Praying.

We don't do any either.

My dd heard last year on 2/23/16. If his portal indicates that his ss application is complete, but no other status is indicated, he could give USNA Admissions a call. It would likely be more effective to email his assigned admissions counselor if he has been given one.

Practice books may be good for practicing, but I don't think they accurately replicate the actual testing conditions. The early hour, all the other students around you, even possible uncomfortable seats...not the same as using a practice book in the comfort of your own home, relatively by yourself, with a nice cup of coffee. :) Just mho. We also opted to never indicate sending SAT or ACT scores in advance. That just takes the pressure off. We sent them after receiving the scores, and only to the schools my children were very serious about (i.e.2-3, not 15). Many schools often superscore too, so that is another factor to keep in mind.

With the ACT and SAT, I didn't have my children take it until they had completed Algebra 2. Also, DD found that her math ACT improved a lot after she had completed Trigonometry. So if your student is past those courses, go for it. It's good practice.

One other thought is to have DS research and learn about military history on his own, during recreational time. If it is an area that he is really genuinely interested in, he can pursue learning about it as a hobby, versus as a "school class." That way, he does it when he has the time. So the pressure of a more formal course is not there. And when you see to what extent he is/is not choosing to spend his time that way...it will give you a better perspective on how sure he is of that career field and/or how much he wants it. When my dc transitioned to high school, with specific and ambitious college goals in mind (and both in the military), many of their interests transitioned to their hobby/occasional spare time. They found time to pursue the things they were really interested in even with packed academic/extracurricular schedules. It also helped teach them prioritization/long-range planning.

I understand how you feel! 17 years here too. :) And about to send my second dc off to the Air Force Academy. For those of you in the thick of the challenging years (and which ones aren't?!!)...it really does fly by. I remember people saying that to me and wondering about that. In the end, the days sometimes go slowly, but the years tick by quickly. Love em, hug em, enjoy the time you have with them. And on the other side, it is bittersweet. But I am so glad to have had the opportunity to spend all those days/hours/minutes and years with our children. Never will regret that. HollyDay, congratulations to you and your family! Enjoy the next stage of your journey.

Mine (ds and dd) did it ALL the time when they were young. Constantly. Even when they were outside running around and playing. I chalked it up to: tons of literature exposure and little tv/media; active imaginations; a love of story-telling (and exposure to lots of creative story telling). In the early teens this activity transitioned to enjoyment of creative writing on their free time that continued for the rest of high school. (and now beyond!) Spending time like this together also helped to foster the close bond they still have at 20 and 18 yo. I actually loved hearing their tales. But gently, for those of you who find it hard to deal with....be patient and please don't correct it. Let them engage positively. These times will be gone before you know it. :)

Even though his resume was already submitted (and the interviewer may have it with him/her), I would suggest bringing a couple of copies of his resume and a pad of paper in one of those "portfolio" folders that has a space for the paper pad and usually a pocket on the inside cover for the resumes. Alternatively, resumes in a plain manila folder and a separate pad of notebook paper/pen works fine too. It always -- always -- is good to have a "finished and prepared" look about you. If the interviewer doesn't have your resume along, ds can offer one. If he does, no problem. The pad of paper is great for making notes - if the interviewer is talking and your son thinks of something he wants to be sure to mention, he can jot down a quick note. My ds and dd (and all of us here!) have walked into every interview this way and often, not used the resumes or the paper pad. But sometimes they have. And they felt more put together and confident with something in hand, even if they put it down on a table, floor, etc.

Margaret, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

This was my ds's math sequence (big mathy type like your ds)-- PreCalc/Trig - 10th grade AP Calc BC - 11th grade (definitely was equal to Calc 1 & 2 at college level) - prepped him very well for AP exam Calc 2 - DE at a private college, 12th grade first semester (his choice - his AP score got him validated into Calc 3 but wanted to make sure he knew Calc 2 super well) Calc 3 & Differential Equations (concurrently) - DE at a private college, 12th grade 2nd semester Tested into Calc 3 at US Air Force Academy(USAFA) - freshman fall Differential Equations - USAFA - freshman spring Sophomore year and beyond - lots of super mathy/techy courses like Engineering Math & Dynamics So essentially, he took Calc 2 twice, Calc 3 twice and Diff Eq twice. (He said that Calc 3 & Diff Eq at USAFA were harder and covered more topics than those courses at the private college where he took DE) His strong and heartfelt advice to any mathy types who are seriously considering an engineering field is to repeat those upper math classes. He purposely did that, because he knew he was going to want to know them like the back of his hand in his major(astronautical engineering). It positioned him really well to move into upper level math classes at USAFA as a freshman, which resulted in lots of other (and some unexpected) opportunities to take advanced courses and pursue things like academic research opportunities that he wouldn't have the slots for otherwise. He recently told me it was one of the best decisions he made :) HTH

