High Flight: The Military Service Academy Prep Track
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The High Flight Program at Randolph-Macon Academy is designed for the student who has aspirations as a career military officer and of attending one of the United States service academies. It offers the student with a superior record daily emphasis in the following areas, which are all key components of a successful academy appointment:
- Advanced Academics
- SAT/ACT Preparation
- Leadership Development
- Athletic Participation
- Physical Fitness
- Community Service
Benefits and Responsibilities
Students accepted into the program will receive a $2,000/year High Flight Merit Scholarship. Students must remain in good standing to retain the scholarship each year.
Each student will be assigned to an R-MA mentor who thoroughly understands the service academy application process and can guide him or her through the process.
Students will be placed on an advanced academic track that is focused on math and science.
Students will receive additional physical fitness training focused on the rigors of the service academies and the candidate fitness tests.
Students will be required to serve a minimum number of community service hours in a variety of community service projects, which may include: assisting in offices, writing letters to soldiers, serving food at the local soup kitchen, assisting the admissions offices with tours and educational fairs, and helping to staff an R-MA booth at local festivals.
Once enrolled in the program, students will be expected to:
- Qualify for a cadre position (student leadership in the Air Force JROTC program) in their junior and senior years.
- Apply for all service academy summer leadership seminars as a junior and attend if selected.
- Actively participate in all weekly physical training sessions and show improvement on each semester physical fitness test.
- Attend the Summer Leadership Cadre Camp.
- Apply to at least two service academies and complete nomination requests for all nominations sources eligible for before beginning the senior year.
- Perform the duties of their assigned cadre position to the best of their abilities.
- Remain in the program through graduation.
Nominations to service academies are accomplished through the congressional nomination process. In addition, students applying to the U.S. Air Force Academy may receive a nomination from the R-MA president. There is no guarantee, implied or stated, that participants will be nominated/appointed.
Criteria
Students interested in the program must meet the following criteria:
- Be successfully accepted to Randolph-Macon Academy for grades 9 or 10.
- Have a GPA of 3.5.
- Pass an FAA flight physical.
- Be fully eligible for active military service.
- Complete a formal application (in addition to the admissions application).
Selection for the program will be determined by the R-MA High Flight Selection Committee. Only five students per grade will be admitted. The program total will not 
exceed 20 students (five in each grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 upon full maturation of the program).
Deadlines
Selection for the High Fligh Program will occur in two cycles, 1 August and 1 February:
Application deadline for the 1 August selection committee is 15 June.
Application deadline for the 1 February selection committee is the Friday on which Christmas break begins.
All applications must be submitted to the Commandant. Applications received after a board deadline as listed above will be considered at the next available committee meeting.
Applicants who are not selected will continue to have their applications reviewed at every successive committee meeting until the second semester of their senior year.
Questions?
Please contact the Commandant at gsadler@rma.edu with any questions or download an application.
