AFROTC Majors

afrotc2022

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Jul 5, 2017
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If I put General Studies, Comp. Sci, and Meteorology on my AFROTC app, will I still get "priority" since meteorology is on there, or will I be considered a "non-tech" applicant?

Also, does anyone know if doing one of the "most needed" majors (i.e. Meteorology, Nuc. Physics, etc.) is a good idea if I want to go rated? I have seen most people say to do the major you enjoy and get good grades, which looks better for the rated board. I'm leaning towards going GS and counting on my leadership experience, school grades, etc. to get me a high-school scholarship.

Any tips/suggestions/encouragement is welcome. Thanks everyone!
 
Computer Science is a tech major. My son was awarded a type 7 this year and that is his major.
 
The thing is that when they award you the scholarship they can award it in 2 ways. They may say tech major only or it may say in any degree (tech or non-tech). IOWS since 2 of the 3 are tech majors you may not have the option of having the scholarship and going GS if they say tech only.

IMHO, a GS major is going to be an uphill battle to get an HSSP, unless you are stellar all around. Here are the real facts about HSSPs.
1. Only about 16-18% of all candidates BOARDED will receive a scholarship, or about 900 students nationally.
2. Only 5% are awarded type 1. Of that 5% only 5% are awarded to non-tech. Do the math, it is about 2 or 3. If memory serves me the avg BEST sitting is @1350, they do not superscore. Now, realize that just because it is an avg, the likelihood for a non-tech to get a type 1 on the avg best sitting better have an amazing resume.
3. 15-20% get a type 2. However, again tech majors get most of these, usually around 85%. That means there are only 20 nationally go non-tech. BEST Sitting I believe avgs @1300+.
4. 75-80% get a type 7. The bulk of non-tech come from this pile, and yet, that number is @ 25%. Last I knew BEST sitting avg was just below 1300.

With that being said, the AF will tell you that 80-85% of all scholarships for AFROTC is tech majors. When you say you hope that with your leadership and grades you will earn an HSSP for GS please be honest with yourself. Do some research on here regarding stats from previous years recipients ---search the threads here, there are a ton of them, be it chance me or the results are out, showing what they had in stats.
~ If you do not know already, AFROTC will not take into account anything from your senior year, except new SAT/ACT scores. Hence, if you think becoming the FB captain in the fall will count for leadership, it will not.
~ Additionally, please do not post your cgpa. Here's why.... there are tens of thousands of HS across the nation. You can say I have a 4.3, but out of what, 4.5, 5.0, 6.0? You can say I have taken 6 APs, but does your HS require you to take pre-reqs for AP or can you just take it?

In the end HQ AFROTC has to use their own algorithm to balance it out, and that will include multiple factors. They do not care if 1 college has 100% on scholarship and the other has 0% (unlike A/NROTC). Nor do they assign X amount per state, unlike the SAs. It is national. Nor does AFROTC talk to USAFA or any other ROTC when it comes to selection. Typically a high majority of SA applicants will apply for ROTC scholarships as plan B, whereas, the converse is not true for the majority of ROTC applicants applying for an SA as plan B.

Personally, I would not advise my children to do GS for other reasons. I get you want rated, but you are just at the start of this path. There are so many hurdles in front of you, everything from SFT boards to rated boards to FAA FC1, and any of them can take you down a different path. Let's say you get selected for rated, but get DQd for FAA FC1. Now what? You will still commission, but non-rated. If you do just 4 and hit the door to become a civilian, what career path will you choose? How will your GS degree help you get a job? Yes, your career experience will help, but only to a certain degree.
~ If you say I will get my grad degree while ADAF, and you use TA than you owe more ADAF, thus 4 and the door is not an option.

What if you get to UPT and wash out (there has never been 100% that wing out of UPT, more likely @65-70% will wing on a good day)? You still owe them years of ADAF.

Finally, be careful on the majors you select because if that major is tied to a career field where ADAF has declared critical manning they can say you will not go rated because we need you for your major.

Hope this helps. I am not trying to be Debbie Downer, just trying to get you ready for this rollercoaster ride.

P.S. FWIW, DS got a type 2 non-tech 1st board. His SAT was 1410 best sitting, 33 or 34 (can't recall). He was top 7% of his class. Had every AP offered, did jump start on top of that. Was a jr. olympian medalist for TKD. Worked PT as a life guard with 23 saves, and was the senior guard, plus pool manager. That was eons ago. He is now an ADAF pilot. 13 went rated out of his AFROTC class. Only 7 in the end winged.

You can do it, but be realistic with having a plan B, C and D in place at all times.
 
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