Thank you all very much for the responses. I know that no one can make this decision besides myself. I have researched a lot about the possible career options for each branch, and it makes it that much harder because I love all the opportunities for both, but as a 17 year old, it's hard for me to make such a life changing decision. My parents will support me regardless - they are simply worried that my prep year will somehow go awry and that my appointment will be taken away. They see how hard I've worked for this goal, and they want a 100% guarantee, not a 99, which I totally understand from a parent POV.
The financial portion for civil prep would not be an issue, because the coaches at the prep schools have offered me athletic scholarships on top of that, so I truly have to wonder if the extra year is worth it. I see a lot of posts on this forum about "what uniform do you see yourself wearing in ten years" and truth is, I see myself as an Army 2LT, yet, I know that I would love the Air Force equally as much if I went there. No matter how it turns out, I am incredibly grateful to have such a difficult decision to make. Again, thank you everyone for your words of encouragement and advice.
