I have a 24 ACT Score. Does this mean I can’t apply to AFROTC?
- Thread starter Cadet35
- Start date
You are correct, if you don’t have a 26 or above, your record will not even be looked at.
SunnyCal
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Perhaps consider joining AFROTC after you get accepted in college. You could immediately contact the Recruiting Officer and tell them that you are definitely joining their Detachment when you arrive on campus. Ask them if you should arrive early and join any summer orientation. Stand out and be seen! They could in short order offer you a scholarship if your grades are great and you're killing the fitness tests.
Pima
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- Nov 28, 2007
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I know it sounds crazy that you are only 2 points off, but there is a real reason behind this from their perspective. They have thousands apply for the scholarship. The avg ACT score for a type 7 over the past few yrs has been @29. Granted that means some will be lower, but if you did an avg with yours at 24 than someone else would need to have a 34 to create that avg for a type 7. Type 1 and 2s avg even higher. It is their way to make sure everyone that is deemed competitive will get boarded in a timely fashion.
USAFA does the exact same thing regarding SAT/ACT scores.
Have you signed up for the SAT, some students do better on that test. You still can keep taking the exams as long as your packet is in before the last board meets. Remember it is not superscore, it is best sitting.
As sunnycal stated get in touch with your det. once you have decided which college you are attending come fall 2020. The thing to realize is that from an AFROTC perspective the slate is wiped clean once you join the det. They could not care less whether you are on scholarship or not. The only reason they care is because it means there is certain paperwork that they have to fill out for the scholarship.
~~Nobody ever talks about which cadet is scholarship and which are not, even among the cadets. My DS said people knew within the det., for 1 reason only. that come the 1st and the 15th of the month they are suddenly flush with money bc that is payday (stipend). That was our DS, on the 10th he was eating 2 for a buck microwave burritos you get at your local grocery store. On the 15th he was eating at Chipotle.
~~ AFROTC HQ also does not care when it comes to meeting boards, such as, SFT (sophomore yr) or rated/non-rated boards. The scholarship aspect is what the ADAF calls "masked". IOWS, the board is not told if that cadet is scholarship, no points are awarded for being a scholarship recipient.
Applying for a scholarship in college (ICSP) is an excellent opportunity, but it needs to be stated that the scholarship (HSSP/ICSP) pot of gold is limited and it is, or at least was, tied to the commission yr group. That creates an issue for the ICSP, bc if HSSP recipients all activate the scholarship, there maybe very few funds for the ICSP. If HQ ADAF says we need to cut the officer numbers for that yr group, they might decide not to offer an ICSP that yr. If HQ ADAF budget is cut, they may say cut back the AFROTC scholarships, no ICSP.
Finally, as a parent I get going for a scholarship, but please think about the cost it will be for you in the end.
1. If you state you are not a good test taker, be prepared because to be selected for SFT, you must take the AFOQT which is akin to the ACT. SFT is mandatory to become a POC, and you can't commission if you are not a POC. If you want to be a pilot (thinking yes, since 35 is in your moniker) than you will need to take the TBAS as a junior. Again, this a nationalized test. These tests like the ACT will be part of your ROTC career.
2. If you need the scholarship to attend your dream college, but hate AFROTC than what will you do? Do you go in debt because you left AFROTC? Do you stay in AFROTC because you love the school, but can't afford the debt? Dig a little deeper into the scholarship, and you will see it is also broken down to tech or non-tech. You might love both the school and AFROTC, but hate your tech major. To transfer into a non-tech major you will need HQ AFROTC approval to keep the scholarship, to say that is a slim chance is being kind when it comes to odds of approval. Hence, what now?
3. The scholarship, even as an ICSP will require a min cgpa. They may say 2.5, but to be selected for SFT as a sophomore, 3.0 as a tech is the avg, 3.3 non-tech. See no SFT = no commissioning.
4. SERVICE before SELF is not a cliché for the ADAF. You might want to be a pilot, but in the end they say you are going non-rated. You might want to go cyber, but they say, nope you are going Public Affairs. You might want and get Intel, but they station you at Clovis NM, or Minot ND, where you didn't even place them on your dream sheet. 4+ yrs at a base you hate will quickly make you a very unhappy person. That unhappiness will seep into every aspect of your life, work and social.
~ Our DS is an AF brat. His Dad flew fighters. He is a heavy pilot. This was the 1 thing we drilled into his cranium when he started down this route because we saw it a lot. Many people don't grow up and say I want to be stationed at OH MY GOD NO Alamogordo, NM. However, he saw us always find the best things wherever we were stationed at. That belief helped him while he was at UPT. He was stationed at Del Rio aka He!! Rio. Would he ever request to be assigned there again? NO. Does he look fondly back at the friendships he made and the things he did? Yes.
