USAFA or Stanford ROTC?

J

JDB262

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Joined
Apr 4, 2022
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Hello! I am lucky enough to be in a position to be deciding between two great schools, and I was hoping to get some advice from people who have attended, or have family who have attended, a military academy. I've certainly spoken with people in my personal life, but the majority are of the opinion that I'd be crazy to join the military/go to an academy when I have excellent alternatives.

First and foremost, I want to serve, and I would definitely do ROTC if I attended Stanford. I plan to study Aerospace Engineering, and while I'd really love to fly, I'm aware that not everyone gets that opportunity. I'm from New England, so both the USAFA and Stanford are not close to home, nor will I know anyone at either. My girlfriend is going to school closer to home, so I don't even have to consider being close to her, not that either of us would base our college decisions on that.

Stanford is ranked as a top 10 school for Aerospace, but it doesn't have ROTC on campus, so I would have to attend ROTC at a different school. It's all set up and organized though, but there will be travel from campus to campus. I would get a traditional college experience there, but I'm not the huge party type anyway, so that part I won't miss. On the other hand, since I plan to serve regardless, the USAFA would be much more immersive, and I imagine it's nice to be with a group of likeminded people.

My parents have completely left the decision up to me and will be happy with whatever I choose. Getting into the USAFA was a dream of mine since I was pretty young, and I'm still leaning toward it, but I can also acknowledge that Stanford is a great school. I guess what I'd love to know is whether there is ultimately an advantage career wise between the two, especially since I plan on serving either way? What are other advantages to attending the academy as opposed to doing ROTC?

This is definitely a very good problem to have, and I'll take any advice I can get.

Thank you in advance!
 
@JDB262, you ask practically the same question as another appointee contemplating USAFA and Harvard. Lest the same people completely recreate that thread, I offer you here a link to that thread.

Harvard or USAFA?

Hello, So just recently Harvard's regular decision application decisions came out and I had been accepted! While this may have been fantastic news, I am now stuck in a huge dilemma of where to go.... These are my thoughts.... In the end, whichever institution I attend I plan on becoming an...
www.serviceacademyforums.com

Simply replace Harvard with Stanford. The arguments and reasoning stay the same.
 
I have a similar situation to you - I was also accepted into Brown and Cornell. Those would definitely have been my backup options in case I did not get into USAFA. But I ultimately chose USAFA.

You have to think about what you truly want your future to be. Is it to be an Air Force officer, pursuing your dream career or job? Then USAFA would be the best option in my opinion, and is also my choice as well. But if you are solely focused on the aerospace engineering aspect, then Stanford might be the better option.

I think of it this way: all of those institutions (Ivy, etc.) that have the prestige are solely for undergraduate school. You can still get that prestigious experience after you graduate from USAFA. I personally know people who have gone to grad, law, or med school at institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford after graduating from an SA.

So ultimately, it comes down to what your passions are. I can tell you that for me, I chose USAFA, because I know this is the route that I want to take on. I will definitely be missing out on the undergrad experience at a prestigious civilian university, but would be experiencing a different kind of prestige at USAFA.
 
Based on your description, I'd say USAFA. It is AF focused and has a top notch aero program. It sounds like Stanford only has the engineering portion of what you are looking for (with a cross-town AFROTC that may or may not be convenient to do max participation).

That said, both are high-quality options.
 
May I ask why Stanford instead of Berkeley? I'm looking at both (and other options) and crossed off Stanford because ROTC is not on campus. Seemed like a big waste of time to have to go to San Jose State.
 
Okay. When I read about these dilemmas, I get a gut feeling from the writer as to what they really want in addition to analysis of pros and con’s of situation. Harvard guy seemed to really want Harvard and I think will regret not taking it. Opposite with you. Take the academy and I feel you’ll never look back.
 
JDB262 said:
Hello! I am lucky enough to be in a position to be deciding between two great schools, and I was hoping to get some advice from people who have attended, or have family who have attended, a military academy. I've certainly spoken with people in my personal life, but the majority are of the opinion that I'd be crazy to join the military/go to an academy when I have excellent alternatives.

