Hello Falcon A! Thank you taking the time to respond!
Even though I'm not 100% sure, I am still very interested in becoming an officer for the Air Force. That being said, I want to learn more about the pros/cons of both of these two routes
I have posted this several times answering this question. I make slight modifications every time, however the core message remains the same. Before you read this, I want to make one important point. If after your Air Force career, the biggest thing on your resume was what school you went to instead of what you accomplished in the Air Force, you have bigger problems. When future employers look at my resume, they will see "F-16 Pilot" and the associated bullet points first. The regular school I attended is simply a footnote.
"I figured I would quickly jump in and give my $.02 since I wish I had more information 6 years ago when I was going through the application process to both USAFA and AFROTC.
A bit about me: I commissioned in 2015 from AFROTC. I applied to USAFA for the class of 2015 and 2016. I got TWE both times. I graduated from the F-16 B Course and I am now flying the mighty Viper overseas. Looking back, not getting into the Academy is the best thing that ever happened to me (YMMV).
I can't comment on Academy Pro/Con, but for those individuals on the fence, maybe my AFROTC experience can shed some more light on the issue.
AFROTC Pro's:
1. You get to the same place
-This is something I think so many applicants do not understand. Once you get your commission and get to your first Active Duty base, no one cares if you were USAFA/AFROTC/OTS. They care if you can do your job and if you are a good dude. Once those butter bars are pinned on, everyone is equal. You are not deemed inferior because of your commissioning source. The goal is the commission, not the road to get there. (I can't stress this enough. I have yet to meet one person who cares an iota on the commissioning source. If they do, they are wrong.) Additionally, if your goal is to be a pilot, I never saw an individual in AFROTC who put in the work required not get one. YMMV.
2. Self-Motivation
- This was one of the biggest strengths of AFROTC in my opinion. No one is yelling at you to wake up at 0400 for LLAB, no one is forcing you to go to the gym, no one is forcing you to go to class, no one is forcing you to study. You have to motivate yourself to put in the work when no one is holding you accountable. I had to make my own schedule and stick to it, and I believe this forces you to grow as a person in a way unique to AFROTC. Personally, I credit this factor with my performance in UPT. After a 12 hour day, no one is forcing you to hit the gym for an hour and study the rest of the night. For me, it helped having 4 years of self-motivation under my belt to press through the long year.
3. Experiences
- USAFA gives you unique opportunities, I am not discounting that. However no one talks about the experiences you get going to a normal college. I am not talking about partying and bar hopping (which aren't bad experiences, everything in moderation and legally). During a normal week I got to travel the coast, getting in early morning surf sessions before class and a sunset session afterwards. We would go jet skiing in the local bay on random afternoons. During the weekends you could do anything from go snowboarding up in the mountains, fly ultralights off the coastal cliffs, go windsurfing when the waves sucked, do road trips and travel the state without any real restrictions, literally anything you can think of. The freedom a traditional college entails gives you time to fill with once in a lifetime experiences. My life is owned by the Air Force for the next 10 years, I would not trade those 4 years of freedom for anything.
AFROTC Con's:
1. You aren't locked in to commissioning until after Sophomore year
-This is probably the biggest con. The big cut off is selection for summer field training which happens between Sophomore/Junior year. After you get selected, you are going to commission unless you shoot yourself in the foot with grades/legal problems/PT fails. Even cadets who put in the minimum effort required get a slot. However until that selection, there is still uncertainty.
2. Lack of funding for extra programs
-While this is making a comeback, AFROTC cadets don't get the extra programs that USAFA cadets have. Freefall, powered flight, gliders, ect. are opportunities unique to USAFA.
3. Distractions
-This is the biggest downfall of cadets in AFROTC. While the lack of structure is beneficial for many cadets, it can really hurt those individuals who prefer a structured learning environment. Grades are the first thing to suffer when a cadet gets distracted by all the other time consuming activities a college has. My detachment started out with around 120 cadets for the class of 2015. We commissioned 25. Most individuals dropped out on their own after deciding it wasn't for them. For those who were forced out though, grades was the most common reason.
For the record, nothing I am saying here should be misconstrued as a jab at USAFA. Some of my best friends went there. I simply am trying to illustrate how AFROTC is not just a "backup option", but a completely equal commissioning source with unique inherent strengths. At the end of the day, the best commissioning source depends on the individual."