Sorry for the novella, but I think it is important to get a sense of the larger picture that will be a part of your life for the next 8-9 yrs at least. After knowing all of this, the only question you need to answer is simple, is this about money for attending college, or commissioning as an officer in the USAF. If it is the latter, than realize you don't even need to do AFROTC. Go to college, get amazing grades, continue to work out physically, and as a junior in college apply for OCS. Those boards meet 2x a yr.
~ Our friends kids (parents were ADAF with us) did exactly this. Their kids all were selected for OCS. They graduated college in May, reported to Maxwell between July and Sept.
USAFA does the exact same thing regarding SAT/ACT scores.
Have you signed up for the SAT, some students do better on that test. You still can keep taking the exams as long as your packet is in before the last board meets. Remember it is not superscore, it is best sitting.
As sunnycal stated get in touch with your det. once you have decided which college you are attending come fall 2020. The thing to realize is that from an AFROTC perspective the slate is wiped clean once you join the det. They could not care less whether you are on scholarship or not. The only reason they care is because it means there is certain paperwork that they have to fill out for the scholarship.
~~Nobody ever talks about which cadet is scholarship and which are not, even among the cadets. My DS said people knew within the det., for 1 reason only. that come the 1st and the 15th of the month they are suddenly flush with money bc that is payday (stipend). That was our DS, on the 10th he was eating 2 for a buck microwave burritos you get at your local grocery store. On the 15th he was eating at Chipotle.
~~ AFROTC HQ also does not care when it comes to meeting boards, such as, SFT (sophomore yr) or rated/non-rated boards. The scholarship aspect is what the ADAF calls "masked". IOWS, the board is not told if that cadet is scholarship, no points are awarded for being a scholarship recipient.
Applying for a scholarship in college (ICSP) is an excellent opportunity, but it needs to be stated that the scholarship (HSSP/ICSP) pot of gold is limited and it is, or at least was, tied to the commission yr group. That creates an issue for the ICSP, bc if HSSP recipients all activate the scholarship, there maybe very few funds for the ICSP. If HQ ADAF says we need to cut the officer numbers for that yr group, they might decide not to offer an ICSP that yr. If HQ ADAF budget is cut, they may say cut back the AFROTC scholarships, no ICSP.
Finally, as a parent I get going for a scholarship, but please think about the cost it will be for you in the end.
1. If you state you are not a good test taker, be prepared because to be selected for SFT, you must take the AFOQT which is akin to the ACT. SFT is mandatory to become a POC, and you can't commission if you are not a POC. If you want to be a pilot (thinking yes, since 35 is in your moniker) than you will need to take the TBAS as a junior. Again, this a nationalized test. These tests like the ACT will be part of your ROTC career.
2. If you need the scholarship to attend your dream college, but hate AFROTC than what will you do? Do you go in debt because you left AFROTC? Do you stay in AFROTC because you love the school, but can't afford the debt? Dig a little deeper into the scholarship, and you will see it is also broken down to tech or non-tech. You might love both the school and AFROTC, but hate your tech major. To transfer into a non-tech major you will need HQ AFROTC approval to keep the scholarship, to say that is a slim chance is being kind when it comes to odds of approval. Hence, what now?
3. The scholarship, even as an ICSP will require a min cgpa. They may say 2.5, but to be selected for SFT as a sophomore, 3.0 as a tech is the avg, 3.3 non-tech. See no SFT = no commissioning.
4. SERVICE before SELF is not a cliché for the ADAF. You might want to be a pilot, but in the end they say you are going non-rated. You might want to go cyber, but they say, nope you are going Public Affairs. You might want and get Intel, but they station you at Clovis NM, or Minot ND, where you didn't even place them on your dream sheet. 4+ yrs at a base you hate will quickly make you a very unhappy person. That unhappiness will seep into every aspect of your life, work and social.
~ Our DS is an AF brat. His Dad flew fighters. He is a heavy pilot. This was the 1 thing we drilled into his cranium when he started down this route because we saw it a lot. Many people don't grow up and say I want to be stationed at OH MY GOD NO Alamogordo, NM. However, he saw us always find the best things wherever we were stationed at. That belief helped him while he was at UPT. He was stationed at Del Rio aka He!! Rio. Would he ever request to be assigned there again? NO. Does he look fondly back at the friendships he made and the things he did? Yes.
