Thoughts on Embry Riddle (ERAU)

[Guest that drumin guy]

So here is the deal. I know most people are highly against ERAU when it comes to their aero sci degree and all of the airline hopefulls, but what would you tell someone who is considering riddle for the purposes of trying to be in one of the best ROTC detachments in hopes of a UPT slot, and wants to be around aviation 24/7? Would you still advise against it. From searching it seems that the majority feel that it is a good school if you arn't in the riddle bubble of garunteed airline pilot after grad. Also, some argue that it is the best ROTC det. due to the number of UPT slots (due to the amount of people seeking them there), but others say the size is what makes it harder to receive a slot because of the decrease of face-time with the CC. So is it a good school for one seeking a good ROTC det?

[Guest Deke]

My advice would be don't choose a school in hopes that it will give a better chance of getting a pilot slot same as choosing your major. i have seen too many people in my five year AFROTC career try both of these and it hardly ever works, they end up not liking their major and their GPA suffers or they dont like the school. The best advice for you that I can give is pick the school that YOU want to go to and do your best. In my experience it is the people who do that and are qualified who get their slots no problem. For instance, this year at my detachment everyone who was qualified and wanted a slot were picked up. Keep your grades up and stay involved and you will be fine.

[brabus]

Deke nailed it (sts). I'm not going to tell you ERAU is a bad school or a bad ROTC program...neither are true. But what you said about face time w/ cadre is very true. At a very large Det, less face time means less "impress the Col" time, which can very well hurt you come pilot slot time. A smaller Det will give you much more face time, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on the person. Pilot slots are competed for NATIONALLY...where you go to school has absolutely nothing to do w/ getting a pilot slot. ROTC Det doesn't matter...some might say, "well ____ Det will prepare you for FT better." Who gives a shit, if you can't pass FT then you suck ass and shouldn't be commissioned, especially in a "rated" job.

BL: Pick the school based on where you want to go (what's around there to do, you've always wanted to got California, whatever) and what major you like (maybe ____ school has a good basket weaving program or something). You'll be much happier and will inherently perform better, thus increasing your shot at a pilot slot. Anyone w/ 1/2 a brain will give you this advice. If ERAU fits the bill for you (Det aside), then go for it. If another school fits you better, do that...the ROTC crap will fall into place no matter where you go.

[MCO]

There are pro's and con's to every school. If you're looking to be at a school where almost everyone there is interested in aviation, whether they are ROTC or not, then its not a bad place at all. However, like most technical schools, the girl to guy ratio pretty much sucks.

i was an Aero Sci major at ERAU Daytona... if you have any specific questions about the place send me a PM.

[Guest Flyin' AF Hawaiian]

I just graduated and commissioned from the Daytona campus. I actually liked Riddle, and I thought our Det was pretty decent. I would say that if you really are interested in being immersed in the whole aviation atmosphere, you'll probably end up pretty happy at Riddle. Whatever you decide, just keep your grades up and enjoy college. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

[Guest Raptor390]

A thought you should consider

Now I don't know a whole lot about this ROTC game, but 50% of your your selection is based of the Commanders Ranking. So, you can go to ERAU and fight it out with 100 some odd dudes that are perfect and end up in the middle third cause there are only so many spots......OR..... Go some place near home or whatever where you will enjoy yourself and stand out in comparison to the 20 25 30.... some odd Cadets and end up in the same job after graduation.

Either way do what is best for you

Sailor Boy Out

[HerkDerka]

Exactly.

Way too many prospective cadets gulp down the ERAU kool aid because they always hear about the high number of slots dropped to ERAU. That's all fine and good, but you also have to compete for them against about a hundred other cadets. Your chances are just as good going to a good school with a smaller ROTC det, less slots but less people to compete with and probably a better commander's ranking.

Pick a school you want to attend for the degree. Don't pick a school for a pilot slot. It doesn't matter where you attend ROTC, just do well on your grades, AFOQT, and PT test and you'll get the pilot slot.

HD

[Guest AV8RAHL]

From an Embry Riddle Alumni: If you like the idea of going to ERAU, for the education. Find an Extended ERAU Campus, there's over 140 of them, enroll and find a local ROTC detachment at another university. They usually have CROSS TOWN agreements with the local detachment. That was my experience at University of Washington. I got the best of both worlds. Good luck!

