Have a natural nack for engeneering looking at becoming An Aviator.

[Justin21345]

So I've been wanting to be a pilot for a long time now and I was wondering what is the best way to actually go about accomplishing that dream?

A Little background:
I'm still a senior in high school, Freshman year I didn't get very good grades,a little better soph. year. Junior year I had a 3.33 average and now my senior year so far I had a 3.5 first quarter and a 3.8 at the end of 1st semester. Senior year I'm in Cross Country and Track and field for sports, I know it doesn't look good to start sports senior year but I still think it is better than nothing. But I do, do some extra-curricular activities. Last year (Junior Year) I competed in a competition called Skills-USA for Computer-Aided-Design (CAD or Auto CAD) I took 1st place in Regionals and 3rd place in my state (California) and considereing we have some of the best engineering schools around I think I did pretty good for myself.

I know good grades are important, but are my high school grades VERY important or just an extra plus as long as I get my college grades high?

I plan on going to a Junior College for 2 years just to get my general ed out of the way and want to transfer into a UC or CSU to finish up and get my bachleors degree. I plan on majoring in some sort of engeneering since I have a natural nack for it, maybe civil or structural.

So is there any good advice for me of something I'm doing wrong or I should do? any would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah I've been reading a lot and I hear that getting good test scores on the ASTB is a plus I've been reading over this practice test (ASTB Gouge) which I found on this site and all of the questions except for maybe 1 or 2 are very easy so when I actually do take the test I think I will score high. But what I wanted to know is, are these questions that are on that P-test like the ones on the real test?

Once again any advice is helpful. Thanks a million!

 

[HeyJoe]

Selesting a best way to become a pilot

So I've been wanting to be a pilot for a long time now and I was wondering what is the best way to actually go about accomplishing that dream?

A Little background:
I'm still a senior in high school, Freshman year I didn't get very good grades,a little better soph. year. Junior year I had a 3.33 average and now my senior year so far I had a 3.5 first quarter and a 3.8 at the end of 1st semester. Senior year I'm in Cross Country and Track and field for sports, I know it doesn't look good to start sports senior year but I still think it is better than nothing. But I do, do some extra-curricular activities. Last year (Junior Year) I competed in a competition called Skills-USA for Computer-Aided-Design (CAD or Auto CAD) I took 1st place in Regionals and 3rd place in my state (California) and considereing we have some of the best engineering schools around I think I did pretty good for myself.

I know good grades are important, but are my high school grades VERY important or just an extra plus as long as I get my college grades high?

I plan on going to a Junior College for 2 years just to get my general ed out of the way and want to transfer into a UC or CSU to finish up and get my bachleors degree. I plan on majoring in some sort of engeneering since I have a natural nack for it, maybe civil or structural.

So is there any good advice for me of something I'm doing wrong or I should do? any would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah I've been reading a lot and I hear that getting good test scores on the ASTB is a plus I've been reading over this practice test (ASTB Gouge) which I found on this site and all of the questions except for maybe 1 or 2 are very easy so when I actually do take the test I think I will score high. But what I wanted to know is, are these questions that are on that P-test like the ones on the real test?

Once again any advice is helpful. Thanks a million!

Your best way might be different than someone else's for a variety of reasons. First off, you need to look at the services and decide which ones you are interested in pursuing. This site is primarily a resource for Navy and Marine (as well as Coast Guard) opportunities. You seem to already have chosen a school progression so that rules out USNA (or have you considered that since you like engineering?). If so, a Navy path gives you BDCP option down the road or ROTC a bit sooner if you haven't decided on marines or Navy. NROTC (and USNA) exposes you to both services if you are undecided. If you want to go Marine, PLC will get you going with an Air Contract the soonest. You'll have to compete for a slot at Pensacola at USNA and in NROTC.

I think Jack Friday said something like "There's a million stories in this city..." Borrowing from him, there's a lot of stories here of different paths taken and opportunities. If you haven't done so, start digging into the threads here and use search on keywords for OCS, PLC, ROTC, BDCP, ASTB, etc. That will enable you to look at which doors are potentially open to you so you can make your own decision on the best way that fits your desires and circumstances.

As to ASTB questions, read the ASTB threads for up to date feedback on what people used to prepare and what they found to be valid.

 

[Carlos Caliente]

Baby steps

Think of whatever you're doing now as a stepping stone towards your next undertaking. In this case college, a service academy, selling consumer electronics or going to boot camp. If your grades are good enough to get you into a decent college where you can develop your social skills and learn how to multitask, you've accomplished something. From there on worry about how to get into the service of your choice. Big thing is stay phsyically and socially active, develop a sense of humor and don't be a scumbag. I say that in a good way cause you definately have put a lot of thought into what you want to do with your life, college is fraught with danger such as Sublime, Bob Marley, seriously hot dumb little girls and lots of weed. Partake as much or as little of it as you wish.
Naval Aviation is looking more for well rounded highly trainable individuals who can come toghether and function as a team in order to accomplish a mission rather than the guy with the best grades, the best track time or the most letters of recommendation from Senator X. Whatever you learn in the next four-five years, take that and impress the shit out of your recruiter and you're golden. The ASTB gouge books actually helped me, but that was 8 years ago.
FYI: First time poster under this new identity, I've been in this board since 2000 and have been through the pipeline.

