2008-2009 Catalog - United States Air Force Academy

The Air Force Academy Preparatory School, popularly known as the “Prep School,” prepares young men and women
academically, physically, and militarily to enter the Air Force Academy. Located on the Academy grounds, this tenmonth
school affords intensive preparation, making selected applicants more competitive for entrance into the Academy.
Approximately 240 students between the ages of seventeen and twenty-two begin the program in late July. The Prep School
emphasizes the same four areas as the Academy—academic, military, athletic, and character development. The curriculum
includes math, English, and science. Students at the Prep School are addressed as “cadet candidates.”
colonel todd m. zachary
Commander, USAF Academy Preparatory School
Colonel Todd M. Zachary is commander of the United States Air Force Academy
Preparatory School. He directs a one-year academic, military-training, athletic and
character development program leading graduates to possible appointment in the
Cadet Wing. The colonel entered the Air Force in 1987 as a graduate of the Reserve
Officer Training Corps program at California State University in Northbridge.
Colonel Zachary earned a Master’s degree in Humanities, from California State
University, Dominguez Hills in 1996 and a Master’s degree in Defense Studies from
Kings College, London in 1999. He is a graduate of the Joint Services Command
and Staff College, RAF Bracknell, UK , the Air Force School of Advanced Airpower
Studies, Maxwell AFB, AL, and the US Naval War College, Newport, RI. Colonel
Zachary is a Command Navigator with over 2,400 flying hours in the T-37, T43A,
B-52G and B-52H aircraft. His first assignment was flying the B-52 Stratofortress at
Minot AFB, ND. In addition to Minot AFB, the colonel has served at Randolph AFB, TX; RAF Bracknell, UK;
Maxwell AFB, AL; the Pentagon; Naval War College, RI; and Elmendorf AFB, AK. Colonel Zachary assumed
duties as Preparatory School Commander in Jun 2008.
“The USAF Academy Preparatory School provides a special opportunity for selected young men and women
to earn an appointment to the Air Force Academy. Completion of the Prep School’s challenging curriculum
increases the student’s potential for admission to and successful completion of the Air Force Academy. To earn
an appointment to the Academy however, students must complete the Prep School program, meet Academy
entrance requirements, and be selected by the Academy Board. Awaiting those who are offered appointments
are superior professional leadership training, an outstanding academic education, and preparation to be a
highly successful career officer in the United States Air Force.”
academics
The academic program at the Prep School is rigorous and specifically designed to transition students from a high-school
academic environment to the world-class collegiate academic program at the Air Force Academy. To earn an appointment to
the Air Force Academy, students must meet historically established academic standards. To accomplish these goals the Prep
School divides the academic year into four quarters, each approximately nine weeks long. An integrated course in basic study
skills is required in the first quarter to learn time management and study techniques that will facilitate the transition to the
demanding requirements of college academics. The rest of the curriculum is designed to lay the groundwork for success in both
the technical and social science courses required at the Academy.
The Preparatory School offers a robust mathematics sequence, providing intense instruction in a spectrum of topics including
college algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and applications in science and engineering. The science curriculum uses chemistry to
teach all students fundamentals in scientific reasoning and problem-solving skills. The primary focus of English is to develop
solid writing skills through a composition program that incorporates literature and character-focused readings. The English
department also requires a course in reading in the social sciences to ready students for the reading requirements of college
courses in history, political science, and philosophy as well as hone writing and critical-thinking skills. Honors programs are
available for more advanced students in math, chemistry, and physics, as is the opportunity to take a freshman-level English,
or math course at the Academy in the spring. Instructors are readily accessible for extra academic assistance to anyone who
needs it. The success of the Prep School’s academic program has been borne out over the years with a graduation rate from the
Academy that very nearly matches the graduation rate of those appointed directly to the Academy.
24 United States Air Force Academy Catalog