Chances at AFROTC scholarship

CharityMay

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
31
  • 3.7 weighted gpa
  • 28 ACT on first try without studying, I'm a junior so I have time to retake it if necessary
  • soccer for two years
  • academic team since middle school
  • literary team
  • 6 AP classes so far
  • Want to major in computer engineering
  • Black female who wants to attend an hbcu
  • Going to do lots of community service and volunteering during the summer
 
I agree with Gokings814. Take ACT again. If you can get into the 30's, your chances improve greatly.

You will have a much stronger resume with some leadership positions. When volunteering, take the next step and work to be put in charge of groups. If in band, work to become section leader or assistant. If in clubs, go for leadership positions. Apply for Girl's State.

A great leadership program you could attend this summer is the USMC Summer Leadership and Character Development Academy (SLCDA). You don't need to want a future in the Marines to attend. My daughter attended in 2014 and is in college on a AFROTC scholarship. Great experience!

Application are due April 8th. Read the pamphlet, no costs beyond travel expenses.

http://www.mcrc.marines.mil/UnitHome/SLCDAHome.aspx
 
Air Force ROTC does not take your weighted GPA.

Averages for scholarship selects last year:

Scholarship Types
Data Type 1 Type 2 Type 7
SAT 1356 1362 1304
ACT 31.2 31.1 29.6
GPA 3.83 3.83 3.76
 
A couple of things for clarification regarding how AFROTC scholarship selection is different than A/NROTC.
1. ACT and SATs are NOT superscored. It is best sitting
~ When derek44 says 29.6 for type 7, it is in one sitting.
2. Like NROTC, @80-85% of the scholarships go to tech majors.
~ Look closely at that Computer Engineering major when it comes to the scholarship. Some computer majors can be seen as non-tech by HQ AFROTC.
~~ This becomes a big deal if, once in college you decide that computer engineering is not your cup of tea, but you still want to major in computers as a scholarship recipient. If HQ decides that your new computer major is deemed non-tech than you will need approval to switch from tech to non-tech. Typically, chances are very slim that they will approve the change. Thus, the loss of the scholarship.
3. Nothing, but your new SAT/ACT scores will impact your scholarship packet after the end of your junior year.
~ You can be the Captain or President or any leadership position starting the 1st day of your senior year, but they will not look at those aspects when you are being reviewed.
~ Not sure about doing volunteer hours over the summer of your rising sr. yr., but my guess is that you can't get enough hours in to make or break at this point. I agree with Aulysses, apply for those summer programs, because if you are accepted now as a junior that will count.
~~ However, if at the end of your junior year the soccer, academic or literary team has decided that you will be in a leadership position next year, than you are Captain select, or President elect as a junior, and that can be included.
~ Same with how many APs you take as a senior. You have 6 under your belt, and that is what they will use as your profile.
4. College selection is not part of their equation for the national board.
~ HQ AFROTC does not care if one college has 100% on scholarship and another college has 0% for incoming freshmen. A/NROTC divvy up the scholarships across the units, thus college selection matters.
~ AFROTC really only cares when it comes down to 4 yr type 7 on how the college charges the student. Be it private or public, the college needs to charge you as a student at the rate of the IS public college.
~~ If they don't or won't than you just sign a piece of paper and convert the 4 yr type 7 to a 3 yr type 2. The big difference is the type 2 will allow you to pay the difference, and the type 7 will not. Yes, type 2 also has a max of 18K, but leave that aside, because if your IS is 18K tuition, and the private or OOS is 18.1 K, as a type 7 you can't pay out of pocket that 100. You will have to convert it to a 3 year type 2.
5. BIGGEST difference if you need the scholarship to attend the college is that AFROTC is what posters will call a 2+2. Yes.. it will say congrats you have been offered a 4 yr. type 1, 2 or 7, BUT the fine print will tell you that if you are not selected for Summer Field Training (SFT) in your sophomore year, they have the right to dis-enroll you from AFROTC, thus the loss of the scholarship.
~ A/NROTC HSSP is true 4 yr. There is nothing like the SFT selection board. Keep your grades up, pass the PFA and your nose clean, you will most likely commission. Not true for AFROTC. SFT selection board will not know if you are a scholarship recipient. In the AF world that is called "masked" They do not know which cadet is scholarship and which scholarship is not on scholarship. It has no bearing on their selection.

