Seeking advice

[mcneillaviation]

Hello everyone and happy Independence Day!

I recently found out that I may not be able to complete my high school diploma due to a TMJ jaw issue im having. The issue will be resolved with surgery and it won’t disqualify me from joining, but my attendance record will be heavily impacted. I’m not sure I’ll be able to have a competitive enough academy application.

I’m trying to figure out what I can do to help my chances and make my application more competitive now. I’m looking into starting my private pilots license later this year (fingers crossed), and I have an aviation photography business where I’m trying to get my photos published. I’m discouraged by this medical news and I’m concerned about my chances about getting a pilot slot via ROTC. I’m not deadset on being a pilot but I at least want to give myself the best chances I can. I need the scholarship too.

Im turning 18 this November and am scheduled to graduate next year, and my plan was to apply to USNA, Embry-Riddle and Purdue. I also wanted to ask about Marine aviation, is there any pilot shortages? If I apply for a pilot slot via the Marine’s ROTC, what’s the chances like? Any advice on any of these matters would be really appreciated. Thank you for your time and happy Independence Day everyone!

 

[Griz882]

I would imagine that your school should be OK with some form of alternative education to meet the academic rules for your home district. Basically, they did it for COVID and they can do it for you. I can’t speak to the service academies, but I can’t think of many colleges that care about your “attendance record,” rather they care about your GPA. I’m not sure about NROTC, with respect to scholarships, but if you get selected for a college that has an NROTC program they’ll gladly welcome you as a non-scholarship midshipman and your chances for an aviation slot are equal to all of your peers…based on the many factors in place.

In short, don’t panic. If you are not graduating (that’s different than attendance) then buck up, finish that senior year with fantastic grades next year, and come back swinging. Then, at 19 you have a host of years ahead of you to make this happen. Fight the battle closest to you and those of the future will be easier.

 

[mcneillaviation]

I would imagine that your school should be OK with some form of alternative education to meet the academic rules for your home district. Basically, they did it for COVID and they can do it for you. I can’t speak to the service academies, but I can’t think of many colleges that care about your “attendance record,” rather they care about your GPA. I’m not sure about NROTC, with respect to scholarships, but if you get selected for a college that has an NROTC program they’ll gladly welcome you as a non-scholarship midshipman and your chances for an aviation slot are equal to all of your peers…based on the many factors in place.

In short, don’t panic. If you are not graduating (that’s different than attendance) then buck up, finish that senior year with fantastic grades next year, and come back swinging. Then, at 19 you have a host of years ahead of you to make this happen. Fight the battle closest to you and those of the future will be easier.

Im not sure if they offer anything like that but we are going to have a meeting with the school hopefully this Thursday and talk to them about my attendance. I’m just worried I won’t be able to get a real diploma and I feel like that’s going to really affect my application. I heard from a former AFROTC and pilot that at the time (late 90’s), it was very rare for ROTC cadets to get pilot slots and even when they did, it out of like two slots.

Frankly I’m just anxious that I’m going to be set up for failure.

 

[Griz882]

Im not sure if they offer anything like that but we are going to have a meeting with the school hopefully this Thursday and talk to them about my attendance. I’m just worried I won’t be able to get a real diploma and I feel like that’s going to really affect my application. I heard from a former AFROTC and pilot that at the time (late 90’s), it was very rare for ROTC cadets to get pilot slots and even when they did, it out of like two slots.

Frankly I’m just anxious that I’m going to be set up for failure.

I wouldn’t worry.

1. High school is all about contact hours measured in days. If you don’t have enough then simply make them up over summer school (or in the fall). It shouldn’t impact your grades unless you allow it to do so. You have a medical excuse and a good one - use it if you need to as you have plenty of time. College (nor the academies) are going away and quite frankly I’d glide through that final make-up semester (getting decent grades of course) and get that PPL.

2. Military pilot slots are always based on supply and demand and you won’t even be a shadow in that pipeline for nearly 48 months…ignore the meanderings of an AF pilot from the 1990’s. That was then and you are a long way from your “now.”

3. You are young, and I know that it seems like your future needs to be outlined now but I promise you that is not how it works. By the time you finish college no one in any of the services will care at all about your HS diploma…at all.

Enjoy the time, keep up the good work in school, and it will eventually come to you.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

1. Spell check the title of the thread you are starting before submitting.
2. Listen to @Griz882

 

[Mos]

There are things you can control and things you can't. Figure out which is which, do well at the former, and do the best you can with the latter.

 

[AllAmerican75]

Hello everyone and happy Independence Day!

I recently found out that I may not be able to complete my high school diploma due to a TMJ jaw issue im having. The issue will be resolved with surgery and it won’t disqualify me from joining, but my attendance record will be heavily impacted. I’m not sure I’ll be able to have a competitive enough academy application.

I’m trying to figure out what I can do to help my chances and make my application more competitive now. I’m looking into starting my private pilots license later this year (fingers crossed), and I have an aviation photography business where I’m trying to get my photos published. I’m discouraged by this medical news and I’m concerned about my chances about getting a pilot slot via ROTC. I’m not deadset on being a pilot but I at least want to give myself the best chances I can. I need the scholarship too.

Im turning 18 this November and am scheduled to graduate next year, and my plan was to apply to USNA, Embry-Riddle and Purdue. I also wanted to ask about Marine aviation, is there any pilot shortages? If I apply for a pilot slot via the Marine’s ROTC, what’s the chances like? Any advice on any of these matters would be really appreciated. Thank you for your time and happy Independence Day everyone!

What do YOU want to do? Who do YOU want to be? Figure that out first. There are many ways to serve and you don't necessarily have to go to the Academy. If you just want to serve, there are lots of options in many different services. If you just want to fly military aircraft, the Army's flying warrant officer program is probably the best option available. If you want to be a Marine officer, there are a number of different ways to get there from USNA to ROTC to OCS. Chart the course that YOU want YOUR life to take and then take it one step at a time.