Is there a limit on how many NCSA's a person could do per summer? Say Event 1 happened one month, while Event 2 happened the other month. Could a cadet do both?
You can go to as many as you can get to / are accepted to. It's not unusual for some cadets to be gone all summer
and go from one activity to the next.
As an example, you could easily hit Johnson Flight Academy, HMRS, and then still make Blue Beret or NESA, with more then a month left of the summer after,
and those are just examples of the flashier ones. There's plenty of others that don't overlap.
I've found that your chances of getting accepted to multiple NCSA's is low. For instance, if you get into one, it drops you down the list for number two. My daughter was accepted to AFSCFC and was being considered as an alternate for JFA. But when they saw she was attending AFSCFC, she was no longer considered for JFA.
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I should add, the take away is that there are several thousand cadets applying for 1200 or so spots nationwide. So think carefully about what order you list your preferences in e-services. Also, if you really want to attend a particular NCSA keep those dates available. My son got alternate for NBB but was called the day before to attend. Unfortunately he had already made alternate plans and wasn't able to go.
On a side note my daughter said the space command course was the best activity she's attended so far. They were also able to see a SpaceX launch so that was just icing on the cake.
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NHQ's priority is to try to get every cadet to at least one NCSA, if they have applied. This is why the priorities in your application matters. If you have a program that isn't as competitive as PJOC or NBB first, you'll likely get your first choice, but then you go down to bottom of the list for a second round, and by then, the highly competitive activities' slots are filled.
Also, if you get slotted for an event, the system will remove you from any other NCSAs that have a date conflict. So if you later decline your slot to that activity, you'll need to add the other activities back in.
Is every cadet attending one possible based on applicants vs availability? I don't have the numbers but I'm guessing only a third or so actually get selected.
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What about for seniors looking to staff NCSAs? Is there a similar selection/slotting process or is it based on mere availability?
Each Activity Director selects their own staff, so every event is a little different. I would suggest trying to find out their email address after applying and then send a short note of why you want to staff the event and mention any specific skills you have than can contribute to the event.
MER Honor Guard Academy was my first NCSA last year and there were a few officers that immediately came from COS to HGA.
Quote from: xray328 on June 22, 2018, 06:01:55 PM
Is every cadet attending one possible based on applicants vs availability? I don't have the numbers but I'm guessing only a third or so actually get selected.
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Though looking at the # of applications and seeing how many cadets attended at least one activity would be easy, it wouldn't give the whole picture. There are a number of cadets that apply and then get slotted for an activity, but they have to decline the slot due to conflicts. They were given the opportunity to attend, but chose not to attend. Cadets will apply very late, because a prior conflict was resolved., but probably won't get in. So, it's not a static thing you can easily evaluate.
Not every cadet that applied will get into an NCSA. This is especially true for those that only apply for one activity, such as IACE.
Remember also that lots of Cadets and Senior members do not get their paperwork or payments in on time. Once that deadline passes the alternates are contacted.
Quote from: MSG Mac on June 25, 2018, 10:27:51 PM
Remember also that lots of Cadets and Senior members do not get their paperwork or payments in on time. Once that deadline passes the alternates are contacted.
And in no specific order, being the "first alternate" means nothing, several factors are considered in the selection of who's contacted.
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In late March, I became interested in participating in a special activity as a senior member. While I sent a general inquiry to NHQ it is better to be more specific. I was most interested in the Cyberspace Defense Training Academy (CDTA) because it was inexpensive, I have some background in computers, and was at Lackland AFB where I spent some time many years ago. I was put in touch with Lt Col Zachariah, the activity director, and ended up serving as the Chief Tactical Officer (I presume that they used this terminology since it is an academic course an there are are a number of cadets and senior members presenting training).
I thought it was a very worthwhile experience although I didn't get much sleep. I heard one cadet tell his mother (at the airport on the way home) that it was both more academically intense and more like encampment than he expected. I believe this was a valid observation. There were no formal inspections, however, there was PT and some marching to get places.
I hope to go again next year. This NCSA might have benefited from a few more senior members and I suspect that is often the case.
My goal is four NCSA's and one or two encampments this year. It's going to be my longest year YET. Selected for CLA 2019, applied for flight academies, PJOC, HMRS, and am planning on going to Connecticut Encampment and maybe Texas for the winter.