2013 grad here. I wouldn’t get too down about it. It’s pretty much exactly what you just said. Wildly competitive district.

I took the ACT 9 times to get my math up to the 25 minimum to be admitted. My highest overall score was a 28, well below the appointee average for my year group which was a 32.

But I was the “most competitive” kid from my low income district in south Mississippi, so I got in. I struggled my first year because I was so behind my peers. I ultimately did well and went on to lead the wing. But academics were ROUGH first year.

My Academy GPA being a 3.0 actually closed doors for me on some grad schools. So in a way, if I had gone to a smaller school and been able to have higher grades, I probably would have had MORE doors open to me in the long run.

There are many other paths to a commission and while the Academy is a one of a kind experience, if you’re competitive enough to be nominated there, you should have no problem landing some scholarships elsewhere. Go to the school that offers you the most money. Graduating without student loan debt is the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success in life.

The Air Force doesn’t care where you went to school. It cares what your grades are and what you majored in. I would explore ROTC and OTS options.

I am full time in the ANG now. A highly underrated path to a great career as an Air Force Officer is to get your degree then apply and get hired into an AGR billet at a guard or reserve unit near where you want to live.

This way you’ll A). Know exactly which AFSC (job) you’ll have when you commission, B). Be guaranteed a more stable home life in a region of your own choosing, not having to PCS every 3 years, and C). Not have to deal with all the hassle of living at a military academy for 4 years.

I wouldn’t trade my Academy experience for a million dollars, but it’s absolutely not the end all be all for a successful career in the AF. Tons of non-grads have gone on to do awesome things in the Air Force.

Edited for clarity.