Does it ever happen?

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Hopefulparent9

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Does it ever happen that a cadet leaves USAFA and switches to a traditional college BUT within the AFROTC program? Assuming the switch was a preference only and he/she still has a desire to serve? Would they have trouble getting the scholarship?
My son is currently a HS senior and did receive the AFROTC scholarship but it looks like he will get into USAFA so just in case he decides next year that he should have done the traditional route. Thanks
 
I don't know the answers to your questions but I would caution against forming a contingency plan once accepted to the Academy. During the application process, yes, Plan B is a necessity because an appointment is not guaranteed.

However, once accepted to the Academy, then he should be laser focused on completing all four years. There will be times that it will get tough and he will question his decision. He may speak of quitting. If he has a backup plan, it will be that much easier for him to throw in the towel.

As a parent, the best thing you can do is have a frank discussion now with him about his commitment to USAFA. He must have a passion going in. If he is also accepted to the Academy, he should make the choice which path to go. Once he makes a decision, then support him in staying the course and keeping his commitment to his chosen path.
 
I don’t know about re-applying for a four year scholarship. I would not count on that. But after leaving USAFA he could start AFROTC as a non-scholarship cadet and earn a campus scholarship with his performance. So, leaving the USAFA would not be the end of the world, but I would figure on paying at least a year of tuition if he goes that route.

The better course would be to do thorough research now, make a decision which way to go and stick with it. And remember, almost everyone considers quitting a service academy at some point but most persevere and graduate.
 
Its not a preference as such it’s a failure to adapt in one way or another to the rigors of a military SA. A failure not a preference.

As a parent and now a GP of SA students there is a fear they won’t make it that they can’t measure up. The feeling or fear is natural and for me lasts all four or five years. But most do make it and graduate

Just don’t start giving them an easy out before they even attend. And that is how I see this question.

I have no idea if someone has left a SA because they did not like it, and then got their way paid for thru ROTC. But I assume others here know if it’s happened.
 
Thanks all. This is really based upon my fears and he has never mentioned it. He really isn’t a quitter. I appreciate the advice for when he finds it tough. He hasn’t officially been appointed yet. Ugh! I’m just a hot mess about my only growing up. He’s convinced the SA’s are the right place for him. Fortunately, he spent 3 days at USNA in October and became even more convinced about an SA.
 
To piggyback on what has already been said, I know 3-4 people who have left USAFA with plans to join ROTC and commission/fly. None of them have been successful so far in achieving that specific goal. If your true goal is to commission as an officer into the Air Force, why would you willingly leave the place most likely to make that dream a reality?
 
Many years ago, the policy for Navy was that if you requested to leave you would not be eligible for any commissioning program. If you were dismissed due to academic problems you could do ROTC at a regular college.

This could be different for Air Force and it may have changed with time.
 
Hopefulparent9 said:
Thanks all. This is really based upon my fears and he has never mentioned it. He really isn’t a quitter. I appreciate the advice for when he finds it tough. He hasn’t officially been appointed yet. Ugh! I’m just a hot mess about my only growing up. He’s convinced the SA’s are the right place for him. Fortunately, he spent 3 days at USNA in October and became even more convinced about an SA.
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And here as a parent is what you need to realize——that never changes.

For me not until they walk across the stage and get their diploma was I able to relax. And going thru it a second time it does not get any easier.

You will have to learn to pace yourself :)

The years mine have been at prep school or the SA have been some of the most stressful years for me. It’s a constant worry. And they are often unhappy. And it’s the parent who is the one that will hear most of the complaining and crying

But them being unhappy and complaining and them leaving are two totally different things. For the vast majority.
 
Alot of people called home while at the prep school. My own dad headed me cry for about 20 minutes when I got Cs-Fs for about a month straight. I'm stubborn. I'll fight and he knows I'll make it through. However I'm sure he was worried. Eventually I made calls that weren't just complaining but that was only the last two weeks....oops.

One thing about the academies is once you realize you aren't alone, you'll get through anything. Every time you need to cry there's someone if you reach out. The bathrooms were a crowd favorite at prep for this reason ;).

Being worried means you care. Every test, every PT, every speech. If he's worried he's not going to be enough that means he cares. It's a good thing as long as it causes him to slow down a bit to think, but not stop. You being worried as parent? Means you care too. As kids we really can't ask for more.

My dad's advice? Make mistakes you learn. Let's him go to the academy and feel what it's like to make mistakes. My advice? You only fail if you didn't learn. I may have gotten Fs on almost every single voacb test for while but I never failed. I learned every single time.

He'll make it through the academy. He'll make it with his team. We got this.
 
Small_Goose said:
To piggyback on what has already been said, I know 3-4 people who have left USAFA with plans to join ROTC and commission/fly. None of them have been successful so far in achieving that specific goal. If your true goal is to commission as an officer into the Air Force, why would you willingly leave the place most likely to make that dream a reality?
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Right. "I want to have a normal college experience....."

To what end? Makes little sense when you look at the 70-100 year spectrum of your life and career.
 
My DS is at USAFA now. He also earned an AFROTC scholarship a couple of years ago. I absolutely thought he had a better shot at making it through to commission through USAFA. This is because, while the ROTC program is less intense than the USAFA experience, it's still a lot tougher than the experience of your civilian college roommate who joins a frat. I could see my DS straying from his chosen engineering major at a civilian college while also doing ROTC duties, simply because he's living and socializing with non-military friends who have a lot of free time to goof off and have fun. When your experience is tough, it's easier to handle, in my opinion, if all around you are also experiencing "the suck" too. At USAFA all who he hangs out with are amazing students who study and want to excel. This would not be so at a civilian college. So far, he's thriving at USAFA and is sticking with his astronautical engineering major successfully.
 
Hopefulparent9 said:
Thanks all. This is really based upon my fears and he has never mentioned it. He really isn’t a quitter. I appreciate the advice for when he finds it tough. He hasn’t officially been appointed yet. Ugh! I’m just a hot mess about my only growing up. He’s convinced the SA’s are the right place for him. Fortunately, he spent 3 days at USNA in October and became even more convinced about an SA.
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Just wait until he grows up and gets a job where he feels he has to call home and say,"I need to tell you this before you hear about it in the news."

That's when the worry actually begins.
 
Devil Doc said:
Just wait until he grows up and gets a job where he feels he has to call home and say,"I need to tell you this before you hear about it in the news."

That's when the worry actually begins.
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The sad truth——it can get a lot worse after school

My parents worried constantly but there was something peaceful in them getting letters written after a mission. The bad stuff never made it to the letter.

Heaven help them if we had phones back then
 
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