Truth of non scholarship rotc?

BlazinGixxer

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So I was just recently on the phone with an AFROTC representative at a college and they told me that about 160 students are in the program. About 40% are on scholarship. Here is what gets me. He said that you don't need to be on a scholarship to finish AFROTC and to be commissioned as an officer. Is this true? He didn't even mention anything about being selected after sophomore year. Just, you'll still become an officer.

Thanks for the insight!
 
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Yes, you can commission without being on scholarship if you go through an ROTC program. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to be on a 4 year plan to be on scholarship as you can be awarded scholarships later on through the duration of your ROTC, i.e. 2 and 3 year scholarships
 
Yes, you can commission without being on scholarship if you go through an ROTC program. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to be on a 4 year plan to be on scholarship as you can be awarded scholarships later on through the duration of your ROTC, i.e. 2 and 3 year scholarships

What is the likely chance of commissioning without a scholarship? If I wouldn't receive a scholarship throught the program, I would still be perfectly content. What I don't understand "generally" is the Professional Officer Course. You don't need to be contracted to continue through the junior and senior year? (Compared to the Navy ROTC where supposedly you are removed from the ROTC program.)

Thank you very much for the reply!
 
Yes that is true.

What you should have asked was the % that go to SFT? What was their avg GPA? How many were tech compared to non-tech?

Attend SFT and you become a POC. Scholarship or no scholarship will not be a factor in the selection for SFT. No points are awarded, in the AD world it is called "masked"...no person on the board will know if you are or are not on AFROTC scholarship.

Major and gpa are not masked, and points are awarded.

As an AFROTC scholarship recipient if you are not selected for SFT, the scholarship is revoked. You are dis-enrolled from AFROTC, and now must find a way to pay that tuition bill for your jr and sr yr.

Nationally SFT selection is @ 55%, so that should give you insight about your chances.

I may be incorrect, but I am guessing you are not understanding that as a C300 you must be contracted to be commissioned. Contracting as a C300 has nothing to do with scholarships for AFROTC, it has everything to do with graduation from SFT.

Go back and ask some pertinent questions.

1. % that goes SFT
2. If non-tech the min gpa for acceptance to SFT
3. If not accepted to SFT how many are rolled into the 250 program, and how many 250's get SFT?
4. The min gpa for tech and non-tech majors to be a viable candidate for SFT
5. Career assignments, % of those that get their 1st choice?

ERAU will state they have the 2nd highest amount of UPT slots in numbers after the AFA.

This is true, however, ERAU is huge, and from a statistical perspective VT is a better choice because they have a 100% chance for UPT within their corps. They get less UPT slots, but their statistical chances for the cadet are higher.

Percentages are great if you understand they can work it to be positive for them. If you get the big picture you will look at it differently.

Good luck
 
You must be selected for and attend and complete SFT after your sophomore year in order to continue in AFROTC and commission. No scholarship is necessary. I believe there are more non-scholarship cadets than scholarship cadets.
 
BlazinGixxer said:
What is the likely chance of commissioning without a scholarship?

DS is going to UPT in May 2012 as an AFROTC scholarship cadet. Out of the 8 that are rated, he is the only scholarship recipient. Great odds for a non-scholarship cadet...88%!

SO your answer is 100% chance for commissioning as a non-scholarship if you go to SFT.
 
You all are amazing!

Pima, I'll be in contact with the AFROTC within the hour and I'll respond on the topic with my results from your suggested questions.

As for SFT, all candidates are automatically "enrolled" to attend SFT?

Thanks again! I'll reply fairly shortly with the responses.
 
BlazinGixxer said:
As for SFT, all candidates are automatically "enrolled" to attend SFT?

All C200's apply for SFT, but it is a board like scholarships, they are not enrolled. CPGA, AFOQT/SAT, PFT, jobs and recs are inputted for the selection board and awarded weight for the WCS. Have a 3.2 cgpa as a tech with an 80 PFT score could mean no go compared to the 3.1 non-tech, 96 PFT and flight commander! Only @ 55% nationally attend SFT.

SFT is akin to scholarships... WHOLE CANDIDATE SCORE.

It is NOT a given you will attend SFT, but it is a given that if you do not attend your chances of commissioning become close to nil...OCS is your new option.
 
Just got off the phone and this time it was a different person. He seemed to be very vague and wasn't into answering my questions.

He said that 20 of the students applied for the SFT but only 10 got it.
(Will call a different AFROTC representative and ask him about the 250)
For the GPA, he was persistent in saying a 2.5 gpa was "average" and also COMPETITIVE. (Which is never the case)

He also didn't know what percentage was tech vs non-tech and the career assignment percentage.

