My DS along with many other bright and talented students received a TWE from the Naval Academy in late March as well as the NROTC this week. However, he received a type 7 AFROTC scholarship that he will convert to a 3 year Type 2 scholarship at either Embry Riddle-Daytona or University of Delaware. He was also awarded the Presidential Scholarships from both schools. We live in the northeast and finances are not an issue. He has visited both schools twice and is torn between the two. He is really stressing himself about this decision while trying to prepare for 6 AP exams that begin next week. we have heard great things about both universities and he knows that Embry Riddle ROTC cadets achieve 100% success attaining Rated assignments upon commissioning. As parents, we have given him as much guidance as we can but at this point are giving him some space to contemplate this big decision. I am hoping that anyone reading this can offer some experiences or knowledge that our visits, websites or internet has not touched upon. Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help provided. Good luck to all of you who have shared this journey that my DS embarked upon. It has been a helluva ride !
Plan B assistance requested
- Thread starter Boxhead
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Pima
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I would not put much into the 100% success regarding ERAU. The reason why is you cannot predict the needs of the AF 4-5 years from now. For example the last couple of years they have had @95% selection rate for SFT in their AS200 yr, but if you go back 3 or 4 years ago the rate was as low as 55%.
~ No SFT selection = no commissioning and most likely disenrollment from AFROTC.
Additionally although ERAU touts that they have the most rated slots after USAFA you need to understand that this is true, but it is basically due to the sheer size of the det.
~ Not being negative, just stating the fact. IE the year my DS got his UPT slot, his detachment (UMDCP) had 100% selection rate with the national rate being 90%. VT also had 100% that yr., but ERAU was at 93%, just above the national rate. Yet, at the same time they could still say to incoming students that they gave out the most pilot slots only behind USAFA.
With President Trump wanting to increase our military strength and the AF facing pilot shortages I would think if he does well in either unit he has a high chance of getting a pilot slot. Which brings this back full circle. He can't get that pilot slot if he doesn't do well academically at school.
~ Many kids can't wait to fly the coop upon HS graduation, but only to find themselves homesick by Columbus Day. UDel and ERAU are def. not in the same state or area. Will it be that at one school or the other he is only going to be able to come home for Thanksgiving and Winter break due to the distance or cost?
~ UDel has a football team. I know this may sound strange, but for some kids, like my DS he wanted that college experience too. College for some is not just academics and ROTC, but the total package. Is he going to be happy with whatever the lifestyle is like at ERAU over UDel or will he be happier at UDel over ERAU.
~ Does one have active military fraternities like Arnie Air, Silver Wings, Angel Flight, Honor Guard, whereas the other might not have many cadets in those organizations.
Success academically in my opinion is not just about having the smarts to do well in the class. If you don't like the school than emotionally it is hard to get up and go to class everyday. Do poorly academically an you can be one of those 7% not selected for SFT as a sophomore.
Since you are in the Northeast is it possible to do a quick trip to UDel and ask the det to set him with some cadets in his major that have been selected for UPT. We did this with our DS. He spent about an hr. hanging in the det. lounge with POCs (we were not there with him, but met him later at the Student Union). This signed the deal for him. He felt a bond with them before he even got there.
~ No SFT selection = no commissioning and most likely disenrollment from AFROTC.
Additionally although ERAU touts that they have the most rated slots after USAFA you need to understand that this is true, but it is basically due to the sheer size of the det.
~ Not being negative, just stating the fact. IE the year my DS got his UPT slot, his detachment (UMDCP) had 100% selection rate with the national rate being 90%. VT also had 100% that yr., but ERAU was at 93%, just above the national rate. Yet, at the same time they could still say to incoming students that they gave out the most pilot slots only behind USAFA.
With President Trump wanting to increase our military strength and the AF facing pilot shortages I would think if he does well in either unit he has a high chance of getting a pilot slot. Which brings this back full circle. He can't get that pilot slot if he doesn't do well academically at school.
~ Many kids can't wait to fly the coop upon HS graduation, but only to find themselves homesick by Columbus Day. UDel and ERAU are def. not in the same state or area. Will it be that at one school or the other he is only going to be able to come home for Thanksgiving and Winter break due to the distance or cost?
~ UDel has a football team. I know this may sound strange, but for some kids, like my DS he wanted that college experience too. College for some is not just academics and ROTC, but the total package. Is he going to be happy with whatever the lifestyle is like at ERAU over UDel or will he be happier at UDel over ERAU.
~ Does one have active military fraternities like Arnie Air, Silver Wings, Angel Flight, Honor Guard, whereas the other might not have many cadets in those organizations.
Success academically in my opinion is not just about having the smarts to do well in the class. If you don't like the school than emotionally it is hard to get up and go to class everyday. Do poorly academically an you can be one of those 7% not selected for SFT as a sophomore.
Since you are in the Northeast is it possible to do a quick trip to UDel and ask the det to set him with some cadets in his major that have been selected for UPT. We did this with our DS. He spent about an hr. hanging in the det. lounge with POCs (we were not there with him, but met him later at the Student Union). This signed the deal for him. He felt a bond with them before he even got there.
Your son needs to visit both schools. DS thought ERAU Daytona was the place to be until we visited.
Attractive also cause room and board is covered. ERAU is not as stated above, a typical university experience .
DS graduates Sun from Pitt- loved it and his Cadre/commissions 5/13 and is thrilled to be reporting to Ft Benning 5/26 for IBOLC.
These last 4 yrs have flown.
Attractive also cause room and board is covered. ERAU is not as stated above, a typical university experience .
DS graduates Sun from Pitt- loved it and his Cadre/commissions 5/13 and is thrilled to be reporting to Ft Benning 5/26 for IBOLC.
These last 4 yrs have flown.
My son toured ERAU and wound up going to Purdue. They both have great aviation programs with ERAU being famous for it. The thing about ERAU is that it isnt a normal school in terms of collegiate life. The male to female ratio is crazy with males being around 83% of the school. While education is the most important part of college, there are many other factors that needed to be included and this school lacks many of these. I am not saying that the kids who go there dont enjoy going there or that your child wont either but you need to really look at the school and what his life will be like if he goes to that school. I dont know what Delaware is like, but can assume its a normal college with normal college life. The two school will be complete opposites of each other so depending on what your son wants out of college, he may need to look at other factors beyond their ROTC program. Just to let you know, my son is in AF Rotc and got a pilot spot recently.