First and foremost, I want to serve, and I would definitely do ROTC if I attended Stanford. I plan to study Aerospace Engineering, and while I'd really love to fly, I'm aware that not everyone gets that opportunity. I'm from New England, so both the USAFA and Stanford are not close to home, nor will I know anyone at either. My girlfriend is going to school closer to home, so I don't even have to consider being close to her, not that either of us would base our college decisions on that.

Stanford is ranked as a top 10 school for Aerospace, but it doesn't have ROTC on campus, so I would have to attend ROTC at a different school. It's all set up and organized though, but there will be travel from campus to campus. I would get a traditional college experience there, but I'm not the huge party type anyway, so that part I won't miss. On the other hand, since I plan to serve regardless, the USAFA would be much more immersive, and I imagine it's nice to be with a group of likeminded people.

My parents have completely left the decision up to me and will be happy with whatever I choose. Getting into the USAFA was a dream of mine since I was pretty young, and I'm still leaning toward it, but I can also acknowledge that Stanford is a great school. I guess what I'd love to know is whether there is ultimately an advantage career wise between the two, especially since I plan on serving either way? What are other advantages to attending the academy as opposed to doing ROTC?

This is definitely a very good problem to have, and I'll take any advice I can get.

Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...

JDB262,

Congratulations on having such excellent choices. I can personally relate to your upcoming decision. I chose to respond to you for the following reasons:
  1. I am also from New England (near Boston)
  2. Full disclosure, I am a USAFA graduate
  3. I also had to make a tough choice. I was trying to decide between Cornell and RPI (both with AFROTC), when I got the call from my Congressman's office regarding the appointment. At that point, the decision was made. USAFA was my first choice.
  4. I not only majored in Aeronautical Engineering, but I also taught it at USAFA during a subsequent tour of duty.
  5. Although it doesn't connect with any of your stated thoughts, I also attended pilot training and spent most of my flying career flying KC-135As and E-3 AWACS (both Boeing 707 derivatives).
  6. I have also attended civilian schools (Purdue-MSAAE and RPI-MBA).
  7. I have two sons. One attended a service academy and the other did not. I observed what they experienced.
Knowing everything I know now, I would recommend that anyone that had such a choice and was motivated towards service to our country seriously consider USAFA. Beyond my personal bias, let me share the following ideas to support that recommendation:
  • As a prior Aeronautical Engineering faculty member, I can tell you that USAFA has undoubtedly the best aeronautical engineering facilities of any undergraduate institution in the country (possibly the world). Talk is cheap, let me provide an example. In 1986, USAFA replaced its subsonic wind tunnel. If the original subsonic wind tunnel had been offered to a university offering an aero major, the list of schools wanting to get their hands on USAFA's "hand-me downs" would have been extensive.
  • Not only are the facilities impressive, the number of Cadets that use these facilities when compared to a civilian university is much smaller. In other words, Cadets get much more "hands-on" experience at USAFA.
  • As a pilot, I also flew the aero department's airborne laboratory (T-41D aircraft) where Cadets would collect test data for a course in Flight Test Techniques.
  • Class size: When I taught a core course, the average class size was 18-20 Cadets. When I taught an upper division course for aero majors, the average class size was closer to 10-12 Cadets. The smallest class I taught was a course in advanced propulsion for 6 Cadets. The USAFA cadet/faculty ratio of 7:1 provides evidence as to the personalized educational experience at USAFA. USAFA doesn’t use large lecture halls (with hundreds of students at a time) for routine classes. No class is taught by a graduate assistant. Unlike civilian universities, your assigned professor is with you from start to end of each course.
  • The accreditation of USAFA's aero major probably sets the standard for the accreditation of other schools across the country.
  • I’m sure that Stanford has an alumni organization which serves their graduates; however, when you join USAFA’s “Long Blue Line”, you will have classmates with whom you have so much in common that your future life will always include your classmates and other graduates! I would suggest that there will be no comparison between the camaraderie you would have experienced as a Stanford graduate when compared to what you will experience as a USAFA graduate. I frequently speak with my classmates (including a few general officers). I haven't felt the need to speak with my old high school classmates in decades.
  • Regarding service and not USAFA in particular: All USAF officers will be trusted with responsibilities normally found with civilians that are many years older. For example, I was a Boeing-707 Captain at the age of 27. Additionally, I was a diplomat representing the US government (not just the USAF) as an active duty officer at the age of 42. A USAF program manager may find him/herself negotiating contracts with industry where the industry team on the opposite side of the table is old enough to be his/her parents. Bottom line: Opportunities for dramatically increased responsibilities are much greater in the USAF than they would be in the civilian world.
I hope that the above helps with your decision. Communicate with me if you have any specific questions.
 