I'm glad to hear a percentage of 50% in being able to be selected.

I think I have competitive stats and an overall character.

Does anyone know the average characteristics of the SFT boards?
 
Below is a response from the Commander at a school my son is considering.

The minimum required GPA to compete for a Field Training slot is 2.0 for all major (tech, non-tech, and language). However, to be competitive, for a technical major, Det 805’s average GPA was 3.03 for selectees. Nationally, the average technical major selectee had a 3.22 GPA. Currently, the following factors and percentages are used to select cadets to attend FT: Commander’s evaluation (50%), Cumulative GPA (20%), Physical Fitness Test (15%) and SAT-R (15%). The SAT-R is the highest of the SAT, ACT or AFOQT depending on which the cadet took. AFROTC is currently reviewing these factors and the associated weight.
 
Below is a response from the Commander at a school my son is considering.

That is very helpful!

Well my concern now is the part where "The SAT-R is the highest of the SAT, ACT or AFOQT depending on which the cadet took. AFROTC is currently reviewing these factors and the associated weight. "

I'm going to transfer to one of the universities. (Most likely as a freshman again because it seems like their credit hours are mainly 5 hours not 3-4)

How is this going to affect me? Would I take the AFOQT?

Thank you again! I'm grateful for the helpful responses.
 
Just got off the phone and this time it was a different person. He seemed to be very vague and wasn't into answering my questions.
For the GPA, he was persistent in saying a 2.5 gpa was "average" and also COMPETITIVE. (Which is never the case)

Perhaps he ment 2.5 GPA was the average of his cadets competing for field training :wink:

Anyway, i was told by my Cadre today that he had just gotten a memo which stated begining this year, AFROTC will no longer consider cadets with a gpa below 2.5 for field training (and that it is a new, nationwide thing, not a detachment thing). READ: 2.5 CGPA is the new minimum for field training, not 2.0

After what we saw last year, while it will remove a small number of those competing for SFT, its only going to remove a tiny number of those who would have actually been selected for SFT because of high test scores/PFA/det ranking.

He also told us national average scores for those that were selected for field training last year were:
PFA: 96.1
SAT: 1150
 
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Perhaps he ment 2.5 GPA was the average of his cadets competing for field training :wink:

Anyway, i was told by my Cadre today that he had just gotten a memo which stated begining this year, AFROTC will no longer consider cadets with a gpa below 2.5 for field training (and that it is a new, nationwide thing, not a detachment thing). READ: 2.5 CGPA is the new minimum for field training, not 2.0

After what we saw last year, while it will remove a small number of those competing for SFT, its only going to remove a tiny number of those who would have actually been selected for SFT because of high test scores/PFA/det ranking.

He also told us national average scores for those that were selected for field training last year were:
PFA: 96.1
SAT: 1150

Thank you for the info! Now for the SAT of 1150, what is this combined with? I do plan on taking the SAT once again to get a better score. Is it Math and Reading?

Also, why is the GPA so low? (In my opinion I would think at least a 2.75 or even 3.0 would be appropriate)
 
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I believe it is math and reading, but i had my SAT-R score created by converting my AFOQT, so i'm not absolutley certain on that. And it used to be that AFROTC was taking pretty much everyone for field training, even those with GPAs around 2.0. The raise to 2.5 is just another indication that standards are rising.

Raising the cutoff to 3.0 would have a much larger impact. Many of those in the harder technical classes would be excluded if that happened...and we know air force loves tech majors. Also, its a lot harder to maintain a GPA above 3.0 than 2.5 and certainly 2.0. A lot of good cadets would be lost.
 
I believe it is math and reading, but i had my SAT-R score created by converting my AFOQT, so i'm not absolutley certain on that. And it used to be that AFROTC was taking pretty much everyone for field training, even those with GPAs around 2.0. The raise to 2.5 is just another indication that standards are rising.

Raising the cutoff to 3.0 would have a much larger impact. Many of those in the harder technical classes would be excluded if that happened...and we know air force loves tech majors. Also, its a lot harder to maintain a GPA above 3.0 than 2.5 and certainly 2.0. A lot of good cadets would be lost.

Right. Plus it's no easy thing keeping that GPA up with the additional demands ROTC places on you. And additionally for freshman there is the college transition thing which generally impacts the GPA and leaves many a good cadet already behind the 8 ball after first semester freshman year.

Also, remember that is the MINIMUM!!! It doesn't mean they'll go that low when picking for SFT, it's just a way to reduce the pool they pick from without even having to think about it. Saves everyone some work, which is also money.
 
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This sounds a lot like SPAM.

If this is the case, Please Stop.
 
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