AFROTC Type 7 to Type 2 Conversion >> Any Advice?

[ArielsMom]

I was beyond pleased when my daughter was awarded a Type 7 scholarship this year, even though she was really disappointed that it was not a Type 2. After seeing how few scholarships are given I feel even luckier.

She (and our family) will be deciding in the next few weeks whether to apply the Type 7 to our state school or defer to a Type 2 at a school that is roughly 3x the cost of the state university. Her intended major is Aerospace Engineering or Mechanical Engineering w/Aerospace option.

Does any one have experience deferring the first year? If she meets the first year ROTC requirements, GPA, etc., is there any chance that the AF will come back and say, "sorry, more budget cuts and we won't be able to honor the scholarship"?

 

[nick4060]

I converted my type 7 to a 3-year type 2 back in 2008. I suppose there is a chance that the AF could decide to "drop" your daughter during freshman year, since she won't be contracted until she starts sophomore year. But, I've never heard of that happening to date and it would take some dramatic circumstances for them to do that.

In my experience, their methods for dealing with budget cuts has been reducing the number of in-college scholarships (which doesn't affect your daughter) and reducing the number of enrollment allocations for cadets who want to enter the POC after sophomore year (which can affect your daughter). The best advice is to make sure she is serious about being an engineering major. If she doesn't keep her grades up, then she may not be competitive for an EA. If she decides to switch to a non-tech major, then the AF will almost certainly take away the scholarship.

Congrats on the scholarship and good luck!

 

[ArielsMom]

Thanks for the advice, Nick

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping to hear back from someone who had actually done it.

I know there are no sure bets. I do know my daughter has wanted to be an engineer as long as I can remember and just today her first semester grades posted -- A's in both AP Physics and AP Calc (and every other class as well). It sounds like you are a tech major too, which is just amazing to me. I've read the degree outlines for the universities she is looking at and frankly I don't even understand the course descriptions.

 

[nick4060]

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping to hear back from someone who had actually done it.

I know there are no sure bets. I do know my daughter has wanted to be an engineer as long as I can remember and just today her first semester grades posted -- A's in both AP Physics and AP Calc (and every other class as well). It sounds like you are a tech major too, which is just amazing to me. I've read the degree outlines for the universities she is looking at and frankly I don't even understand the course descriptions.

Sounds like you have nothing to worry about. Just enjoy the time you have left together before she's off to college!

Also, Im definitely not a tech major. I realized from the start that I wouldnt have made it as an engineer. But a lot of others didn't and they ended up paying the price in the long run.

 

[Pima]

The one piece of advice I would give to anyone with a scholarship is to have Plan B regardless of the converting issue.

As Nick stated there is always that chance she will not become a POC, and than the question will be how to you pay for the remaining 2 yrs of college.

Too often people believe that as long as I maintain the 2.8 gpa I will keep the scholarship for all 4 yrs. The fact is as Nick stated SFT is a board and it does not have 100% selection rate. No EA/SFT and they may lose their scholarship plus be dis-enrolled in the program. Emotionally it is hard on every cadet that does not receive SFT selection, but it is twice as hard on those that relied on the scholarship as the only way to afford their college.

Make sure you investigate the what ifs. Right now college are just sending out early admittance, and many of them will receive strong merit packages, for some the scholarship will be gravy, and the loss of it would not impact their ability to remain there, for some it will be the only way to attend.

Just food for thought!

 

[ArielsMom]

PIMA, thanks for weighing in + male/female ratio of detachments

Good advice, Pima. We're going to have the financial discussion with my daughter after Christmas. She also received a presidential scholarship from her choice school, so as long as she can maintain either the presidential (3.0 gpa) or the ROTC scholarship we can afford the school. If she cannot retain one of the scholarships she will have to come home and go to the state university to finish.

Her choice school only has an enrollment rate of 18% women which is a little troubling to me, but not to her. Is there a way to find out what the AFROTC detachment looks like in terms of male/female ratio?

 

[Packer]

Is there a way to find out what the AFROTC detachment looks like in terms of male/female ratio?

You will need to call the detachment. They seem to vary and I do not recall coming across any that are publishing the data online.

 

[Pima]

I am sure the det has those numbers, but honestly I would not think it would be higher than 15%, because if you add in the school ratio, and the fact that in the AF it is about 25% female, you would have a smaller number since not every student would be a cadet. Additionally in 4 yrs she will be entering a world that is not 50/50 ratio between men and women.

The fact is although AFROTC states a 2.8 min, very few cadets will be selected for SFT with that low of a gpa. Granted it goes back to the rigor of the college, as I have stated before an MIT student will be viewed differently than the UDel student.

Last yr, I believe the stats were 3.0 for tech majors, 3.2/3.3 non tech. 55% were selected nationally. If I recall correctly 75% of tech majors were selected, and 45% of non-tech made it.

However, you have to go back and ask how did her det do in their selection rate compared to the national selection. There were some schools that had @68% selection rate and some that had 35%. This is important, because as you just stated if she does not get SFT, and they dis-enroll her, she would have to finish her last 2 yrs at home. This is something to discuss thoroughly with her. For some it will be their constant motivation in ROTC, for others if their heart really isn't there they may use this as a way to sabotage their future.

 

[kinnem]

Good advice, Pima. We're going to have the financial discussion with my daughter after Christmas. She also received a presidential scholarship from her choice school, so as long as she can maintain either the presidential (3.0 gpa) or the ROTC scholarship we can afford the school. If she cannot retain one of the scholarships she will have to come home and go to the state university to finish.

We're in the same boat although we do not have a ROTC scholarship. Although chances a re slim to get an in-school scholarship this year, we're still hoping. DS far exceeded my expectations with regards to his GPA first semester, so I'm hopeful it won't be a problem to keep his merit scholarship over the years.

Her choice school only has an enrollment rate of 18% women which is a little troubling to me, but not to her. Is there a way to find out what the AFROTC detachment looks like in terms of male/female ratio?

I can't speak to AFROTC, and as Packer points out I'm sure each school is different; but DS's NROTC unit is 20-25A% women. I have to say the gals I've met at unit tailgate parties are most impressive and seem to fit right in as equals with the rest of the unit.

I don't mean to seem condescending in the above comments but if I had a daughter it would be something I would be concerned about, so I thought I'd mention it.