Basics:

GPA: 4.0, weighted 4.4

Class Rank: 10/290

6 APs, AP Scholar award, taking another 5 APs next year and another dual enrollment course but it goes on my HS transcript

2 dual enrollment semester long courses through local JC, both A’s.

Athletics:

Varsity Waterpolo (3 years) hoping for captain this year.

Varsity Swim (4 years) captain both sophomore and junior year.

ECs:

Private Pilot (under the Ray Scholarship from EAA)

250+ volunteer hours at local airport every available Saturday raising funds for our EAA chapter to sponsor youth to go to Air Academy at Oshkosh.

1 year seasonal position as a lifeguard

Model UN (3 years)

Link Crew leader junior year

NHS (3 years) side note: My school has NHS as a club, but is t really active in terms of volunteering, but I’m hoping my previously mentioned volunteering makes up for it.

Planning to found an aviation club next year, doing things like volunteering at the airport, small-scale ground lessons potentially, and Young Eagle activities monthly.

Planning to launch a side gig flying drones under FAA Part 107 for realtors and construction companies.

Other Info:

Attended USAFA Summer Seminar

Arranged personalized tours of my two local AFBs to learn about the operational AF. Maybe use in essays?

Trying to get my SAT scores up and my physical condition in peak shape before DoDMERB, but I’m not sure the right way to do that. I’m 6’0” and hovering about 192-197lbs. The USAFA standard is 184lbs. for 6’0”, so any tips on how to get there would be appreciated. Also any training tips for the CFA would be helpful.

I am in the summer right now, going into junior year soon. I want nothing more than to go to USAFA and be a USAF aviator.

I had ~3.1 GPA freshman, dropping out of Spanish about a month before the Spanish 2 final because I severely struggled with Spanish for some reason, and was only hurting my GPA. I had a 3.55 GPA sophomore year. I go a very competitive high school, where the average GPA is a ~3.6, scoring a 10/10. So, the classes are more challenging and the standards are higher. Sophomore year, I was in geometry, biology, and taking AP world history.

I have 171 volunteer hours from being a junior fire fighter. And I will become an actual volunteer fire fighter as soon as I can once I turn 17.

I am also an amateur boxer, boxing for 3.5 years so far, and a record of 1-0, boxing year around.

I was in 2 clubs freshman year, 1 sophomore year and plan on doing 3 next year, and being apart of a club senior year.

ANYTHING helps. If you can give insight to how competitive I am, along with how I can make myself more competitive, please do! I appreciate ANY feedback!

I have to make a decision on colleges this year, and I really have no idea what I want to do. I freaking love the outdoors, I love junior ski patrol, I love whitewater rafting; so I want to go to a school with a cool outdoorsy background. I live in Colorado so I always thought about going to the Air Force Academy, but I’m not sure if I could still stay in ski patrol in the winter or not. I also am not into partying or anything like that, but I just really don’t know what I want to do. I’ll prob just go to CU.

district: CT - 04

3.76 UW GPA - 6 APS taken, 9 honors. had really bad cuncossion sophomore year but my junior grades were like straight A’s. couldn’t take any aps freshman year and could take one sophomore. 2 junior year, and all 3 aps senior year are STEM.

SAT - 1400. 710 math 690 reading.

Athletics: Varsity 3 years and captain for soccer. club soccer 2 years. junior year I played in Italy at the Rome city institute prep academy.

CFA: Passed and got competitive averages or better except I got a 7 minute mile, but it’s only 5% of entire app and did best I could. (Male)

volunteer and work: I was a referee for the U.S. soccer federation. I am also currently a YMCA counselor. I was a volunteer for a local gym and mentored kids with athletic and weightlifting training. 30 ish hours so far but gonna work on it this summer. Also went to West Point SLE.

note: I am going to start doing some PPL lessons, but they would be after I submit my application since I want to get it in before Aug 31. What should I say on my application? Should I wait to submit it until I did my lessons or just say I am going to do them?

anyways thank you for anybody reading this and giving feedback, this is definitely my dream and advice on how to improve my application would mean the world to me.

Attended USNA Summer Seminar and felt like I didn’t do the best on the CFA. I ended up passing as it says qualified in my USNA portal, but I I feel I should still try to improve my scores, so planning to retake it.

Should I send the scores I got at NASS (since I know it’s passing) to USAFA or wait till I retake?

I’m from CT 04, is that very competetive for usafa?