Sorry for the novella, but I think it is important to get a sense of the larger picture that will be a part of your life for the next 8-9 yrs at least. After knowing all of this, the only question you need to answer is simple, is this about money for attending college, or commissioning as an officer in the USAF. If it is the latter, than realize you don't even need to do AFROTC. Go to college, get amazing grades, continue to work out physically, and as a junior in college apply for OCS. Those boards meet 2x a yr.
~ Our friends kids (parents were ADAF with us) did exactly this. Their kids all were selected for OCS. They graduated college in May, reported to Maxwell between July and Sept.
Is that the only criteria where you are below minimums? Your GPA, fitness level, leadership track record, community service is all solid?
Look at some of the other posts on the forum to see if you would be competitive for a scholarship, realizing that most of the AFROTC scholarships given out to high school seniors are tech focused where you have to have a strong track record of academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, and athleticism to go along with the test score as you also have to get into a school for engineering or other tech related degree.....and to compete for some of the few non-tech scholarships, you may need to stand out even more for the AF scholarship.
I only say this to set realistic expectations to compete for a scholarship at this level....if you want to pursue being an Air Force officer, then either work hard on your test skills and ensure you are competitive on the other aspects to go for a scholarship or start fresh as a nonscholarship cadet at college and compete for a scholarship there and excel in academics, PT, and military bearing and dedication.
Part of being an officer is to keep your focus on the mission and do what it takes to get the mission accomplished. Only you can determine if you have it within you to set attaining a commission as your mission as you have to take a number of tests along the way as others have pointed out to get that gold butter bar pinned on.
Look at some of the other posts on the forum to see if you would be competitive for a scholarship, realizing that most of the AFROTC scholarships given out to high school seniors are tech focused where you have to have a strong track record of academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, and athleticism to go along with the test score as you also have to get into a school for engineering or other tech related degree.....and to compete for some of the few non-tech scholarships, you may need to stand out even more for the AF scholarship.
I only say this to set realistic expectations to compete for a scholarship at this level....if you want to pursue being an Air Force officer, then either work hard on your test skills and ensure you are competitive on the other aspects to go for a scholarship or start fresh as a nonscholarship cadet at college and compete for a scholarship there and excel in academics, PT, and military bearing and dedication.
Part of being an officer is to keep your focus on the mission and do what it takes to get the mission accomplished. Only you can determine if you have it within you to set attaining a commission as your mission as you have to take a number of tests along the way as others have pointed out to get that gold butter bar pinned on.
Herman_Snerd
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2017
- Messages
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OP: You sound like you've given up, but I have to ask why - you still have time and it ain't over. Why not "go for it" and take advantage of free resources to prep, take both the SAT and ACT again after a focused prep window. and OVERCOME to meet the minimum - why have you already given up? It's not like you're trying to go from an 18 to a 26 - you are CLOSE. Do you need help identifying the free practice exams, material, links? The math tutors at your school should be annoyed at your permanence in their support sessions. Your coaches and part time job if you have them should be told you have a different priority for a month and will be missing some practice time - or at-least you should have a prep book from the library open during every free minute. You should kiss TV/ youtube, etc goodbye for 30 days. You sound defeated but we're in the 4th quarter, not the locker room showers - you still have time! Are you willing to buckle down and improve that score? If not then maybe you don't really want this. If yes then go for it. Let us know what help you may need - happy to share links if you don't already have them and check with your school guidance as well.
Hope this helps and sincere best of luck - if you my daughter or son I would appeal to you - don't quit and go for it.
Hope this helps and sincere best of luck - if you my daughter or son I would appeal to you - don't quit and go for it.
Cadet35
Member
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- Jul 11, 2019
- Messages
- 458
Right! But I only have so much time to finish my application. Definitely no giving up, but I will keep retesting until I get it and in the meantime I can grind my service academy and other ROTC applications.
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Don't get discouraged, put your head down and prep for improving your ACT. Our DS didn't do that great the first time, but it was during 19 dual credits and midterms and I think he was exhausted. Retook it, improved across the board. Just retook again in Sept. and improved composite 2 points. If your ACT isn't high enough for ROTC it is not high enough for most service academies. This is a long process and can be overwhelming, I know, our DS is applying to 4 SA's and has NROTC interview and physical on Monday (I hope to survive this myself). If at all possible consider a tutor for the ACT. And remember, you can reapply up to 23 years old. If this isn't your best yet, don't give up. We have at academy seminars met many a midshipmen who was a re applicant. Good luck to you and keep working!