My AROTC/AFROTC Scholarship Stats: What can be improved?

bonemarrow2

New Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2018
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I'm well aware that no one can accurately "chance me," but I just I want to know the weaknesses in my stats so I can further work on them.

GPA (Weighted): 4.00
GPA (Unweighted): 3.72

SAT (Best Standing): Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 630, Math: 700, Total: 1330
SAT (Super Scored): Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 640, Math: 700, Total: 1340
(Taken twice)

AP/Honors Classes:
  • AP Euro (Sophomore)
  • AP Psychology (Sophomore)
  • AP English Language (Junior)
  • AP Bio (Junior)
  • Algebra II Honors (Junior)
  • AP English Literature (Senior)
  • Math Analysis Honors (Senior)
Activities:
  • Astronomy Club
  • Best Buddies
  • Fellowship of Christian Athletes
  • Key Club (Vice President, 2 years)
  • Math Club (Publicity Officer/Webmaster, 2 years)
  • Link Crew (2 years)
  • Altar Serving (6 years)
  • Usher
  • Religious Education TA
  • Cross Country (Varsity Letter, 3 year varsity, 4 years)
  • Track & Field (3 year varsity, 4 years)
Awards:
  • Cross Country Most Improved Runner (2016)
  • Cross Country Scholar Athlete (2016, 2018)
  • Track & Field Scholar Athlete (2016, 2017, 2018)
  • Top 9% of class
  • AP Scholar Award (2018)
Army PFT: Push ups (1 Minute): 32, Curl-ups (1 Minute): 41, 1 Mile: 5:04

Intended Major: Computer Science

Schools of Intent (Priority):
  1. SDSU
  2. CSULB
  3. UCI
  4. UCSD
  5. UCLA
  6. CSULA
  7. LMU
Good luck to all applicants! God bless!
 
Your stuff generally looks good. What’s the weakness? Probably the lack of high-end math and science: AP Calculus, AP Chemisty, AP Physics. And it’s unclear what kind of leadership impact you’ve had in your ECs — that, not just titles held, matters most.
 
I agree that it appears you are lacking in the STEM aspects for academics. HOWEVER, nobody can really know because we do not know what the curriculum is like at your school. For example, our kids were military brats, the younger 2 went to HS in VA, the eldest in NC. In VA they could take AP Bio/Chem/Physics instead of std or honors. In NC you could not take AP Bio/Chem/Physics until after you took that course in the std or honors 1st. Thus, many of the kids only ended with 1 AP science course.

AFROTC will request a school profile, which will include their curriculum and the AP courses they offer. It will also state the % of students that take APs. This is important from the aspect they want to see if you took the most rigorous course load that you could in HS.
~ They will also look at grading scale and how many go to Ivy vs 4 yr vs 2 yr vs workforce.
~~ Sometimes they will re-weight your gpa, higher or lower. For example, if your school is on a 7 point scale and IF they use a 10 pt scale you could see your cgpa go up, because on a 10 pt an 84 is a solid B, but on a 7 it is a high C. They will also look at the weight they give to APs. Some schools weight it as a 4.5, some 5.0 and some 6.0. It is a concern of mine that your weighted gpa is so close to your uwcgpa. Either your school does a low weight, or you were pulling low grades in those AP classes.

I also concur as a male, your push ups are low. You not only need to pass the PFA to contract, but also the PFA is part of the WCS. The PFA is a small amount of that score, but it is still part of the score.

Finally, make sure you double check how HQ AFROTC will view Computer Science. There are some Computer Science majors that are not viewed as Tech due to the curriculum requirements set by the university. 80-85% of all scholarships go tech.

I think you have a great chance for at least a type 7.
 
Concur on the PT scores, at least from the USAF standpoint. Per the AFPFT official charts in AFI 36-2905, the bare minimum (meaning anything below = automatic overall failure) for male <30 y.o. (assuming you are male) is as follows:

Pushups (1 min) = 33
Situps (1 min) = 42
1.5 mile run = 13:36

So, right out of the gate, you would fail the AFPFT as a male for not meeting the minimums for pushups and situps. Keep in mind that just meeting the bare minimums will still net you a score <75, which is the minimum to pass.