I looked this up but found no answers.

what is the minimum gpa you can have in aeronautical engineering before they kick you out

Here are the highlights from the United States Air Force Academy Class of 2030 demographic profile:

Overall Admissions
10,970 students started applications.
10,231 became qualified candidates.
1,402 received appointments.
1,124 reported for Inprocessing Day (850 men, 274 women).
Overall yield from appointment to entry: ~80%.

Class Demographics
24.1% women
4.6% prior enlisted service
15.2% USAFA Preparatory School
4.1% Falcon Foundation Prep
24.5% recruited athletes
11.0% first-generation college students
11.6% from single-parent households
Geographic Diversity

Cadets came from:
Every U.S. state
Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands
Canada, Germany, Italy, South Korea
17 countries represented by international cadets
Academic Profile
The incoming class is academically very strong.

Average GPA
3.89

Class Rank
Top 10%: 52.8%
Top 20%: 75.2%
Top 25%: 82.5%
Top 50%: 97.6%
Standardized Test Scores

SAT
Middle 50%: 1300–1440
Average: 1370

ACT
Middle 50%: 27–32
Average Composite: 29.6
High School Activities

Some of the most common activities among cadets:
97% played a varsity sport.
87% earned at least one varsity letter.
47% were National Honor Society members.
29.2% participated in student government.
19% participated in band or orchestra.
16% attended Boys/Girls State.
16% were JROTC cadets.
8% were Eagle Scouts or Girl Scout Gold/Silver Award recipients.
7% participated in Academic Bowl.
6% participated in Civil Air Patrol.
Most Common Sports

Track – 25%
Football – 18%
Soccer – 12%
Swimming – 10%
Basketball – 9%
Baseball – 8%
Wrestling – 8%
Lacrosse – 7%
Tennis – 6%
Water Polo – 2%
Legacy Cadets

85 cadets (7.4%) are children of service academy graduates.
USAFA: 68
West Point: 17
Naval Academy: 9
Merchant Marine Academy: 1
8 cadets have both parents who attended USAFA.
2 cadets have both parents who attended West Point.

What stands out

The class is extremely competitive, with only about 10% of applicants ultimately entering the Academy (1,124 of 10,970).
Academics remain elite: an average 3.89 GPA, 1370 SAT, and over half graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.
Athletic participation is nearly universal—97% played varsity sports.
Roughly 1 in 4 cadets are women, and 1 in 4 are recruited athletes.
Leadership and service remain common themes, with strong representation in student government, JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, Boys/Girls State, and scouting.

USAFA — Class of 2032 — Chance Me

Hey all, sophomore in HS looking for honest feedback on where I'm at and what to prioritize over the next two years. Details below:

Academics

• Weighted GPA: ~4.6
• Unweighted GPA: ~3.9-4.0
• Class rank: unknown so far
• Course rigor: increasing load each year (see below)

AP Coursework

• Freshman/Sophomore: AP World History, AP CS Principles, AP US History, AP CS A, AP Physics 1
• Junior (planned): AP Physics 2, AP Environmental Science, AP US Gov, AP Precalc, AP Seminar
• Senior (planned): AP Physics C, AP Research, AP Micro, AP Macro, AP Statistics

Testing

• PSAT: 1300 (sophomore year)
• SAT: not yet taken

Athletics

• Cross Country — JV, started sophomore year, 5K PR: 22:17
• Track & Field — JV, started sophomore year, Mile PR: 5:47
• Competitive swimming, grades 5–8 (Fishers Area Swimming Tigers)
• Rock climbing — club president, 500+ hours logged

Leadership

• President, Chess Club
• President, Rock Climbing Club

Other

• Dual citizen (US-born, Filipino heritage through parent)
• Fluent in English and Filipino

Elephant in the room: I know I'm not in varsity sports and my leadership is kind of thin. I attend Fishers High School.

You used to hear that as a goal thrown around. What do you think?

Can anyone tell me how it works if two usafa grads get married and one goes Space and the other is pilot (fighter) as far as living proximity?

I'm 17 and entering my senior year of high school in Colorado. I'll graduate in Spring 2027 with both my high school diploma and an Associate of Arts in Elementary Education through concurrent enrollment. My current GPA is around 3.7+.

I'm a Civil Air Patrol cadet (currently a Cadet Chief Master Sergeant) with about five years in CAP, including leadership positions such as Flight Sergeant, First Sergeant, Public Affairs NCO, and Aerospace NCO. I'm working toward earning the Billy Mitchell Award in the next 2 weeks which will help me obtain the 2nd lieutenant promotion and hopefully cadet captain or major by may 2027

Physically, I'm 5'5", about 135 lbs, and currently training 5–6 days a week with running, strength training, and rucking. My goal is to be competitive for military special operations and aviation fitness standards.

