<p>Are there differences post graduation for ROTC grads vs. SA grads. Seems the ROTC route is an easier path.</p>
<p>ROTC requires a TON more self-discipline/motivation.. at the academies you've got upperclassmen yelling/screaming/training you, ROTC you do it yourself. ROTC isnt going to force you to go to classes, wake up for PT, etc.. the academies dont give you a choice. Academies are much more structured, but have an incredible experience.. as for post grad, idk.. lol :)</p>
<p>"ring knockers" as the academy grads are sometimes called, have a bit of a brotherhood of grads to count on IMO. Also, I hear the business world takes very kindly to academy grads as well. Dunno really. I would take the Academy over ROTC anyday. :)</p>
<p>I talked to an Air Force Pilot that went through ROTC and he said that he was very lucky to have gotten his pilot slot. He was the only one out of over 120 people who wanted it to get one, so if your plans are to be a pilot, I'd say you have a much better chance at the academy, for other occupations I don't really know, but I would think that graduating from an academy would look better on an application than ROTC (although both are good options)</p>
<p>The biggest difference in my eyes is that proportionally, USAFA grads get a lot more rated slots. If you want to fly, the SA is the way to go, IMO. If not, well, both routes yield the same shiny, gold bars, so be sure to consider which path would be the right fit for you.</p>
<p>yea, i saw in a current air force book that the air force academy and ALL AFROTC units get the same number of pilot slots. so, at the academy, you're competing against the other 900 in your graduating class (or however many want to fly) for about 550 slots, wheras in ROTC you're competing against the whole country's AFROTC grads who want to fly for one of the ROTC's 550 slots. chances are astronomically higher at a SA... but if you're not flying, then petko is right, you get the same shiny gold bars :)</p>
<p>If you go to the Academy and you are medically qualified, you will 95% for sure get the pilot slot if you want it.</p>
<p>~950 USAFA grads vs. ~1200 AFROTC grads, and ~550 slots to each. </p>
<p>USAFA gives more opportunities (as a cadet), but also requires a much more structured lifestyle. Once an officer, where you graduated from makes no official difference. There is a certain commraderie that is much stronger amoung USAFA grads though. As far as being more prestigous than ROTC, USAFA's military program is definitely more rigorous; however, academically there are more prestigous schools...ask a ROTC cadet at MIT.</p>
<p>USAFA gives a really good academic education plus an excellent military education. AFROTC gives a decent military education, with widely varying academics (due to different colleges).</p>
<p>What civilian colleges would you be looking at? What do you want to do during college and after graduation?</p>
<p>then there's the discussion of whether or not usafa grads are "better prepared" because of what they've endured, or whether its not really worth it b/c they don;t endure that much extra and "noraml college" has its hardships and life lessons of its own.</p>
<p>i would tend to say the networking of usafa grads is the biggest difference</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughts. Has anyone ever gone from USAFA to ROTC or the other way? In case the first choice doesn't work out.</p>
<p>Yes, I know people who have gone both ways. One of my roomates this semester left at the very beginning of the ac year so he could do rotc (guess he couldn't take it here anymore :) ) </p>
<p>Likewise, you always have some in each incoming class who went to college and did rotc for a year. </p>
<p>And, some just come after they do some (or all) of their college, with no rotc. Some guy came here after graduating from Notre Dame, but those cases are few and far between.</p>