However, you should strive to get scores that, assuming your waist is <35 inches, get you a 90 or better on the AFPFT. That would look more like:

Pushups = 47+
Situps = 47+
1.5 mile run = under 11:22

You run a fast mile, but it can be hard to hold that pace to 1.5. I've tried for years and can run a sub-6 minute mile, but my best 1.5 mile time is still stuck in the mid-10's. You might be okay, though, with that x-country background. The only folks I've personally seen hold a 5-minute mile pace to 1.5 in the USAF have all been part of the AFSOC community, and even then I still saw times closer to the mid-8's.

Keep in mind that the AFPFT is nearly always conducted all-at-once with typically no more than 2-3 minute rest between components--AND you do pushups/situps first.

If you're female, though, those scores are pretty decent-- focus on trying to get a score that would net a 95+ on the AFPFT.

As for the rest-- make sure you can speak to those leadership positions, as MidCakePA said. Just holding positions only says that you are savvy and ambitious (not always the best traits by themselves in good, non-careerist officers, IMO). It doesn't say how you performed or the competition for the positions.

For the AFROTC application, everything you've done should always point back at the AF core values and build the undeniability of your innate proclivity for effectively leading others.
 
Lol-- easy fix. Do between 100-200 pushups and situps per day. Time yourself each time, teach your mind that you can always crank out at least 3 more in the last 10 seconds.

Do them as fast as you can without bad form, in sets of 10 or 15 with a 3 second rest between each set.

Do them over. And over. And over. In 2-3 weeks you will be maxing pushups and/or situps. Guaranteed. I've seen it over and over.
 
I agree with Tbpxece, but you also need to do the PFA in order and time constraints. You can't do the push ups just by itself, and do the run a few hrs later or the next day. It has to be done to the ROTC PFA regarding time limit for each section and rest time limit between each section, plus form.

5 min mile is great, but that is not the distance for the PFA.
 
You look very good in terms of academics and ECs but your pushups really need work. Try for at least 45+.
 
I agree with Tbpxece, but you also need to do the PFA in order and time constraints. You can't do the push ups just by itself, and do the run a few hrs later or the next day. It has to be done to the ROTC PFA regarding time limit for each section and rest time limit between each section, plus form.

5 min mile is great, but that is not the distance for the PFA.
I greatly appreciate your response. I did the Army ROTC 1-1-1 PFT. So one minute push-ups, two minute rest, one minute curl-ups, five minute rest, and then the mile. Is the rest between each event O.K?
 
Concur on the PT scores, at least from the USAF standpoint. Per the AFPFT official charts in AFI 36-2905, the bare minimum (meaning anything below = automatic overall failure) for male <30 y.o. (assuming you are male) is as follows:

Pushups (1 min) = 33
Situps (1 min) = 42
1.5 mile run = 13:36

So, right out of the gate, you would fail the AFPFT as a male for not meeting the minimums for pushups and situps. Keep in mind that just meeting the bare minimums will still net you a score <75, which is the minimum to pass.

However, you should strive to get scores that, assuming your waist is <35 inches, get you a 90 or better on the AFPFT. That would look more like:

Pushups = 47+
Situps = 47+
1.5 mile run = under 11:22

You run a fast mile, but it can be hard to hold that pace to 1.5. I've tried for years and can run a sub-6 minute mile, but my best 1.5 mile time is still stuck in the mid-10's. You might be okay, though, with that x-country background. The only folks I've personally seen hold a 5-minute mile pace to 1.5 in the USAF have all been part of the AFSOC community, and even then I still saw times closer to the mid-8's.

Keep in mind that the AFPFT is nearly always conducted all-at-once with typically no more than 2-3 minute rest between components--AND you do pushups/situps first.

If you're female, though, those scores are pretty decent-- focus on trying to get a score that would net a 95+ on the AFPFT.

As for the rest-- make sure you can speak to those leadership positions, as MidCakePA said. Just holding positions only says that you are savvy and ambitious (not always the best traits by themselves in good, non-careerist officers, IMO). It doesn't say how you performed or the competition for the positions.

For the AFROTC application, everything you've done should always point back at the AF core values and build the undeniability of your innate proclivity for effectively leading others.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I'm a male and I've done sub-8:30 1.5 mile splits during 5K runs, so I'm pretty sure I'm fine as far as running is concerned. Also, I'm confident that I can speak about how I've impacted others through my leadership roles and beyond. I appreciate the benchmarks and advice provided to me and I'll make sure to take it to heart in order to assess and improve myself. God bless.
 
