“Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.” This is the motto of the United States Air Force.
After witnessing a senior’s acceptance into the Air Force Academy and a standing ovation for her decision, junior Emily Richards decided she too would work hard to make herself a strong candidate for the academy during her freshman year.
“Right then I realized how prestigious and honorable it is to receive an appointment,” Richards said.
Richards says she has been looking into the Air Force Academy since her friend’s sister enrolled. Last year she sent a recruiting questionnaire to the academy’s track and field program and has been in contact with the coaches ever since.
Only 1,000 juniors are accepted into the academy every year. Several qualifications are necessary to be received by the Air Force.
“They have really, really high standards,” junior Jonathan Park said. “It’s harder than getting into an Ivy League college.”
Requirements include being a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, having a high school diploma, being between the ages of 17 and 27, and passing a physical and an aptitude exam (testing arithmetic reasoning, word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, and knowledge in mathematics). Richards says it is also rewarding to have been a class officer, and be in the top ten percent because the Air Force Academy likes well rounded people.
Richards has been chosen by the Academy to participate via summer seminar in which applicants are split into groups, led by a cadet in a mini squadron, and can participate in activities and workshops.
“I personally believe it is very hard to be accepted to be part of the seminar because you have to meet strict academic criteria in addition to your involvement in your school and community,” Richards said. “Those accepted are seen as potential future candidates for admission into the academy, which is the 10th ranked- best college in the nation by Forbes Magazine’s 2011 America’s Best Colleges list.”
The workshops range from rocket propulsion to an introduction to aviation with operating flight simulators. All of the workshops allow for the exploration of multiple majors the academy offers in order for students to discover what interests them. There is even a mock Cadet Fitness Assessment (CFA) to practice for the real thing later on. Students can also partake in a doolie for a day where they will experience what it is like to be freshman or a fourth class cadet.
“After going to the Summer Seminar, if I like the Academy, I plan on pursuing an appointment and becoming an officer in the Air Force,” Richards said.
