Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Vs. CSU ROTC

Cadet_091

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Hello, I have found myself confronted with a very difficult decision. Two great schools with outstanding academics and equally outstanding ROTC programs, Embry Riddle and CSU are my two choices for ROTC. I have talked to both ROO's and Colonels at both Universities, but I would really like a neutral spectator to comment what they think. As it is now, I can't really find anyone neutral as all of my Family and Friends want me to go in state to CSU.

Thank You,
Darien
 
If for some reason you were disenrolled from AROTC, would you be able to remain at ER versus the in-state tuition at Ft Collins without the scholarship?
 
If for some reason you were disenrolled from AROTC, would you be able to remain at ER versus the in-state tuition at Ft Collins without the scholarship?
I hadn't thought of that. Embry Riddle's total cost is $250,000 while CSU's is $100,000, though I could transfer over to CSU if that ever did happen.
 
I hadn't thought of that. Embry Riddle's total cost is $250,000 while CSU's is $100,000, though I could transfer over to CSU if that ever did happen.[/QUOTE

Have you visited both campuses?
 
Yes, I have. I was really impressed with both of them, though ER didn't show me the dorms or the food like CSU did.
 
The school, and its vibe is more important than the cadre. Most PMS will rotate out every few years. Focus your decision on the school and major field of study.

CSU will give you a more " college" big school experience versus ERAU is a very specialized aeronautics school.

CSU is more financially practical but you should go with what your your inner voice says.
 
The school, and its vibe is more important than the cadre. Most PMS will rotate out every few years. Focus your decision on the school and major field of study.

CSU will give you a more " college" big school experience versus ERAU is a very specialized aeronautics school.

CSU is more financially practical but you should go with what your your inner voice says.

I would prefer CSU more for the experience, however Embry Riddle advertises itself as a very prestigious school. I'm just not sure if its prestigious enough to warrant a decision.
 
Ten years from now after leaving the Army, if you apply for a job, there will be some people (non engineer types) who never heard of ERAU.

Almost everyone will know about CSU.
 
Ten years from now after leaving the Army, if you apply for a job, there will be some people (non engineer types) who never heard of ERAU.

Almost everyone will know about CSU.
Yeah, that makes sense. Thank you very much for your help! I think Im a little bit closer to my decision.
 
With a daughter that completed AROTC at a small school (University or Portland - 3600 students) and a son that will be commissioning from a large school (Boise State) in five weeks, I can tell you there is no right answer as everybody is looking for something different. Are you talking ERAU in Prescott or Florida? That would be a factor for me because I dislike Florida whereas I love Prescott. It's 2 hours from the Grand Canyon, 45 minutes from world class mountain biking in Sedona, 90 minutes from Phoenix and 4 hours from Lake Powell. Some minor things to think about...

Both my kids wanted to get away from SoCal and experience something different. My daughter loved the small class sizes at UP and having easy access to her professors. She got tired of the limited food options on a small campus while Boise State had Quiznos, Taco Bell, Chick Fil A, Starbucks & Subway right on campus. Luckily Portland has tons of food options off campus and has more food trucks that any other city. She missed going to football games like she was able to in high school and needless to say, that's a highlight at Boise State.

Most people I know that went to ERAU want to be pilots and they have a very strong aviation program. Depending on what you want to do when you leave military, a diploma from ERAU *might* carry some weight while CSU is just another university from what I know. It's not like it's Michigan, Stanford or even Purdue.
 
My son goes to ERAU in Prescott. He really likes the city, his classes, and his AF ROTC cadre and fellow cadets. Class sizes are small and he finds his aerospace engineering major challenging. He and his friends go hiking most weekends.

That being said it's not for everyone, especially if you're interested in a liberal arts major. We were able to get a nice scholarship from the school so if his ROTC scholarship didn't come through it would have still been affordable for us. But everyone's situation is different. ERAU does have a good reputation among aerospace companies if that's your longer term goal.

As others have said go where it feels right to you. Both CSU and ERAU are good options, so pick where you think you'll have the best chance to succeed.
 
