Thanks for the write-up - very well thought out and in detail.
I'm curious, what did you pick for selection. Did you see a large difference in the number of slots for a certain platform in TW-4 vs TW-5? More/Less Jets - More/Less Helos etc..?
Also, can you talk a little about the weather and waypoints in Milton vs Corpus? I have heard varying comments that Milton has harder flights than Corpus because of this very reason.
I put the Navy tilt first and maritime second. Jets third because after #2 I had no preference and wasn't able to leave it blank. Because of my NSS and other factors in training (or at least how I perceive they were considered) it was basically a throw away preference slot.
I've never heard anything even remotely credible about a correlation between primary training location and community selection. In fact anyone tangentially related to the process swears that is not considered. Someone smarter than me kept tabs on that last year and I believe their conclusion was it's a wash.
The generally accepted idea is that whiting course rules are more complex. That's subjective as no one has ever done primary in different locations twice and if they did one in primary and the other in advanced the aircraft and experience level would have more of an affect on that evaluation IMO. What is objective is that alert area 292 is some of the busiest airspace in the world (depending on how you define that). All in all course rules isn't the tallest peak in primary or even contacts.
The curriculum for primary allows for about 2 weeks or so IIRC, longer at whiting due to avg wx and other small factors. I can personally speak to how infuriating late fall and winter mornings are trying to fly VFR at whiting. Cant say i see the wisdom in that location... Ill find out about corpus here this fall and winter.
All of the above points regardless of how they actually affect training/selections would be low on my list of considerations for Whiting v. Corpus. in a re-do
What I would consider for putting down your preference is...
Do I want to move? (you could conceivably live in the same place from day one of NASC to primary complete or even wings if you go Milton/helos)
Would I like p'cola or corpus more? There is a type for each, corpus seems more "western" to me and has different recreation within (normal times) liberty radius, Pensacola and Milton was VERY stereotypical Florida in every sense of the idea.
Any family/friends or other personal ties to either place or area? Going home for holidays could be a lot easier and more frequent in one place or the other (in the before times and maybe the future)
In the long run, location likely wont affect your training in largely tangible ways. Study, chair fly be on time and ready to roll with a good attitude and either will work fine.
What does matter beyond all else is that the beer selection in Corpus is undoubtedly better than Pensacola.