Pima
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 13,900
Our DS was a little different than the other posters for many reasons.
1. He was an AF brat of an F15E WSO. His entire life revolved around moving and Dad being deployed at least 4 months every yr.
~ His Dad missed every Halloween from the time he was 4 until he was 12. Dad missed his 1st Communion. Attended 9 schools. Lived in 7 homes, plus at my Mom's 3x for 3-6 months by the time he was 16. We have 3 kids. Only 1 child attended only 1 HS, and that is because Bullet retired in Aug, before he started HS.
2. He only wanted USAFA
~ He had a total of 4 noms (3 MOCs + Pres), plus applied for the VP by Jan. 5th
3. Although mathematically and science gifted, 33 ACT best sitting, 1490 best sitting SAT, his academic love was history.
4. Received type 2 AFROTC scholarship early Dec.
5. Received admission to number 1 traditional school by Feb. 1st, with academic merit ---iows full ride
6. We were mean parents. Starting in Aug, we made him live a quasi SA life. He had to run before school (@6 a.m.). Bed made before school, if not I would flip the bed, including the sheets and blankets, etc. while he was at school. Had to recite the lunch menu for the next 3 days at school, and 3 current events at dinner. Could only drink milk with dinner and sat at attention. We also showed him what would be the mandated curriculum regardless of his major.
When his acceptance came in from his number 1 school in the scholars program, we took him to meet the CoC at the det. The CoC sat down with DS alone and also introduced him to several POCs that had a non-tech major and a pilot slot out of the det. They hung and played xbox for about an hr while discussing the program. The CoC promised him that if he decided to go to their school, but next fall decided it was a mistake he would support him for reapplying to USAFA in Sept.
DS left that meeting and met us at the Student Union about 90 mins. later. This allowed him to walk around the campus by himself like he would the following fall. He arrived at the Student Union and asked if we would go to the Bursar to place the deposit. We than peppered him with questions to make sure he was ready for this path.
~ Why did you want USAFA in the 1st place?
~~ Because it was a FREE education.
~ Our response was, so is this option.
~~ I get that now.
~ Why else?
~~ Because I thought it would guarantee me a pilot slot
~Laughing as his Dad reminded him that he flew the F15E and this was his alma mater (ROTC cadet)
~ ~ I get that now because the CoC also showed that 95% of the non-tech cadets with at least a 3.2 cgpa got pilot slots for the last 4 yrs. This det., also just won the best largest det. in AFROTC.
~ Is that it?
~ No
~~ Why else would make you want to go AFROTC over USAFA?
~ I have spent all of my life tied to the AF, and if I become a pilot I realized I would be 33 before I ever experienced the "real" world. Going AFROTC allows me to have somewhat a "real" world experience while still being connected to the AF. Chose an ACC school (UMDCP) which equated to that traditional big football and basketball games.
~ That it?
~ Nope. I really thought about the curriculum for each programs. The scholar program required him to intern on the Hill or the UN for at least 1 semester. He was going to be required to take a couple of semesters of math and science, but that was it, the rest of the time it would be dedicated to his major. Interning on the Hill was just to big of a carrot for him to ignore. (Until he was 17 he wanted to be an AF JAG officer with long term political goals)
In the end we did pay the deposit. It was a Friday. He came home and called his USAFA ALO and RD to tell them to remove his name. He felt that it was the right thing to do. Understand, this was a solid month before the files closed ---back in the days where there was none of this early notification, basically LOA or Mass Mailing March. He never looked back. CoC was good for his word and asked him in Sept. if he wanted to leave. His answer was No, Sir.
25 yrs to the exact date my DH swore in, DH swore in our DS from the same det. There he stood with a UPT slot and a degree he absolutely loved from a school he truly enjoyed. He is now a C130J pilot. Funny thing is fencers DS (USAFA) was in his UPT class and also got C130J.
Bullet and I truly believe had DS gone USAFA he would have hated it there because he was not going for the right reasons. Getting an appointment is 1 thing, making it through and commissioning is another. I compare this to kids that go STEM...well I am good at Math and Science. Well, that's great, but do you like those classes? If not, impo you are at risk for setting yourself up for failure.
Sorry for the novella, but I think it is important to understand that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Although SAs offer an amazing education and opportunities that ROTC may not offer, don't wrap yourself around that ring knocker. Nobody cares once you go AD where that commission comes from. They only care about how you do your job. I am not digging on the SAs. I believe in them. I am just saying be realistic about who you are from a WHOLE person aspect. These boards are littered with posters that looked at it as a sprint...got appointed = commissioning, only to find that their theory did not meet their reality.
~~ IE Hate the SA life, hate being far away from home, hate the mandatory curriculum.
~~ IE Accepted STEM ROTC scholarship to attend dream college they could not afford without it, only to realize STEM was not for them and cannot switch to non-STEm/non-tech without losing the scholarship, thus they either plow through a major they hate, or go in debt to stay at their dream school.