Last edited:
I have posted this several times regarding this question. I make slight modifications every time, however the core message remains the same. Before reading this, you need to understand that a normal college experience is not just about "partying". College is about growing as a person, and the best environment for growth depends solely on the individual. I believe that a normal college experience set me up for success in ways that I don't believe that USAFA would have.

A bit about me: I commissioned in 2015 from AFROTC. I applied to USAFA for the class of 2015 and 2016. I got TWE both times. I went to UPT, DG'd, dropped F-16s, flew the Viper in Europe and Asia, did a trip downrange over Syria/Iraq, and now going to be an IP. Looking back, not getting into the Academy is the best thing that ever happened to me (YMMV).

I can't comment on Academy Pro/Con, but for those individuals on the fence, maybe my AFROTC experience can shed some more light on the issue.

AFROTC Pro's:
1. You get to the same place
-This is something I think so many applicants do not understand. Once you get your commission and get to your first Active Duty base, no one cares if you were USAFA/AFROTC/OTS. They care if you can do your job and if you are a good dude. Once those butter bars are pinned on, everyone is equal. You are not deemed inferior because of your commissioning source. The goal is the commission, not the road to get there. (I can't stress this enough. I have yet to meet one person who cares an iota on the commissioning source. If they do, they are wrong.) Additionally, if your goal is to be a pilot, I never saw an individual in AFROTC who put in the work required not get one. YMMV.

2. Self-Motivation
- This was one of the biggest strengths of AFROTC in my opinion. No one is yelling at you to wake up at 0400 for LLAB, no one is forcing you to go to the gym, no one is forcing you to go to class, no one is forcing you to study. You have to motivate yourself to put in the work when no one is holding you accountable. I had to make my own schedule and stick to it, and I believe this forces you to grow as a person in a way unique to AFROTC. Personally, I credit this factor with my performance in UPT. After a 12 hour day, no one is forcing you to hit the gym for an hour and study the rest of the night. For me, it helped having 4 years of self-motivation under my belt to press through the long year.

3. Experiences
- USAFA gives you unique opportunities, I am not discounting that. However no one talks about the experiences you get going to a normal college. I am not talking about partying and bar hopping (which aren't bad experiences, everything in moderation and legally). During a normal week I got to travel the coast, getting in early morning surf sessions before class and a sunset session afterwards. We would go jet skiing in the local bay on random afternoons. During the weekends you could do anything from go snowboarding up in the mountains, fly ultralights off the coastal cliffs, go windsurfing when the waves sucked, do road trips and travel the state without any real restrictions, literally anything you can think of. The freedom a traditional college entails gives you time to fill with once in a lifetime experiences. My life is owned by the Air Force for the next 10 years, I would not trade those 4 years of freedom for anything.

AFROTC Con's:
1. You aren't locked in to commissioning until after Sophomore year
-This is probably the biggest con. The big cut off is selection for summer field training which happens between Sophomore/Junior year. After you get selected, you are going to commission unless you shoot yourself in the foot with grades/legal problems/PT fails. Even cadets who put in the minimum effort required get a slot. However until that selection, there is still uncertainty.

2. Lack of funding for extra programs
-While this is making a comeback, AFROTC cadets don't get the extra programs that USAFA cadets have. Freefall, powered flight, gliders, ect. are opportunities unique to USAFA.

3. Distractions
-This is the biggest downfall of cadets in AFROTC. While the lack of structure is beneficial for many cadets, it can really hurt those individuals who prefer a structured learning environment. Grades are the first thing to suffer when a cadet gets distracted by all the other time consuming activities a college has. My detachment started out with around 120 cadets for the class of 2015. We commissioned 25. Most individuals dropped out on their own after deciding it wasn't for them. For those who were forced out though, grades was the most common reason.

For the record, nothing I am saying here should be misconstrued as a jab at USAFA. Some of my best friends went there. I simply am trying to illustrate how AFROTC is not just a "backup option", but a completely equal commissioning source with unique inherent strengths. At the end of the day, the best commissioning source depends on the individual.
 