Lol-- easy fix. Do between 100-200 pushups and situps per day. Time yourself each time, teach your mind that you can always crank out at least 3 more in the last 10 seconds.

Do them as fast as you can without bad form, in sets of 10 or 15 with a 3 second rest between each set.

Do them over. And over. And over. In 2-3 weeks you will be maxing pushups and/or situps. Guaranteed. I've seen it over and over.
Thanks for the response! I'll be sure to include this in my workout regimen.
 
I agree that it appears you are lacking in the STEM aspects for academics. HOWEVER, nobody can really know because we do not know what the curriculum is like at your school. For example, our kids were military brats, the younger 2 went to HS in VA, the eldest in NC. In VA they could take AP Bio/Chem/Physics instead of std or honors. In NC you could not take AP Bio/Chem/Physics until after you took that course in the std or honors 1st. Thus, many of the kids only ended with 1 AP science course.

AFROTC will request a school profile, which will include their curriculum and the AP courses they offer. It will also state the % of students that take APs. This is important from the aspect they want to see if you took the most rigorous course load that you could in HS.
~ They will also look at grading scale and how many go to Ivy vs 4 yr vs 2 yr vs workforce.
~~ Sometimes they will re-weight your gpa, higher or lower. For example, if your school is on a 7 point scale and IF they use a 10 pt scale you could see your cgpa go up, because on a 10 pt an 84 is a solid B, but on a 7 it is a high C. They will also look at the weight they give to APs. Some schools weight it as a 4.5, some 5.0 and some 6.0. It is a concern of mine that your weighted gpa is so close to your uwcgpa. Either your school does a low weight, or you were pulling low grades in those AP classes.

I also concur as a male, your push ups are low. You not only need to pass the PFA to contract, but also the PFA is part of the WCS. The PFA is a small amount of that score, but it is still part of the score.

Finally, make sure you double check how HQ AFROTC will view Computer Science. There are some Computer Science majors that are not viewed as Tech due to the curriculum requirements set by the university. 80-85% of all scholarships go tech.

I think you have a great chance for at least a type 7.
Thank you for the response! My school is on a 4 point scale and weighs APs as a 5.0. The reason why my weighted GPA is so close to my unweighted might be because I wasn't so hot in my freshman and sophomore years; however, since then I believe I've pulled through. Also, I wasn't able to take AP Calculus AB and beyond because I couldn't advance with the math I was put in when I began high school. Instead, I've tried to make it up by taking the honors math courses offered at my school. I'm also considering self-studying for the AP Chemistry exam. I know that it might not be enough to make up for my lack in STEM courses, but will it make a difference at all?
 
I agree with Tbpxece, but you also need to do the PFA in order and time constraints. You can't do the push ups just by itself, and do the run a few hrs later or the next day. It has to be done to the ROTC PFA regarding time limit for each section and rest time limit between each section, plus form.

5 min mile is great, but that is not the distance for the PFA.
I greatly appreciate your response. I did the Army ROTC 1-1-1 PFT. So one minute push-ups, two minute rest, one minute curl-ups, five minute rest, and then the mile. Is the rest between each event O.K?

Per the AFROTC PFA score sheet, rest between each component is a maximum of 5 minutes.

Just to ensure you understand--> the Air Force has minimum scores for each component that you have to clear in order to pass (failure to meet any one of those minimums results in automatic overall failure). However, you actually have to get higher than all three minimum component scores in order to get a composite score >75.

Your pushup and situp scores for your AROTC PT test are missing the minimum by one repetition each, meaning you would fail. With a run time like you have, you are undercutting yourself with such low pushups and situps. My advice is to max both of those out, per the fitness charts for your age in AFI 36-2905.

I'm glad to hear your can speak to your leadership experiences-- good!
 
Instead, I've tried to make it up by taking the honors math courses offered at my school. I'm also considering self-studying for the AP Chemistry exam. I know that it might not be enough to make up for my lack in STEM courses, but will it make a difference at all?
This is where things are goofy for the AFROTC application: they only consider AP and IB courses, and only those courses taken through your 11th grade year. So, it's too late to take any AP for consideration on your AFROTC application.

They will see your high school transcript, though. My advice is to point out the difficulty of your course load in your interview.
 
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