<p>I am better academically than the average at the USAFA, but I am not a very athletic person. I really love the Air Force and everything to do with planes and space, but don’t thing I can get in to the USAFA. I was wondering what schools have top aerospace programs and an aviation program where I could learn to fly.
I was looking at Purdue, also University of Illinois Urbana has one, don’t know how good it is though. I don’t really think the rankings are worth anything, could anyone tell me just off of experience what school like this would be good. Am thinking of going into ROTC, also have an interest in materials science.</p>
<p>I figured you guys loving the Air Force as much as I do would know more. I have been doing alot of research, one thing I haven’t been able to find is the statistics of those who win the Type 1 and 2 scholarships, if anyone knows that would be helpful in my planning</p>
<p>Embry-Riddle and Purdue are the best choices in my experience.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how good Purdue is, but Embry-Riddle has the #1 Aeronautical Engineering program in the nation, and they have the largest detachment as well with the highest percentage of people that get pilot slots.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any knowledge of the quality of Florida Institute of Technology?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t want to speak for him, but I would wager a guess that Neil Armstrong would give Purdue’s Aerospace Engineering two thumbs up! </p>
<p>Go Boilers! </p>
<p>-flymom–a Purdue grad</p>
<p>I used to live in the Sebastian, about 15 minutes from where Florida Institute of Technology is located, and while i cant speak as a student, I can speak as a visitor and say that FIT appears to be a very high quality school. And if location is important , FIT can deliver. FIT is minutes away from beautiful beaches, fun cities, and plenty of entertainment. However, i’m sure everyone there spends most of the time at the beach.</p>
<p>Anybody know Purdue’s nickname? “The cradle of astronauts”. To date, Purdue has graduated 22 alumni chosen for space flight. Additionally to flymom’s post there is Grissom, Chaffee…</p>
<p>From 1935 until her disappearance in '37, Amelia Earhart was a part time staff member at Purdue.</p>
<p>Just some school trivia…Go Boilers!!! (Not me, my hubby!)</p>
<p>i have a friend who’s an aero major at embry-riddle. she absolutlely loves it there. she’s on a ROTC scholarship, and has earned a pilot slot for the class of 2010 (some ROTC detchments find out pilot slots before USAFA). so yes, they have a great program.</p>
<p>only experience with FIT was an e-mail they sent me asking me to apply my senior year. i applied quickly online, and was accepted a couple days later. never really looked into it after that</p>
<p>Re: ERAU being #1…just for clarity…in the USN&WR rankings for 2009, they were #1, ahead of #2 USAFA, as “…At schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s…”</p>
<p>USAFA doesn’t offer a Masters Degree; ERAU does and therefore they would be accorded a bit higher ranking.</p>
<p>I’ve worked as a “civilian engineer” and not to slam my ERAU buddies but I’ve NEVER seen one of them hired over an engineer from USAFA/USNA/Most Any Other ABET engineering school, in the aero engineering environment.</p>
<p>Probably unfair to them, but I have always thought that there was an engineering prejudice toward ERAU.</p>
<p>MY standard is simply this:“Is the engineering program the graduate has come from ABET accredited? If so, then I know what that takes and therefore it’s a GOOD program!!!”</p>
<p>Of course being a USAFA type, I’d be biased… ;-)</p>
<p>@flieger83 What about MIT? They were not ABET accredited for a long time because they felt it hindered innovation at their institution, but I am pretty sure an engineering degree from MIT would be a shoe in at most jobs.</p>
<p>All I am implying is that there are other things to look at. Since wantPOMONA specifically said that he/she is most likely not getting into the USAFA we were just trying to provide alternatives that would still have a high rate of success at getting to be an Air Force pilot.</p>
<p>"@flieger83 What about MIT? They were not ABET accredited for a long time because they felt it hindered innovation at their institution, but I am pretty sure an engineering degree from MIT would be a shoe in at most jobs.</p>
<p>All I am implying is that there are other things to look at. Since wantPOMONA specifically said that he/she is most likely not getting into the USAFA we were just trying to provide alternatives that would still have a high rate of success at getting to be an Air Force pilot."</p>
<p>Oh no, you misunderstand me. I’m not “slamming” ERAU, I’m simply letting you know what I saw at a large engineering company. There are biases throughout the industry. Certain “name schools” are much easier to be hired from than others. At Motorola, where I was, if you had a “EE” degree from Michigan, Rose-Hulman, MIT, Caltech, Stanford…you pretty much wrote your own ticket. In aero…there were certain others: USAFA was a BIGGIE.</p>
<p>Interestingly…MIT was NOT a “shoe in” at Motorola…and I never understood why?! Probably because the division I was in was dominated by EE’s and they really loved Michigan, Rose-Hulman, Stanford…and a few others.</p>
<p>ERAU…is a good choice; and if I gave the impression that I didn’t think so, then my apologies. BUT…I think ERAU graduates need to realize that there are some big firms that for some reason have a “degree bias” toward ERAU. </p>
<p>That was all.</p>