AFROTC scholarship questions

Hi all. I finished my AFROTC application, interview, etc a month ago, and my application will go in front of the board next week. I had a couple of questions I hope someone could answer.

1) I'm struggling to decide between two colleges right now. I'd like to attend the admit weekend for the one I haven't seen, which takes place in the middle of April. If I am offered an AFROTC scholarship, I know I have to give them my decision within 30 days. Do I have to also know which college I will be attending by that time? Or can I accept an AFROTC scholarship while still choosing between colleges?

2) I already took the PFA as part of my application process. If I am offered a scholarship, will I have the chance to take an official PFT before starting class, or does my first PFT take place day 1 of AFROTC?

(I ask because I know the PFA a gym teacher supervises is different from the real PFT. If my form is incorrect/not military standard, I'd like to know now so I can use this semester and the summer to fix it. Right now I'm using a full length mirror and comparing my form with official videos, but there is no substitute for the real PFT.)

3) I've met with my ALO, who thought he would be conducting my interview, but my nearest ROTC detachment conducted it instead. (Unfortunately; I struck it off with my ALO a lot better than the detachment commander.) My interview took place in the middle of December. My ALO contacted me at the end of December to ask how it was, and I responded.

Today, I received another email from my ALO asking if we could have a phone conversation about my ROTC interview. Is this a bad sign? Or is he giving me a chance to ask questions, talk about the ROTC process, etc? I know none of you are in his head, I'm just curious.

4) This is not a scholarship question -- whether or not I receive one (I'm not expecting one) I hope to make my career military service. I will be a foreign language major, but I'm interested in becoming a CSO. (Or an intel officer; I will be happy with any career the AF offers, but I'm currently looking into CSO.) What skills should I work on developing if I do decide to compete for a CSO slot?

Thank you very much!
-Ellie

Ellie,

My daughter was awarded a Type 7 (Tech major) scholarship in the first board so I can answer most of your questions.

1. The first board met around 12/9 and my daughter received her award letter on 12/20 (it was dated 12/16). She had until 1/6 to notify AFROTC if she would accept the four-year Type 7 scholarship or convert it to a three-year Type 2 scholarship. They also requested her top three choices of schools. She received confirmation of her acceptance within a week along with a deadline of 5/31/2012 to send AFROTC a Statement of Intention and a Letter of Admission from the school she will be attending.

2. You will not have to take the PFA again. You do need to be prepared to take the PFT when you arrive at your unit when the semester begins. (I have a feeling that my daughter's gym teacher was also lax with the push-ups/set-ups. She's working on it!)

3. If you receive a scholarship you will be required to pass a DoDMerb physical and eye exam. A third party contractor will contact you to set up the exams. AFROTC pays for these exams. My daughter was already DoDMerb qualified because she had sent her ACT/SAT scores to the AFA (although she did not end up applying there). Once she had taken the eye exam and physical it took about three weeks to receive confirmation that she was DoDMerb qualified. Be honest on the physical questionnaire but do not volunteer more information than is asked for.

4. My daughter did not have an ALO, so you are lucky to have help to navigate the process. She did have one interview at a detachment at a school where she did not (and will not) apply, and left the interview with mixed feelings on how well she did. She did follow up with the detachment officer to thank him for the interview and again after she received the scholarship to thank him for his endorsement. You probably did better in the interview than you thought.

5. I can't help out with the career military service question, but I'm sure one of the other posters can jump in with any answer to that one.

Your ALO probably just wanted feedback, or if it was negative in any portion they will address it for clarification.

It actually is a positive sign because it means they are keeping up to date for your application.

CSO which use to be WSO is a rated position. To state you are placing the cart before the horse is an understatement.

Leave scholarship out of it, you have to be selected as a C200 to attend SFT (currently 55% national rate), from there you must take the TBAS, which will go inter your OML.

You are literally talking about fall 2015 when the AF brings you to a board.

Don't pull as a non-tech a 3.2/3.3 you probably won't go to SFT. No SFT no commisioning.

I am not sure why you are going CSO, is it eyes?

As far as your other points ArielsMom hit the mark

Pima said:

Your ALO probably just wanted feedback, or if it was negative in any portion they will address it for clarification.

It actually is a positive sign because it means they are keeping up to date for your application.

CSO which use to be WSO is a rated position. To state you are placing the cart before the horse is an understatement.

Leave scholarship out of it, you have to be selected as a C200 to attend SFT (currently 55% national rate), from there you must take the TBAS, which will go inter your OML.

You are literally talking about fall 2015 when the AF brings you to a board.

Don't pull as a non-tech a 3.2/3.3 you probably won't go to SFT. No SFT no commisioning.

I am not sure why you are going CSO, is it eyes?

As far as your other points ArielsMom hit the mark

Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification about the phone call.

