When to start AFROTC application?

coastiefam

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Another newbie question - thanks for your patience and help!

When do you recommend starting the AFROTC application process? I see on the website that it's not due until December but have read on these forums about different AFROTC boards and the importance of being looked at early.

My DS is finishing up his junior year. Once AP exams are over mid-May he should have time to work on an application before school gets out (ie: guidance counselors are still working) which is mid-June here.

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Another newbie question - thanks for your patience and help!

When do you recommend starting the AFROTC application process? I see on the website that it's not due until December but have read on these forums about different AFROTC boards and the importance of being looked at early.

My DS is finishing up his junior year. Once AP exams are over mid-May he should have time to work on an application before school gets out (ie: guidance counselors are still working) which is mid-June here.

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

For AFROTC, as I recall, they only consider up through Junior year and ignore their senior year. Therefore right after exams would be great. It's a first-in-first-out process so the earlier the better.
 
kinnem is correct AFROTC only includes through the end of their jr. yr.

The only thing you can update would be a new SAT/ACT scores. ECs and cgpa are not allowed to be updated.

He is also correct it is a First In, First Out for meeting the boards. Many applicants will apply for multiple ROTC scholarships, and the sister branches meet earlier than AFROTC. Thus, they may have them done in early summer. Plus, many SA applicants will apply for ROTC scholarship as plan B. They tend to have it done in the summer too.

Don't assume because you submit the last day that they say you can to meet the Dec. board, that you will actually meet it.

If I recall for our DS, his paperwork was in by mid August at the latest. H met the 1st board and had his scholarship in hand on Dec 23rd.

The other reason you want to be early is there is a limited pot of money. AFROTC only gives out @900 scholarships per yr. Type 1 is 5%, or @50. Type 2 is @15% or about 140. The remaining 700 will go Type 7. The last stats I saw, they have over 5K applicants that are boarded, so overall the scholarship offer rate is @20%
 
kinnem is correct AFROTC only includes through the end of their jr. yr.

The only thing you can update would be a new SAT/ACT scores. ECs and cgpa are not allowed to be updated.

He is also correct it is a First In, First Out for meeting the boards. Many applicants will apply for multiple ROTC scholarships, and the sister branches meet earlier than AFROTC. Thus, they may have them done in early summer. Plus, many SA applicants will apply for ROTC scholarship as plan B. They tend to have it done in the summer too.

Don't assume because you submit the last day that they say you can to meet the Dec. board, that you will actually meet it.

If I recall for our DS, his paperwork was in by mid August at the latest. H met the 1st board and had his scholarship in hand on Dec 23rd.

The other reason you want to be early is there is a limited pot of money. AFROTC only gives out @900 scholarships per yr. Type 1 is 5%, or @50. Type 2 is @15% or about 140. The remaining 700 will go Type 7. The last stats I saw, they have over 5K applicants that are boarded, so overall the scholarship offer rate is @20%
A year ago my son had his application complete with the exception of the interview by mid Aug but the interview was not completed until mid September and he met the first board and was awarded a scholarship.
 
DS logged into last year's HSSP application and it says this year the process will open on 1 Jun '13.
Agree with others to start as early as you can. DS delayed because he wanted to maximize PT and ACT scores...didn't fill out paperwork until Nov '12, interviewed in Dec '12, scholarship awarded early Feb '13.
 
Packer,

My point was they give a cut off date, and it is usually about a week out prior to the board.

Your DS was in the queue in Sept. Not 10 days out in Dec.

Just saying that do not assume if you get it in on the last day for the Dec. board they will meet the Dec board. Your DS and my DS went up before anyone that submitted in Oct, Nov or Dec.

It is not uncommon for applicants to be re-boarded. If they are not boarded on the 1st due to submitting later, and have to wait until the 2nd, that pot of money will still be dispersed no matter what to applicants like our kids.

Just saying, why risk it? Academically, and EC nothing changes, but the SAT/ACT. You can update that even when you are in the queue.

One thing I would stress is the PFA. It can be the make or break, don't assume it doesn't have an impact. Can't do a 7:30 min mile, and you will get dinged! 7:30 is nowhere near max. Just an example.

OBTW, No you cannot use the CFA scores for AFROTC. It is like the SAT/ACT, parameters are different. They will have to take the PFA. Schedule it for 2 different days if they are applying for an SA and ROTC scholarship.

Basically the only thing that they will use for both is the DoDMERB exam.

As a parent, get that in order. I.E if you know there is a slight chance of medical DQ, get their records in order.
 
DS got his paperwork sent off at the end of October. Had his interview the day before Thanksgiving and the Colonel that interviewed him said technically he should make the December board but there was no guarantee. As it turned out, he did go up before that first board, was reboarded and was awarded in the January board. As everyone else has recommended, get it in early so you have the chance to meet multiple boards. The other consideration is what the sequester might do to the overall number of scholarships awarded next year.
 
Packer,

My point was they give a cut off date, and it is usually about a week out prior to the board.

Your DS was in the queue in Sept. Not 10 days out in Dec.

Just saying that do not assume if you get it in on the last day for the Dec. board they will meet the Dec board. Your DS and my DS went up before anyone that submitted in Oct, Nov or Dec.

It is not uncommon for applicants to be re-boarded. If they are not boarded on the 1st due to submitting later, and have to wait until the 2nd, that pot of money will still be dispersed no matter what to applicants like our kids.

Just saying, why risk it? Academically, and EC nothing changes, but the SAT/ACT. You can update that even when you are in the queue.
I was only trying to add to your post but qualify a bit. Yes you want to get your application in early but it doesn't have to be August. Early is better but there are some things that may be somewhat out of an applicants control. My son wanted to be done in August but his ALO was doing the interview simultaneously with his AFA interview. The ALO makes the 3+ hr trip to our town when there are multiple applicants to interview. Mid to late September was whenthe ALO wanted to do the interviews and the ALO was fully aware of the AFROTC situation.

Get it done early but it doesn't have to be August to make the first board. It is good to get it out of the way before your senior year gets busy.
 
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