Air Force ROTC Chances??

mikeymikex3

5-Year Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2014
Messages
5
I am currently a senior in high school and i have just finished my interview with a lt col from a nearby detachment so my application is already finished and i want to know what my chances are of getting a scholarship. This is a general overview of my background:

Academics:

GPA: 4.1 (weighted) 3.9 (unweighted)
(went a little low on the APs. I took 1 honors freshman+soph and 2 APs as a junior+senior)
Ranking: Top 10 percent
ACT: composite 29, english 31, math 29, reading 28, science 29, writing 10

Activities/Leadership

Varsity Wrestling: Team Captain, 3x letterman, 3x scholar athlete, MVP, 2x League Champ
Freshman Football: Starting Cornerback, team captain, scholar athlete
School Orchestra: Section Leader, soloist, president (1 yr)


Volunteer/other

City Supervisor Campaign volunteer (phone banking, precinct walking, and data entry),
Video Producer: Terra Linda High School Wrestling Banquet
SR City Task Force - Cleaned graffiti throughout Marin County
Referee: youth wrestling
Assistant Counselor: Christian summer camp


PFA Scores

82 pushups
70 situps
10:18 1.5 mile

For the interview, the officer that interviewed me said that he was "tremendously impressed" and gave me a lot of other comments that indicated that i did very well.

Realistically, what are my chances of receiving an AFROTC Scholarship? Does the fact that I'm Chinese help at all?
 
A type 7 would be the highest I would say. Your PAR is below the median for a 1 or 2. Par is 60% of your Whole Candidate Score (WCS). Last time I looked up the median ACT for the higher tiers they are in the 30s. Plus, since only your academics count through your junior year, thus you might take a hit for the rigor of your course curriculum.
~ Might because they will take into account if the school requires prereqs for AP. IOWs if the school basically doesn't have kids in AP classes until their senior year or could you have taken them all along....such as, Bio, Chemistry, APUSH, APGovt, APstats, etc. You will not get dinged if it the first, but can get dinged if you fall into the latter.
~~~ My kids went to 2 different HS in 2 different states. Our DS had 5 APs by his junior year because he could do the latte example taking AP. Our DD only had 2 because she had to fill up with specific reqs before she could take APs, but her senior year was all APs so in the end they both had 8 or 9 at graduation.

Your PFA is not a max....the run is where you took the big hit. Max run is under 9 mins.

You are going to have to wait until Christmas to know the decision. At this time I would move forward with the hopes of getting one and start looking at getting your medical records in order for the DoDMERB because that is where the real stress occurs for many candidates. They never realized something that occurred when they were 14 will now place them into a remedial or waiver pools.
 
Thank you for the response and the details! What exactly is par; is it the academics portion of my score? Does the fact that I'm Chinese affect my chances at all?
 
PAR stands for Prior Academic Record

Honestly,I can't recall if ethnicity matters, but my gut says no, not directly, you will not get an edge.

Here is why. The Whole Candidate Score aka WCS is pretty straight forward. PAR, ECs, PFA, Interview. Not in one place is a % of the score awarded to ethnicity. Now that being said...the interview could increase your score if thy see it as a URM issue.

Honestly, remember being awarded is only one part. DQ DoDMERB and no scholarship. Bust the PFA and you can't contract.
 
Good Morning Pima,

I am currently a AS250 and will of course be competing for an EA come this spring. I was just wondering if you could give me your opinion of how I'm doing and what my chances are?

Degree: Accounting (NonTech)
GPA: 3.4 (3.6 omitting two classes I messed up in high school. 4.0 last semester)
PFA: 98.5
AFOQT: Waiting on results.
Commander Ranking: Unknown
Activities: Honor Guard, AAS, and Physical Training Officer.

I was also wondering if the EA selection rate should be going up or down this year. 60% last year wasn't fun even though our det. has a reputation of exceeding that mark. My intent is to go rated also and that may help me with selection. Thank you for any information you can give me.
 
JMPO, but it would be wrong to answer that question because you are missing the most important information to even give a guess on a :thumb: or :unhappy: opinion.

The rank and the AFOQT makes up the majority of the score.

As a 250, your ranking may change on the score of the AFOQT impo because they only have a semester to see your leadership ability compared to a 200 that they have observed for a year+. A 35 on the exam for you can hurt, whereas a 95 can bump you up on the ranking.

I am confused with why you included your HS grade for your cgpa. Did they include it with your college? I.E. took jump start at a CC in HS, and the college transferred that in as official college transcript.
~ Our DS did jump start in HS, but his HS saw that as part of his HS academic career, Sim. to an AP. He received credits, but no grade transferred in.

As for the 60% aspect. I get the fear, but believe it or not prior to the graduating class of 14, it might have been 13, 60% was a great outcome for selection. Cadets in the system now don't remember that the class of 12 and every year prior had a 55% selection rate. That was common.
~ I recall when the 90% rate came out, and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. This was before sequestration.

The other factor is going to be how many are currently 200/250s. HQ AF knows how many ADAF officers they need to commission in 2017. Assume it is 2000, now minus out AFA. assume they are 800. That leaves 1200. Yet, there is a third prong...OCS. They are going to want to keep that prong, not only for college grads that did not do ROTC, but enlisted applying. Assume 300 for them. That means they have 900 slots for ROTC, and once they complete SFT they are basically considered safe for commissioning. If the pool is1650 applicants than it will be the 60% rate.
~ Nobody flame me with AFROTC commissions X number...I was just doing simple math as an example.

I would also say this is my personal opinion, but don't expect the option given to 14/15 grads of walking/reserve/guard to become the norm for AFROTC like going Guard/Reserve option for AROTC. I say that for several reasons.
1. AF is the smallest branch of the 3.
2. They have SFT as a fail safe switch. Even, scholarship recipients can be cut at the end of their 200 year.
3. Sooner or later Guard units will be filled up because of the releasing of ROTC cadets. That is before discussing the rated jobs at those units. Airlines have announced a huge hiring push. They can fill up slots with those pilots bolting for the airlines,sending them through a short pilot training course, having them operational in 6 months compared to sending them through UPT and airframe training which could be a total of 2 years.

Again, jmpo, but I think the whole Guard/Reserve option was a quick fix, not a long term goal.

Hope that helps with insight. Post back when you get your AFOQT scores.

OBTW, of you really want to go pilot, ask the folks for some private pilot flight lessons for Christmas, Chanukah, or your birthday. You will want those hours for your rated board PCSM. I believe ten hours is the min. For a point bump. If you get a PPL, you get to go past jail and straight to Go. IOWs IFS is waived and you go straight to UPT.
 
Thanks for the info Pima. Yep, the rank and AFOQT are huge parts of the equation. I'm hoping to get my results back late next week and my semester counseling with the coronel is the week after. I'll make sure to ask him how I stack up. I believe I should be in the middle of my class as far as rank goes. Also I am financially able to go out and get 10 hrs but I want to make sure I have a fighting chance before I spend $1500-$2000. If all goes as planned I'll go out and get that PPL. I'll be back with the results of the AFOQT soon. Thanks again Pima.
 
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