Should I do Army or Air Force ROTC (Urgent plz help!)

Asher.Raza.2020

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Okay. So I am an out of state incoming Freshman Air Force ROTC Cadet at Virginia Tech starting this fall. VT is a Senior military college. My double major is National Security and Foreign Affairs along with Arabic. This April, I was rejected for a High School Air Force ROTC Scholarship that I applied for, and I have high reason to believe that it had something to do with my major being a non technical one. I am now currently looking at $180k in debt without the scholarship. I want to go into Military Intelligence. Should I stick with Air Force ROTC or switch to Army ROTC? Which would be better in regards to my scholarship chances. Which is the better ROTC track for me career wise?
 
Okay. So I am an out of state incoming Freshman Air Force ROTC Cadet at Virginia Tech starting this fall. VT is a Senior military college. My double major is National Security and Foreign Affairs along with Arabic. This April, I was rejected for a High School Air Force ROTC Scholarship that I applied for, and I have high reason to believe that it had something to do with my major being a non technical one. I am now currently looking at $180k in debt without the scholarship. I want to go into Military Intelligence. Should I stick with Air Force ROTC or switch to Army ROTC? Which would be better in regards to my scholarship chances. Which is the better ROTC track for me career wise?
First, calm down things happen. Second, was a reason provided for the rejection or was it just brought before the board and rejected....if it was brought before the board and rejected then it’s probably as simple as you got passed over unfortunately. In regards to debt, not to be blunt, but you’re responsible for that plan. However, you can still try to compete for a campus-based scholarship. Lastly, choose the branch that you feel you'll enjoy the most and get the most out of your time with them...either one is a great choice.
 
Okay. So I am an out of state incoming Freshman Air Force ROTC Cadet at Virginia Tech starting this fall. VT is a Senior military college. My double major is National Security and Foreign Affairs along with Arabic. This April, I was rejected for a High School Air Force ROTC Scholarship that I applied for, and I have high reason to believe that it had something to do with my major being a non technical one. I am now currently looking at $180k in debt without the scholarship. I want to go into Military Intelligence. Should I stick with Air Force ROTC or switch to Army ROTC? Which would be better in regards to my scholarship chances. Which is the better ROTC track for me career wise?
Hey there. I'm also an incoming cadet at VT this fall (AFROTC on a scholarship, also out of state). From my understanding, Army ROTC gives out more scholarships compared to the Air Force. But as VisionofConflux said, choose the branch that you feel you'll enjoy the most. VT has tons of scholarship opportunities unrelated to ROTC that you can go for during the year and they become more available in your sophomore, junior, and senior years. You also have chances for in-school scholarships like you already know. If I were you and I really was set on the air force, stick with it and try your best to get an in-school scholarship for rotc by crushing your schoolwork. I would also just look at other ROTC programs because you won't be contracted as a freshman so you aren't locked to the air force yet, see if there are any opportunities you see in other ROTC by attending seminars and speaking to other detachment staff.
 
Also if you want to talk more about it with me because we are both going to the same detachment I can pm you my info.
 
Also if you want to talk more about it with me because we are both going to the same detachment I can pm you my info.
Thanks for the reply man. I am really just lost on which branch of ROTC is going to be better for me. I choose Air Force originally because I had the idea of an Air Force Intelligence officer just looking at stuff from satellites and that they would provide a scholarship for because of a “National Security” Degree. Tbh I just cant really make up my mind between the two branches but always loved aircrafts and space, hence why I was drawn to the AF and applied for their scholarship. On the Army side, I find the battle maneuvers and its large intelligence feild as well as PyscOP Officer job to be extremely intriguing. I want to be able to make the right choice before the start of New Cadet Week on August 14th
 
Also what r u majoring in?
Currently general engineering but my scholarship is for comp sci (all first year comp sci students are general engineer majors) might switch to electrical engineering.
I’ll pm you for more details if you want
 
Currently general engineering but my scholarship is for comp sci (all first year comp sci students are general engineer majors) might switch to electrical engineering.
I’ll pm you for more details if you want
You have instagram? Or snap? Im asking cuz I need to have 5 posts on this website and I just opened this account.
 
Hello Asher. I’m a proud Virginian taxpayer and high school teacher who happily sends off a few students a year to VPI.

You mentioned debt and being from out of state. Why VT for this particular major? It isn’t listed in the top twenty five. For IR, national security, foreign affairs, et al. one thinks of the Ivy’s and the Georges. George Washington Univsersity, Georgetown, and George Mason. Well, lots of people don’t immediately think of Mason but it does have good programs due to the proximity to Sodom on the Potomac.
 
Based upon your major choice AROTC would be a better choice. It is absolutely true that the AF cares much more that you have a technical major than the Army. I know a lot of people will chime in and say that you're signing up to serve, not necessarily for a scholarship. If money is the issue stay in state, where the cost will be significantly less. My brother was in the Army and then transferred into the Air Force. The Air Force is a much easier life but rank is also harder to get. One year of college debt would be rough but four years would really stink. A lot of students change their majors, much easier to do with AROTC than AFROTC.
 
Remember that the needs of the Army/Air Force always come first. So what if they decide they want you to be something other than an intelligence officer? Which service then offers occupations that you’d be happy to do? That should go a long way toward deciding your direction.
 