1. He was an AF brat of an F15E WSO. His entire life revolved around moving and Dad being deployed at least 4 months every yr.
~ His Dad missed every Halloween from the time he was 4 until he was 12. Dad missed his 1st Communion. Attended 9 schools. Lived in 7 homes, plus at my Mom's 3x for 3-6 months by the time he was 16. We have 3 kids. Only 1 child attended only 1 HS, and that is because Bullet retired in Aug, before he started HS.
2. He only wanted USAFA
~ He had a total of 4 noms (3 MOCs + Pres), plus applied for the VP by Jan. 5th
3. Although mathematically and science gifted, 33 ACT best sitting, 1490 best sitting SAT, his academic love was history.
4. Received type 2 AFROTC scholarship early Dec.
5. Received admission to number 1 traditional school by Feb. 1st, with academic merit ---iows full ride
6. We were mean parents. Starting in Aug, we made him live a quasi SA life. He had to run before school (@6 a.m.). Bed made before school, if not I would flip the bed, including the sheets and blankets, etc. while he was at school. Had to recite the lunch menu for the next 3 days at school, and 3 current events at dinner. Could only drink milk with dinner and sat at attention. We also showed him what would be the mandated curriculum regardless of his major.
When his acceptance came in from his number 1 school in the scholars program, we took him to meet the CoC at the det. The CoC sat down with DS alone and also introduced him to several POCs that had a non-tech major and a pilot slot out of the det. They hung and played xbox for about an hr while discussing the program. The CoC promised him that if he decided to go to their school, but next fall decided it was a mistake he would support him for reapplying to USAFA in Sept.
DS left that meeting and met us at the Student Union about 90 mins. later. This allowed him to walk around the campus by himself like he would the following fall. He arrived at the Student Union and asked if we would go to the Bursar to place the deposit. We than peppered him with questions to make sure he was ready for this path.
~ Why did you want USAFA in the 1st place?
~~ Because it was a FREE education.
~ Our response was, so is this option.
~~ I get that now.
~ Why else?
~~ Because I thought it would guarantee me a pilot slot
~Laughing as his Dad reminded him that he flew the F15E and this was his alma mater (ROTC cadet)
~ ~ I get that now because the CoC also showed that 95% of the non-tech cadets with at least a 3.2 cgpa got pilot slots for the last 4 yrs. This det., also just won the best largest det. in AFROTC.
~ Is that it?
~ No
~~ Why else would make you want to go AFROTC over USAFA?
~ I have spent all of my life tied to the AF, and if I become a pilot I realized I would be 33 before I ever experienced the "real" world. Going AFROTC allows me to have somewhat a "real" world experience while still being connected to the AF. Chose an ACC school (UMDCP) which equated to that traditional big football and basketball games.
~ That it?
~ Nope. I really thought about the curriculum for each programs. The scholar program required him to intern on the Hill or the UN for at least 1 semester. He was going to be required to take a couple of semesters of math and science, but that was it, the rest of the time it would be dedicated to his major. Interning on the Hill was just to big of a carrot for him to ignore. (Until he was 17 he wanted to be an AF JAG officer with long term political goals)
In the end we did pay the deposit. It was a Friday. He came home and called his USAFA ALO and RD to tell them to remove his name. He felt that it was the right thing to do. Understand, this was a solid month before the files closed ---back in the days where there was none of this early notification, basically LOA or Mass Mailing March. He never looked back. CoC was good for his word and asked him in Sept. if he wanted to leave. His answer was No, Sir.
25 yrs to the exact date my DH swore in, DH swore in our DS from the same det. There he stood with a UPT slot and a degree he absolutely loved from a school he truly enjoyed. He is now a C130J pilot. Funny thing is fencers DS (USAFA) was in his UPT class and also got C130J.
Bullet and I truly believe had DS gone USAFA he would have hated it there because he was not going for the right reasons. Getting an appointment is 1 thing, making it through and commissioning is another. I compare this to kids that go STEM...well I am good at Math and Science. Well, that's great, but do you like those classes? If not, impo you are at risk for setting yourself up for failure.
Sorry for the novella, but I think it is important to understand that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Although SAs offer an amazing education and opportunities that ROTC may not offer, don't wrap yourself around that ring knocker. Nobody cares once you go AD where that commission comes from. They only care about how you do your job. I am not digging on the SAs. I believe in them. I am just saying be realistic about who you are from a WHOLE person aspect. These boards are littered with posters that looked at it as a sprint...got appointed = commissioning, only to find that their theory did not meet their reality.
~~ IE Hate the SA life, hate being far away from home, hate the mandatory curriculum.
~~ IE Accepted STEM ROTC scholarship to attend dream college they could not afford without it, only to realize STEM was not for them and cannot switch to non-STEm/non-tech without losing the scholarship, thus they either plow through a major they hate, or go in debt to stay at their dream school.
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