[Right Seat Driver]

Just some food for thought,

At the University of Michigan the Det has about 80 cadets on average. 99% of the time they commission about 9-12 Lts every April. Out of those 9-12, 3-4 put in for a rated slot, be it Pilot, Nav, or ABM. There has been between 75%-100% pick-up rate for rated slots.

Out of my class, 4 put in for Pilot slots, 3 got them, and the 1 dude who didn't ended up getting a Nav slot.

Again, that is usually the way it works at Det 390. This coming year though they are looking at having about 25-30 kids putting in for rated slots, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Bottom line, go somewhere you like, study something you like, and work hard without f*cking over your bros and just enjoy college, you only get one chance at that. If you work hard, everything will fall into place.

[SPiF]

Also consider the cost of going to school. If you have to pay your own way (be it straight up, or through loans), consider the cost per year. Also look at the cost of living in those areas (i.e. Miami and LA are cool, but it's very expensive to live there as compared to Oklahoma, Texas, or North Dakota).

Just my .02

[Toasty]

Agreed. But, I have heard UND has an excellent aviation program...not that I'm bashing ERAU's program, just saying I've heard good things. Personally that kind of thing is not my style (obviously why I didn't go to a school like that), but if that's what you're looking for, both would be a good choice. But shit, Florida or ND, there's really no hard decision-making skills necessary there.

Honestly, the best flight training I experienced at ERAU was not in the cockpit. The courses on CRM, large aircraft flight technique and systems, and flight safety provided me far, far more education on flying than the flight instructors did. I think when it comes to in class education, ERAU can't be beat. In the air just depends entirely on how much effort you put into learning it, and who your instructors are (just like anywhere else).

Florida > North Dakota. No questions.

ERAU's biggest drawback was the cost.

And no, ERAU will not give you any advantage in the military (being a pilot or otherwise) than anywhere else. However, there are ALOT of Riddle grads on active duty, so you'll run into people everywhere.

$.02

[Guest Lost_Aviator]

ERAU's biggest drawback was the cost.

Alright, I’m an incoming freshman at ERAU Prescott, so I don’t have the experience and knowledge of how the ROTC game works that some of you fellas who have gone through it have. However, as somebody who is in a similar position as you, I want to chime in on the cost issue. UND is a public institution and ERAU is private. This obviously makes the cost take one giant leap for mankind. And when the Air Force only offered me a partial scholarship (yeah definitely get involved in varsity sports in high school, that’ll come back and bite you), I figured Riddle was out. However, being a private school, they can offer all the scholarship money they want. Thanks to all the scholarships and grants from the university, it’s actually cheaper to go to Riddle even without the ROTC money.

Now that’s the way it worked out in my case, but be sure to explore all the options.

[Spartacus]

Blah Blah Blah, everyone likes their own school. I thought that the one I went to was good but who cares? ERAU is a good school too but here are some things to think about.

1. It really does not matter where you go it matters how motivated you are and what you are willing to do.

2. My school was pretty big and had 250-300 cadets every year. We had Gen. Officers and others come visit all the time and they always said we were in the top of the nation and they would always lump us with ERAU. Who cares? I'll tell you why... because the actual school does not matter, but what matters is what you do. For example: I was always ranked really high in a large class and could never really figure it out till the end. I had never even exchanged a word with the COC or WG/CC. I got a pilot slot and ENJJPT no problem. I even became the Cadet WG/CC (who cares) and when I interviewed for it it was my first time to ever carry on a conversation with THE MAN. During that conversation he asked me questions about a bunch of things I had done over the last couple of years that I had no idea that he knew about. All I have to say is people talk and word travels.

3. You have to get good grades and have good scores but that 50% commanders ranking will save OR kill you when it comes time to get a slot. Very early on in ROTC I started to go to EVERYTHING and I would always be the first to raise my hand when someone needed a volunteer. The cadet leadership noticed this and they spread the word to the cadre. THEN the cadre started to notice this and once I had generated a good reputation I could have almost committed murder before their opinion would change. First impressions are big and it does not matter if you are a go getter or are very quite (like I was), but what matters is that you make yourself stand out in some way. You do this by working hard and having a good attitude and people will notice.

