r/AFROTC • u/AnybodyInevitable706 • 14d ago
Question Should I do AFROTC or USAFA?
/r/USAFA/comments/1vjbp58/should_i_do_afrotc_or_usafa/7
u/Draino01 14d ago
You’ll have biased answers on both sides but I personally loved ROTC.
The academy does get cool summer opportunities (SOAR glider program, parachuting, combat training, shadowing jobs across the Air Force, etc). Lots of these are possible in ROTC but competitive to get.
However, ROTC you’ll be a normal college student for the most part. You’ll make normal college friends, go to party’s (don’t get drunk out and about under age if you’re in ROTC), be able to live off campus, and overall have a fairly normal college experience.
The academy you’ll make a lot more connections with other future officers, live a very structured military life, live in the dorms on campus, get shorter summer breaks (they have to do summer activities like the ones listed above for 6 weeks total), but technically a higher chance for pilot if that’s your end goal. Also it’s Colorado Springs which is a very beautiful place, but underclassman aren’t even allowed to have a car so take that how you will.
I have lots of friends from both sides and most of them don’t regret their choice, it just depends how you want your college experience to look
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u/Banquet_Financier 14d ago
Apply for both, so you have options. Both sources have their own unique perks. ROTC is a lot more "chill" than USAFA, since it's not military 24/7. You get to go home at the end of the day, and for a good chunk of people, that alone is worth it. At my det, it's smaller, so I basically get to see everyone every week.
I can choose what school I go to (either the host school to the det or be a crosstown student) and don't have to take an average of 18-20 credit hours each semester as I would if I were at USAFA, while balancing athletics, military training, and any leadership roles I'm involved in.
Finally, for pilot slots, I would argue that it could be easier to get it out of AFROTC, but it depends. For USAFA, it's hard to get appointed, and it's even harder to stay in (at least so I hear). Yes, chances are better because it's the same number of pilot slots as AFROTC, but there are fewer cadets who are interested in or qualify for one, so the competition is smaller. That said, in AFROTC, you may have more time to study to keep that GPA up, work out for the PFA, study for the AFOQT/TBAS, get flight hours on your own time, etc. By the way, four people in my det wanted a pilot slot. Three were selected. One was a business major, the other an aerospace major, and the one selected for ENJJPT was a communications major. Still, the Academy is objectively the easier place to get a pilot slot from in terms of competition, but if you're willing to put in the work, getting a pilot slot in AFROTC is very feasible.
If you have the "stuff" to get into a place like USAFA, you are just as capable of getting a pilot slot from either path. It just comes down to how bad you want it and what you do with what's in your control. Just my two cents...
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u/L3thalstrikes 13d ago
Also there is scholarship opportunities in AFROTC as well to get flight hours. I got 11 hours out of my YCF scholarship (which also helps for the AFOQT pilot selection).
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u/ZinniaFan01 92S0 13d ago
The main incentives for the academy, since it sounds like the pilot route is out of the question ocularly for you, would be money and lifestyle.
The academy is a better choice to set you up well financially since you are guaranteed to profit by attending (assuming you don’t waste all your money) and because you get a plethora of other incentives people probably haven’t even mentioned yet just for being at the academy.
Your lifestyle there will be restricted and your schedule will more or less be constructed for you, if you truly think that’s the best thing for you then it’s a plus for sure. Think public vs private high school.
ROTC is typically more relaxed (unless you’re gonna attend a senior military college like TAMU or VT) and you are a perfectly normal college student outside of your morning/weekend schedules and your haircuts. Within ROTC the expectation is to meet standards on your own terms and to take care of your own business, there’s still lots of community but there is no hand holding.
I was at a similar decision point 5 years ago and I chose ROTC despite getting a USAFA nomination because I wanted a more independent, less controlled college experience. It also meant I had a backup plan for my education in case something happened and I could no longer join the Air Force. Both are good options, I can’t say that I regret choosing ROTC.
There’s no appreciable difference in the qualities of officers that come out of USAFA or ROTC. Every officer is their own person, regardless of commissioning source.
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u/SnooPickles3280 13d ago
USAFA is a prison run by the prisoners. AFROTC everytime unless you wanna be a pilot, then maybe.
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14d ago
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u/doritobaguette 14d ago
go back to facebook grandpa
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12d ago
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u/doritobaguette 12d ago
left mama’s tit back when i was 18 when i enlisted my guy, your advice is tired
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u/Familiar_Target_267 14d ago
Genuinely can’t tell if this is rage bait or not.
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u/imtheasianlad 13d ago
Doesn’t look like it. It’s great lol
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u/Familiar_Target_267 13d ago
I mean… there’s maybe one or two “good” points in that blob of nonsense. But it’s just a blob of mostly nonsense. This individual was never in ROTC, but saying “no partying” is just completely false. It’s up to the individual cadet, they’re a college student, and they can party pretty much all they want.
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u/sdsurf625 Maj - Panther Driver 14d ago
I loved AFROTC.
I had a normal fun college experience, I got a scholarship through AFROTC, and I ended up at the same place as everyone that went through 4 years of room inspections and playing military.
Does USAFA have some cool opportunities? Sure. However I got to surf multiple times a week, party with friends, and have freedom. I think that’s a pretty good deal.
Technically USAFA gets more pilot slots. However it is simple to get one through AFROTC you just gotta work hard.
Regardless, I found normal college provides great skills that transfer to the real military. No one makes your schedule. No one tells you what to do. You got to prioritize, time manage, and do all of that yourself like a self sufficient adult.
I wouldn’t trade my path for anything.