Chances of AFRTOC Scholarship

Thanks for the input pima and tbpxece.

I plan to take my PFA January 5th and submit my application that day as well. I know I'll be in the last pool of applicant, but I figured the 5th is better than the 31st.

Also, I'm able to max my situps now, and I can get 35 pushups in a minute. I'm working towards maxing those out as well. My 1.5 mile run is my weakest point, though, as my average time is in the 13 minute range.
 
ntmp said:
Thanks for the input pima and tbpxece.

I plan to take my PFA January 5th and submit my application that day as well. I know I'll be in the last pool of applicant, but I figured the 5th is better than the 31st.

Also, I'm able to max my situps now, and I can get 35 pushups in a minute. I'm working towards maxing those out as well. My 1.5 mile run is my weakest point, though, as my average time is in the 13 minute range.
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35 pushups is great for a female! For that run time, do intervals 1-2x per week. This means, sprint as hard as you can for 60 seconds (or 1/4 mile if you are on a quarter-mile track). Then walk for 120 seconds (or 1/8 mile). No rest. No stopping. Do it over and over for at least 2 miles. You should feel like you are going to throw up at the end of each sprint.

When you run normally (i.e. not intervals), time yourself each time and target 4 minutes for each 1/2 mile. Run around 2 miles. Not less than 1.75 and not more than 3. Keep your pace consistent. Use your phone or a fitness watch to confirm this. MapMyRun, Runkeeper, Strava, etc. are all great for this.

You won't be in the last pool of applicants-- 3/5 boards are still open. Don't sweat it.

Great job on the pushups and sit-ups!
 
PAR = Prior Academic Record. This includes your cgpa, class ranking, SAT/ACT, curriculum rigor, school profile, etc.
~ Remember for AFROTC they do not include anything from your senior yr, except a new SAT/ACT. What is on your resume at the end of your junior year is what they will review you when you meet the board.

For lurkers this is key regarding AFROTC HSSP. Don't delay applying thinking that you MAY become the Captain of XC team, or thinking that your course curriculum for your senior yr will matter, or that you plan to run for President of Student Council. They will not see any of that info. The interviewer will be able to see that, and it can impact on how they score you since they know the AFROTC HSSP system
~ Caveat: Many schools will select team captains in the spring for the fall before the school year ends. Same with positions like NHS president. If that is what your school does, you just place on your resume as a junior, elected to be President of NHS for the graduation yr.

claynjen1 is correct they may recalculate your cgpa. Sometimes it will go up and sometimes it will go down according to their algorithm. Our DS's went up because his school used a 7 pt scale. Honors was 4.0 just like std courses. AP was 4.5. Dual enrollment aka JUMP START at the CC was 5.0.

DO not jump into fear if you have only 1 AP. The reason they request to see the school profile is to see what they require for classes like APS. They are not going to ding you if you can't take any APs until your senior year. However, if you could have taken them your entire HS academic career, than you have some splaining to do.

I wish you the best. Just apply and get it done ASAP.
 
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Great running advice from @Tbpxece. Some people train for a mile run by running a mile or more, but always at the same pace. They key is mixing it up: short, hard intervals plus longer tempo runs are critical. Can’t improve if you’re in a rut.
 
Thanks for the tips everyone. I'll keep working at my fitness :)))) I want to do as exceedingly well as I can on my PFA because I feel like it could compensate for my ACT score? Am I correct about this?
 
It doesn't necessarily compensate the ACT. Your ACT is fine, a little low, but still close enough for a type 7.

How it does change things is that the PFA is a percentage of the WCS, albeit a small percentage. You don't want to leave any points on the table.

Basically the WCS is percentages multiplied out. If the breakdown is sim. to USAFA it would be
60% PAR
15% EC
15% CFA
10% Interview
~ Caveat it might be reversed, can't remember. IE 15% interview, 10% CFA aka PFA for ROTC.
So yes, it will help for your overall WCS, since it could be even as little as 0.8 points

In the end, HQ AFROTC will have to draw a line on who gets a scholarship and who does not. X points above the line gets it, below and you get the At this time we are unable....letter. The WCS is not necessarily a whole number. It can come down to a tenth or a hundredth of a point.
~ At least that is what I have been told. Think of it like your gpa. It is not 3.7, but 3.71. Your class rank can be impacted by that 0.01, because somebody behind you can have a 3.70 which means you rank higher.

Additionally, don't stop working out and doing the correct form. Not only can you not activate your scholarship without passing the PFA, but it is the 1st true impression of you as a cadet in AFROTC..
~ Many recipients do the PFA, and stop working out. By the time they get to the unit, they are not ready to take the PFA. Thus, they bust it and now have to retake it again to activate.
~ Some do amazing on the PFA, too high in push ups and sit ups impo. The reason why is the administrator is just counting and not looking at the form like ROTC will. They will bust because for every 1 or 2 push ups the ROTC PT instructor will say doesn't count. In essence, their body is working twice as hard for lower numbers.

Our DS heeded our advice. He worked out throughout the summer before arriving. He ran in the rain. He ran in the heat. He ran at 6 a.m.. All of these conditions will be something you may face on the day you take your PFA.
~ At his unit if you max your PFA that fall semester as an AS100 they did not require you to do weekly PT. They just have to do the end of the semester PFA. They were expected to work out on their own time. He got that pass bc he had 100 on his PFA. UNDERSTAND not every unit offers this perk.
~~ Of course there is a plus and negative to this. Plus side, nice not to be up at O dark thirty. Plus side, you have made a good 1st impression. Downside, if at the end of the semester your scores drop drastically you just placed a target on your back. Downside for some is that now you have become the shining star for PT. As a cadet, you will have a job in the squadron. You might be like our DS and come spring semester you will be the asst PT instructor for the flight. Which means you now have to be there before the rest of the cadets show up!

I really think unless something is off on what you are saying, you will get a scholarship. IMPO, your only problem is your run, you are close to a bust, because you are saying a 13 min range. 13 mins. and 1 sec is different than 13 mins and 59 secs.
 
Pima said:
He ran in the rain. He ran in the heat. He ran at 6 a.m.. All of these conditions will be something you may face on the day you take your PFA.
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This is probably one of the most important factors in training for the AFPFT or the ROTC PFA.

Never avoid adverse conditions when training. I've had tests I had to do below freezing, with shin splints, in incredible humidity (just below black flag, of course), with a stomach bug, with bronchitis, knee pain, etc. I think the "normal" issue-free test in my years of testing has always been the rare exception. Despite all that, I have always scored in mid-to-high 90s since I stopped training under "optimal" conditions a little over a decade ago. And this is coming from someone who is not an avid fitness buff or super athlete. Just someone who stays in shape.

Stay off the treadmills and flat trails. Go out there and run up and down hills, in the driving rain, in the cold, and on the sides of roads. Do all this while keeping your target pace. You will smoke the PFA on test day.
 
UPDATE: I have been notified that I will be scheduled an interview :))))
 
Yes we are! Still waiting for USAFA and USMA, but this was such a relief for her to know that she now has options.
 
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