In response to CSO: I don't believe I'm placing the cart before the horse, so to speak. I am aware of the difficulty of getting into SFT, and know there is a 45% chance I won't get commissioned. However, I don't see that as a reason to not work on developing myself towards my goal.

CSO is a rated slot, and my question really was about why if you go rated, why CSO, not Pilot, not UAV, not ABM. FYI...going SFT is one part, I assumed you will get it in that part of my response, TBAS is the other, as a C400 you will meet a rated board, and you must select your choices, that is why I said CSO as 1st choice is unique.

The only way I can rationalize why you would opt CSO over the other positions which for some will become power players (UAVs) in the next decade, is that there is an eye issue that does not allow you to be a pilot.

CSO as a WSO wife (F-15E) is not the future...look at the airframes coming on line (6th gen), the need for their job will be decreased dramatically in the next decade.

Pima said:

CSO as a WSO wife (F-15E) is not the future...look at the airframes coming on line (6th gen), the need for their job will be decreased dramatically in the next decade.

Click to expand...

Very true.
While trying too look ahead now Ellie is learning these things and it will help her define her goals and develop a plan with contingencies.

Pima said:

CSO is a rated slot, and my question really was about why if you go rated, why CSO, not Pilot, not UAV, not ABM. FYI...going SFT is one part, I assumed you will get it in that part of my response, TBAS is the other, as a C400 you will meet a rated board, and you must select your choices, that is why I said CSO as 1st choice is unique.

The only way I can rationalize why you would opt CSO over the other positions which for some will become power players (UAVs) in the next decade, is that there is an eye issue that does not allow you to be a pilot.

CSO as a WSO wife (F-15E) is not the future...look at the airframes coming on line (6th gen), the need for their job will be decreased dramatically in the next decade.

Click to expand...

Yes, my eyes are a little too bad to become a pilot, but good enough to go CSO. In addition, I believe there is a one inch difference sitting height requirement between CSO and pilot -- I make the CSO sitting height, but not the pilot sitting height.

Are you eligible for PRK? Did you require a vision waiver for DoDMERB?

This matters alot.

In other words what do you mean when you say a little too bad to be a pilot?

I would suggest that you talk to your ALO about the sitting height and how this may be a factor in your career for air frames.

Pima,

Resurrecting an older thread. DS is HS Sr this fall and in the process of applying to a couple of SAs and AFROTC. He has set his goals high and would like to attend a top school - a SA or a top 10 or 20 school OOS. I don't know how to ask this any other way, but does the 55% SFT rule apply at all schools individually or does 55% represent a number across the US? The reason I ask is if he attends a top school OOS, we will not be able to pay if he does not receive and keep a type 1 scholarship. I would think that the SFT percentage may be a little higher at a top school but that may be wishful thinking. From looking at the stats from this past year, and I understand that there is no guarantee for him, but he probably has the stats to be competitive for a type 1 AFROTC scholarship. He will certainly apply to a safe school with AFROTC.

Thanks in adance for your response!

bandad

bandad,

Every det, has a different selection percentage. This past yr the rate was 93% nationally, BUT WAIT, it still was about 60% because the dets had mini-boards, in essence, they told cadets at the unit if they were going to get their support. Many of the cadets that were told they would not, left and never submitted a packet, thus it was 93%.

I say that so you don't get excited about that the number. You need to ask the dets how many of the 200's did they submit out of the entire 200 class. You should also ask what their rate was compared to the national.

It is confusing because now you need to see how each part will have an impact on his true chances.

Pima,

Thank you for the info. Sounds like DS will need to talk to the detachments to get more details. Thanks again!

bandad

That is why it is very important to not only visit each det., but to make sure you ask the right questions.

There is a big difference of 93% being selected among those that were competing and 93% of ALL cadets that enter their C200 yr.

Additionally, as I have always stated, colleges have a certain vibe, but so do the dets. He may love the school, but not click with the det. Click with the det, but not like the school. You cannot assume that the unit will walk lock step with the school personality.

Make sure when you call to visit the det., to ask to if you can have your DS meet some POCs (C300-400's). This is the time you excuse yourself and meet him at a predetermined destination on campus later, usually about 1 hr. By doing this he will also be able to walk the campus as if he was a student there next yr. Plus, if you stick @ for the conversation with the cadets, they will give you the dog and pony show, by leaving them alone they are just college kids.

We entered with DS to introduce ourselves, made small talk for about 10 minutes, excused ourselves, and left. The way we knew which schools he liked was we always met him at the Student Union (got a bite to eat there) and than asked do you want to go in the bookstore to get a shirt or something? If yes, we knew they made his cut, if no, we knew it wasn't a NO, but def. he wasn't going to go there as a 1st choice.