AFROTC HSSP Question re Major and PFA

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yickwo

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Hello SAF community - really appreciate all the insightful/invaluable information and kind advice of all the members. I've spent a lot of time reading, learning and have gained a good understanding the basic ins and outs of ROTC, HSSP and Air Force's unique scholarship offerings and requirements for my DD. There are three questions in particular that I would appreciate further clarification.

First question - if the three major selections for HSSP application were - social science, humanities and/or a foreign language, does that mean she will be considered as a "non-tech" or "non-tech language"? She is considering double majoring in a critical need language, but not sure yet.

Second question - what level of PFA score would be considered "decent" or good enough for scholarship consideration? What if you don't reach the 75 pt. comp. assessment score? DD has not been involved in athletics, but can probably train to get into the comp. score of low to mid 80's over the summer.

Third question - there are a number of actual AF Det. in our general area (with both private or public universities). Does the det. for or location of the interview, i.e., at a state school det. vs. private university det. determine which type of scholarship you may be offered?

Not so much a question but she is interested in law/JAG corp. eventually.

DD's background -
3.9+ UWGPA - (at a top 10 public HS in our state according to Niche and a Gold Medal, top 4% HS in our state according to U.S.N&WR)
9 APs by graduation
33 ACT first time
11 ACT writing
Girls State
Debate 4 yrs. (State Qual. and numerous winnings/awards)
MUN 2 yrs. - President of the team (numerous winnings/awards)
Two international music competition awards and recitals at Carnegie Hall
summer internships
local community volunteering work

Thanks for your help.
 
Last edited:
I assume your kid is a Junior, as the deadline for this year's HSSP has already passed.

A couple of points:
  • With a lack of varsity sports or civic organizational awards (CAP, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts), focus on as many quantifiable, clearly defined leadership positions as she can between now and the end of the school year.
  • Apply as soon as the application opens in July to get maximum opportunity
  • If the interest is in Law/JAG in the AF, then there may be some special incentive programs outside of ROTC (HPSP for AF Medical and TDSP for some Engineering Students, for example). These programs are vastly superior to the HSSP as the student will be active duty throughout school (getting AD pay and 100% tuition assistance). Check into this in addition to ROTC.
Answers to your questions:
  1. Those are non-tech degrees. Foreign Language scholarships are a separate carve-out. Odds are better to get a HSSP for something other than a foreign language, and then compete and switch to Project Go once she is actually in ROTC. She can always minor in a foreign language in addition to her HSSP major. It's not terribly hard to do.
  2. The current average score for Active Duty Airmen is 90+. Officers are expected to exceed this. I'd recommend getting a composite score of 95+. It is not hard on the female charts to do this if your daughter works out every day for 2 months minimum. There is a lot of advice in the ROTC forum on how to quickly go from zero-to-hero on the ROTC PFA. Here's one thread.
  3. Not really. You daughter may be offered an on-the-spot scholarship offer, but this is very uncommon and would only be valid at that school. The interviewing detachment will be auto-assigned. A pro-tip would be to go meet the ROTC cadre beforehand, and have your daughter establish rapport with them well before the interview. Most cadre are quite friendly.
 
For a female,

35 pushups, max crunches, and a 12-minute 1.5 mile would be over 95. Pretty easy and achievable.

If she struggles doing pushups, have her start out doing them on stairs. Once she can do 30+ with good form, move down a stair. She should be able to go down a stair at least every week. Form is critical, though. You have to do them correctly or they will not count them.

YouTube is your friend for proper Air Force push-ups and "sit-ups".
 
Thanks for the helpful feedback and good suggestions. Yes she is currently a junior, and we will also look into the other programs.
 
JMPO. A couple of things.
1. PFA is a very small percentage of their Whole Candidate Score (WCS), but somewhere there will be a make or break line. Be it between a type1 or a type 2, type 2 or a 7, type 7 or nothing. It could come down to decimal points, and the score from the PFA could be that make or break.
~ PFA is also a pass/fail situation. You could max the sit ups and push ups, but bust the run, hence, you failed the PFT.
~ To contract you need to pass the PFT which will be administered within the 1st week of college
~ The PFA as a freshmen that 1st week is also their 1st impression within the unit.
~ Honestly, an 80s score is way low! The majority of cadets in a det will score in the mid to high 90s for the PFT, which is why IMPO Tbpxece posted those scores, since that is the avg in AFROTC.
2. AFROTC scholarship is unique compared to A/NROTC. It really is a 2+ 2 scholarship.
~ As a sophomore they must be selected for Summer Field Training (SFT). If not selected they can and most likely will dis-enroll the cadet. Loss of scholarship, so make sure you can afford that school if she does not get selected for SFT, or after her freshmen yr she decides AFROTC is not her thing.
~ SFT selection is broken down into groups. Tech/rated, Tech/non-rated. Non-tech/rated. Non-tech/non-rated. Rated means intending to fly. Non-tech/non-rated has the lowest section rate. DO NOT FRET, just be cognizant. A non-tech cadet traditionally will have a 3.4 cgpa (college) and again a strong PFT.
3. I think she has a strong resume, but....
~ HQ AFROTC will readjust her cgpa to their algorithm. You say it is 3.9 uwcgpa, but is it on a 7 point scale or 10 pt.?
~ Nothing she does in her senior yr will be taken into account. 9 APs by graduation does not matter. How many will she have by the end of her junior yr. ? Same is true for ECs. Class president will not be seen by HQ AFROTC. Granted she can state this at her interview, so indirectly it will matter..
~ AFROTC does best sitting, no superscore her ACT is very, very strong. She is type 1 level academically, but remember type 1 is 5% of all scholarships offered, and only 5% of those scholarships go to non-tech. Do the math, let's say 1000 are offered, 50 will be type 1. 2-3 of those type 1s will be non-tech. This is a national pool. They could not care if every type 1 recipient is from just 2 states, unlike SAs. Type 2 is 15%, and @15% will go to non-tech. Again, very small numbers. HOWEVER, see above regarding the PFA. As a non-tech, even with a great academic profile, a low PFA may be the make or break regarding the scholarship type she is awarded.
4. Long term
~ AF has unique routes to become a JAG, but I will say that statistically she has a much higher chance to get UPT than a JAG slot. However, either way she will owe at least 4 yrs ADAF regardless.
5. ICSP (on the spot scholarship offer from the det.)
~ As stated it is rare. Don't bank on it.
~ It is tied to that university. You are given limited time to respond. IE she interviews in Sept at her reach college, they offer her a scholarship tied to their unit. She will be given a week or so to accept. If she does, than they will remove her name from the HSSP pool. It is a risk since she will not know at that point if the college will admit her for the class of 2024.
6. DoDMERB
~ Too many candidates do not get their medical records in order. They can get in the weeds because they don't realize just like the PFT to activate the scholarship, they also need to be medically qualified. Waivers can take weeks or months.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks again... a lot of food for thought, especially on the long term view.

A few takeaways -
1. Set a high goal for PFA (per the #s Tbpxece posted) and try to max out the points as much as possible to pass the make or break point.
2. Apparently DD's school is on 10 pt. scale. Also, no AP classes available until junior year. So she will only have 5 APs before her senior year.
3. non-tech scholarship is obviously in limited availability. don't know if a foreign language major would improve the chance.
4. need to think about the long term view re JAG. may have to be ADAF 4 yrs. first then law school after on her own.
5. DoDMERB!!
 
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