NROTC questions?

Hi. I want to become a fighter pilot in the navy. However, I did not make it to the service academies, so I am considering navy ROTC. 1)Does anyone have last year's statistics on how many flight slots were given to NROTC vs the number of people who applied? Do they give the naval academy and NROTC the same number of slots?I want to get an idea on how competitive it is through NROTC. I do not want to go marines, since my goal is to go fixed wing, and marines have offer more of a chance of getting rotary wing. I heard it's less competitive than AFROTC, since many people choose Air Force whenever they think of flying in the military. 2) What does it depend on? Does it depend solely on GPA and fitness? I heard that you have to be the top 20 percent of your graduating class.3) Does anyone know a rough estimate of how many Navy officers gradate ROTC each year(excluding marine option officers)?

flyguy 96 said:

Hi. I want to become a fighter pilot in the navy. However, I did not make it to the service academies, so I am considering navy ROTC. 1)Does anyone have last year's statistics on how many flight slots were given to NROTC vs the number of people who applied?

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I doubt those numbers are public information but if it available perhaps someone else will chime in with the info.

Do they give the naval academy and NROTC the same number of slots?I want to get an idea on how competitive it is through NROTC.

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My suspicion is that it's just as competitive through NROTC as through the academy and vice versa. I also suspect that, due to the law of large numbers, about equal numbers of pilots come from each commissioning source, including OCS. Let's put on our Admiral's thinking cap for a moment. Do you want the composition of your air fleet determined by who went to school where, or by who is the best qualified. Once you're commissioned in any service, no one cares where you went to college.

I do not want to go marines, since my goal is to go fixed wing, and marines have offer more of a chance of getting rotary wing. I heard it's less competitive than AFROTC, since many people choose Air Force whenever they think of flying in the military.

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Let's assume you're right that more people who want to fly choose Air Force for whatever reason. You shouldn't take that to mean it's more competitive, because they have more planes. With fewer pilots choosing Navy (assuming you're correct) then with fewer planes it's probably just as competitive as Air Force.

2) What does it depend on? Does it depend solely on GPA and fitness? I heard that you have to be the top 20 percent of your graduating class.

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I'll leave this to others more knowledgeable than me.

3) Does anyone know a rough estimate of how many Navy officers gradate ROTC each year(excluding marine option officers)?

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I looked at some old statistics and at least 15 years ago Navy commissioned around 20% from each commissioning source. My assumption is it's probably about the same now, give or take. Since the class size at Annapolis is a public figure, I'll let you do the research and the math.

One question you need to ponder. Are you willing to serve in whatever role the Navy assigns you if you don't get a pilot slot? The odds are certainly against getting a pilot slot although I hope you achieve your goal. I might also pay less attention to the chances than to focusing on achieving the goal. As Robert E Lee said “If we go to ciphering, we shall be whipped beforehand.”

kinnem said:

I doubt those numbers are public information but if it available perhaps someone else will chime in with the info.



My suspicion is that it's just as competitive through NROTC as through the academy and vice versa. I also suspect that, due to the law of large numbers, about equal numbers of pilots come from each commissioning source, including OCS. Let's put on our Admiral's thinking cap for a moment. Do you want the composition of your air fleet determined by who went to school where, or by who is the best qualified. Once you're commissioned in any service, no one cares where you went to college.



Let's assume you're right that more people who want to fly choose Air Force for whatever reason. You shouldn't take that to mean it's more competitive, because they have more planes. With fewer pilots choosing Navy (assuming you're correct) then with fewer planes it's probably just as competitive as Air Force.



I'll leave this to others more knowledgeable than me.



I looked at some old statistics and at least 15 years ago Navy commissioned around 20% from each commissioning source. My assumption is it's probably about the same now, give or take. Since the class size at Annapolis is a public figure, I'll let you do the research and the math.

