USAFA post grad opportunities

I was lucky enough to get picked up for one of these opportunities last year! Please feel free to ask any questions!
 
AFrpaso said:
I was lucky enough to get picked up for one of these opportunities last year! Please feel free to ask any questions!
Click to expand...
Congratulations! What is the selection criteria? Do all majors have this opportunity? Is it mostly for STEM and medical majors?
 
yuxi said:
Congratulations! What is the selection criteria? Do all majors have this opportunity? Is it mostly for STEM and medical majors?
Click to expand...

Thanks! The selection criteria is never officially released. There is a graduate studies office that tracks potential students and invites them to various informational briefings somewhere around sophomore and junior year. I think the GPA cutoff is ~3.7, but it's hard to say for sure. The graduate studies office then gives cadets approval to apply to nationally competitive programs. The process kinda looks like this:

1) Get approval to apply
2) Apply
3) Get awarded scholarship/fellowship
4) Get approval to be released from your duty assignment
5) Go to school!

The nationally competitive scholarships do not require that you pursue a STEM degree, but that is what most people end up going for anyway.

Then there is the Graduate School Program (GSP). Each year a certain number of GSP slots are divvied up among the USAFA academic departments. Historically we're talking 0 to 2 slots per department. The academic departments then rank which of their students would be best to go on to graduate school and one day return as an instructor. This selection process is unique to each department. It also means that there are non-STEM graduate school opportunities. I have two friends studying English Literature at civilian schools right now!

Finally, the career field opportunities. There are a number of career fields that seek to educate their workforce. For example, the Operations Research Analyst career field has a number of slots every year for members to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology. These slots are open to anyone in the career field, so the competition is a bit different.

In short,

Nationally Competitive programs - Cadets compete against other cadets and students from other univserities
Graduate School Program - Cadets compete against other cadets in their academic department
Career Field Program - Cadets compete against other cadets and officers in their career field

You probably noticed that I'm being super vague about how many slots each program has. That's because it changes every year! Right now, it seems that the pendulum has swung towards fewer slots, but it could swing back to an unexpected windfall in a few years!

I wish I could say more about the Medical and Law side of things, but those avenues are completely foreign to me!
 
AFrpaso said:
I was lucky enough to get picked up for one of these opportunities last year! Please feel free to ask any questions!
Click to expand...

How hard is it get a 4.0? I heard that the few who obtain it are either studying abroad or at a different institution.
 
AFrpaso said:
yuxi said:
Congratulations! What is the selection criteria? Do all majors have this opportunity? Is it mostly for STEM and medical majors?
Click to expand...

Thanks! The selection criteria is never officially released. There is a graduate studies office that tracks potential students and invites them to various informational briefings somewhere around sophomore and junior year. I think the GPA cutoff is ~3.7, but it's hard to say for sure. The graduate studies office then gives cadets approval to apply to nationally competitive programs. The process kinda looks like this:

1) Get approval to apply
2) Apply
3) Get awarded scholarship/fellowship
4) Get approval to be released from your duty assignment
5) Go to school!

The nationally competitive scholarships do not require that you pursue a STEM degree, but that is what most people end up going for anyway.

Then there is the Graduate School Program (GSP). Each year a certain number of GSP slots are divvied up among the USAFA academic departments. Historically we're talking 0 to 2 slots per department. The academic departments then rank which of their students would be best to go on to graduate school and one day return as an instructor. This selection process is unique to each department. It also means that there are non-STEM graduate school opportunities. I have two friends studying English Literature at civilian schools right now!

Finally, the career field opportunities. There are a number of career fields that seek to educate their workforce. For example, the Operations Research Analyst career field has a number of slots every year for members to attend the Air Force Institute of Technology. These slots are open to anyone in the career field, so the competition is a bit different.

In short,

Nationally Competitive programs - Cadets compete against other cadets and students from other univserities
Graduate School Program - Cadets compete against other cadets in their academic department
Career Field Program - Cadets compete against other cadets and officers in their career field

You probably noticed that I'm being super vague about how many slots each program has. That's because it changes every year! Right now, it seems that the pendulum has swung towards fewer slots, but it could swing back to an unexpected windfall in a few years!

I wish I could say more about the Medical and Law side of things, but those avenues are completely foreign to me!
Click to expand...
Thanks for your detailed explanation! My DD is starting her journey in Colorado this summer, hopefully she survives the 4 years and eventually have an opportunity to pursue a graduate degree!
 
One more question, by going to graduate school, the years of service will be extended, is that correct?
 
yuxi said:
One more question, by going to graduate school, the years of service will be extended, is that correct?
Click to expand...

Yes. As I pointed out above, read section 6.14 of the CHB
 
I’ll throw my name on here - I’m in my last year (hopefully just a couple months from finishing, we’ll see, it’s going to be tight) of a 4 year PhD program in the physics department at AFIT. I am pretty much a professional student so I’m happy to answer any questions anyone has as well.
 
BlueSkies24 said:
How hard is it get a 4.0? I heard that the few who obtain it are either studying abroad or at a different institution.
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It is not impossible by any means. Just remember that you need to juggle academic, military and physical requirements throughout a cadet career.

If you stay disciplined and choose to study something that you love, then the grades will come.

I've never heard about people only getting 4.0s when studying abroad or at a different school.
 
BlueSkies24 said:
How hard is it get a 4.0? I heard that the few who obtain it are either studying abroad or at a different institution.
Click to expand...

+1 to AFrpaso. In a relatively recent semester, there were ~17 cadets out of ~4000 who made a 4.0. It is very difficult (especially if you are involved in time-intensive XC activities), but it's definitely not impossible. It also depends to some extent on your major/affinity for the subject material as well the specific classes you are taking that semester.
 
Yea, the GPA thing is tough to say. My son had some semesters where he maintained a 4.0 gpa at the academy. And that's with doing Football at the same time. But he didn't graduate with a 4.0. I think the class of 2012, had a couple people who graduate with a 4.0gpa. But not many. USAFA10's might know. They and my son were in the same graduating class at the academy. My son did finish with a 3.93 or 3.94 gpa. Can't remember exactly.

Also, he was selected to go to grad school right out of the academy. Approximately 10% are selected to go straight to grad school. But there's a lot of variables in this. As mentioned, first you apply through the academy to be ALLOWED to apply. Then you apply to the various schools for a grad spot. Then you get the academy to agree. And there's also the variable of the AFIT engineering/science majors/grad school. The timing of starting grad school there is different, from say my son, who left immediately after the academy and went to RAND in Santa Monica. He finished his masters in about a year, and finished his PhD by the end of the 3rd year. Other than AFITS, I believe the RAND path is the only one with a PhD program.

So basically, be in the top 10% of the class; and be in the top of your department (Major at the academy) and you have a good chance of being authorized to apply for grad school directly out of the academy.
 
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