CTScoutmom

Aviation engineering is not the same as Aeronautical or Aerospace Engineering. The former is aviation. while the latter are true engineering disciplines which are considered Tier 1.

OP, you want to be an aviator - do you know what Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering are? They are not about learning to fly; they are about learning to design aircraft and spacecraft. They are intense majors which won't leave you much time for learning to fly. The degree programs at Embry Riddle that include flight training are not the Engineering programs.

Iron Maiden is right, the selection committee is going to want to know why you waited so long. I buy that you've wanted to be a pilot since you were very young, but I don't buy the idea that you were passionate about NAVAL aviation. If you were, you would already know what you need to do - and would have figured this out several years ago.

cptofthehouse

Be aware that those selected for the pilot programs are NOT selected from those who have trained as aviators. My close friend's son went through a lot of grief as he doggedly went through aviation, got his pilot's license and instructor's license, loved to fly and was passed over for pilot training. What killed him were his test scores and college grades in courses like Calc and physics. Apparently, you get your choices based on how you are ranked and SATs, other test scores, courses and major and grades all come to play. He was shocked that a number of those selected for pilot training never sat in a plane other than as a passenger. That does not come into the picture. He was told all of this at various times, however, but always rationalized it until it came right down to the assignments.

He is now a pilot for one of the airlines, but he pursued that independently after getting RIFFed from the service, much to his relief. He did not want to stay after finding out he would not be a pilot.

Iron Maiden

^^^^^^^^

This is EXACTLY why you don't join NROTC if your primary goal is to be a pilot. Or to pay for school. Your primary goal has to be a commission as a Naval Officer FIRST. Everything else you have no control over.

cptofthehouse

A number of kids go for ROTC for the money. And a goodly number of them change their minds during the process, or before the commitment, and some actually decide they like the whole idea and become fully for it after the first year. No reason why someone should not give it a go.. These are 18 year olds who will change their minds. My brother who ended up being a career officer as USMA did it primarily for the money but ended up making it his life.

Ny son's friend did 4 years of ROTC at college without getting a scholarship. He did become a commissioned officer but was rRIFFed. Why he was delusional about gettting a pilot spot, I don't know. Apparently, there were those in the system that told him it was possible and he did not get it through his head that the likelyhood was nearly zilch until he was out of college and in the service in an assignment he did not want. I don't know if he got out of his service requirements so quickly because he did not have a scholarship through college or whether it was the luck of the draw. All's well now though since he has the job he loves. I belive the ROTC did pay for some of his expenses and gave him some allowance in his later years , but I don't know if that has changed.

OP, you need to get current information and get it pretty quickly to have this even as an option.

Iron Maiden

My experience is that the kids who do it for the money drop out 95% of the time. It is obvious at INDOC.

Yeah they can "give it a go" but when those kids drop they have to drop out of school because they were counting on the money. And those who drop or are separated after day 1 of their Sophomore year are having to pay the money back. Or serve as enlisted.

It's not worth it unless your #1 goal in life is to be a Naval officer.

cptofthehouse

I know a bunch of them who did drop out after freshman year. The ones I know are doing fine. One of the things that we took very seriously (cousin and family) was that if my cousin's son were to drop out of ROTC, he could still afford his current school. I'm sure in any series there are kids who drop out of any program for any number of reasons. If a kid doesn't like it freshman year, he has 25% of his tuition paid by the scholarship with no obligation which is not a bad deal. Most of the kids I know who went this path stuck it out, including many who went without scholarship, but I know, over a lifetime, a lot of them who did not. None of the kdis I knew personally who dropped out of the program got stuck with the obligation because they were well aware of the deadlines in terms of commitments, but, yes, there are internet boards full of those who got caught.

My brother would have dropped out of USMA had they not yanked his ROTC scholarship automatically when he was accepted there. He nearly did not go back after his freshman year. But he did and retired some years ago as colonel. It can a path fraught with doubts and stresses; it is not easy, and having grown up in a military environment, I know it isn't all smooth going. But if a kid wants to give it a try, I would encourage him/her.

ontheBeam

Thank you all for your replies. Sorry I haven't been replying back, I was applying and getting information and talking to recruiters about this whole thing.

I am sending in my NROTC application tomorrow. The reason I waited for years before "taking this seriously" was that in high school, to be honest, I wasn't really thinking that it would be so complicated. I knew next to nothing about the process and time sort of got away from me. Now I know what I got to do. My #1 goal is to become a naval officer. I am not doing it for the money, I am doing it because I want to fly. I know that I probably won't get the 4 year scholarship. I am pretty sure I can get the 3 year at Embry-Riddle. Also, I would like to get into the Academy if I can. Do you guys know much about getting into the Naval Academy? I've completed the app except for the Congressman's nomination letter which I am getting from a friend within the next few days. Again, thanks for all the help.

Iron Maiden

You are way late for ROTC. It's almost Thanksgiving and your app is not in yet and you have not had your formal interview. Boards have already taken place. Your chances of getting a 4 year scholarship are poor. You can join ROTC as a College Programmer but those scholarships are scarce.

You say you want to be a Navy officer but then you say you you want to fly. There is a good possibility you won't get picked up for aviation. Are you OK with SWO, Sub, or Nuke? Because its not up to you. Needs of the Navy.

cap

People have recently had pilot slots, sat stashed in Pensacola waiting to start flight school, then gotten a choice of switching designators completely or getting out. Need of the Navy.