Rising senior interested in engineering

P

paperclip

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Jul 11, 2023
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Hello, I am an Asian female interested in studying electrical engineering at an SA or through ROTC.

I got a pretty late start, only starting to look into the service route in March. I attended West Point SLE this summer. I don't know if this helps, but I attend a high school on an army base. I've been able to talk to a lot of service members thanks to this, and I've been leaning more toward ROTC because of my weakness in athletics and stronger academics.

While I was looking into the ROTC route, I learned that NROTC and AFROTC favors engineering majors. Before, I was thinking of majoring in Chemistry, Astronomy, or Applied Mathematics, but I realized that engineering sounds interesting too. I don't have a strong preference for a specific engineering major yet, though my main considerations are Electrical, Chemical, and Mechanical. This might be too specific, but I'm wondering if anyone has advice on these subjects. I have a solid math background and I like hands-on building stuff.

I feel that my athletics and leadership are on the weaker side, so I am looking to improve them and hope to gain some advice.
Here are some of my stats:

Academics:
SAT 1550
Took most rigorous (AP) classes available at school, all As (including Calculus BC junior year, which is pretty uncommon at my school)
Possible National Merit commendation or higher

Sports: JV track

Clubs/extracurricular activities:
Robotics team captain
Leader of band section/marching band
Member of all the honor societies at school (National Honor Society, etc)
1 year of JROTC
Did some volunteering through school clubs and church

Any advice or opinion would be highly appreciated, and thank you for reading!
 
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Welcome @paperclip. Good for you for doing your research in making this important decision. You have some impressive accomplishments. Not everyone at service academics and ROTC programs is a superstar athlete. You are expected to be in reasonably good shape and you will have to pass a candidate fitness assessment to receive an offer of admission and a quarterly fitness test thereafter, but these standards are not unreachable by any means. I would say that with your academic achievements, your high SAT score, and your strong STEM interests, you will be looked at as a serious candidate. Work on your leadership and your specific accomplishments as a leader (rather than just a job title.).
I would encourage you to look at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as an option. It is often overlooked, but it would give you many career options because you can enter any branch of the armed services or enter the maritime industry after graduation. No other academy or ROTC program will provide you with more hands on experience as an engineer, both throughout your time at the academy and while you work on a merchant ship during your sea year. If you look at the opportunity and have more questions feel free to come back and ask here. Good luck.
 
kpmom2013 said:
Welcome @paperclip. Good for you for doing your research in making this important decision. You have some impressive accomplishments. Not everyone at service academics and ROTC programs is a superstar athlete. You are expected to be in reasonably good shape and you will have to pass a candidate fitness assessment to receive an offer of admission and a quarterly fitness test thereafter, but these standards are not unreachable by any means. I would say that with your academic achievements, your high SAT score, and your strong STEM interests, you will be looked at as a serious candidate. Work on your leadership and your specific accomplishments as a leader (rather than just a job title.).
I would encourage you to look at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as an option. It is often overlooked, but it would give you many career options because you can enter any branch of the armed services or enter the maritime industry after graduation. No other academy or ROTC program will provide you with more hands on experience as an engineer, both throughout your time at the academy and while you work on a merchant ship during your sea year. If you look at the opportunity and have more questions feel free to come back and ask here. Good luck.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful and insightful advice! Your words about athleticism helped me, and I will make sure to keep in mind your point about leadership. Also, the Merchant Marine Academy seems like a great opportunity. I will definitely look more into that. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to share your advice with me.
 
Cross country should be starting about now. You would have to run anyway for CFA and it usually is a no-cut sport. May not make varsity, but it would still help demonstrate time management.

Also, DS didnt even start research on SAs until August of senior year, so you are still ok time wise. But, pay attention to nom application deadlines that may be early in your area.
 
My son went to VMI on a 4 yr scholarship and majored in CE. He was well prepared for the world outside of VMI. Congrats on the SAT, WOW! That's good stuff. You sound like a great fit for the AF Academy. Just start running today, and get a little more fit every day, less than 30 minutes a day will get you fit enough. Good luck!
 
True, the SAs and ROTC like engineering majors. But make sure you prioritize what you want to study for four years, not what you think will land you a scholarship or an appointment. That will lead to a more enriching experience in college, probably better academic performance, and probably better standing when it comes to picking MOS.

If you can hold off on precise choice of major until you’re in college, do so. For example, you may need to — or want to — declare engineering early on. But take some time, and use the resources around you, to learn more about the different types before committing. Some things that look (or bad) from the outside can look bad (or good) once you know more. Be open to the journey, and not just do what you think will serve you in the short term.
 
My kids were all sports types . And this is total personal opinion

But if one of mine had been remotely close to your academics , and none were, and they had not played or enjoyed sports, I doubt I would have suggested a SA. The physical activities are really important at a SA. They can break your body down,

Even mine who were all recruited sport types found the physical demands not easy.
 
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