Pima,
No that is absolutely not what I was trying to convey. I mean't no disrespect to pilots whatsoever. I know ppl going for pilot slots that chose a major like business or Music because they knew themselves well enough to know that they would not be able to handle going into engineering while pursuing a pilot slot, there are others too who are simply more interested in liberal arts or international relations verses tech & science. I also know that there are several AE & Civil E majors going for a pilot slot who chose challenging majors because of their interest in them and their confidence in their own abilities to handle to pressure. I was saying the poster should be sure, when making a decision like this, to make an effort in finding out what kind of person they are. There is no shame in choosing a relatively less challenging major over a notoriously rigorous one based on A) you're interests, B) how well you think you'd handle the material, and C)you're ultimate goals and how they may be hindered.
Not saying that all cadets going for rated slots are in less challenging majors. (I've met more rated hopefuls in Tech majors, but there are also many non-tech.) People have many different reasons for choosing certain types of majors over others,
I was just advising the poster to think long and hard about whether or not their reasoning for choosing XMajor over YMajor will hold up when the going gets tough. For example, I considered 2 or 3 of the Majors listed on last year's "Major Priority List" but thought about it and came to the conclusion that, while they had peaked my interest, I personally would not have been able to find the motivation to stick with either of them when the going got tough. I knew the reasons I had compiled then were not solid enough to get me through, especially since the deciding factor would have been "bonus points" for my scholarship package.
I mentioned the tradeoff because doing what I am doing WHILE going for a pilot slot would be suicide. There just aren't enough hours in the day to pile on the intense work load that pilots have. There is alot of time, effort, and energy that goes into into doing what they do and I have alot of respect for them. If I happened to be interested in being a Pilot, then I know that I, personally, would have to give up something for that dream. A different engineering major perhaps, or quitting the Language Flagship Program. For some ppl, a tradeoff is necessary. For some ppl, it is not.
The ones that take a tradeoff are by no means less intelligent or weak, they simply were wise enough to take the best path for them. I was simply trying to advise the poster to do some soul searching, be honest with him/herself and try to get a good idea of what that path may be.
Dunnila,
There was one thing that was in the front of my mind when I was applying: My desire to be an Officer in the United States Air Force so I only applied for the AFROTC HSSP. The decision was personal and based on many things, though being in a tank/boat/airplane played no factor in it. To clarify, I was not saying that I didn't like being on an airplane, I would certainly jump out of a perfectly good airplane if the AF told me to
, I was saying that I have never felt the desire to be the one flying the plane. I always knew I wanted the military to be a part of my life and was actually trying to decide between Air Force and the Marines but something about the Air Force really resonated with me and I felt that it was a calling. I never considered the Navy's Nuclear program because at the time I was still hadn't decided between my top 3 engineering choices and knowing that now still does not make me want to go into the Navy. I agree, it does sound like an odd combination. But I wanted to pick something that I was interested in doing once(God willing) I have been afforded the opportunity to serve and then eventually retire. I didn't think the AF had any job related to Nuclear Engineering, but it turns out that they are concerned with Nuclear maintenance and deterrence among other things which is more than I had thought. If I get to use that degree in the AF then great! If not, I'm ok with that. All it'll mean is that I'll be living one dream at a time instead of having them all at once.
Tgun,
Bottom line. If you're interested in one of the Engineering/tech majors and it is really what you want, go for it. But if the deciding factor is a perceived edge for getting a scholarship, I ask that you consider how well your reasons for choosing that major will hold up when you are approaching your stress threshold and begin questioning why you did it in the first place. Know whether they are solid enough that reflecting back on them when you're down will give you strength and motivation necessary to keep going because reasons based on temporary, not long term gain, will not be there when you need them most.