Did you compare battalion size, attend PT or compare academic GPA for your major? When DS visited ERAU the ME average GPA was quite low. Students (non ROTC) recommended taking Chem somewhere else. The Cadre were wonderful there but DS opted for a regular college experience with a battalion size where he felt he'd have more chance of standing out. That said, if you want to fly then ERAU would be it.
 
ERUA - Daytona, that is, was actually my top school choice for a while, with PSU being 2nd in line. Yes, ERAU is a very very good aerospace school. Originally I wanted to do stuff in the air traffic control world .... but eventually morphed to aerospace engineering ... and finally mechanical engineering.

Had a chance to visit the campus the summer before my freshman year, and I liked it. Though, the campus is an interesting set up, being that the ROTC stuff is on the other side of the highway. It seemed like a decent small school to me; nice small classes with plenty of one on one professor opportunity; felt like a place where I could fit in. Disclaimer: during this time, I was predominantly on the AFROTC boat. But something just didn't quite feel right. I think a big thing for me, was the distance factor; hailing from PA, FL is quite a ways away ... not to mention expensive for flights to and from.

And on the flip side, there was PSU. If you don't know what PSU is .... or mistakenly think it stands for some place called Portland State University ... then you must be living under a rock, but I digress. PSU is a very big campus; I routinely walk about 4-7 miles each day, to and from classes (solely just walking to class, not including PT, etc). It's got a very good ROTC program across all branches and has a solid engineering program across the board as well - so there's no going wrong there. For me, part of the reason why I chose a big school, was because of the shear amount of choices I had --> in the event that I didn't like major A and wanted to switch to major XYZ. And that proved to come in handy. I never quite knew how strong ERAU's mechanical program was compared to aerospace engineering, but I had no doubt that both those majors at Penn State were good ones. And yeah, sure class sizes can be humongous (largest seats around 800-900), but that honestly didn't bother me. But I guess what I'm trying to say is, Penn State was just right for me; for a variety of different reasons.

I know that probably wasn't a well organized statement, but here's my point:

Gonna steal a line from what Pima told me once, but if you were to close you eyes, where do you see home to be? If you can think of a place pretty much right off the bat, then I think you know what the answer is.

Good luck.
 
ERAU is the #2 aerospace engineering program in the US (behind Penn State). And it has the smallest class sizes 30-40 max. No huge lecture halls. The NROTC unit is top-notch. Just attended their Preview Day for accepted students with my son this weekend. Definitely worth a visit.
 
Thanks to everyone commenting. I understand ERAU is one of the best when it comes to Aeronautical majors, but I am fixed on Computer Science. That's what makes the decision so tough, as Colorado State and ERAU are pretty equal when it comes to computer science.

As for feeling at home, I have my family here in Colorado, but I also have other family in Florida that I'm just as close too, and they're only an hour away. Both Fort Collins and Daytona Beach are amazing towns, too, so location is pretty even also.

I do have to say though that I'm leaning a bit towards CSU. Their ROTC program is larger, so it gives me more chances to lead when I get into my later years of college. The amount of graduating cadets that get active duty slots at CSU is around 85% (more or less), and they just had a cadet graduate amongst the top ten in the nation. Finally, CSU seemed to host a little bit more ROTC activities than ERAU, and their rec facility rates as one of the best in the nation.

But I'm not sure if these factors justify a decision yet.
 
Darien, what kind of weather do you like? ERAU in Florida or Prescott? Humping a ruck in the Florida heat and humidity may not be that fun. Conversely, Ft. Collins in the winter can be " uncomfortable", picture yourself low crawling in a foot of snow or humping a ruck at 10-11K altitude. I will say Ft. Collins is a beautiful city and close so many recreational opportunities that it will blow your mind! Denver is centrally located so its easy to fly to just about anyplace. Holler if you have any Colorado specific questions and good luck with your decision.

P.S. I thought I read CSU offers free R/B to freshmen it the ROTC program.
 
one more thing... due to the proximity to Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs and Camp Out in the Middle of Nowhere Wyoming the Colorado AROTC units get excellent training opportunities.
 
Ten years from now after leaving the Army, if you apply for a job, there will be some people (non engineer types) who never heard of ERAU.

Almost everyone will know about CSU.
What is CSU?
 
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