<p>I’m currently a senior at Texas Tech University. I will graduate from Tech in December with a degree in Management. I attended two junior colleges prior to Tech and I have completed a total of 90 hours. In high school I graduated in the top 10% of my class (#3/122) with a 3.8 GPA. I was involved in numerous clubs and sports in high school. I was all-state athlete in baseball and track, and I also played a year of baseball in junior college. I would like to pursue an engineering degree at the USAFA. I noticed that the maximum age to apply is 23, and I am just curious if it is too late for me to even be considered?</p>
<p>it’s too late to join 2014, but not 2015.</p>
<p>but the better question here is “why?” Why do you want to pursue an engineering degree at USAFA? since you already (will) have a degree, you could more easily go through OTS to serve and have the Air Force help you earn a Masters. I’m sure some other people might have opinions, but my thought is USAFA is a 4 year college to prepare you to be an officer and yo help you get that mandatory college degree. after you have one, it seems silly to go for another undergraduate degree instead of serving and working toward a masters degree. what is it you want to do in the AF?</p>
<p>I’ve heard of a guy who graduated with a Bachelor’s from Notre Dame and then came to USAFA and earned a second degree and his commission. If that’s what you really want, it can certainly be done. Like Eagle mentioned, though, if you’re already got a Bachelor’s, why postpone officership another four years? OTS is a track for those who have already finished that level of education. Read up on it a little and let us know what you want to do and why.</p>
<p>[Air</a> Force Officer Training School](<a href=“af ots - Google Search”>af ots - Google Search)
<a href=“http://www.airforce.com/opportunities/officer/training/[/url]”>http://www.airforce.com/opportunities/officer/training/</a> <— try that link too</p>
<p>I have researched OTS, but I believe The AFROTC two year commissioning program may be a better route for me. If I do that I could finish my BBA and MBA and become an officer upon graduation. I am not looking make a career out of the Air Force. I am interested in the Air Force for a number of reasons:</p>
<p>(1) Aside from being a full time student I also work full time to credit a number of liabilities (car payment, house payment, student loans, credit cards, ect…), and I am sick of living month to month barely keeping my head above water.</p>
<p>(2) I constantly feel like I need to be a part of something bigger. I don’t want to take the entry level management route after graduation only to dread monotonous work days and watch my life slip away from me. I believe that the Air Force will help me become a more efficient leader and decision maker (not to mention it would be a phenominal resume builder).</p>
<p>(3) I am interested in the Air Force Space program. I am fascinated with astronomy and geology and I was blown away by the curriculum of the astronautical engineering and space operations degrees offered by the Air Force Academy.</p>
<p>(4) I want to play baseball for the the Falcons. I’ve been considering another run at baseball for awile now, and the mountain west seems like a great conference to do it.</p>
<p>I may be reading your post wrong, but it seems to me that perhaps you are thinking about attending the USAFA for a lot of the wrong reasons.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that. A lot of people come here for a lot of different reasons. I know of successful cadets who came simply to continue playing their sport or because the education is free. Nate, at least, lists several reasons why he thinks he’d be a good fit. </p>
<p>Re: #2, though, ask not what the Air Force can do for you, but what you can do for our Air Force.</p>
<p>You may be right.</p>
<p>Petko, I guess i should have stated that it was just IMHO. Also, I certainly wasn’t trying to make a point that because of his reasons, he couldn’t be successful.</p>
<p>I appreciate both of your opinions. If I were granted the privilege of attending the USAFA, I can assure you my decision wouldn’t be based merely on athletic and financial reasoning. I believe that the true motives surrounding my decision may extend beyond what I have previously stated. My Dad, an Air Force veteran, has been a positive influence along with some of my closest friends who are currently serving our country. I was just shamelessly sharing a few general rationalities that I’m willing to bet, though few would proclaim, prompt many to consider the military. I’m not looking for a way out, only a fresh start that will give me the opportunity to challenge myself in ways Ive never been challenged before. Although the decision the enter the USAFA may seem imprudent when considering other potential opportunities (as a student that will have already acquired a degree), the opportunities of the USAFA cannot go overlooked. I would have the opportunity to serve my country, receive a degree in a innovative field from a exceedingly distinguished institution, all while possibly getting a chance to play a little ball, what more could I ask for? Indeed, Baseball may be just something I will have to relinquish one day, but I would still love to play again. I am not looking to make the Air Force my career; however, please understand that this does not suggest that I would not embrace the pride and honor that coincides the commitment and service I would, without hesitation, humbly accommodate.</p>
<p>being a usaf officer should be your first goal…who cares where you go thru to attain that…if i were in your situation, i would def. do the ots route…is four years at asafa really worth it in the long run…its totally up to you</p>
<p>ps…once you get out to big air force, no one will care where you got youre degree from, whether its from usafa or s.h.i.t. as long as you put out max effort on every evolution…plus as a 2nd lt. you’ll be just as ■■■■■■■■ as everyone else is</p>
<p>I’m seeing a lot of good points here. On the one hand, nate, I certainly think you have the motivation to be successful and that you’d likely do well at the Academy. If this is what you want, go for it 100%. I couldn’t agree more that USAFA presents a lot of unique opportunities. I’m not an extraordinary cadet by any means, but I’ve been sent to different states and different continents, I teach a parachuting course unlike any other in the world, and I got to fly an F-16 at the ripe old age of 19. You’ll do things here that you simply couldn’t do anywhere else. </p>
<p>OTS would be a fast track, but just like the Academy, it’s not for everyone. If you want to experience the challenge that the Academy would offer, like I said, absolutely go for it. At the end of the day, though, while your commissioning source may have an effect on you as a person, it likely won’t have a large influence on your career as an officer. Like 1390 said, every 2Lt is equally new and (generally) clueless. After three years at the Academy, I’m really not sure I have much of an idea of what it’s like to be a 2Lt in the AF. Long story short: it’s your decision. It’s very possible. The AF does not care which route you take; it only asks that you give it your all.</p>
<p>Hopeful is right in the Air Force it wont matter, but when you get out I think it will.</p>
<p>If you are “Five and Dive” I think the USAFA degree will help with your resume to get a civillian job vs getting your commission from Any-StateU</p>