You've gotten some great responses already! The service academies (heretofore, SAs) are a wonderful opportunity for many young people. It is awesome when a young person knows early on that they are interested in pursuing a SA appointment. The idea of planning your high school and activities with that goal in mind is a very good approach. That doesn't mean a student can't decide in 10th grade to pursue that route. My two dc fell into both categories – when ds was 5 yo, he knew he wanted to fly; by the time 8th grade started, his dream was to go to USAFA. He even knew what he wanted to major in! On the other hand, dd decided on that goal later, during high school. DS is currently at USAFA and also had received an appointment to USNA; dd has received an appointment to USAFA and is still in the “wait zone†with USNA. One of my first suggestions would be to open an account on Service Academy Forums (SAF). It is an amazing resource for ALL of the service academies. I have learned a ton reading there. Likewise, dd and ds also have accounts and enjoy answering questions and mentoring other students interested in the academies. And you will indeed learn acronyms. :) Welcome to a whole new world. I can rattle them off like crazy now, and not even think about it. But in the beginning, I was completely clueless. Recently, dd posted a great answer to a USAFA/SAF thread related to your questions. The young man who started the thread had rambled on a bit about what he “hoped to do†or “had done†but wasn't so focused on what he was doing :) He was in 10th grade, if I accurately recall. So as an initial response to your inquiry, I will share below that great answer she crafted. Also, If you would like to pm me, please feel free to. I will be happy to share more detailed info that way with you, as well as explain how you/your dc can contact my dd via SAF. She said she would love to mentor young people who are interested in the SA and answer any questions they have. A side fun note - as a result of the WTM forums, I have two wonderful friends IRL – one whose dd is in the same year as my ds at USAFA, and the other whose ds is in 10th grade and aspiring to go to USAFA. That young man and his mom (now my friend) visited USAFA last fall, and they enjoyed being escorted for the day by my son...who, coincidentally, had first “met†the mom a few years ago on SAF. She was asking lots of questions that my ds answered. A few months later, she happened to pm me via WTM. It took only a few emails before I realized she already “knew†my ds. How small a world is that?! Here is dd's great advice to that young man on SAF (really applies for any of the SA): “I can definitely appreciate the complexities of being a homeschooled student applying to USAFA, as I have been homeschooled since first grade. It can be more difficult to get transcripts etc. just the way the academy wants them. But being homeschooled is not by any means a disadvantage in pursuing an appointment to USAFA. When I looked at your list of “credentialsâ€, I was surprised to see a lot of things that are a bit unrelated included in the list. Where you were born, “was in Civil Air Patrol, may join againâ€, “would love to start learning Arabicâ€, “during 8th grade…â€, and…“Terrified of heightsâ€? I understand that you included a lot of these just to give background information, and that’s fine. But realize that most of those won’t be helpful on your path to USAFA. For example, in the Academy applications, what you did before ninth grade is not even considered. In fact, I recall that most of the activity-reporting sections instructed that only activities in 10th grade or after should be recorded. It seems like you have a lot of things you “used to do†or “want to doâ€, and not a lot that you are doing. I’m not saying this to be harsh. But it is important that you realize that just being interested in or “above average†in a bunch of things is not enough. The good news is that you do have time. I did not become interested in USAFA until just before the start of my junior year of HS, and I pretty much scrambled to get a plan together as to how I could take my small boring resume and turn it into something good. And it did work, although I’d have felt more confident about the application if I had started earlier. Right now you’re in a good position to start preparing yourself for an Academy, and it’s great that you’ve reached out for advice. Here is what I would suggest. Step one: Make a plan. Arrange all your activities/credentials etc. into three “tiers†based on their importance to USAFA, and prioritize accordingly. Tier 1: Obviously, this is the “can’t-do-without†category. The only thing in this tier is academics, which are alone 50-60% of your Academy application, according to the USAFA admissions page. Spend as much time as you have to in order to make your academic record stellar. Take dual enrollment classes. Especially if you are homeschooled, this is a major plus. It shows that you can not only perform above a HS level, but you can also do well in a formal classroom environment. Take the SAT/ACT early, and take them often. Do not assume that you will do well based on your performance on other tests; standardized tests are very different from “normal†tests. If at all possible, START TAKING ARABIC. I started studying Arabic in 11th grade, and I’m in