Onward and Upward!
The number of
applicants to the Air Force Academy is 301 students more than this
all of last year, the academy’s admissions department
officials said.
“As of Dec. 2, the total number of applicants to the
academy is 11,081,” said Rollie Stoneman, admissions
associate director. “By the end of the admissions cycle, Jan.
31, we could be close to 13,000 applicants.”
By comparison, the academy received a total of 10,780
applications for the current freshman class.
“This institution has been pushed into the limelight from
January through today,” said Col. William Carpenter,
admissions director. “People look at this school and see we
have challenges, but they have a lot of faith that we will take on
those challenges and correct them.”
The number of female applicants is also rising, Stoneman said.
As of Dec. 2, 2,817 women have applied to attend the academy. Last
year at this time, that number was 2,009.
“From the comments we hear from visiting students, (women)
feel strongly about what the academy stands for,” Stoneman
said. “They want to be part of the solution.”
In fact, when students ask about the academy in college fairs
and in other recruiting events, most of them ask about the
institution itself. They typically do not know about the details of
the Fowler Commission or the agenda for change, officials said.
While applicant numbers
are up, the attrition rate also is holding steady when comparing
males and females.
“In the classes now that potentially would have fallout
over (the sexual assault scandal), especially in ’05 and
’06 classes, the female attrition rate is the same as
males,” Carpenter said. “In fact, in ’04, it is
better than their male counterparts.”
Officials here encouraged students to begin the application
process in the spring of their junior year in high school.
Applicants need to have good grades and be involved in a
college-preparation curriculum. They also need high scores on the
ACT and SAT. Students need to have demonstrated leadership on and
off the athletic fields. They must pass a physical-fitness test and
pass a medical examination. Finally, they need to have a nomination
letter, typically from a congressman or senator, officials
said.
In comparing notes with his counterparts in other service
academies, Stoneman said that they are finding that high-school
students are showing a genuine upturn in patriotism. They also know
the reality of the economy and know that acceptance to the academy
will mean a tuition-free education and a guaranteed job after
graduation, Stoneman said.
The cost of an academy education is currently computed at
$33,468 per year. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31.