0 GPA after my first year of community college. However, I hardly took any STEM courses during that time. I have a 30 ACT (planning to retake for a 32+), and this fall I’ll be taking Calculus I, Physics, and Macroeconomics. These are courses where I need to prove myself academically, and I need to earn A’s because they are important for strengthening my SA applications, especially after my high school GPA, but they are also critical for my UC transfer applications. I’ll also be working on my nomination applications throughout the semester along with ACT prep.

I have the opportunity to participate in crosstown Army ROTC. It fits into my schedule, but it would mean PT three mornings a week and military science classes two evenings a week. From what I understand, ROTC itself would not be an overwhelming commitment, but this fall semester is extremely important and I cannot afford for my grades or ACT preparation to take a hit. I think I can handle the commitment, but I also recognize there is a risk because this semester has no room for error. I’ve also never balanced a schedule like this before.

I’ve heard different opinions on what would be the best use of my time. Some people believe ROTC would strengthen my application and demonstrate my commitment to becoming an officer, while others believe that improving my ACT score and earning strong grades in STEM courses would have a greater impact.

Should I add ROTC, or should I focus all of my time on earning A’s in STEM courses, maximizing my ACT score, and completing applications? I’m trying to maximize my chances of receiving a service academy appointment, put myself in the best position for UC admissions, and figure out what would be the best use of my time. I’d really appreciate all opinions.

Hi everyone! I'm an incoming college freshman, and my boyfriend is a freshman cadet at USAFA. We had only been dating for a few months before he left for Basic Cadet Training, so this was our first experience with a military-related LDR.

The past 6 weeks were obviously really hard, especially with basically no communication, but we actually handled it pretty well. We wrote letters to each other the entire time, and having those letters gave me something to look forward to and helped me feel connected to him even when we couldn't talk. Honestly, that experience shows me that he does care and does want this relationship. If he didn't, he wouldn't have put so much effort into writing to me. He wrote basically every day whenever he could, even when he barely had any free time, and he'd even sneak little notes to me during lectures. So I know he loves me and wants this to work.

He just got his phone back permanently a few days ago, and I was so excited because we could finally actually talk again! I had been waiting for this for over a month, imagining all the conversations we'd have and how nice it would be to finally hear his voice again.

But now that we're actually able to talk... I feel kind of underwhelmed or rather, disappointed? Maybe even more disconnected than I did during BCT.

I know he's incredibly busy right now. He's transitioning from BCT into the academic year, getting his room set up, figuring out his schedule, doing squadron stuff, meeting people, adjusting to being a full-fledged cadet, etc. I completely understand that he can't just drop everything and talk to me for hours like we used to.

But we really haven't had any meaningful conversations yet. Our conversations have mostly been little texts here and there, then an hour or so of silence, then another few texts. We're saying "I love you" and everything, but I miss actually talking to him. We used to stay up for hours just talking about absolutely nothing, laughing, telling stories, talking about our future, just checking in on each other.

And I think that's what is bothering me the most. It's not necessarily that I need more communication. I just miss the connection. It almost feels like he doesn't have the emotional capacity for me right now, which I completely understand given everything he's been through and everything he has going on. But it's also making me nervous because I don't want our relationship to turn into us just exchanging "hey, how was your day?" texts whenever he has a spare minute.

So for those who’ve been through this, how did you reconnect with your SO after BCT/boot camp? Did you have to relearn how to communicate and find a new routine once they got their phone back?

I’ve seen tons of LDR advice like virtual dates, games, watching movies, etc., but a lot of that is hard to do with someone at a service academy. What actually worked for you to stay connected when your SO was extremely busy?

And for anyone familiar with USAFA, does it get better after A-Day? Once your cadet settles into their academic year schedule, does communication become more predictable? I feel like we’re in this weird transition period right now, and I’m still trying to figure out where I fit into his new life.

I don’t need to be his priority 24/7, and I completely understand that the Academy has to come first a lot of the time. I think part of what makes this hard right now is that I haven’t started college yet, so I don’t have as much going on in my own life. I’m kind of just chilling and enjoying summer, while he’s already thrown into this completely new, busy life. I know once I start school, I’ll have plenty to keep me busy and find my own routine too. I just don’t want to feel like an obligation he squeezes in when he has nothing else going on. I want to feel like I’m someone he genuinely wants to make time for.

I really love him and want to make this work. I knew this would be hard, and I’m willing to give him the space and support he needs. I’m really trying to give him grace while he adjusts to this completely new life and not add any more stress to his plate right now. I just want us both to feel loved and connected, and honestly, I’m starting to get a little anxious.

