How to better my chances with AFROTC

[longhornPilot]

Hello, I am a junior in high school and am looking into AFROTC at the University of Texas at Austin.

I have a weighted GPA of a 5.4 and an unweighted of a 3.95 (number 11/400). Am in student council, NHS -have over 200 hours of volunteer work-, Created my own computer science club at school, and in KEY club, taking 2 dual credit courses and currently 2 AP classes (Environmental Science and Statistics). I was slated to be on Varsity Football as a middle linebacker but had to quit due to out of school priorities (had to pick up and take sister to Dr. Appointments) and also wanted to get my GPA as high as I could. I am in track (JV). I can do well over the 60 sit-ups and can do about 60 pushups. Have not taken the SAT or ACT yet because it is early in my junior year and an SAT has not happened yet.

I plan on majoring in computer engineering or aerospace engineering.

I know the AFROTC values varsity sports highly. Do you think they would understand my decision to quit or would I likely be out of the running?

Let me know what you think and if you want more info just ask.

thank you

 

[kinnem]

Hello, I am a junior in high school and am looking into AFROTC at the University of Texas at Austin.

I have a weighted GPA of a 5.4 and an unweighted of a 3.95 (number 11/400). Am in student council, NHS -have over 200 hours of volunteer work-, Created my own computer science club at school, and in KEY club, taking 2 dual credit courses and currently 2 AP classes (Environmental Science and Statistics). I was slated to be on Varsity Football as a middle linebacker but had to quit due to out of school priorities (had to pick up and take sister to Dr. Appointments) and also wanted to get my GPA as high as I could. I am in track (JV). I can do well over the 60 sit-ups and can do about 60 pushups. Have not taken the SAT or ACT yet because it is early in my junior year and an SAT has not happened yet.

I plan on majoring in computer engineering or aerospace engineering.

I know the AFROTC values varsity sports highly. Do you think they would understand my decision to quit or would I likely be out of the running?

Let me know what you think and if you want more info just ask.

thank you

Yes. Duty, God and Country... but family first! Just be sure to explain it. Also, you're still doing track. Get on Varsity Track team. Think about football again next autumn if that is possible. Work on the leadership roles. Key Club and Student Council would be great places to do that. Plan on taking SAT and ACT at least once. Then take whichever format you feel more comfortable with at least one or two more times, if not more. If it's not too late, take PSAT this month. This is the one they use to award National Merit Scholarships. Work on plans B, C, and D. Start visiting colleges this spring.

Good luck!

 

[dunninla]

The Air Force ROTC will value Science and Math. They will look to see if you took AP Calculus, AP Physics, and AP Chemistry.

Looks like you either didn't like those, dodged them, or they aren't offered at your school. You list that you will take two of the "AP lights" instead next year. Why? Are you takin the more rigorous math/science APs in your Junior year?

Also, Air Force will be looking for 31-36 ACT or 1400+ SAT, with Math preferably being higher than CR. Take the SAT and ACT in both March and May of your Junior year so that you have those scores ready in case you want to apply to the various ROTCs in June of your rising Sr. summer.

If you don't like or aren't great at Math/Science, then consider Army ROTC, where that so far is not a focus in their selections.

 

[Pima]

Be prepared for that cgpa to drop. 5.4 probably means you are on a 6.0 scale. The way the system works is they will re-weight your cgpa to their mathematical system. That also means the uwcgpa may or may not drop too.

That being said your class rank is strong and will help you. Flipside they will look at the school profile and see % that go Ivy, 4 yr Private, IS/OOS, 2 yr or nothing. Top 3% is great, it is something to be respected and they will respect that rank.

As dunninla stated the SAT/ACT will be a player.

As a jr. this is your chance to take the PSAT and I would take it for several reasons.

1. Only way to become a NMSF. That award can go on your resume. It opens up more merit scholarships than you can imagine.
~~~ AFROTC will only pay tuition. Majority of merit for college scholarships are a blank check to either tuition or R & B. Combine the two and you can have 100% free ride.

2. It is given in October, and if you add a 0 to the score you have a ballpark of your SAT score.
~~~ Important because AFROTC does NOT superscore, they take the best sitting score. If you know that 1 component is stronger, from your PSAT than you can study for the SAT in the other component more, hence raising your best sitting score from the onset.

AFROTC scholarship selection is not like AFA/SA appointments. AFROTC is selected without consideration of your geographic location. It is a national pool from minute one. SAT/ACT are national tests, as I illustrated cgpa is local to your school district and the board will recalculate to their own board standards.

Finally, you look strong, but remember nobody here sits on the selection board, and nobody here is tied to AF's manpower center (MPC), thus we can't give you anything more than you have 0% of a chance if you don't apply.

This Dec. will be when we will all see how life can change for the military because the Super committee never agreed and the DOD is looking at being hit very, very hard in terms of their budget. If it isn't fixed, ROTC will surely be on the chopping block for the near future budgets. They are going to do everything to try to save every AD operational program that they can, ROTC is expensive. They can trim there because they have AFA and OCS as back up plans. ROTC will survive, but you are concerned about scholarship chances and that might not survive at the current level offered, which is 900 per yr out of the entire pool applying.

I am not saying the sky is falling, I am saying that before anyone should say the ROTC program we see right now in place will be there in 14, we agree that it may be looking different in a few months if this issue is not resolved. With that fact in play, make sure as always you have a plan B in place. Taking the PSAT may help you for scholarships more than you realize when it comes to Plan B.

 

[FutureOfficerMom]

I agree with almost all of the great advice given above. One small comment: While it is always best to shoot for the highest possible ACT/SAT scores, do not be discouraged if you don't score at least 30 ACT or 1400 SAT thinking you will be out of the running for an AFROTC scholarship. My DS' ACT scores were mid-range (26), and his SAT (Math/Reading) was 1330, and he was still awarded a 4 yr Type 7 scholarship. These boards can sometimes be very discouraging to those who aren't star athletes or President of everything--the services do look at the full package. But do not allow yourself to think that, just because someone else got a scholarship with lower testing scores that you don't have to bust your behind to do your absolute best in your testing.

 

[Pima]

do not be discouraged if you don't score at least 30 ACT or 1400 SAT thinking you will be out of the running for an AFROTC scholarship. My DS' ACT scores were mid-range (26), and his SAT (Math/Reading) was 1330, and he was still awarded a 4 yr Type 7 scholarship.

Just want to clarify for candidates, they take the best score. In Future's DS case her sons 1330 converted to a 30 ACT, that 26 ACT was masked. They never saw it, didn't know of the score. Their decision was 1330 SAT for a Type 7.

They are right, you have zip, zero, nada chances if you don't apply. However, it is also important to realize that their DS's 26 was never in the equation for a scholarship, it was the 1330. This is why every poster stresses take both the ACT and SAT. Had Future's DS only taken the ACT, ten will get you twenty he wouldn't have received a scholarship. His SAT was = 30 ACT.