Falcon74 said:
JDB262,

Congratulations on having such excellent choices. I can personally relate to your upcoming decision. I chose to respond to you for the following reasons:
  1. I am also from New England (near Boston)
  2. Full disclosure, I am a USAFA graduate
  3. I also had to make a tough choice. I was trying to decide between Cornell and RPI (both with AFROTC), when I got the call from my Congressman's office regarding the appointment. At that point, the decision was made. USAFA was my first choice.
  4. I not only majored in Aeronautical Engineering, but I also taught it at USAFA during a subsequent tour of duty.
  5. Although it doesn't connect with any of your stated thoughts, I also attended pilot training and spent most of my flying career flying KC-135As and E-3 AWACS (both Boeing 707 derivatives).
  6. I have also attended civilian schools (Purdue-MSAAE and RPI-MBA).
  7. I have two sons. One attended a service academy and the other did not. I observed what they experienced.
Knowing everything I know now, I would recommend that anyone that had such a choice and was motivated towards service to our country seriously consider USAFA. Beyond my personal bias, let me share the following ideas to support that recommendation:
  • As a prior Aeronautical Engineering faculty member, I can tell you that USAFA has undoubtedly the best aeronautical engineering facilities of any undergraduate institution in the country (possibly the world). Talk is cheap, let me provide an example. In 1986, USAFA replaced its subsonic wind tunnel. If the original subsonic wind tunnel had been offered to a university offering an aero major, the list of schools wanting to get their hands on USAFA's "hand-me downs" would have been extensive.
  • Not only are the facilities impressive, the number of Cadets that use these facilities when compared to a civilian university is much smaller. In other words, Cadets get much more "hands-on" experience at USAFA.
  • As a pilot, I also flew the aero department's airborne laboratory (T-41D aircraft) where Cadets would collect test data for a course in Flight Test Techniques.
  • Class size: When I taught a core course, the average class size was 18-20 Cadets. When I taught an upper division course for aero majors, the average class size was closer to 10-12 Cadets. The smallest class I taught was a course in advanced propulsion for 6 Cadets. The USAFA cadet/faculty ratio of 7:1 provides evidence as to the personalized educational experience at USAFA. USAFA doesn’t use large lecture halls (with hundreds of students at a time) for routine classes. No class is taught by a graduate assistant. Unlike civilian universities, your assigned professor is with you from start to end of each course.
  • The accreditation of USAFA's aero major probably sets the standard for the accreditation of other schools across the country.
  • I’m sure that Stanford has an alumni organization which serves their graduates; however, when you join USAFA’s “Long Blue Line”, you will have classmates with whom you have so much in common that your future life will always include your classmates and other graduates! I would suggest that there will be no comparison between the camaraderie you would have experienced as a Stanford graduate when compared to what you will experience as a USAFA graduate. I frequently speak with my classmates (including a few general officers). I haven't felt the need to speak with my old high school classmates in decades.
  • Regarding service and not USAFA in particular: All USAF officers will be trusted with responsibilities normally found with civilians that are many years older. For example, I was a Boeing-707 Captain at the age of 27. Additionally, I was a diplomat representing the US government (not just the USAF) as an active duty officer at the age of 42. A USAF program manager may find him/herself negotiating contracts with industry where the industry team on the opposite side of the table is old enough to be his/her parents. Bottom line: Opportunities for dramatically increased responsibilities are much greater in the USAF than they would be in the civilian world.
I hope that the above helps with your decision. Communicate with me if you have any specific questions.
Click to expand...

Great info here! My son is a C3C at USAFA studying astronautical engineering. He has been on a research project using the wind tunnels and propulsion stuff (most of what he tells me is so far above my head so I’m probably saying it all wrong 😂) since his doolie year. One of their projects was just delivered to NASA and they will continue to get data from it. He will be at the space symposium this week presenting their research with the best of the best in the world in space. Tons of amazing opportunities in aero and Astro at USAFA.

Commuting from Stanford to San Jose State for ROTC seems problematic with traffic and commute times.
 
MidCakePa said:
@JDB262, you ask practically the same question as another appointee contemplating USAFA and Harvard. Lest the same people completely recreate that thread, I offer you here a link to that thread.

Harvard or USAFA?

