<p>I am planning on applying to some universities that have big price tags - around 50k a year. I already have an older sister who is in college, and I know that my parents are having a hard time keeping on top of her tuition. I have been considering applying for an Air Force ROTC scholarship, but I am completely torn on this issue - should I apply for it or not?</p>
<p>First of all, my dad used to be in the army and he has always said that it was one of the worst experiences of his life. I am a believer in that the whole military thing may be different for each individual person, but I still feel like he would be strongly against me applying anyways. I like to keep in shape (I run all of the time) and I have always thought that it would be cool to fly an airplane, so I don't know.</p>
<p>I also do not know how much it will affect my studies in college. Will I have enough time to do all of the training stuff and pursue a pre-medical degree?</p>
<p>I am really torn on this issue - should I apply or not?</p>
<p>You can and should apply to a variety of schools and programs. Once the replies are in, then you can make decisions based on the details. </p>
<p>For instance, at Texas A&M, all ROTC cadets live together, eat together and wear uniforms 24/7. Other colleges are not nearly so intense. They may have ROTC drill once a week or less. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, fill out applications for other programs/colleges that appeal to you. Do your best to get a stellar GPA this fall. </p>
<p>Then, in late March, the acceptances and rejections arrive. Also arriving are the financial aid grants/loans sheets. ONLY AT THIS POINT do you know enough of the details to make a decision. If Happy College offers you a big $$$ to come play viola or soccer and Tough U offers you $ to be in ROTC, then you can think through who you are and what your next step will be. Good luck!</p>
<p>So, is it a wise idea to go ahead and fill out the application for the scholarship? Everything is due by December 1st. Is it okay if I decide that I do not want to be in the program later on?</p>
<p>I am planning on applying to some universities that have big price tags - around 50k a year. I already have an older sister who is in college, and I know that my parents are having a hard time keeping on top of her tuition. I have been considering applying for an Air Force ROTC scholarship, but I am completely torn on this issue - should I apply for it or not?</p>
<p>Are you applying to any affordable schools or only expensive schools? If so,why?</p>
<p>Ultimately it’s your choice if you do the military route. Your parents can’t prevent you - especially if they are unable to pay for your college costs. </p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>You run a risk that you may quickly decide that ROTC is not for you…and then you may find yourself at a school that is unaffordable. At that point it would be too late to get a good scholarship elsewhere. </p>
<p>mom2 is right. It could backfire on you. ROTC is not something to just try out. It’s tough and you have to be serious about it. Don’t do it unless you have a real interest in being an officer in the military.<br>
Not sure how much research you have done but AFROTC scholarships are the most difficult to obtain. Most of their scholarships go to students majoring in engineering or something equally technical. Also Flight school is pretty competitive to get into. Getting an AFROTC scholie doesn’t guarantee flight sch. Aviation requires a longer post college military committment also. It might be eight years. I’m not certain. I know more about NROTC as my S went that route.</p>
<p>Not trying to discourage you, rather I’m encouraging you to do a lot of research so you can make an informed decision as to whether it is something you are really interested in or not.</p>
<p>If your ultimate objective is to be an officer in the Air Force above everything else then go for ROTC. If not then don’t do it. Students who try ROTC just to pay for school almost always fail.</p>
<p>i’m also applying to all private schools so all the schools i’m applying to has a price tag of 50k.</p>
<p>I DID NOT PLAN FOR IT. when i completed my college search and selection, it just turned out that way. i’m from NJ and is NOT interested in rutgers nor would i be satisfied at montclair. neither rutgers nor tcnj has the major i’m interested in. it just turned out that way.</p>
<p>Big risk to have no financial safeties. What are your stats. Perhaps we can recommend some schools for big merit. Hoping for aid could be a disapppointment.</p>
<p>First of all, the Army is a lot different from the Air Force. Second of all, being enlisted is a lot different from being an officer, if that’s how your father served. And third of all, just because your father hated it doesn’t mean you will - everyone is different, and some people thrive with it.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing - you should only apply for an ROTC scholarship (branch notwithstanding) if you want to serve as an officer for at least 4 years. Think of the money more as a perk of training to be an officer rather than the other way around - being an officer to get money. If being an officer in the Air Force seems like something you’d want to do, then apply. The first year does not incur a service obligation anyway, so if you hate it after year 1, you can always leave.</p>
<p>Being a pilot is very competitive. Think about other jobs. Also, as PackMom mentioned, the AFROTC one is the most difficult to get and if you aren’t majoring in a technical field or a critical language, it’s nigh impossible.</p>
<p>Also one caveat - I had friends in ROTC who had plenty of time to not only study for their majors but participate in extracurriculars and hang out. The caveat is that the vast majority of cadets go directly into the service, right after they finish. You can apply for an “educational delay” to go to medical school after college, but they are competitive and difficult to get. IF you want to go to medical school, you need to face up to the fact that you may have to wait 4 years before you can go.</p>
<p>Don’t apply for schools simply for the major. You may completely change your mind by the time you get to your second year, and you don’t want to rule anything out unless you are looking for something very specific (like nursing or engineering). Are there any majors at TCNJ or Rutgers that may be similar to the major you want, or can you create an independent major at either of those schools? Also, you need a financial safety, so you might as well go ahead and apply to some of your in-state NJ schools. Also, SUNYs and CUNYs are pretty inexpensive even for OOS students - thought about looking at one of those and applying if your parents can afford that?</p>