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ROTC class size


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I hope to enroll in the AFROTC program in the fall of 2010, im at the end of my Junior of High School. I was just wondering what the typical class size of incoming freshman who are enrolling in ROTC. I know it depends on a lot of variables, but are there any estimates? Ranges? If it is a smaller class size does that increase my chances for a pilot slot because I have less competition?

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Guest SpunkDagger

My incoming freshman call had 30 cadets at the beginning of the year. Now we are down to 15. It won't hurt your chances b/c you compete on a national level against all dets for slots. If anything a smaller class is nicer so you can interact with the cadre more. Let them know you want to be a pilot. I wouldn't call it a competition though. Don't be the guy/gal who dicks everyone in order to make yourself look good. That will get you nowhere

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My incoming freshman call had 30 cadets at the beginning of the year. Now we are down to 15. It won't hurt your chances b/c you compete on a national level against all dets for slots. If anything a smaller class is nicer so you can interact with the cadre more. Let them know you want to be a pilot. I wouldn't call it a competition though. Don't be the guy/gal who dicks everyone in order to make yourself look good. That will get you nowhere

I guess my perception of it was that everyone is competiting for a pilot slot. What was the reason for your detachemnt having half of its cadets drop?

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Guest AirForceZip

My class was similar to SpunkDagger's. About 30 Freshman year, and about 15 that got EAs and stuck with it. That seems to be common from what I hear, as far as percentages continuing past their first couple years. I don't know why, those are just the people that decide they want to take things serious and become officers.

I disagree with Spunk about the class size though. While there are fewer people competing and you have a chance to show your personality the class size is weighted. If you are second out of 20 your score is better than second out of 10. Not to mention I feel that you have more options as a cadet wing with more cadets. You give and take between the two, but I would rather have a larger class than a smaller one.

Ultimately if you work hard and take ROTC seriously you will be at the top of your class no matter what the size is, and the difference between 1 and 2 can be very subjective at times.

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I guess my perception of it was that everyone is competiting for a pilot slot. What was the reason for your detachemnt having half of its cadets drop?

No, not everyone wants a pilot slot. At my school, about half initially as freshman wanted a pilot slot, then about half of those change their mind at some point. It really depends on your detachment and your class year. My det started with 55 my first semester freshman year, we commissioned 7 or those. The reason we lost so many people was any number of reasons. From civil involvements, to academic trouble, to just changing their mind, to even one guy how wanted to go on a mission to South America instead of going to FT. The lists of reasons is endless.

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Guest MegaPieBoy

Another thing to consider is that you aren't actually competing against your AS class in AFROTC. They don't take the top pilot applicants from each det, but they actually rack and stack all cadets across the country who apply for pilot slots. The only thing you would "competing" for would be a high commanders ranking among your AS class. And it doesn't really matter how big your AS class is.....some people think it is easier to stand out in a smaller det...I personally think being at a larger det is more beneficial because there are more leadership jobs dealing with more people, and there are more people in the top third for commanders ranking.

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Class size varies from school to school. My school receives around 30 freshmen a year, but some schools get more than twice that. I'd consider my school a very small ROTC unit, we have between 50-60 cadets total.

The only variable in your Order of Merit score that would vary due to class size is your Commander's Ranking. It would be hard to predict how class size will affect you. It depends on how your commander ranks.

If you are ranked on scores, how many in your class will score higher than you?

If you are ranked on character (leadership, motivation, dedication, etc), how many in your class will look better than you? It's hard to predict.

I consider myself lucky to be in the class I'm in. It is a small class, 12 juniors. There are no 100 PFAs (Good, because I score a 90), there are no brown nosers (Good, because I won't do that). I was lucky because of my class, not class size. You could be in a class size of 50, and as long as 25 of them are scrubs, you should be fine (as long as you are not a scrub as well).

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Ultimately if you work hard and take ROTC seriously you will be at the top of your class no matter what the size is, and the difference between 1 and 2 can be very subjective at times.

Hit the brakes right there mi amigo. Do NOT take ROTC too seriously. I am not saying not work hard and do your best but ROTC is a game that must be played.

For the love of God please have a life outside of ROTC. Join a frat, an outside club, drink beer, chase tail and have fun in college. Don't be that cadet who lives at the Det does every ROTC thing possible. You will burn out fast and hate your life, or be "that guy" whose life and friendships revolve completely around ROTC. If you don't think you are that guy, then you are.

The class I was supposed to graduate with started with around 65 cadets in 2004. The last of the class commissions in 2 weeks and the total number after 4 and 5 years who commissioned is about 20. You will lose people for not passing the AFOQT (gay test btw), not being medically qualified, not passing Field Training, personal reasons, failure to adapt to the ROTC world, grades, choosing to enlist, etc. etc. etc.

Edited by Vandal
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Over the course of 4 years, we had 124 cadets in our class. Out of those we had 18 commission.

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Just decide to stick with it and do the things that you can controll (STS) and everything will be fine.

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Not all of the non-aircrew types are "nerds who got good grades in high school". Don't let that train of thought stick around in your mind too much. You may not be flying with them but the USAF is very small and you will see those "nerds" again along your time spent in the AF.

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That was a weak STS

Well... he can do the things he can't control as well I guess, there is just more of a chance of them screaming rape.

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Hit the brakes right there mi amigo. Do NOT take ROTC too seriously. I am not saying not work hard and do your best but ROTC is a game that must be played.

For the love of God please have a life outside of ROTC. Join a frat, an outside club, drink beer, chase tail and have fun in college. Don't be that cadet who lives at the Det does every ROTC thing possible. You will burn out fast and hate your life, or be "that guy" whose life and friendships revolve completely around ROTC. If you don't think you are that guy, then you are.

