Here is the problem in my eyes. That RUN time. He needs to get it down, as in close to at least a 7 min mile. He needs to do the PFA in order and the way it is administered, including form. IOWS, he can't do push ups in the a.m., and later that day do the sit ups, and say well I maxxed the number. Just like thinking a 9 min mile will equate to 13 1/2 mins for 1 1/2 mile. Reality is that last 1/2 mile can kick your butt, so your time will probably be closer to 14 mins+. That is a FAIL. He needs to run in the rain, in the cold, in the heat.
Why?
Because in AFROTC he will be required to do the PFA the 1st week of every semester in college to keep that scholarship. The PFA will be part of his score not only for the scholarship, but to be selected for summer field training, to get his career choice.
~ Fail the PFA and they will not activate the scholarship. It also places you on their radar right away.
AFROTC is types, not tiers. Navy and Army are tiers. Type 1 is 5% of all scholarships awarded. The board is national. HQ AFROTC could not care if every type 1 comes from Idaho and 0 come from any other state, and as stated it is tied to the cadet, not the school. Again, unlike Navy or Army ROTC.
Here is my advice.
1. Take the SAT/ACT as often as you can. AFROTC does not superscore, it is best sitting.
~ Did he take the PSAT? If so, was he a National Merit Semi-Finalist? If yes, make sure he places that as an award. See above regarding the board is national.
2. You mention no sports or leadership.
~ Unlike Navy and Army ROTC HSSP, AFROTC does not take into account anything they do as a senior in HS, except new SAT/ACT scores. However, if he runs for SR class treasurer in the spring of his junior year, he can place on his resume that as a jr. he was elected to serve in that position in the fall. I know for my kids, NHS/BETA, senior class president student council was elected in the spring, so they could hit the ground running in the fall. Same with our DS's FB team. The captain was selected during the summer before they even played their 1st game.
3. Grades/class ranking/curriculum
~ They will look at his school profile. That profile will include his class ranking, 7 or 10 pt scale, how many AP/IB courses offered, % of students in the program. Weight scale. % that go Ivy vs Public vs Private vs 2 yr vs workforce. IOWS it is great he has a 3.7, but if his class rank is 25% and 0% go IVY, than they have to ask, do they hand out an A like candy on Halloween. Flip it, if he is top 5% with a 3.7 and 25% go Ivy, than they know this school is hard arse grading. There are tens of thousands of HS in this nation. AFROTC has to use their own algorithm to equalize gpas. There are kids that will see their gpa rise or fall when it comes to HQ AFROTC because if they are on a 7 or 10 pt scale, same with weighted gpa.
4. Get those medical records in order.
~ I cannot stress this hard enough. TOO many posters get wrapped up in the SAT/ACT, GPA, PFA, EC aspect and lose sight that there is another prong. DoDMERB. There will be no physical exam until awarded a scholarship, unless, the awardee is also applying for an SA and moves from applicant to candidate.
~~ I don't have enough fingers and toes in my family of 5 regarding how many posters here got a remedial or DQ regarding something they never thought was an issue. At 13 as a volleyball player they got winded, their doc wanted to err on the side of safety and prescribed an inhaler in case it could be asthma. Never used it, but as a parent you continued to refill it. Now at the exam, he must admit that yes, he has a prescription drug since he was 13. Whether or not he used it doesn't matter. He must admit that he has an inhaler. This may now start a whole new process for the candidate. Same with food allergies. Only allergic to macadamia nuts, no biggie, right? Wrong. My kid has no vision issues, no glasses/contacts, they are good. Wrong. They also look for color vision deficiency. I swear to you on my beloved dog, that at least 1 person every year gets on here and says I failed the color vision test, now what.
~~~ DoDMERB quals and disquals according to the commissioning source. AFROTC may say yes and USAFA may say no. NROTC may say no, and USAFA/USMA say yes. Waivers come down from the source, not DoDMERB
Scholarship recipients are not the majority in ROTC. They are the minority.
Spend the spring and tell the GC that you intend to apply. You will need an official transcript sent by the school. WORK OUT. Visit your top college choices and do the dog/pony show regarding campus tours, but prior to going, contact that det. and ask if you can visit with them.
~ Parents...introduce yourselves and leave. Agree to meet at somewhere on campus at X time. This allows your child to walk the campus like a freshmen in college and get a feel instead of the dog/pony show. This allows them to show to the det., I stand on my 2 feet. It also allows them to put a face to your name early on. Maybe next fall that is where you will be assigned to interview, now the PMS or CoC may say, weren't you here last April when the school did a college tour? You said you were going engineering.
Hope this helps.
PS. The 1st board this year was in Oct. not Dec. I lived in NC (ADAF spouse) and luckily for you they typically return early or mid Aug., compared to NJ or VA where they return to school just prior or just after Labor day in Sept.