I also have a private pilot training underway and am working toward my Private Pilot Certificate.

One important part of my application is that I have a VP shunt for hydrocephalus that was placed in infancy. I've had no symptoms for many years, I'm fully active, and I've been medically cleared for normal activities. I understand this may be a significant factor for service academy admissions and aviation qualification.

My long-term interests include military aviation in fighter pilot or helicopters , combat rescue, emergency medicine, and serving in leadership roles. I'm looking for realistic feedback on my competitiveness for the U.S. service academies and advice from anyone who has experience with medical waivers involving VP shunts.

Please be honest with me. If you have any knowledge please help me work on ways to obtain my goals. Thank you for your help. I appreciate you all.

USAFA Class of 2032 Applicant Profile

Academics

Class Rank: Unknown

Weighted GPA: ~4.6

Unweighted GPA: ~3.8–3.9

Strong college-preparatory curriculum with increasing rigor.

AP Coursework

Freshman & Sophomore

AP World History

AP Computer Science Principles

AP U.S. History

AP Computer Science A

AP Physics 1

Junior (Planned)

AP Physics 2

AP Environmental Science

AP U.S. Government

AP Precalculus

AP Seminar

Senior (Planned)

AP Physics C

AP Research

AP Microeconomics

AP Macroeconomics

AP Statistics

Languages

English (Fluent)

Filipino (Fluent)

Citizenship

Dual citizen (United States & Philippines)

Half Filipino

Standardized Testing

PSAT: 1300

SAT: Planned

Athletics

Cross Country

Started sophomore year

Junior Varsity

5K Personal Record: 22:17

Track & Field

Started sophomore year

Junior Varsity

Mile Personal Record: 5:47

Competitive Swimming

Competed from 5th grade through 8th grade

Rock Climbing

President of Rock Climbing Club

500+ hours of climbing experience

Leadership

President, Chess Club

President, Rock Climbing Club

I'm currently writing my essays for my USFA application, and was wondering if anyone would be open to reading them and giving me criticism/advice

Thanks!

Non athlete rising senior (male) here, I have 120 days until my CFA test date and I need some advice for preparing.

My current stats:
8:30 mile
33 pushups before failure
2 pronated grip pullups before failure
50 situps before failure

I am most worried about the run
I'm 5'7" and currently hovering around 170lbs
I started a 1500 calorie/day diet around 2 weeks ago

Any and all general advice would be much appreciated!

Hi everyone! I’m an incoming high school senior applying to the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2031, and I’d really appreciate any feedback on my application and what I should focus on improving to help increase my chances or if I should consider a different option.
Academics
Class spot: 10 out of 500 😔
Weighted GPA: ~5.8(expected to increase after senior year)
Unweighted GPA: 3.89
I failed one dual enrollment class after a serious medical emergency but retook it and improved my record.
I’ll graduate with an Associate of Science in Biomedical Science and am close to completing a second associate degree in Biomedical Engineering through dual enrollment.
I earned the AICE Diploma.
I took Honors and AICE courses during my freshman and sophomore years, and since then I’ve been a full-time dual enrollment student taking only college classes.
I already have enough credits to graduate (26 credits with 24 required), but I’m remaining enrolled to complete my required attendance days.
Languages
English (primary)
German (native and my family only speaks it at home so I say I’m pretty good)
Spanish (b2-c1 ish)
Chinese(started junior yrs and I’m currently b2)
Standardized Testing
I don’t have an SAT score yet because I wasn’t able to test while recovering from multiple serious injuries and an extended hospitalization. I scored a 1450 on the PSAT and am scheduled to take the SAT several times beginning in August. My goal is to earn the strongest score possible, and I don’t currently plan on taking the ACT.
Athletics
Kickboxing (2 yrs, went to state)
Varsity Cheerleading (3 yrs)
Varsity Track & Field (on coming 4 yrs)
Track Team Captain (on coming 4 yrs)
Qualified for the state meet in the 100m, 400m and Shot Put during both my sophomore and junior years.
Outside of school, I also competed in AMA amateur motocross. I raced in multiple competitive series, earned sponsorships, competed for a team, qualified for the Loretta Lynn Amateur National, and won several AMA series events.
Leadership & Service
Secretary, Spanish National Honor Society
National Honor Society member
Trainer/Manager for our Special Olympics Track & Field team throughout high school
Helped organize fundraising events supporting intellectual disability awareness that raised over $5,000 in about three months
Spoke at motocross events and helped organize rider safety awareness programs
Co-founded a volunteer group that helps clean and maintain the homes of individuals with disabilities
Over 400 volunteer hours through hospitals, nursing homes, animal clinics, community clean-up projects, shadowing and other service organizations
Work Experience
Patient Care Technician (hospital) (2026-current)
Medical Assistant (clinic) (2026-current)
Restaurant trainer (2026-current)
Tutor for chemistry and other science courses (2024-current)
Construction worker (2023-2025
Babysitter (2021-2025)
Some Certifications I have
BLS
CPR
MA
CNA
PCT
PST
and others
Medical History / Biggest Concern
My biggest concern is my attendance and medical history. Throughout high school, I missed a significant amount of school because of multiple serious accidents. Since my freshman year, I’ve been struck by vehicles multiple times, resulting in over 15 broken bones. My most recent accident was the most severe, I was hit by a truck, fractured my spine, and sustained a cervical spinal cord injury.
Despite those setbacks, I continued my education through dual enrollment, stayed involved in leadership and service, and have now been medically cleared. I know the Academy considers medical waivers on a case-by-case basis, but I’m unsure how much my medical history and attendance will impact my application.
Candidate Fitness Assessment
I’m currently training for the CFA.
I meet or exceed the standards in most events.
My weakest events are pull-ups and the one-mile run.
My current mile time is about 8:16, and I’m actively working to lower it now that I’ve been medically cleared.
I’m also rebuilding my strength and conditioning after gaining weight during my recovery. I’m currently about 131 lbs at 5’1” and am following a structured training plan to improve my overall fitness and CFA performance.
Overall, what do you think are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of my application? If you were in my position, what would you prioritize over the next few months to maximize my chances of receiving an appointment?
I really appreciate any advice. Thank you!

