DD has to have a modern foreign language for Air Force Academy?

[summer]

According to what I am reading online, to get in to the Air Force Academy, DD must have a modern foreign language. We had finally decided on Latin, due to DD having troubles with learning languages. Now I am reconsidering this. She only recently started talking about the Academy, but I know she needs to be prepared if she ends up wanting to go there.

Do you think we should just go forward with the Latin and then let her add in a modern Language later if she still wants to go there? She is 7th grader now, 8th next year. She supposedly only needs 2 yrs to go there, but of course, it is a highly competitive school so more would likely be better. What do you think? I know a lot can change through the years so there really is nothing to say that she will truely settle on that school.

[Cadam]

Do Latin for now. That will prepare her for something else. If she is still wanting to go to the Academy when she hits HS you pick a modern language and stick with it.

[latinteach]

According to the website, in their list of "recommended high school courses," they suggest "two years of a modern foreign language including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian or Spanish if possible – all cadets at the Academy must take one of these seven languages." They also state "Remember, these are only our suggestions – you might need to modify them for your own situation. We give special consideration to students with honors and advanced placement classes."

First of all, I'd check with the Academy if she seriously wants to go to make sure they accept Latin on her transcript, but what I would take from their website is this. They are giving you "recommendations" and not "requirements." She'll have to take one of the listed modern languages while at the Academy -- they don't offer Latin -- so they are hoping to give cadets a head start.

Notice that they specifically state that they are looking for students who go the extra mile and take honors and Advanced Placement courses. I would imagine that a student with AP Latin scores on a transcript would have more of an advantage than a student who took a couple years of Spanish. But of course, you should check with them.

Remember that service academies admission is by appointment. There's always ROTC as a way to become an officer.

According to what I am reading online, to get in to the Air Force Academy, DD must have a modern foreign language. We had finally decided on Latin, due to DD having troubles with learning languages. Now I am reconsidering this. She only recently started talking about the Academy, but I know she needs to be prepared if she ends up wanting to go there.

Do you think we should just go forward with the Latin and then let her add in a modern Language later if she still wants to go there? She is 7th grader now, 8th next year. She supposedly only needs 2 yrs to go there, but of course, it is a highly competitive school so more would likely be better. What do you think? I know a lot can change through the years so there really is nothing to say that she will truely settle on that school.

[8FillTheHeart]

Not an answer to your foreign language inquiry, but I wanted to make the recommendation that your dd become involved in Civil Air Patrol if she isn't already. They earn rank, have scholarship money, etc. CAP cadets do have an advantage on USAFA admissions.

From the CAP website: "CAP is proud to report that 10% of U.S. Air Force Academy appointees are formed CAP cadets."

[Susan in IL]

Margaret in CO can give you all sorts of info about what is needed to get into any of the service academies.

[summer]

Yes, she is starting CAP later in the summer. Thanks!!! I had wondered if I should out it off or start right away on the CAP. Thing is, the nearest one is still 30+ minutes away so I was going to postpone it for another while, maybe another year. But perhaps I should go ahead and let her start now. She had been asking to do it a while ago, last fall and such.

[mcconnellboys]

I think you still have time for her to do two years of Latin, which might help set a base for her to then do a modern Romance language. Then she has four years of high school in which to do modern languages.

[Margaret in CO]

No, they will not accept Latin. Period. And as an ALO told us, if your child can't handle following the rules as laid out, this is not the place... We didn't catch the Latin problem until rather late (totally our fault) so dd did one level of Rosetta Stone in a semester (I know, I know, not really a full year's worth!) and then did a semester at the college--tada! Two credits! Can't say she learned much, but that wasn't the point. And now, she's minoring in Japanese, anyway.

Just as a sidenote, if dd is intestered in AFA for pilot, check out USMMA. Easier to get into, they can branch any service and they have a LOT of pilot slots!
On the ROTC thing, she will need to be applying for an ROTC slot too, or will be asked why not???? Check out ERAU.

[Gwen in VA]

Have her start CAP as soon as possible.

1) There is a time-in-grade requirement for most of the promotions, so to advance to a high level takes a certain amount of time even for a VERY highly motivated cadet.

2) There are summer programs available that are really really neat. Some of them are QUITE competitive, so an interested cadet should have a number of promotions and be active in leadership at the squadron. That takes time!

3) The leadership opportunities available through CAP (at not only the squadron level but also the state and even the national level) are really rewarding and look great on transcripts. But again, it takes time to have the experiences to be considered for these slots.

CAP is a great organizationl.

~Gwen (mother of a cadet colonel, captain, and airman first class; and wife of a deputy commander for cadets)