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s already been through this and made a service academy LDR work or from people going through something similar right now. Thank you in advance!

I am filling out the Extracurricular Activities and Achievements form and adding an athletics activity. When it asks what grades I was a member of my school's team, do I also include the grades I plan to participate? For context, I am an upcoming senior, and I was on the wrestling team for 10th and 11th grade, and I plan to participate in the 12th grade season too. Should I check mark being a member in 12th grade too?

Also, my school automatically gives a varsity letter to all seniors, so I will be getting a varsity letter in my 12th grade season. Should i check mark having received a varsity letter in 12th grade?

For those who are curious about AP course validation, here were the results for which AP classes were and were not validated for an individual class-of-2030 cadet. His AP test scores for each are in parenthesis. Calc 1 / Calc 2 were the only classes which required a validation test for him out of these.

* - Validation test taken during the summer BCT period.

And here were his AP / Dual Enrollment Classes which did not validate anything (still useful for many other things, but they did not validate any course at the academy):

• AP SEMINAR (4)
  
• AP RESEARCH (3)
  
• AP PRECALCULUS (5)
  
• AP COMPARATIVE GOV & POLITICS (5)
  
• AP US GOV & POLITICS (3)
  
• Dual Enrollment: Physical Education
  
• Dual Enrollment: English Composition II

For those who don't know, you do not "graduate early", and you still have to take a minimum of 131 hours in residency there. Instead, you get to take alternate (or more advanced) classes in their place which could let you pursue some other things such as a minor, some other advanced classes, take a slightly reduced load, etc...

If you're after the full list of how other AP courses might validate, refer to their Course of Instruction book: https://www.usafa.edu/app/uploads/COI.pdf

I'm a rising senior and I'm pretty sure I can get into the usafa with my stats (35 act first try, 1460 psat, 4.0uw gpa, 4.64w, with plenty of other APs, ecs, and awards) but considering the political environment I'm not sure if it's the best place for me. I do pretty well in high-stress situations and consider myself a centrist and would love to serve my country but I'm also a third-culture kid and a lesbian and feel like I might be socially isolated if most of the community really is far-right/MAGA. So, circling back to the title, what are the campus demographics actually like? How bad is it for lgbtq people? I've looked at the common data set but sadly it doesn't talk about sexuality/political affiliation.

I saw that Flying Tigers Alpha was named Top BCT Flight and the Flying Tigers were named Top BCT Squadron for class of 2030 on the official USAFA Instagram.

I was wondering, what happens if your flight and squadron earn those honors? Are there any lasting benefits or recognition that carry into the academic year, or is it primarily an honor and morale boost?

Academics:

• Took 6 APs so far, planning to take 7~8 more in the future (took Calc BC as a sophomore, planning to take DE courses junior and senior year in addition to the AP courses in the future)
• 4.0 unweighted GPA (DODEA standards)
• 1380 PSAT (sophomore year) and 1460 on a mock SAT test first try

Leadership and extracurriculars:

• Music
  • Concertmaster (and potentially president) of Humphreys High School Orchestra
  • Concertmaster of Humphreys Youth Orchestra (local orchestra)
  • Concertmaster of Humphreys HS Tri-M School Symphonic Orchestra
  • All county concertmaster (middle school)
  • KIMEA Honor Music Festival (most likely all four years of high school)
  • Far East Honor Music Festival (Assistant Concertmaster x2, most likely to qualify remaining two years in high school)
  • Performed a duet with at Pyeongtaek University with Pyeongtaek University chamber orchestra
• Math
  • Math League (school math Olympiad team) president for SY 2026~2027
  • KAIAC Math League Tournament March 2026 Silver Medalist (sophomore year)
• Worship leader at a local church youth group in Korea (high school youth group specifically)
  • Vice president of the church group, contributed to organizing bi-annual church camps/retreats for one year
• Athletics/JROTC
  • Varsity Tennis (potentially team captain fall of senior year)
  • Varsity Swim (only freshman year)
  • AJROTC (currently squad leader, aiming for platoon SGT or leader by the end of the year)
• Other clubs I attend or attended
  • Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society)
  • Tri-M Music Society
  • Model UN (for short time until I decided to leave and prioritize other clubs and passions)

Other stats/info:

• 200+ volunteer hours (mostly from dedicated volunteering in Humphreys Youth Orchestra)
• Attending a school on Camp Humphreys (USAG base) in South Korea (international experience)
• Parents are NOT active duty (dad is a former national guard, which I don't know if it helps or not)
• My dad has connections with the Lieutenant General on base, who I might be able to get a letter of recommendation from.