College Arabic 4 (via dual enrollment) currently. So I can relate to you there. Hard critical languages (Arabic, Chinese, and Russian) are highly valued by the military, and it is a MAJOR plus to have a background in one of these when you apply to a service academy. It is almost impossible to overestimate the importance of academics in an Academy application. Having said that, don’t get discouraged if you have a few B’s. It is perfectly possible to get a couple of B’s and still have a great academic record. Tier 2: Major extracurricular activities which demonstrate a high level of leadership, responsibility, and commitment. For me, Tier 2 was getting my black belt in Taekwondo, tutoring math, my Moral Leadership Officer position in Civil Air Patrol, my job, and two scholarships I got to study Arabic. Tier 3: Anything and everything else. Such as: other volunteer work, smaller leadership positions, recreational sports, etc. Obviously, all the tiers are important. You won’t get in on just your Tier 1 credentials, any more than you would on just Tier 2. USAFA wants the “whole person.†But, the Tier system (created by my wise parents in order to help me focus on the important stuff ) is designed to be a constant reminder of where your priorities are. If you have to make a priority decision, Tier 1 comes before Tier 2 comes before Tier 3. Figure out what activities you’re going to start in each tier. Then go start them! Here’s some recommendations if you want specific activity ideas. Most of these are based on my personal experience, so there’s obviously a LOT more than this. - Martial arts - Volunteering/working as a tutor - Civil Air Patrol - Toastmasters Speech Club (You have to be 18 to officially join, but you can attend and participate as a minor. This will also help you prepare for interviews.) - Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity - 4-H club involvement - Any kind of employment Step 2: Stay in contact with your ALO. Do not hesitate to reach out to him/her if you have questions, but find a way to update him/her or stay in touch on a pretty regular basis. The ALO is your contact point with USAFA - show him/her how dedicated you are. Repeatedly. Step 3: Stick to your plan. By now you may be thinking, “Yeah, yeah, I know the drill.†But believe it or not, Step 3 is the hardest step by far. You will run into dozens of distractions. Your motives for applying to an Academy may be questioned by well-meaning friends or even family. You may be told “You know, it’s really hard to get into USAFA…†or “You’ll definitely get in!†Pay no attention to either. Work hard and keep your eyes fixed on the goal. Step 4: Apply! Start early! I recommend applying to Summer Seminar, if only to get your preliminary application submitted. Don’t worry if you don’t get in. I didn’t. Starting no later than spring of your junior year, make a timeline of ALL the deadlines that you have. Start working on those nomination applications! Apply for all of the nominations you’re eligible for. Try to submit your applications early. Basically, jump through all the hoops you’re asked to jump through, and plan farther ahead than you think you need to. You’ll be glad you did. Step 5: Send updates…then wait, hope, and pray!" Her advice is a great springboard. A couple of clarifying and closing comments. Both my dc had critical language skills at an advanced level by the time they applied to the SA. It is by no means required to receive an appointment, but their level of proficiency was pretty rare for high school students. This was planned on purpose. They chose that route to differentiate themselves with a unique ability that would definitely be valued by the military. It also showed a lot of dedication and plain old hard work, as their languages are in the top group of hardest languages to learn. Check out the languages offered at the academies your student is interested in. The “tier system†we suggested to our dc was really meant to help them learn to prioritize in life. It is helpful no matter where your kids go to college—or even if they don't! As you get in the thick of all your academics, activities, nomination applications, medical stuff, applications, etc., it is easy to lose sight of what is most important, or simply not have enough hours in the day to do everything. We didn't “tell†our dc what to do; when they were faced with a priority decision, we would ask them, “what tier does this fall in?†and dialogue so that they were figuring it out themselves. And that leads to my final, but perhaps most important thought for the night...the SA route is not for everyone. It is...hard. Every year, there are lots of qualified candidates who have marvelous credentials and who do not receive appointments. It must be your dc's dream, not your own. You can support and cheerlead, but ultimately they must be the driver of the nomination and application processes. That will be looked for during any/all interactions(phone calls, emails, etc) or interviews they have. And believe me, the people who interview them will easily be able to figure out if mom/dad drove the process or if the candidate did. The SA expect each candidate to be fully invested in their own future...because if they receive an appointment, the SA will be fully invested in educating and training them to be an outstanding military leader. HTH!