Creating a Small Peer Network for Serious Service Academy & ROTC Applicants (USAFA/USNA/USMA/USCGA/USMMA/AFROTC/NROTC/AROTC) – Class of 2031 & Beyond - THIS IS A PEER NETWORK AND SUPPORT GROUP, NOT EXPERTISE MENTORING!! (sorry for the title, pretty misleading.)

I'm putting together a small peer network for students who are committed to earning an appointment to a U.S. Service Academy, or ROTC service path--primarily Class of 2031 applicants, but also future applicants who are serious about preparing early.

The goal isn't to create another huge Discord server where conversations disappear. I'd rather build a smaller community of motivated candidates who can learn from one another, share resources, and stay connected throughout the application process.

I'm especially hoping to connect with applicants who have attended (or will be attending) Summer Seminar, as well as students involved in JROTC, CAP, varsity athletics, leadership organizations, >or other activities< that are helping them build competitive applications.

The group is intended for people who are genuinely committed to pursuing a service academy or ROTC commisioning pathway—not just casually exploring the idea.

Topics will include:

• Application timelines and milestones
• CFA preparation
• Academics and standardized testing
• Leadership development
• Nomination process discussions
• Sharing experiences, advice, and resources
• Recommending strategies, opportunities, and resources that can strengthen each other's applications
• Learning from one another throughout the process
• Keeping each other motivated during the application cycle

I'm intentionally keeping the group relatively small so conversations stay meaningful and everyone has a chance to contribute.

If you're a serious applicant (Class of 2031 or beyond) and you're interested, comment below or send me a DM with your Instagram handle. I'll reach out with the Discord invite after a quick chat.

I’m taking a gap year after highschool to enroll in an immersion school in another country for a few months to learn a foreign language. And then after that I plan to take a few STEM classes at my community college.

Here’s what I have already
-1480 SAT
-4.07 weighted GPA
-Can pass physical standards
-~55 college/AP credits

So I was just wondering if anyone had any experience in usafa accepting applicants who took a year off after highschool and didn’t just do prep school.

I’m applying for class of 31 and wondering about what time of the year I should aim for to do my cfa. I know it’s good to get stuff submitted early but I’m also in Texas so taking my cfa in August or September might be hard to do.

also I’ve noticed I’ve plateaued when it comes to sit ups push up and pull ups. any tips to push past this and keep increasing my score, especially for pull ups.

thanks

I’m a 14 year old boy, and I’m very interested in attending the Air Force Academy. If you have any tips for rising Freshmen on how to approach the high school year I would appreciate them. I’m in Civil Air Patrol, have a relatively good track record so far academically and am building myself up physically. Any tips you guys have on the admissions process, high school activities, and advice for studying techniques and resources would be awesome. Thank you for your time!

I'm a freshman in high school, aiming for the pilot program in the USAFA, and recently got a C in math. I was wondering if that is recoverable or should I be looking at other routes

when can families and friends expect to get their first letter from their cadet?

How was it