United States Air Force Academy

Outreach

The Air Force Academy reaches out to prospective cadets from diverse geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds through a variety of programs. Many of these programs are listed in detail below.

Admissions Tours: The Academy hosts students, parents and guests every year during the fall and spring semesters. The tours include a 45-minute briefing by the Admissions office. Afterward, potential applicants spend a day with a cadet while the parents receive a two-hour guided tour of the Cadet Area.

Appointee Orientation: This orientation takes place three separate times in April to provide appointees with a chance to acquaint themselves with the Academy's mission, operations, facilities and faculty. The Academy internally identifies students with economic needs and uses gift funds to help offset the cost of attendance.

Congressional Caucuses: The Academy continues to build and solidify relationships with Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus nominating sources, focusing on African-American and Hispanic constituents.

Congressional Staffer Orientations: The Academy annually offers a two- to three-day orientation to Congressional staffers, particularly staffers from districts with historically low nomination rates and those serving on freshman Congressional offices.

Diversity Advisory Panel: The Admissions office has created a new board of directors-level body and clearinghouse for ideas, best practices and standardization. The first such conference was held in August 2008.

Educator Orientations: The Academy hosts two educator conferences annually, each of which includes 40 to 50 attendees. The Admissions office provides comprehensive information on the Academy's structure and admissions process and identifies and invites educators from high-performing areas and from Congressional districts with historically low representation in the Cadet Wing.

Expanded Diversity Visitation Program: This program brings 100 highly qualified, diverse applicants to the Air Force Academy for a two- to three-day visit. Admissions matches each applicant with a cadet in order to effectively address areas of interest. Eighty percent of the visiting students have accepted appointments.

Grass Roots Outreach: During their Thanksgiving vacations, cadets return to their hometowns and share information about the Academy with various groups. This volunteer-based program lets cadets give presentations to high schools, provide materials to newspapers and arrange for interviews with television and radio stations.

International Cadet Program: The Admissions office works with the Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs office to fill 60 authorized international cadet positions.

Recruiting Visits: The Admissions Diversity Recruiting Division conducts approximately 40 seven- to 10-day trips targeting minorities and disadvantaged population centers with recent graduates who represent the diverse Air Force community. The division also focuses on areas with low Congressional nomination rates. Diversity recruiters visit community colleges, high schools, middle schools, community organizations and college fairs. In addition, they will pre-identify top candidates and offer in-home visits to candidates and parents.

SAT/ACT Preparation Mentoring: Based on a successful U.S. Military Academy alumni program and sponsored by the Diversity Advisory Panel, this program provides standardized testing preparation and mentoring to selected individuals with otherwise strong records in order to help them demonstrate and more accurately assess their potential.

Summer Seminar: Three highly competitive one-week programs are offered to students between their junior and senior years of high school. At the end of the week, the student has a clearer understanding of the commitment necessary to attend the Academy and become an Air Force officer. Historically, 40 percent of the entering four-degree class attends the Summer Seminar.

Inside USAFA