Benefit of submitting scholarship application early vs. waiting to submit? AFROTC

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I've heard a few people say that it's better to submit your application for the AFROTC scholarship as early as possible.

Bu why is this? Do they have rolling acceptances? Is there really a significant difference submitting it, say, at the end of the summer rather than at the deadline in December? I would think that the Air Force would simply want the most capable applicants, not just qualified people who applied early, but that's contrary to what I have heard and I want to know why.

I am hesitant to submit as soon as I can for 2 reasons:
One, I'll be finishing my private pilot license at the end of the summer, which would likely be a boost to my application. But I won't have it done until then.
Second, I'm retaking the SAT in August - only got a 1500 the first time around, when I was scoring forty to fifty points higher on the practice tests.
Would it be valid to wait until those are done to submit the application in order to include them?


A few additional questions:
Are SAT II subject test scores considered for the application? I took the chemistry one before I did AP Chemistry and so I did badly (700), but I'm retaking it (along with taking math 2 and physics subject tests) and if my diagnostic practice tests say anything, I will do very well on those. I want to either be able to submit my good scores, or just not submit the bad stuff from earlier when I wasn't as focused on studying for it.
If I were to (theoretically) receive a scholarship and accept the offer, would it be possible to transfer schools during college?

Thanks. And if it's relevant to any of these questions, I'm looking to do a tech major (aero/astro engineering or physics)... my dream school is MIT because they're doing amazing aeronautical research there but it's a long shot no matter what, so maybe GA Tech, Purdue, or UCSD... I'm unsure at this point really, but there's no need for me to get attached to one particular place this early on! :)
 
Many reasons.

1. It is a queue system. First in, first boarded.
~ The board will only meet for x amt of days. So let's say you submit the last day before the deadline for the Dec. board. However, just because you made the deadline does not necessarily mean you will be boarded. The reason why is again they only meet for x amount of days. If they have 2K applications in the pile and you being #2000, but can get through only 1900. The last 100 will be put at the top for the next board.
2. AFROTC does not take into account anything for your senior year, except a new SAT score.
~ Your classes, gpa or rank will remain the same as the end of your junior year for PAR
~ Same is true for any ECs.
~~ Caveat: Let's say your school football team names their captain before the end of the school year. Thus, you can place that down since it was your junior year. Just like if NHS elects you President for next year, than it is something you earned as a junior.
3. PPL is an EC.
~ Last I knew PPL's have no real impact for the scholarship. It shows a desire to fly, but compare it to being a Billy Mitchell recipient in CAP with few flight hours or an Eagle Scout and the PPL is nice, but in a different category.
~~ PPL has a big impact later on as an AS300 for the rated board.
4. Interview
~ To be boarded you will need to do an interview. If applying for USAFA too your ALO can submit. If not than you will interview with a CoC at an AFROTC det.
~~ AFROTC CoC's in the fall will be busy starting up the det. It may take a few weeks to get an appointment. If you decide not to complete until Nov. 15th, well the college may be shutting down for Thanksgiving and can't do it until the 1st of Dec.
~~~ Some colleges will offer ICSP to candidates. If you delay until Nov. and they offer their ICSP in Sept. to another candidate well you lost that chance because they had no idea you were applying.
5. Transcripts (SAT II)
~ If those scores are on your official transcript, than they will see them, just like your gpa, class rigor and rank. You just can't not submit the scores if the school has them on their transcript.

I am assuming you are saying the 1500 is out of 1600. If that is the case I would say submit as soon as you have your PPL in hopes that they will see it still your junior year. AFROTC does not superscore, it is best sitting for SAT/ACT. 1500 out of 1600 is very strong. The avg best sitting is lower than 1500, close to 1400.

Hope that helps.
 
Completing your application and submitting it early also communicate focus and desire to the board.
 
What was written above. I've had two kids obtain AFROTC and NROTC scholarships and both were told do it early for the reasons above! It's also a numbers game and the more chances you have at the board, the better for you. Also, most high schoolers are procrastinators and won't be submitting until Nov and Dec, so the number of competitors at the early boards will be fewer (again, advice we received from both the AF and The Navy).
Keep in mind that this is selective, just like a selective college, and there are people who look great on the app who don't get picked. So do all you can to improve your chances. And you might want to think about covering your bases and also applying for NROTC as well.
 
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100% agree with the above posters.

My addition: Submitting early may help you win a Commander's Scholarship. Each AFROTC detachment is allowed one CS to award to a HSSP applicant, which is effectively a Type 1 for tech majors and a Type 2 for non-tech. However, this offer can only be accepted if you choose to attend the school for which it was specifically awarded or an affiliated cross-town school, thereby removing you from the national scholarship pool. Also, you have an extremely limited amount of time to accept it (roughly one week max, don't quote me on this). This lends itself to being used as a recruiting tool: IE if you are a competitive applicant and the detachment commander where you are interviewing views you as a valuable addition to the det, he/she may award you the CS before national board results come out, hoping that you will take the sure thing with the CS instead of taking a chance with the board. Since there is only one CS, it could very well be gone by the time you interview, should you choose to wait. Something to keep in mind.
 
I have 2 daughter's both type 1 and both interviewed and met with MIT det 365 commanders. One daughter applied early to MIT and was accepted early. Apply Early Decision to MIT!! It increases chances for admissions, shows incentive and desire, and could get noticed for Commanders scholarship.
Apply early to HSSP for first board in November! Last year my daughter found out her scholarship Nov 23rd and had commanders call her the next day. That means your HSSP interview and PFA test should be completed by end of October. So early early...I can't stress how important this is for so many reasons. Good like on your flying cert!
 
pv123 said:
I have 2 daughter's both type 1 and both interviewed and met with MIT det 365 commanders. One daughter applied early to MIT and was accepted early. Apply Early Decision to MIT!! It increases chances for admissions, shows incentive and desire, and could get noticed for Commanders scholarship.
Apply early to HSSP for first board in November! Last year my daughter found out her scholarship Nov 23rd and had commanders call her the next day. That means your HSSP interview and PFA test should be completed by end of October. So early early...I can't stress how important this is for so many reasons. Good like on your flying cert!
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I agree. My daughter was an early admit to MIT this year and heard from the AF detachment. Applying early to MIT is good too because they don't limit your early apps to other schools. And early admissions do have higher acceptance rates (though for MIT it's only 1.2% higher). Here's a list of this year's early acceptance rates at various selective schools - some are quite higher than their regular decision rates:
1.MIT EA 657 out of 8394 (7.8%)
2.Georgetown EA 931 out of 7822 (11.9%)
3.Harvard SCEA 938 out of 6473 (14.5%)
4.Princeton SCEA 770 out of 5003 (15.4%)
5.Yale SCEA 871 out of 5086 (17.1%)
6.Brown ED 695 out of 3170 (21.9%)
7.Penn ED 1354 out of 6147 (22.0%)
8.UVA EA (OOS) 3339 out of 14,968 (22.3%)
9.Vanderbilt ED1/ED2 860 out of 3647 (23.6%)
10.Duke ED 861 out of 3516 (24.5%)
11.Cornell ED 1379 out of 5384 (25.6%)
12.Northwestern ED 963 out of 3736 (25.7%)
13.Dartmouth ED 555 out of 1999 (27.8%)
14.Tufts ED1/ED2 675 out of 2310 (29.2%)
15.Johns Hopkins ED 591 out of 1934 (30.6%)
16.Emory ED 474 out of 1493 (31.7%)
17.UVA EA (IS) 2575 out of 5278 (48.8%)
 
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