john.sor77
Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2021
- Messages
- 11
Hello all,
I'm currently preparing to attend NSI and do NROTC at Boston College, but was also awarded an AFROTC foreign language major Type 2 scholarship, so ~60k a year for three years with a tuition of ~200k. Obviously, the Navy makes more sense financially (full tuition all 4 years), and I have flexibility with my major (not mandatory to major in a language in NROTC). This is good for me, because I'll be in their business school come Fall and am not too keen on majoring in a foreign language. That said, if I decide that the Air Force is a better option I am fine with double majoring (not the end of the world). However, I'm assuming there's a good reason behind NROTC offering full ride scholarships to its winners, which brings me to the main point of this post:
How does NROTC compare with AFROTC? In terms of rigor and frequency of classes, difficulty and frequency of PT? What about general standards (is the Navy more strict and stringent about certain things, rather than the AF?) The best example that I could think of is the NSI. While I have to go to a three-week "boot camp" for the Navy over the summer, I'm not sure the AF has anything like this. I'm wondering if the intensity of NSI reflects the general stereotype of the Navy as being the "most intense" or most "militarily integrated" branch. Another example: I know NROTC mandates that you take one semester of Calculus and another of Calculus-based physics. STEM isn't really my thing, although again, it isn't the end of the world if I have to take these two classes. Are there any other stipulations between the branches to be aware of?
Long term, what's a better option in terms of job placement and broad range of opportunity? This is a more open question since I know less about what happens after ROTC (as I'm still trying to figure out what happens in ROTC), but I'm curious. Is one branch better for a certain career field/job than the other? Or are you going to end up with relatively the same opportunities in whichever branch you choose? Other things to consider that I have heard: That within the Air Force you lead more of a "civilian" life (not as tied to the military), their bases are the nicest/most funded, uniforms look the cleanest . Also, how does it work out financially in the end? You're saving money in ROTC by not taking out loans, but at the same time, your starting salary after college is likely less (for me, majoring in business I would expect to make ~60k+ first year). Then again, the military benefits like health care and paid-for resources on base help out a ton.
I know this is a lot to take in, and some parts may or may not be fully accurate, but I would appreciate any clarification, feedback, or guidance. If there are certain resources, like websites, people to talk to, places to visit, movies to watch/books to read that could also help me make an informed decision, that would be greatly appreciated as well. Thank you!
I'm currently preparing to attend NSI and do NROTC at Boston College, but was also awarded an AFROTC foreign language major Type 2 scholarship, so ~60k a year for three years with a tuition of ~200k. Obviously, the Navy makes more sense financially (full tuition all 4 years), and I have flexibility with my major (not mandatory to major in a language in NROTC). This is good for me, because I'll be in their business school come Fall and am not too keen on majoring in a foreign language. That said, if I decide that the Air Force is a better option I am fine with double majoring (not the end of the world). However, I'm assuming there's a good reason behind NROTC offering full ride scholarships to its winners, which brings me to the main point of this post:
How does NROTC compare with AFROTC? In terms of rigor and frequency of classes, difficulty and frequency of PT? What about general standards (is the Navy more strict and stringent about certain things, rather than the AF?) The best example that I could think of is the NSI. While I have to go to a three-week "boot camp" for the Navy over the summer, I'm not sure the AF has anything like this. I'm wondering if the intensity of NSI reflects the general stereotype of the Navy as being the "most intense" or most "militarily integrated" branch. Another example: I know NROTC mandates that you take one semester of Calculus and another of Calculus-based physics. STEM isn't really my thing, although again, it isn't the end of the world if I have to take these two classes. Are there any other stipulations between the branches to be aware of?
Long term, what's a better option in terms of job placement and broad range of opportunity? This is a more open question since I know less about what happens after ROTC (as I'm still trying to figure out what happens in ROTC), but I'm curious. Is one branch better for a certain career field/job than the other? Or are you going to end up with relatively the same opportunities in whichever branch you choose? Other things to consider that I have heard: That within the Air Force you lead more of a "civilian" life (not as tied to the military), their bases are the nicest/most funded, uniforms look the cleanest . Also, how does it work out financially in the end? You're saving money in ROTC by not taking out loans, but at the same time, your starting salary after college is likely less (for me, majoring in business I would expect to make ~60k+ first year). Then again, the military benefits like health care and paid-for resources on base help out a ton.
I know this is a lot to take in, and some parts may or may not be fully accurate, but I would appreciate any clarification, feedback, or guidance. If there are certain resources, like websites, people to talk to, places to visit, movies to watch/books to read that could also help me make an informed decision, that would be greatly appreciated as well. Thank you!