News

Hundreds attend Academy's Summer Seminar

  • Published
  • By Ray Bowden
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  More than 600 high school juniors and seniors took part in the U.S. Air Force Academy Summer Seminar this month to get a taste of cadet life.

Air Force officials created the program to help cadet candidates determine if they are ready for the rigors of cadet life, said Lt. Col. Howard Gentry, the Academy's Liaison and Outreach Division chief.

"We hope the students receive an understanding of what makes the Academy unique from other colleges and the same as other colleges," he said. "We also hope they gain appreciation of how we train and concentrate on leadership and teamwork. The Summer Seminar Program should give them a basis to judge whether the Academy is the right place for them. We hope they walk away with an appreciation for the Academy's contributions in making us the best air force in the world."

One component of the Essence of the Academy is immersing cadets in a total experience, said Capt. William Goss, the officer in-charge of the Summer Seminar.

"This immersion entails a blend of an intense professional military environment while achieving a four-year college experience," he said. "Cadets live in the dorms all four years. They eat three meals a day at Mitchell Hall and must maintain high physical fitness and academic standards. In this one-week program, we want to immerse our potential cadet-candidates into these same experiences and give them exposure to the various mission elements that work to forge our future leaders of character."
 
The students wake before sunrise, often to the boisterous instructions of senior cadets and Academy military trainers, are exposed to basic marching and drill, and experience several briefings including safety, rules of engagement and an Academy Athletic Department brief. They also meet faculty representatives from the Academy's 20 departments to ensure their goals align with the Academy curriculum and are educated on the Academy's application process.

Goss said it is important cadet candidates get a glimpse of cadet life before making a decision on which college or university to attend.

"It is equally important they understand the Air Force core competencies, the opportunities available to them here, and the expectations of an officer in the Air Force since the decision to attend the Academy extends beyond the four-year college experience," he said.

Statistics show 91 percent of students who attend the Summer Seminars apply for admission to the Academy.