<p>AFPJ as I have said before you should strongly consider enlisting. This will give you the opportunity to mature, and continue to study. If you use the delayed entry program you will be able to select a career path that will lead you to the SF community. I say this becuase I have known people in that community and Ramius is correct about the drive they share. I am a strong believer that you are the only one who will determine your future. the advice I am sharing is from 20+ years in the Air Force as a Firefighter and Medic. Your grades and homelife are an obstacle but you can overcome that. I believe the Academy is possible for you, but your best shot is through the enlisted ranks after you have built a stonger foundation in the basic sciences and probably with attendance at the prep school. I am not an ALO or on the admission panel so what I say isn’t gospel, just a realistic look from the outside.</p>