Air Force ROTC Scholarships

My son is a senior and has applied for an Air Force ROTC scholarship. The first board met in December and my son was reboarded. The Captain at his school told him that he went on an Air Force Website-something with the title 'WINGS' attached to it. This website lists there were 56 applicants nationwide, 8 were let go, 19 were offered scholarships and 29 were reboarded. My sons name was on the list of being reboarded. This list had names from many different states. This number seems awfully low. Does this sound accurate?

I agree with you regarding the BS flag!

It is typically 3 days. with 5K+ applicants being boarded over 4 boards. 56 is inane! Basically 18 applicants a day over an 8 hr period. 1450 boarded is more likely for that 3 day period.. 56 with 5K applicants = 110+ boards at that rate.

In my 5 yrs here, I have never heard of "WINGS", please expound from what that means.

AFROTC is national, college choices are not a player

OK. I know the AFROTC scholarship is not tied to a school. But do applicants list schools they may be interested in on any part of the application? Assuming the Captain was at a particular college (as opposed to some recruiting officer somewhere) then those numbers might make sense for candidates who listed an interest in that particular school. Otherwise I agree with Pima that they are total BS.

The key word in vikingfan's post was 56 NATIONWIDE, not college.

I took that as the O3 told them only 56 were boarded. AFROTC only has 4 boards, and @ 5K they will board.

AFROTC is not like A/NROTC, dets have no clue who will be on scholarship intil they arrive in Aug. One det can theoretically have 100% on scholarship and another can have 0%. AF does not spread the wealth like A/NROTC.

Simply put it is national, majors matter, school selection is to guarantee they accept AFROTC scholarship.

Hence the BS flag.

Pima said:

The key word in vikingfan's post was 56 NATIONWIDE, not college.

I took that as the O3 told them only 56 were boarded. AFROTC only has 4 boards, and @ 5K they will board.

AFROTC is not like A/NROTC, dets have no clue who will be on scholarship intil they arrive in Aug. One det can theoretically have 100% on scholarship and another can have 0%. AF does not spread the wealth like A/NROTC.

Simply put it is national, majors matter, school selection is to guarantee they accept AFROTC scholarship.

Hence the BS flag.

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I'm really not trying to pick a fight here but you didn't answer the question. Are schools listed anywhere on the application? I've seen posts that indicate they are. As I said earlier I understand that the scholarship is not tied to a particular school and that a scholarship winner can take the scholarship to any school they please within the constraints of the type of scholarship they were awarded.

Nationwide could mean many things depending on the context. It could have been a statement of nationwide 56 kids who expressed an interest in this school applied for a scholarship, as opposed to 36 who are in state. Now, that's not what the OP said but it may be the context for the numbers the OP was given.

I don't see why the Captain would make up some numbers just to feed the OP. I'm just trying to imagine a scenario where the numbers the Captain gave make some sort of sense, and within the context of a particular college those numbers might make sense. I can certainly imagine that a Captain at a particular school might have some visibility into some kind of scholarship numbers regarding that school - IF the applicants provide a list of schools they might be interested in as part of the application. Hence my question. Then again, I suppose it is possible the Captain was just blowing smoke.

Certainly, those numbers make no sense for the entire set of applicants for an AFROTC scholarship and are BS in that context. Even an obvious AFROTC moron like myself would understand that. Give me a little credit, please.

The school choices are listed on the application and this information is shared with the ROTC detachment. Last year several of the detachments/schools my son listed contacted him before and after he was awarded a scholarship based upon this listing.

Packer said:

The school choices are listed on the application and this information is shared with the ROTC detachment. Last year several of the detachments/schools my son listed contacted him before and after he was awarded a scholarship based upon this listing.

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Thank you Packer. So my hypothesis on the numbers the Captain gave may or may not be correct; but it's at least a possible explanation for those numbers. Thanks again.

Thought I would add [probably don't need to but...] even if my hypothesis is correct, these numbers are absolutely meaningless. As Pima rightly points out the competition for a scholarship is national and can be taken to any school. So the numbers indicate nothing about the OP's chances in the competition for a scholarship, nor do they say anything about the number of cadets or even scholarship cadets that will attend that school, since the scholarship could be taken elsewhere. The only thing we know for sure is that OP's DS has been reboarded.

Since my son received a Type II scholarship, he has been contacted by the schools he listed on his AFROTC application. While they do not commit themselves to those schools, they list schools they are interested in attending.

kinnem said:

OK. I know the AFROTC scholarship is not tied to a school. But do applicants list schools they may be interested in on any part of the application? Assuming the Captain was at a particular college (as opposed to some recruiting officer somewhere) then those numbers might make sense for candidates who listed an interest in that particular school. Otherwise I agree with Pima that they are total BS.

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Kinnem,

I can't speak on the validity of the OP's source, but I can say that you are right, the schools do know who's coming.