 

[Birdog8585]

Naval Aviation is looking more for well rounded highly trainable individuals who can come toghether and function as a team in order to accomplish a mission rather than the guy with the best grades, the best track time or the most letters of recommendation from Senator X.

Agree whole heartedly. +1

Live your life dude. Go to school. Have fun. Sieze opportunities. Make mistakes. But allways remeber to keep those Wings in the back of your mind and everything will pan itself out eventually. Learn as much as you can about things that are NOT in any manuals or books. That means talking to those who are experienced.

Best of Luck. Go Marine.

SF

 

[FrankTheTank]

Which ever way works is the best one... Look at all of them and which ever accepts you, take it and fight to keep it.. You can always think back about how you could of, should of done another program but then it won't matter!

Just my BTDT $.02

PS: I don't recommend any of the service schools unless you hate yourself and want to grow up to be social retarded amd married to a WUBA

 

[Swanee]

college is fraught with danger such as Sublime, Bob Marley, seriously hot dumb little girls and lots of weed. Partake as much or as little of it as you wish.

Go to school. Have fun. Sieze opportunities. Make mistakes.

I wasn't too keen on the weed or Bob Marley (though I do like Sublime) but those hot girls are 1/2 of what college is about. Just watch out for the crazy ones, but we all have to make that mistake at least once.


You're in a good place with getting an early start. When I was headed to college I was convinced that I wanted to do something else. I got to try it out and realized it wasn't for me. Because of that decision a lot of doors closed to me. But, that does not mean the journey was over.

After being down at NAMI with a bunch of fellow Marine officer candidates I really learned that it doesn't really matter what you study, where you go to school, or really how old/young you are. As long as you get your degree in something from somewhere accredited, and as long as you do well (not stellar, but well) and you are a good person that made the right choices and learned from any mistake you may have made along the way and you keep yourself physically qualified you will always have an opportunity.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Have fun in school, just avoid any colossal fuck-ups that will follow you out of college.

 

[bunk22]

Do we have a sticky on good or appropriate ways to ask the question? I hope most of the wannabe's refer to this young mans question as how to ask.

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

I know good grades are important, but are my high school grades VERY important or just an extra plus as long as I get my college grades high?

I plan on going to a Junior College for 2 years just to get my general ed out of the way and want to transfer into a UC or CSU to finish up and get my bachleors degree. I plan on majoring in some sort of engeneering since I have a natural nack for it, maybe civil or structural.

If you're applying to OCS or BDCP high school grades DON'T mean jack. The only people who care about high school grades are admissions into schools. Other than that high school is a check in the box. Also if you are looking at BDCP I suggest NOT going to a 2 year school and then trying to transfer. The primary reason for that is that it's dice roll on you when you transfer to a school that you don't have grades from. You could end up flunking out and then they wasted a lot of money on you.

Best advice I can give you is keep your grades in college UP. 3.5+ GPA is a good goal to set. I set that as my goal and I've only dipped below once.

Check out NROTC too if they have it at the schools you are looking at.

 

[HeyJoe]

I plan on majoring in some sort of engeneering since I have a natural nack for it, maybe civil or structural.

So is there any good advice for me of something I'm doing wrong or I should do? any would be greatly appreciated.

Once again any advice is helpful. Thanks a million!

Well, on the something wrong side of the coin....remember, you said you had the "nack" [sic] to go into engeneering[sic]


All kidding aside, doing well in engineering can put you in an unintended consequence of "Needs of the Navy" in which you get "Voluntold" to head to Nuke Power School vice Flight School (Marines will not do this to you).

 

[brownshoe]

I think Jack Friday said something like "There's a million stories in this city..."

Actually HJ, it’s “Joe Friday”, he’s a cop. I’m going to date myself again, but at the risk of doing so, have a look at this.

I’m sorry for the jacked thread, but I just couldn’t resist.

Steve

 

[HeyJoe]

Lmao!

 

[tshort]

If youre going to community college to get youre aa I would suggest using it to get into a good university. I did the same and got into the university of florida. A school that I would never get into out of high school with my grades. I just recently got accepted into both Intel and pilot communities at the age of 26. also my GPA was only 3.0 and my astb scores were passing but not outstanding. One thing that may have helped is that I applied at the beginning of the navy fiscal year(october). Moral of story, more than likely you can get accepted if you meet physical standards , have somewhat decent grades from a decent school, and keep youre nose clean.
*also keep youre eyes and ears open to what is going on in recruiting and selection trends.
-good luck

 

[HeyJoe]

One thing that may have helped is that I applied at the beginning of the navy fiscal year(october). -good luck

That's not really a factor as they select many months ahead for next fiscal year. Otherwise, there'd be a gap because application and processing take several months.

 

[Catmando]

I think Jack Friday said something like "There's a million stories in this city..."

Actually HJ, it’s “Joe Friday”, he’s a cop. I’m going to date myself again, but at the risk of doing so, have a look at this.

I’m sorry for the jacked thread, but I just couldn’t resist.

Steve

The quote was actually, "There are eight million stories in the Naked City; this has been one of them." This quote was originally from the 1948 film, the "Naked City." Then in 1958, a popular TV series based upon that movie started/ended every episode with that very same quote. But Jack Webb wasn't in them. (This also suggests I might be older than you )

Regarding the classic and hilarious Johnny Carson/Jack Webb video..... I always wondered how they could ever keep a straight face through all that. Classic, great funny stuff!

And as Rod Serling might say..... "We now return you to your original thread."
Threadjack hereby relinquished.