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Application Advice

Maddie Fender | September 12, 2023

Madeline FenderIf I were to give high school applicants advice when applying to the Academy, I would tell them to continue to be highly involved in their high school activities and schoolwork. The Academy is an extremely busy place and everyone has clubs and sports they are involved with, in addition to military and academic obligations. By getting these time management skills in high school, the transition to the Academy will be smoother and you will already have some of the skills you need to succeed. 

 

As I was building my application, I had multiple people read over all of my essays and submissions before I turned them in. Each time I made a new essay draft, I had my neighbor and parents read it to make sure I did not have any grammar mistakes and help make improvements. I also found it extremely helpful to stay in contact with my admissions officer for my area and updated her with new transcripts and test scores as the school year went on. 

 

Because the medical process takes a while, I would also recommend applying as early as possible. This will allow you time to make changes to your application, whether this be trying to improve your PFE score or getting your GPA up if necessary. This will enable you to have a stronger application and may allow you to accept your appointment sooner. 

 

I also knew that I wanted to come to CGA more than any other college or military institution and could not imagine myself anywhere else. I made this extremely clear to my admissions officer and during AIM, which I think made me stand out from other applicants who were not sure if CGA was for them. There are many opportunities to get on campus and get to know the school before swab summer. I would highly recommend attending AIM or doing a campus visit like Bear’s Day or the Beansprout overnight program during the school year. This will allow you to get a taste of everyday life and the amazing opportunities available to students here on a daily basis.

About Maddie

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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