Hello, So just recently Harvard's regular decision application decisions came out and I had been accepted! While this may have been fantastic news, I am now stuck in a huge dilemma of where to go.... These are my thoughts.... In the end, whichever institution I attend I plan on becoming an...
www.serviceacademyforums.com

Simply replace Harvard with Stanford. The arguments and reasoning stay the same.
Click to expand...
I completely missed that. I did search for Stanford, but it didn't occur to me to look for different schools. My apologies!
 
ReDux said:
May I ask why Stanford instead of Berkeley? I'm looking at both (and other options) and crossed off Stanford because ROTC is not on campus. Seemed like a big waste of time to have to go to San Jose State.
Click to expand...
I actually got accepted to Berkeley as well but narrowed down to USAFA or Stanford as opposed to Berkeley because when I toured both schools, I just got a better vibe from Stanford than I did at Berkeley. I do agree that ROTC being off campus is one of the biggest problems with Stanford, but I did get to speak with someone involved with ROTC there, and they said that it wasn't that big of a deal usually. It's just another thing to consider in the process.
 
Falcon74 said:
JDB262,

Congratulations on having such excellent choices. I can personally relate to your upcoming decision. I chose to respond to you for the following reasons:
  1. I am also from New England (near Boston)
  2. Full disclosure, I am a USAFA graduate
  3. I also had to make a tough choice. I was trying to decide between Cornell and RPI (both with AFROTC), when I got the call from my Congressman's office regarding the appointment. At that point, the decision was made. USAFA was my first choice.
  4. I not only majored in Aeronautical Engineering, but I also taught it at USAFA during a subsequent tour of duty.
  5. Although it doesn't connect with any of your stated thoughts, I also attended pilot training and spent most of my flying career flying KC-135As and E-3 AWACS (both Boeing 707 derivatives).
  6. I have also attended civilian schools (Purdue-MSAAE and RPI-MBA).
  7. I have two sons. One attended a service academy and the other did not. I observed what they experienced.
Knowing everything I know now, I would recommend that anyone that had such a choice and was motivated towards service to our country seriously consider USAFA. Beyond my personal bias, let me share the following ideas to support that recommendation:
  • As a prior Aeronautical Engineering faculty member, I can tell you that USAFA has undoubtedly the best aeronautical engineering facilities of any undergraduate institution in the country (possibly the world). Talk is cheap, let me provide an example. In 1986, USAFA replaced its subsonic wind tunnel. If the original subsonic wind tunnel had been offered to a university offering an aero major, the list of schools wanting to get their hands on USAFA's "hand-me downs" would have been extensive.
  • Not only are the facilities impressive, the number of Cadets that use these facilities when compared to a civilian university is much smaller. In other words, Cadets get much more "hands-on" experience at USAFA.
  • As a pilot, I also flew the aero department's airborne laboratory (T-41D aircraft) where Cadets would collect test data for a course in Flight Test Techniques.
  • Class size: When I taught a core course, the average class size was 18-20 Cadets. When I taught an upper division course for aero majors, the average class size was closer to 10-12 Cadets. The smallest class I taught was a course in advanced propulsion for 6 Cadets. The USAFA cadet/faculty ratio of 7:1 provides evidence as to the personalized educational experience at USAFA. USAFA doesn’t use large lecture halls (with hundreds of students at a time) for routine classes. No class is taught by a graduate assistant. Unlike civilian universities, your assigned professor is with you from start to end of each course.
  • The accreditation of USAFA's aero major probably sets the standard for the accreditation of other schools across the country.
  • I’m sure that Stanford has an alumni organization which serves their graduates; however, when you join USAFA’s “Long Blue Line”, you will have classmates with whom you have so much in common that your future life will always include your classmates and other graduates! I would suggest that there will be no comparison between the camaraderie you would have experienced as a Stanford graduate when compared to what you will experience as a USAFA graduate. I frequently speak with my classmates (including a few general officers). I haven't felt the need to speak with my old high school classmates in decades.
  • Regarding service and not USAFA in particular: All USAF officers will be trusted with responsibilities normally found with civilians that are many years older. For example, I was a Boeing-707 Captain at the age of 27. Additionally, I was a diplomat representing the US government (not just the USAF) as an active duty officer at the age of 42. A USAF program manager may find him/herself negotiating contracts with industry where the industry team on the opposite side of the table is old enough to be his/her parents. Bottom line: Opportunities for dramatically increased responsibilities are much greater in the USAF than they would be in the civilian world.
I hope that the above helps with your decision. Communicate with me if you have any specific questions.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I'm very happy to read your reasoning and it will help me explain to friends who can't fathom why I'd ever want to go to an academy when I have great alternatives to have a "real" (their words) college experience.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective!
 
