Searching for college? Air Force Academy, great option

Cadet Matt Cook
Kaiserslautern American

As the senior year for many resident students draws near, one significant question may be facing those college bound students. What college is right for me? One possible solution to this daunting question could be the United States Air Force Academy.

 The Air Force Academy provides a multitude of opportunities and plenty of rigorous challenges for those students who desire something different than the average college experience. The Air Force Academy presents tough academics, consistent physical standards, and finally a military requirement deeply rooted in the cadets’ lifestyle. Though the Air Force Academy demands high expectations from its cadets, it in turn fosters many valuable experiences as well as opportunities upon commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Air Force.

Such programs available to those prospective students over the course of four years range from intercollegiate athletics, club athletics, a vast academic program ranging from 32 separate, accredited majors, exchange programs to 15 countries, and even jump and glider schools. Aside from the overwhelming number of activities, the staff provides a unique environment foreign to most traditional universities stateside. The classes are small and one-on-one interaction between the student and professor remains the standard. Students can expect extra instruction directly from their respective professors by simply expressing a desire to meet and establishing an appointment; teaching assistants and a hard-to-reach faculty found in many traditional universities is nonexistent to the cadet wing.

As a prospective college student myself just two years ago, I was faced with the same tough decision many students encounter toward the end of their high school years. My parents instilled in me at an early age a debt I owed to my country for the many freedoms it afforded me. Knowing I possessed several opportunities to attend other institutions, my decision to attend the Air Force Academy stemmed too from my mother’s prior service in the Air Force. My mother was activated during Desert Storm serving as a “buck sergeant,” which has since inspired me to serve in the same honor as her. The Air Force Academy provides me the avenue to serve my country and to help pay tribute to those who have served in the name of freedom which few universities can hope to offer. 
 
The Air Force Academy is a unique institution wrought in tradition and with a vision to develop young men and women to become officers of character and honor in the United States Air Force.

If you are a student who possesses the mental and athletic prowess along with the motivation and determination to face unfamiliar challenges for a tough, yet rewarding college experience, the Air Force Academy may be the right decision for you.