One question you need to ponder. Are you willing to serve in whatever role the Navy assigns you if you don't get a pilot slot? The odds are certainly against getting a pilot slot although I hope you achieve your goal. I might also pay less attention to the chances than to focusing on achieving the goal. As Robert E Lee said “If we go to ciphering, we shall be whipped beforehand.”

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Thank you! That was an amazing answer! I now understand. It seems extremely difficult becoming a fighter pilot regardless of the service branch. All have their own advantages/disadvantages. Although their advantages/disadvantages differ, they seem to be equally difficult when compared to each other. The services make it equally hard to become solely a fighter pilot in any branch while researching it, I noticed that No matter which branch you choose, whether or not that service has the most/few aircraft, there is something else that makes it competitive. I guess that's how they filter out the best.I personally decided I would be best with the Air Force. If I don't become a pilot, I would be more comfortable doing something other than being an infantry officer as in the marines, or be selected to pilot submarines as in the navy. Thanks again!

flyguy 96 said:

Thank you! That was an amazing answer! I now understand. It seems extremely difficult becoming a fighter pilot regardless of the service branch. All have their own advantages/disadvantages. Although their advantages/disadvantages differ, they seem to be equally difficult when compared to each other. The services make it equally hard to become solely a fighter pilot in any branch while researching it, I noticed that No matter which branch you choose, whether or not that service has the most/few aircraft, there is something else that makes it competitive. I guess that's how they filter out the best.I personally decided I would be best with the Air Force. If I don't become a pilot, I would be more comfortable doing something other than being an infantry officer as in the marines, or be selected to pilot submarines as in the navy. Thanks again!

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Glad you found it useful.

kinnem said:

Glad you found it useful.

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The last few years about 28% of the mids from the SA's and ROTC got selected for pilot. They look at GPA, OOM, ASTBS's and CO's recs. Even if you are selected for pilot, the chance of getting fighter is not that high.. Some wash out , get selected helo or any of the other flight frames. Probably the most important factor is ASTBS's. If you score 7-9's your" usually" good to go. DS scored top 5% ASTB's and 3.7GPA, and top of his unit so I was sure he would get pilot. Guess what- he got subs. He is now in his 5th month of training and loves it, the NAVY will put you where they want you.

Not to take it too far off track, but even for the AF getting à fighter is @10 -15% chance for those selected. AFROTC in previous years had about a 90% selection rate....yet, remember AFROTC is different, you must be selected as a sophomore to attend field training(FT). Last ypear 2600+ were boarded, and 1590 were selected. So if you look at the 2600 number I am sure it drops significantly if that was the number used.

Their scores are made up of Commanders ranking, TBAS, cgpa, PFT and OOM (FT)
~ TBAS is an exam that is given only for cadets going rated. You will get extra points added to your score (PCSM) if you have any flight hours.
~~ Many cadets try to get their ppl not only for the board, but also currently if you have a PPL, than you do not need to attend the 1st step, IFS and will go straight to UPT.

Something to also add into your equation is for AF, you apply to the rated board and that means all four rated positions. Pilot, CSO, RPA and ABM, this is also where that PCSM becomes important because it will go by the candidates 1st choice and how they stack on the OOM. You could place Pilot, CSO, ABM and RPA in that order, but depending where your score lands and the needs of the AF you could get RP.
~ If you decline the slot and ask to go nonrated, they will tell you that you will not be able to reapply for rated later on during your career. They don't want you to game the system by continuously reapplying until you either run out of time or you get the pilot slot.

So like Terps DS and the Navy it is going to come down to their needs.

If you want great insight on how difficult life is like at UPT search for the forum for the poster raimius. At the bottom of his posts he has a link to his blog. I think the first few pages is about life at USAFA, but later on he takes you through daily life from IFS to T6 to T38s.

Good luck.

OBTW, one thing to also investigate is how long you will be required to stay if you wing with the Navy. The AF requires 9 years from winging. My DS commissioned via AFROTC May 2012, he winged end of April 2014. (yes, 2 years later). He can walk basically May 1 2023. That is a long time to live and deploy if you get a heavy and you only wanted that 35.