But I wonder what should you do with an AFROTC scholarship offer? Should you hold on to that as well as your plan B college, in case you have to leave USAFA BCT for any reason? What is the right and best thing to do in that case? (talking about a Type 1 scholarship).
This becomes a "hot" topic every year because most posters fall on one side or the other. You will read one post that will say; you are taking it away from another candidate, with only to read the next one that will say if you deserve it you will get it.
In all fairness, I am on the side of keep it. Here are my reasons.
1. HQ AFROTC and USAFA are like hotels....they overbook with the expectation that some will not show.
~ Think about it USAFA offers @1350 appointments with expectations of the incoming class size will be @1150.
~ AFROTC knows that 95% of SA candidates will apply for a ROTC scholarship as plan B. AFROTC and USAFA do not talk, thus they will just use their historical data regarding % that activate in the fall to figure out the amount of scholarships and types to offer.
2. Many USAFA candidates will play spring sports. In my years here I do not have enough fingers and toes when it comes to counting to the kid that got injured playing their sport only a few weeks from reporting for IDay. They were a medical turnback before they even got there. However, by keeping that scholarship and paying the deposit they now will go to their number 2 school with AFROTC instead of going to a CC with no ROTC.
~ It is not only playing sports, but also just being a kid. One poster here had a graduation party where they played volleyball. This party was 3 weeks before I Day. Needless to say during the game they broke their arm.
~~ Another poster went skiing during spring break (late March), they broke their leg. They had to have pins and needed PT for 6 mos. Turned back.
It is the reason the running joke here when someone posts they got appointed is responded with: Congrats, now go and bubble wrap them!
3. Colleges vary. It may not be you lose that $300-500 deposit. I have seen many posters that contacted the det. and the school very early on after accepting admittance and being told okay, we will reimburse you if you tell us by this date. Personally I think has to do with their wait list pool. For example, VT has had years where nobody comes off their wait list. I am not saying they would refund the deposit, but to illustrate that if you compare it to another school where a lot come off their wait list they may not refund the deposit due to the 5 of matriculation rate.
Finally, I have seen here candidates that get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, etc. and not get an appointment, a bird in your hand is better than the one in the bush.