Remember that the needs of the Army/Air Force always come first. So what if they decide they want you to be something other than an intelligence officer? Which service then offers occupations that you’d be happy to do? That should go a long way toward deciding your direction.
This! Intelligence is a great field in the services, but they aren’t huge fields. What if you don’t get intelligence? What would then make you happy? How would you feel about being an artillery officer, infantry, missiles, aircraft maintenance. Look at some of the old AFROTC threads from the last few months and the number of cadets in great standing who did not get selected for Field Training. Who knows what the numbers will look like in the next few years. I would say earning an Army scholarship statistics wise is probably more in your favor, especially with a non-tech major. But, based on some threads related to Army ROTC it seems campus based scholarships could be seeing some cuts too. This is about planning… be prepared to be $180k in debt and then work your tail off to do whatever it’s takes to lower that. At the end of the day are you prepared to take on a debt like that? Are you prepared to take on $180k with the risk that a commission might not be there at the end of the day? There are no guarantees to any of this process.
 
Guys, what if I do Air National Guard while in ROTC? Like go to Air Force National Guard Boot Camp during the Summer of 2022 to relieve some costs. Is that even possible…especially for someone who is out of state like me and has to return to Texas during the Christmas Winter break and summer months?
 
Some great food for thought from posters above. Agree with others on exploring alternatives and great that you're in your posts open to alternatives - good for you @Asher.Raza.2020. 180k in debt is such a tragic way to start post-college life. Why not tackle a part of your degree at a state school in-state and while there, both
1. compete for a campus scholarship
2. reapply for the ROTC scholarships

Also, there state schools AND community colleges (Pima for example) that participate in ROTC, as others taught me recently. So why not go to one of those (find the ones that match your branch interests) participate, and then
1. get a college degree with little debt if you work hard in the summers.
2. get "picked up" or win a scholarship
3. Transfer as a junior as an out of state Virginia tech or other dream school and get the exact same degree you would have gotten otherwise for far less. There is no distinction on your diploma that says you got a lot of courses done elsewhere.

Free advice- don't order a pricey lobster and steak if you can't afford it, or if you do go ala carte and pick the most expensive option on your "menu", then look only in the mirror for making such a negative-impact choice for your future. Don't ignore the easier paths on your wallet which IMO everyone should be aware of.

Good luck.
 
180k is the price of a small house around here. That takes 30 yrs to pay off.

180k is a lot of money that won’t be compounding interest for 30 or 40 years towards retirement.

I would never advise my kids to take on 180k before they are even 25 yrs old. Even if they had to pick plan B to not take that on. You will also need a car and house and family expenses going forward. Beyond the actual debt, there
are opportunity costs to acquiring it.

Big time listen to @MidCakePa. I know at USNA (where my two boys attend), all things cyber/intelligence are very competitive, for relatively few spots (education wise). My oldest, Air Guard, is actually in an intelligence field which WAS VERY COMPETITIVE to get into. He is fortunate.

So where do you see your best alternatives should you not get your first choice? Where do you see yourself happiest stationed gerographically?

Lastly, there are other programs that pay for college. Beyond ROTC. My oldest has his paid for through the Guard. He LOVES what he is doing, and can also become an Officer.
 
Hello Asher. I’m a proud Virginian taxpayer and high school teacher who happily sends off a few students a year to VPI.

You mentioned debt and being from out of state. Why VT for this particular major? It isn’t listed in the top twenty five. For IR, national security, foreign affairs, et al. one thinks of the Ivy’s and the Georges. George Washington University, Georgetown, and George Mason. Well, lots of people don’t immediately think of Mason but it does have good programs due to the proximity to Sodom on the Potomac.
Great point. Also Boston U has a good program and offers great supplemental money to ROPTC scholarship winners (and the AFROTC detachment commander is Intel).
But why take the risk of so much debt for a school not known for IR? Were you accepted into any state colleges with ROTC where it'll be cheaper to attend? Pick the cheaper option if the school's IR ranking doesn't matter.
 
Great point. Also Boston U has a good program and offers great supplemental money to ROPTC scholarship winners (and the AFROTC detachment commander is Intel).
But why take the risk of so much debt for a school not known for IR? Were you accepted into any state colleges with ROTC where it'll be cheaper to attend? Pick the cheaper option if the school's IR ranking doesn't matter.
Exactly. Va. Tech, Tech as we call it, is an awesome school known for engineering, partying, and etc. They have many great "Schools of" there.

I have three former students (more but from two years ago) who are doing bio-engineering. One actually is studying neuroscience. Brilliant kids. Very intimidating for a teacher who barely graduated high school.

Anyway, Va. Tech for IR/FA just doesn't roll off the tongue. Especially for an out-of-stater who'll end up with a mountain of debt. Unless of course that student gets the military to pay for it.
 
Lots of great advice has been posted above.

One more thing to consider:

In the Army, MI has little need for freshly commissioned 2LT's.

A significant number (over half?) of these junior officers are "branch detailed" to other more labor intensive Army branches, such as Armor, Infantry, Field Artillery, etc. for two years or even longer. After this rotation, they return to MI with more "seasoning" and thus are better prepared to perform their intelligence duties.

So if you ARE successful in branching Army MI, be prepared to get into the muck as a combat arms officer.
 
As for scholarships with AFROTC, you may want to focus on the Arabic as the primary degree. My DS was selected for a AFROTC scholarship this year as a Russian major. His scholarship offer is specifically a critical language scholarship.
 
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