a400831 said:
I have posted this several times regarding this question. I make slight modifications every time, however the core message remains the same. Before reading this, you need to understand that a normal college experience is not just about "partying". College is about growing as a person, and the best environment for growth depends solely on the individual. I believe that a normal college experience set me up for success in ways that I don't believe that USAFA would have.

A bit about me: I commissioned in 2015 from AFROTC. I applied to USAFA for the class of 2015 and 2016. I got TWE both times. I went to UPT, DG'd, dropped F-16s, flew the Viper in Europe and Asia, did a trip downrange over Syria/Iraq, and now going to be an IP. Looking back, not getting into the Academy is the best thing that ever happened to me (YMMV).

I can't comment on Academy Pro/Con, but for those individuals on the fence, maybe my AFROTC experience can shed some more light on the issue.

AFROTC Pro's:
1. You get to the same place
-This is something I think so many applicants do not understand. Once you get your commission and get to your first Active Duty base, no one cares if you were USAFA/AFROTC/OTS. They care if you can do your job and if you are a good dude. Once those butter bars are pinned on, everyone is equal. You are not deemed inferior because of your commissioning source. The goal is the commission, not the road to get there. (I can't stress this enough. I have yet to meet one person who cares an iota on the commissioning source. If they do, they are wrong.) Additionally, if your goal is to be a pilot, I never saw an individual in AFROTC who put in the work required not get one. YMMV.

2. Self-Motivation
- This was one of the biggest strengths of AFROTC in my opinion. No one is yelling at you to wake up at 0400 for LLAB, no one is forcing you to go to the gym, no one is forcing you to go to class, no one is forcing you to study. You have to motivate yourself to put in the work when no one is holding you accountable. I had to make my own schedule and stick to it, and I believe this forces you to grow as a person in a way unique to AFROTC. Personally, I credit this factor with my performance in UPT. After a 12 hour day, no one is forcing you to hit the gym for an hour and study the rest of the night. For me, it helped having 4 years of self-motivation under my belt to press through the long year.

3. Experiences
- USAFA gives you unique opportunities, I am not discounting that. However no one talks about the experiences you get going to a normal college. I am not talking about partying and bar hopping (which aren't bad experiences, everything in moderation and legally). During a normal week I got to travel the coast, getting in early morning surf sessions before class and a sunset session afterwards. We would go jet skiing in the local bay on random afternoons. During the weekends you could do anything from go snowboarding up in the mountains, fly ultralights off the coastal cliffs, go windsurfing when the waves sucked, do road trips and travel the state without any real restrictions, literally anything you can think of. The freedom a traditional college entails gives you time to fill with once in a lifetime experiences. My life is owned by the Air Force for the next 10 years, I would not trade those 4 years of freedom for anything.

AFROTC Con's:
1. You aren't locked in to commissioning until after Sophomore year
-This is probably the biggest con. The big cut off is selection for summer field training which happens between Sophomore/Junior year. After you get selected, you are going to commission unless you shoot yourself in the foot with grades/legal problems/PT fails. Even cadets who put in the minimum effort required get a slot. However until that selection, there is still uncertainty.

2. Lack of funding for extra programs
-While this is making a comeback, AFROTC cadets don't get the extra programs that USAFA cadets have. Freefall, powered flight, gliders, ect. are opportunities unique to USAFA.

3. Distractions
-This is the biggest downfall of cadets in AFROTC. While the lack of structure is beneficial for many cadets, it can really hurt those individuals who prefer a structured learning environment. Grades are the first thing to suffer when a cadet gets distracted by all the other time consuming activities a college has. My detachment started out with around 120 cadets for the class of 2015. We commissioned 25. Most individuals dropped out on their own after deciding it wasn't for them. For those who were forced out though, grades was the most common reason.