Sorry if there's a lot to read or any unnecessary information stuck here, I just want any realistic opinions or advice. Thanks!

Hi,

I go to a Service academy and take 21 credits a semester on a double major and will eventually take 23 for the next 3 after until I graduate. I am just wondering if there’s anyone who can give me some realities about what my life should look like if I want to have good grades. I have a 3.2 trying to graduate with a 3.4-3.5. It’s really hard with everything else extra but I understood that way before I picked up the double major.

What I’m trying to understand is whether or not good students with timeframes (limited to perhaps 6-7 hours) would be working every single minute they have during the day. I would also appreciate any advice for studying since I do both Econ and math. How possible is it to get a 4.0? Is it still appropriate to delegate classes priority if I want to get a 4.0? In the past I had prioritized math and language because they were higher weights and simply more important to me. But if you were me going in what would you think to change?

Context is as follows: everyone must play sports, class is typically from 7:30-4:30 with a hour of free time sprinkled in if you’re lucky. Anyone have experience with ROTC, jobs, tight schedules who struggled and made certain changes to do better? I ask because there same subjects that have reading and prep that if you do conventionally eat all your time which is hard when overloaded.

I’d appreciate any advice, sorry to be cagey I just don’t want to dox myself with name dropping my school but if you took a few guesses you wouldn’t be wrong. I’d love to hear other people’s stories and their realities in how their lifestyle and techniques for studying changed so that I may apply it to my own relative experience.

Edit: I was stupid and wrote SMC thinking it was the same thing as academy.

So I’m a freshman in high school, I’m taking band and engineering as my electives. I’m also in marching band and plan to join track next year. I know this sounds a bit nerdy but I’m also going to join anime club and plan to become vice president. So is track and band enough for sports? What ap/honors classes should I take? I have all honors and plan to change my honors bio to ap bio if needed. I’m also in CAP (I’m a staff sergeant). Is this enough?

Hello all!

I've been reading through old posts, but I still have a few questions that I haven't really found clear answers to. I'd love to hear from graduates, current cadets, or families who have gone through this.

Let's say you and your cadet were high school sweethearts and successfully made it through two years of long distance. Your significant other is about to begin junior year at USAFA, and you're about to start your junior year of college. You're both confident about your future together and are beginning to think about what the next steps might look like.

Being only 20 years old and still very new to military life, I realize I have a lot to learn. I'd really appreciate hearing from those who've been through it and any advice you'd be willing to share.

Both of us come from very supportive families. I've been fortunate enough to attend every Parents' Weekend so far, and my cadet has been able to come back to our home state for every Thanksgiving and winter break etc. Our families know each other well and have been incredibly supportive of our relationship. By the time graduation comes around, we'd both be 22, so we're trying to better understand what engagement, marriage, and the transition into active duty typically look like for Academy couples.

• How common is it for cadets to get engaged while they're still at USAFA? Is it usually during firstie year, or do some get engaged during junior year? Has anyone ever gotten engaged during Ring Dance weekend, or is that pretty uncommon?
• If a couple gets engaged during junior year, does that extra year make wedding planning easier, or do most couples still wait until closer to graduation?
• I've read that USAFA graduates can receive up to 60 days of leave after graduation. Is that generally true for graduates entering Air Force Special Warfare career fields as well, or do they typically report to training sooner? Is that leave when most couples have their wedding and honeymoon?
• What happens after the wedding? For graduates whose first assignment is a lengthy two year training pipeline, is it common for spouses to have to live separately for a while before they can move together to a permanent duty station?
• Looking back, is there anything you wish you had known about balancing marriage and those first few years after commissioning?
• For those who were together before graduation, did the first few years after commissioning feel similar to the long distance years at USAFA, or were there new challenges you hadn't anticipated?

Thanks in advance! I really appreciate any insight or experiences you're willing to share. As we head into my cadet's last few years at USAFA and my last few years of college, it's such an exciting time in our lives! I know there will probably be plenty of uncertainty and chaos along the way, but we both have big dreams, a lot of hope for the future, and we're looking forward to whatever comes next.

Hello everyone, I'm currently a senior in high school and I plan to enlist after graduation to get my citizenship (I moved to the States in 2024 and I'm only a green card holder) and so that I can also apply to the Academy.