I have two of them:) I am running out to work right now, but will try to post later tonight. In the meantime, if you search the forums, you will find lots of past wonderful threads on the topic.

:grouphug: :grouphug: So sorry. Thank you for your words of wisdom to everyone.

Pianimals curriculum is great and you don't need any prior knowledge; I did it with my children. They moved on the the Piano Adventures series (did not start at the very beginning though) and at that point, began working with a piano teacher.

Only experience with AP Calc BC through FLVS, but it was a good one for ds. His teacher was great; she also wound up being one of his teacher recommenders for college. It prepared him for the AP exam, and he did very well on it. It is basically the equivalent of Calc 1 and Calc 2.

Oil of oregano

You've gotten some great advice/ideas already. I wanted to provide a bit of a different perspective based on our experience. DD whizzed through the first half, but struggled through the second half of Algebra I(Jacobs) in 8th grade. Wound up with an A, but was not confident in understanding the concepts. Did very well in Geometry in 9th and Algebra 2 in 10th grade. Took the SAT after finishing Algebra 2 and again, did very well. Dd was motivated and excited to begin dual enrollment in the fall of 11th grade. Despite testing at the advanced math level on the entrance exam (which allowed going right into PreCalc/Trig), dd strongly expressed a desire to take College Algebra during the first semester. Advisor encouraged the advanced math, but I let dd make the choice. This was a child who did NOT like math up until this point. AT ALL. Halfway through College Algebra, the bells and whistles began to ring, the angels began to sing, and lo and behold, dd realized a love of math and a desire to major in math/physics in college. Second semester of dual enrollment was PreCalc. Third was Trig. Fourth and final is Calc 1. Dd's desire to major in math or a closely related field is stronger than ever. She has been a volunteer tutor in the college math lab since completing College Algebra; that's how much she loves it. When dd made the decision to take College Algebra, it was because she wanted to have a better grasp of Algebra fundamentals before moving on. That was a decision dd will never regret. We both tend to think that if College Algebra had been skipped over, the math love and confidence would not have developed...she can't imagine what she would have missed if she had not given it a chance. She absolutely loves math now and discovering that was a factor in changing not only where she wanted to apply for college, but also her career aims. I realize your child is in the early high school years, and this might not apply to all children--but imho, there is rarely a negative that can come out of repeating math to mastery and confidence. My ds (older) followed a repetitive math sequence as well: AP Calc BC in 11th, DE Calc 2 in fall of 12th, DE Calc 3 and Differential Equations in Spring of 12th, then tested into Calc 3 at the very rigorous university where he is majoring in a super techie field. He has said it was one of the best decisions he's made. Just a little bit of a different perspective on the repitition of any given math course... HTH

Try a good calcium supplement. It's worked for a number of people I know. :)

FLVS Chinese 1 (Florida Virtual School), taken by ds (now 20) in 9th grade. It changed the course of his life (in a very wonderful and positive way)!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations to all!

Thank you all for your wisdom, support, encouragement and ideas over the years. And for being excited with us! For 17 years, I have been amazed at the accomplishments of all your children. DD says it still feels surreal....

DD received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy! She got the call from our senator's office early in the morning last Thursday. Later that evening she completed her taekwondo 1st degree black belt testing :) It will undoubtedly be a very memorable day in her life!

"Under consideration" is the next step after "received," so that is normal. :) The time frame for hearing about AFASS is anywhere between Feb-April. AFA has a protocol for the screening/selection process and it will move along accordingly. You or your ds are not going to be able to "hurry it up." :) If his SAT scores aren't good, they aren't going to help and if they were listed as optional, it means just that. A strong SAT score would help, definitely. But the lack of submitting scores when it is "optional" would likely mean the reviewers understand why. At this point, I would let it lie. Your instinct to not call the AFA is right on. While civilian colleges may or may not find that acceptable, it is definitely a "black mark" for parents to call/communicate with the service academies during these processes. Service academies are a completely different experience than civilian universities; from the very start, the academies want to be sure that prospective cadets who are applying are initiators and self-invested. If indeed the waiting gets to be too hard, your ds could call admissions himself to ask about the time frame. Am I right in assuming that your ds is considering applying for admission next year? If so, I would recommend that he significantly beef up his leadership activities - things like Civil Air Patrol, volunteering, work, and additional activities that make him stand out. Same with coursework. If he is taking the "normal" high school courses (even at AP level), can he add in an academic component that is uniquely distinguishing? One other thing--there is literally no correlation between being accepted to attend SS and receiving a future appointment. SS and admission to the AFA itself are completely different processes, and going to SS does not increase or decrease your chances of an appointment one iota. If you have other questions, feel free to pm me. I would be happy to share info based on our experiences.

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) offers online Chinese 1 thru 3. DS (now 20) took FLVS Chinese 1 and 2 in 9th and 10th grades, respectively. Because of his FLVS Chinese 1 teacher's suggestion to apply to a special program, he spent two weeks (fully paid for) in China during the summer between 9th and 10th grade. He attended a STARTALK program during the summer after 10th grade, then began skype dual enrollment tutoring and continued that thru 11th and 12th grades. We considered FLVS Chinese 3, but after speaking with the teacher herself, we all thought dual enrollment tutoring was a better way to go. Upon entering college, he was evaluated and placed at 3rd year Chinese at his university, which has one of the top Chinese programs in the country. He completed his minor during his freshman year and will be studying abroad for a semester soon. FLVS Chinese provided an excellent foundation and opened many doors for him. So I would highly recommend it. One other item...it takes real commitment on the part of the student to learn Chinese. It is a difficult language and requires lots of study time. :) HTH!