For the record, nothing I am saying here should be misconstrued as a jab at USAFA. Some of my best friends went there. I simply am trying to illustrate how AFROTC is not just a "backup option", but a completely equal commissioning source with unique inherent strengths. At the end of the day, the best commissioning source depends on the individual.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your perspective and for taking the time to respond!

I definitely know that the college experience isn't just partying, but when you're 18 and it seems like all your friends are looking forward to that part the most, I guess it's hard not to think of it that way. The difference between the structure of the academy and the "freedom" of a non-academy is honestly the biggest part of my choice, because I feel like most of the things I can do at Stanford, I can also do at the academy, even if it's a bit different. On the other hand, being able to just go do stuff with friends without other considerations would also be nice.

You've given me a lot to think about!
 
Think hard about your idea of “fun” and “freedom” and how it compares to your idea of “enrichment” and “adventure.”

Some people love the idea of going to a fraternity/sorority party every weekend, or getting to choose all of their electives, or getting to skip class because the instructor doesn’t take attendance. Other people love the idea of going on a three-week destroyer cruise in the Pacific, or getting to escort aging veterans to the WWII Memorial in DC, or being part of the pageantry and tradition of the Army-Navy Game.

(I know you’re looking at USAFA, but I’m generalizing SA life for others who may be lurking. The point holds, regardless of SA.)

DD is well aware of all the “freedom” and “fun” her civilian friends have, thanks to social media. She’s happy for them, but she’s not all that impressed. In the end, to each their own.
 
When I went to the Farm, the traffic was not a big deal. I-280 is much better than the alternative routes, e.g., SR101 and/or El Camino Real. But you might need to use these alternatives from time to time.

Stanford has the notorious quarter system. It would be very tough and stressful in the beginning but it will get better since students become more competitive with great supports from the faculty members. (...it is still crazy tough)

Stanford has Honor Code. No proctor for any exams. Based on Honor Code, I saw that one student was kicked out of the Farm permanently for one simple/daily homework. It's not common but it happens.

Focus on your long-term goal. You can go to the Farm for MS and/or Ph.D programs later but you can't go to USAFA after Stanford.

My DS had the similar dillema but chose USNA. He said that it was one of the best decisions in his life. (he suffered a lot during his Plebe year though).

Go to USAFA. Although this is my "personal" opinion, as one of the alumni of the private institution, I want to put more values on more "leadership" opportunities through USAFA.
 
JDB262 said:
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I'm very happy to read your reasoning and it will help me explain to friends who can't fathom why I'd ever want to go to an academy when I have great alternatives to have a "real" (their words) college experience.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective!
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I would probably add that there is so much more to USAFA than the investment in facilities that relate to specific majors. The extracurricular activities available to all Cadets are impressive, not to mention summer training (internship) opportunities in the summer. My favorites were the Cadet Chorale, Ski Club, and the Student Chapter of the AIAA. As a member of the Chorale, we performed for both a presidential inauguration ceremony in 1973 and Superbowl VI in 1972. A civilian school simply can't compete with such opportunities.
 
I just wanted to come back to let you know that I decided that the USAFA is where I belong.

I was reading some of the comments from this thread to my parents, and my mom pointed out that as I did so, I was adding my own comments basically arguing why the Academy was the right choice for me. After all my thinking, and overthinking, that kind of solidified what I pretty much knew all along.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my post and share their thoughts, both for Stanford and the Academy. I really appreciated your input and am glad this resource exists. I'm super excited to see what the future holds.
 
JDB262 said:
I just wanted to come back to let you know that I decided that the USAFA is where I belong.

I was reading some of the comments from this thread to my parents, and my mom pointed out that as I did so, I was adding my own comments basically arguing why the Academy was the right choice for me. After all my thinking, and overthinking, that kind of solidified what I pretty much knew all along.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my post and share their thoughts, both for Stanford and the Academy. I really appreciated your input and am glad this resource exists. I'm super excited to see what the future holds.
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... and thank you for updating the thread, for posterity if nothing else. May be helpful for a future candidate to read and understand that they are not the only ones thinking through life decisions such as this. Best wished towards your future !
 
JDB262 said:
I just wanted to come back to let you know that I decided that the USAFA is where I belong.
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Thanks for closing the loop. Perhaps many years down the road, your resume will show a bachelor’s degree from USAFA and a graduate degree from Stanford. Best of both worlds!
 
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