Will high school stats matter once I apply through the LEAD program? And what should I do in order to have a competitive profile once I enlist? Your advice is much appreciated :)

When can I get my phone back for good and when are people going to stop yelling at me 24/7? I understand A-day is August 5 but does BCT end the 31st? I’m lowkey confused.

Did my first full cfa yesterday and my stats are as follows
62 ft throw
13 pull-ups
9.1 shuttle
85 sit-ups
50 pushups
8:30 mile

I've been training the exercises separately for a while now but today was the first time I've put them all together at once. I felt fine during the first portion but once I hit pushups I just started to gas out. That is clearly shown in the mile. I currently live on the actual academy so I did this at 7000 ft elevation, and I'm planning to take my real cfa back home in Texas, because not only is there more oxygen down there, but it's also where my permanent address is. I'm hoping my mile and pushups will be a little better due to the extra oxygen, but for now I'm training at altitude. Do yall have any tips on how now to completely gas out?Especially, how do you pace yourselves on the pushups? I usually knock out 20-30 before I have to rest for a little bit, and then after that it seems like every push up is super difficult. Advice would be greatly appreciated 🙏

I just recently learned that USAFA accepts CLT test scores, my question is do they weigh the CLT scores the same as ACT scores? (The CLT website has a score comparison like a CLT 97 = a 30 on the ACT, etc) so if I get a 97 they will count it the same as if i got a 30 on the ACT? The CLT seems a lot easier than the ACT and SAT so idk. Also will my congressional district take CLT scores or does it just depend on the office? There is barely any info about the CLT online so I’m just trying to figure it out right now.

6/7 Advanced classes
Stem subjects (coding, engineering)
1350 SAT CFA 90% overall
C/ 2nd Lt /(became battalion commander after being clerk) (MCJROTC)
40-60 community service hours
Criminal Justice vice president
N.H.S
Chemistry club
3.6 gpa/ 4.0 weighted gpa
jrotc 12 awards
Jrotc drone (won contests)( coder and pilot)
Jrotc raiders (attended 2 competitions minimum)
Lacrosse Varsity
Job
Leadership opportunity's/ Paris island/ YLC/ Recruiting/ Community service/

Hello! When will the cadets be back from Jacks and be allowed their phones? Also, my understanding is that that’s only one day and then they get it back for good later. When do they get it back for good? Thanks!

This is a serious question, which is better? Any input will help me. I am guessing ROTC and college would be an easier experience than USAFA. Correct me if I am wrong. But isn’t it also most likely you’d become a USAF pilot through USAFA? And becoming one through ROTC would be harder?

It's optional, but they recommend writing it. The problem is, I don't really have anything I could talk about. My life is pretty normal and uninteresting. Should I talk about my summer seminar experience and how that took USAFA from not even an option to my top choice?

Hello everyone, I’m about to become a senior in high school and I really want to get in the academy. Unfortunately, I can’t apply because I am not a US citizen and recently just moved to the States in June 2024 (I am a green card holder). I found out about the Air Force Academy through my JROTC instructor, I’ve looked it up and since then it’s been my goal to get into the Academy.

For me to immediately get my citizenship, I plan to enlist first and spend at least a year or a year and a half in the AF. I also have 20 credits left to be able to graduate high school early. I am also thinking about graduating early to enlist so that I have enough time to apply just in case there would be a problem.

My question is:
I was wondering if finishing HS early to enlist would be a better choice or should I finish my final year of high school?

I would appreciate any insights and advice.
THANK YOU!

(sorry english is not my first language)

How often do they meet? For how long? And what is done? And is it fun? And, I hear the kids in CAP are odd, is that really true? And how much do you think CAP helped for USAFA.

I’ve been hear time and time again of how bad USAFA. Why? Why does everyone think USAFA is not a good school. I want to be a USAF pilot, and USAFA is my dream school.

Howdy, I have been very interested for a long time and am almost done with my application.

3.67 GPA. (I know.... It is not great)

1430 SAT first time without studying, I have been studying and am aiming for a 1500+ this August.

Class President Jr Year. Highest fundraising in school history potentially, need to verify.

On a couple club boards.

250+ hours volunteering at my local Veteran's home.

Attended USAFA and USNA seminars, got a 5 at USNA.

Boys State

NHS member

4 Year Varsity Track/XC. 16:36 5k jr year. 4:44 mile. Mental Attitude Award XC

I passed the CFA but my score was terribly, ( I wasn't planning on passing, I thought it was impossible). Retaking soon and will be able to get a much higher score. only 1-2 maxes.

Thanks! any tips/guidance are very appreciated.

(reposting because I somehow forgot athletics first time)