I was sent a letter from my #1 school during the summer congratulating me on my scholarship, basically outlining the requirements for retaining it, and saying that they hoped to see me in the fall. I had not contacted them prior to that, they knew I was coming, and they knew all of the scholarship cadets that were coming. When we got to NSO last July, they had a list of all the scholarship cadets and had us sit in a certain section so that they could give us the extra documents we had to sign that the non-scholarship cadets did not. So it is entirely possible that the Captain the OP was talking to had 59 cadets nationally list his school as one of their top 3 when applying for an AFROTC scholarship and that he had access to information. IDK about knowing the amount re-boarded and let go, but it is probable that he at least knew the number of scholarship winners that expressed a desire to also attend his school.

Kinnem,

My apologies. I was not diverting the question, like a dog with a bone I was hooked on the nationwide.

The applicants must list colleges, but they are not tied at all to those schools.

Now for the OP, it could be that this college knows 60 candidates placed their school on the list for applications. Like I said...the bone was NATIONWIDE.

Non-Ducor Duco,

I don't disagree with you regarding schools knowing the scholarship recipients choice during the summer. That is part of the AFROTC scholarship acceptance process that occurs in late spring. Along with converting Type 7 4 yr to Type 2 3 yr.

They don't know who is and who isn't coming when it is Dec. We are talking about Dec. selection and cadets don't have to state which college for 4-5 months.

NROTC ties the scholarship to the school right out of the gate upon awarding the scholarship. AFROTC doesn't. Our DS actually got 2 college letters in Feb. after admissions closed that stated Congrats on your AFROTC scholarship, although you did not apply, and you are past the application date, sign here and you are in. NYU, and UNCCH. It was because he had his AFROTC scholarship in hand in Dec. + his stats matched the school.

They do and can see the list of applicants awarded scholarships, and some will use this as a recruitment tool knowing AFROTC cadets can take it to any school.

The school selection is more about manning the cadre than how many will be on scholarship it at one school compared to another.

Now let's us go back to the OPs statement

vikingfan said:

This website lists there were 56 applicants nationwide, 8 were let go, 19 were offered scholarships and 29 were reboarded

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Statistically 20% are awarded scholarships nationally.
We don't know the school...ERAU, TAMU, VT, etc. can be a player in this equation.

However, if we follow national stats, 19 offered is above the 20%, it is closer to 33% for that college.

I have always stated that it is possible one det can have 100% and another has 0%. I still stand by it, but will also say that the odds of that occurring run with the chances of me winning 100K in the lottery.

I am just saying if we go with the 1 college, 4 boards, and the national avg I wouldn't assume chances will get better.

Most importantly if I were the OP, I would ask those 19 offered what Type?

Type 1, 2 or 7.

Statistically if 19 were offered, 1 would get a Type 1, 2-3 would get a 2, and 15-16 would get a 7. Big difference for a parents wallet. 1 tuition is covered, 2, only to 18K, 7 only IS and you can't ante up the difference.

Little things matter too.

No problem

No problemo Pima! In my minds eye I saw you worrying that gnarly bone!

I certainly agree with everything you added here. As you always say, the devil is in the details.

Pima said:

In my 5 yrs here, I have never heard of "WINGS", please expound from what that means.

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WINGS is, to my knowledge, the database that holds all the info for all contracted cadets. I know it's real, I've seen it with my own two eyes. But I didn't know it existed until last month

I am sure it exists, never doubted it. I only was saying I never heard of it, and would love to know what WINGS is.

It behooves us all to learn, and obviously WINGS is something that has never been discussed before on this forum. If we don't know what it is, than our responses will reflect it.

SoleTrain you state it is for all contracted cadets.

No offense, but scholarship recipients aren't contracted. You can't contract until you sign. You sign in the fall of your freshman yr as an HSSP. Hence, if WINGS is for contracted, they are in the system now.

kinnem,

I am glad that you understood my gnarly bone was only meant to assist so posters/lurkers understand the devil is INDEED in the details, especially for AFROTC compared to A/NROTC HSSP recipients.

is there a link to see the results of the Decemboar board? thank you.

I am sure there is for AFROTC dets., but I highly doubt there is one for public consumption.

OBTW, I have to ask why?

Let's assume they release the list like an ADAF O4/5/6+ promotion list....names, and even Types. The problem is you don't/won't know their stats. You can't compare anything so you are spinning wheels and just frustrating yourself even if they did.

EX:

Candidate Smith: 3.65 cgpa, 1330 SAT Type 1
Candidate Jones 3.86 cgpa, 1400 SAT Type 2
Candidate Brown 3.38 cgpa 1320 SAT Type 2
Candidate Me 3.72 cgpa 1300 SAT Type 7
Candidate You 3.58 cgpa 1290 SAT Type 1

The thing is PFA, and ECs are players too.