As an AFROTC scholarship applicant, here are my 2 suggestions for you.
1. Contact the colleges that you intend to place on your short list
~ Before you do the traditional college tours, contact the AFROTC Commanders (CoC) of each college, and ask if they have time to meet up with you.
~~If they say yes, than ask if you can also meet with some computer engineering cadets, be it male or female. If they say they only have male computer engineering majors, ask if you could also meet with a female cadet. Preferably an AS 300 or 400. AS 100 or 200 are freshmen/sophomores.
~ It is fine for the folks to come in with you to do a meet and greet with the CoC, but prior to entering, if they are going to have you meet any cadets, ask the folks to leave and meet you at a specific time somewhere on campus. In other words, after 10-15 minutes of polite conversation, have them excuse their selves and leave you on your own.
~~ Cadets are polite and respectful. Having the folks with you talking to them is more about respect to the folks. Having them leave the conversation is more peer to peer where you can get a feel for the unit. Must dets. have a cadet lounge where cadets hang out between classes. At my DS's college the lounge had a crud table, a foosball table, tv, DVD, Xbox and playstation. He did exactly what I suggested. For an hour he hung with cadets playing xbox and shooting the breeze. It was like he was already in college.
~~~ The other reason why to set up a meeting time is when you do the college tour with the folks it is different. You travel in a pack. Every college kid going to and from class knows you are on the school tour. Now, when you leave the unit to meet them, you will have 5-10 minutes by yourself to imagine what life will be like on that campus. There is that chance to see yourself alone there a year from now as just another kid on campus.

2. Get all of your medical records in order.
~ Just my personal opinion, but too many candidates stress over the scholarship process and do not pay enough attention to their medical records. You can't contract without passing the DoDMERB. For ROTC only applicants/candidates they will not send you for the DoDMERB until a scholarship is offered.

3. Research your college choices.
~ If you have not found www.collegeconfidential.com or Naviance, I strongly suggest you do so now.
~~ Again HQ AFROTC does not care about your college choices, but like NROTC the ROTC units can have what I call a pocket scholarship. This is where the unit can offer you a direct ROTC scholarship. You will be given only a short window to decide to accept the scholarship. If you accept it, than HQ will remove your name from the national HSSP. It is the equivalent to a type 1. You can't hold onto and go to the national board. It is an either or situation.
~ Some ROTC CoCs actually sit on the admissions board. Some have no voice at all. Meeting with them can give you an idea if you get the scholarship in Dec., but no word from admissions if the CoC can assist at all. I call this the push pull aspect. The ROTC CoC that sits on the admissions committee can say to them, that this kid has an AFROTC scholarship in hand, their stats are in parameters, etc. I vote yes. Others will usually follow once they hear...AFROTC is picking up the tab for tuition.
~ Naviance can give insight on how your HS ranks out.
~~ derek is correct they do not weight, but they do look at the HS profile. 3.7 weighted where 50% go Ivy is different than 3.7 and 0% go Ivy. Naviance is a system where they will use only the stats of your school or school district and will show using green, yellow or red dots your chances compared to kids that have applied before you as students. At least that was how it was for my kids.

Sorry for the novella, but I do hope that as you embark on this journey, you take the time to investigate every aspect and remember come fall when you want a chance me, the only answer you really can rely on is that you have 0% if you don't apply.
 
Hope my stats help:
Type 7 non-tech

GPA: 3.76 UW
ACT: 26
EC:
Civil Air Patrol: Squadron Commander, cadet of the year, speak off winner, etc. (done it all )
Student Ambassadors: Vice President (President elect)
National Honor Society: Memeber of the year (Vice Presidnet elect)
Student Council: Class Representstive Sophmore year
AFJROTC: Color Guard Commander and Wing Staff (Vice Wing Commander select)
Woman in Avaition: Member
Volunteer Service: Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Three Square food bank, and opportunity village
Flight: Student Pilot certificate with 20 hrs ( got ppl beingnning of senior year)

My ACT scores were really low but I believe my extra curriculars made up for it. My advice is take on leadership roles and show you're active in the community. The board seems to like that Also, the scholarship board will only look at EC and GPA up to junior year. You cannot include anything during senior year.

Good luck!
 
My advice is take on leadership roles and show you're active in the community. The board seems to like that Also, the scholarship board will only look at EC and GPA up to junior year. You cannot include anything during senior year.

Just an FYI, I believe that @CharityMay is already boarded as the post you are responding to is from June of 2016.

Good advice, nonetheless.
 
Back
Top