The class I was supposed to graduate with started with around 65 cadets in 2004. The last of the class commissions in 2 weeks and the total number after 4 and 5 years who commissioned is about 20. You will lose people for not passing the AFOQT (gay test btw), not being medically qualified, not passing Field Training, personal reasons, failure to adapt to the ROTC world, grades, choosing to enlist, etc. etc. etc.

You said it best Vandal. Big props

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Class size depends a lot on the detachment. I had over 300 just in my AS100 class at Riddle. Out of that, 35 went to field training. A handful less commissioned, but that's tough to count because of all the 5-year types. We also had a disproportionate number of rated folk compared to the rest of the country. But that's Riddle. Almost everyone wanted a slot, so the number that got one is higher.

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Hit the brakes right there mi amigo. Do NOT take ROTC too seriously. I am not saying not work hard and do your best but ROTC is a game that must be played.

For the love of God please have a life outside of ROTC. Join a frat, an outside club, drink beer, chase tail and have fun in college. Don't be that cadet who lives at the Det does every ROTC thing possible. You will burn out fast and hate your life, or be "that guy" whose life and friendships revolve completely around ROTC. If you don't think you are that guy, then you are.

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If I enrolled at a school that has a crosstown affiliation with the host school ROTC detachment i'm assuming that I would get less attention compared to the other cadets who are at the host school. It seems to me that being away from the host school would hurt my UCR/RSS score. Would it be smart to go to a crosstown school? It says on the website that you are only required to show up once a week to the host school. How does that work? Am I only active in ROTC for one day out of the week? Do many cadets get pilot slots coming from a crosstown school?

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If I enrolled at a school that has a crosstown affiliation with the host school ROTC detachment i'm assuming that I would get less attention compared to the other cadets who are at the host school. It seems to me that being away from the host school would hurt my UCR/RSS score. Would it be smart to go to a crosstown school? It says on the website that you are only required to show up once a week to the host school. How does that work? Am I only active in ROTC for one day out of the week? Do many cadets get pilot slots coming from a crosstown school?

You probably won't get as much face time with the cadre. But when you think about it, you will be there for all ROTC events, just like the guys who go to the host school. IMHO, you should go to whatever school is a better fit for you. If crosstown school (A) has the major you want and host school (B) doesn't, then go to A. As far as the one day a week thing, not sure how accurate that is. Our crosstowns had to come to PT twice a week, plus class, plus lead lab. So you might want to check on that. To answer you final question, I don't think anyone has any solid stats on how many crosstown cadets get pilot slots.

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Guest AirForceZip

I am sure that it varies by school and det. but from what I've seen cross-town cadets are usually better quality from the beginning, due to the fact that they are making the commitment to drive, sometimes over an hour, to be in ROTC. If you really are a quality cadet you will be noticed wherever you are; there is plenty of time to be evaluated before you put in for any rated slots.

The one day thing is true at my det your first two years, in most cases. There is a class option right before lab on the same day, and PT is either organized at the cross-town school--supervised by cadre or POC if cadre are not available--or you can apply for alternate PT. This just allows you to work out on your own, and report it in a memo to your COC.

Also, the #1 cadet was a cross-town, and everyone who applied for a rated slot received it, but that is just one year.

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If I enrolled at a school that has a crosstown affiliation with the host school ROTC detachment i'm assuming that I would get less attention compared to the other cadets who are at the host school. It seems to me that being away from the host school would hurt my UCR/RSS score. Would it be smart to go to a crosstown school? It says on the website that you are only required to show up once a week to the host school. How does that work? Am I only active in ROTC for one day out of the week? Do many cadets get pilot slots coming from a crosstown school?

No stats for you either, but I started out ROTC while at a crosstown school and it was difficult. I wasn't around the DET much and the driving killed me. The det hounds were around more because they went to the university.

I'd ignore that website because it's been inaccurate more than once. While at the community college I still had to attend PT 3 days a week, along with LLAB and the class. Add to that list with other unsaid expectations that'll require you to make other visits.

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Guest SpunkDagger

I am a crosstown and the hour drive blows. I go down two days a week, LLAB and mandatory PT, and stop in at the det from time to time and BS with people. I don't think you are at a disadvantage if you are a croostown though, unless you are all about hanging out in the det 24/7 and getting your fingers wet in every single ROTC extra curricular there is. Then you'll be that guy.

I agree with AirForceZip as well. I recall crosstowners being concerned about "face time" and our commander really did not like the term. He said the cadre clearly see who puts in the effort and who does not.

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All this advise is making me lean more towards the cross-town school, now that I know that the cross-towners are not at a disadvantage. The cross-town school has an aviation program so it seems like an all out better deal.

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Guest tenguFlyer

Spartan20, I just completed the program but I dont commission until August. (Thought I was going to need a summer quarter and didnt... so I have a bit)

I'm going to give you some advice with ROTC...

The AF will probably be one of the few organizations you work for where the expectations of you are very clear. You will get there, and you will know exactly what you need to do to succeed. Cross-towner or not, you will know. A lot of people seem to think there is some game behind it, or some very subjective decision making on who gets pilot slots and who doesnt.

Want a scholarship, google AFROTCI 36-2017. That will basically tell you how they award them. Want a pilot slot? I think its 36-2014. Want an enrollment allocation to the POC? 36-2011. Don't get consumed with trying to play this "game" that so many people think when they enter the program. They don't last and you will be "that guy." And trust me... you don't want to be "that guy."

Anyway, thats just my opinion but Im sure some people will back it up. Those of us who did complete our rated slot goals can probably vouge. I think whats you got them you come to realise that there really wasnt much to it at all. You just had to work hard and stay dedicated and the good things will come to you.

Peace out girl scout! (Yeah I just said that)

Edited by tenguFlyer
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