4. Like I said that 50% is huge. I knew people who were smarter and in better shape than me. They had better scores than me across the board, but they didn't do what I had done to get noticed. I got a pilot slot and ENJJPT, but they fell short and did not get ENJJPT. Was it because I was better? NO!!! In fact some of them deserved it more than me and have done better in pilot training than me but they didn't show the same motivation in ROTC. Get my point? Don't worry about where you go, but worry about what you need to do to reach your own goals. AND make sure you know the process inside and out of getting a pilot slot. I had a friend who barely missed out on ENJJPT because he didn't understand that if he would only get 1 flight hour his PCSM would have raised enough to get him into ENJJPT. He is now in T-1's kicking himself for not knowing how the scoring processes worked inside and out, and he barely missed out on 38's by only one slot. Don't be that guy.

[outbreak]

My personal belief is that a day in an airplane is better than an hour at a desk, no matter what seat you get in what airplane. Thats what keeps me positive in Nav school. I wasn't PQ so I got a nav slot, kept positive, and I love it. I have my preferences for airframes, but no matter what I get, I'll learn to have fun with it. Do I work hard? Hell yes. Do I still want to drive? Hell yes. Am I going to let something dumb like what seat i get in the airplane or what pressurized metal tube i shoot around the sky in get me down? hell no.

back to the original topic.

I went to ERAU Daytona and all this talk about having to compete with a thousand other cadets is crap. When I got my slot there were about 40 of us that got slots, and 3 that didn't. They got alternate slots and they're all nav students now.

[Riebs]

ERAU PRESCOTT!!

Just got back into CA from 4 day trip to Prescott to check out the school and DET 028. I must say Capt Hutchison is one true badass cadre member. I will be joining the Det this Spring sem. Stoked

I am also starting the only masters program they offer out there. Not a bad deal.

The girls are horrible although I managed to meet one hottie from Nevada.

If anyone is looking for a roomate, I am looking for a room. This may b short notice for school starts on JAN 9th. Please let me know. Not sure if the dorms are right for me. Looking forward to getting to know the other 300+ cadets. thx all

Rieboldt

[PaddyPilot]

Hey, I plan on going to ERAU in the fall of next year and I just wanted some honest opinions. I've heard a lot of mixed things about it, so if you have any legit gripes, let me know now. Thanks.

Carry on.

[Goblin]

How many times do we go over this each year? Its all personal. I love it and I hate it. Awesome campus, sweet location. Pricey (Scholarship though...), stuck up rich kids. Shitty pilots for the most part. I love the Meteorology Dept and I'm glad i decided to come here. The det isnt that bad either. YMMV.

[Toasty]

Ditto. Lots of great reasons to come here, some not so great reasons (price being #1). I went to fly, and I'd argue the Aeronautical Science program can't be beat. The professors are outstanding, and their emphasis on safe flight operations and crew resource management were excellent.

However, would I still be flying in the Air Force if I had gone somewhere cheaper and majored in poli sci, without $80,000 in debt? Probably.

So its your call.

[usaf36031]

I didn't go to ERAU, but if you can get a ROTC scholarship and go to a state school, it would seem to me that a lot of the money saved could go towards LOTS of flying hours. Plus it might save you from taking out lots of loans...oh yeah, state schools have better looking girls and more fun things to do. Just my $.02

[Goblin]

Just because you go here doesnt mean you have to fly. I did my private work off campus for about $4000. I have 200 hours now and none of that was thanks to Riddle

[Stitch]

If you really want to do ERAU find one of the 130 extended campus locations (most, but not all, are on a military base) and go to school there. If you want to fly, find an FBO, get your training, and get credit for it just the same as if you did it at one of the residential campuses. Programs differ at the extended campus so check out what they offer. The biggest thing is if you really want the diploma with Embry-Riddle on it you can get it at a huge savings. Been there, done that.

Stitch

[Guest Jackie]

Hey, I plan on going to ERAU in the fall of next year and I just wanted some honest opinions. I've heard a lot of mixed things about it, so if you have any legit gripes, let me know now. Thanks.

Carry on.

In my opinion its more of a money hole, though it is a good school. I go to the University of North Dakota, and our flight program doesn't cost half as much as ERAU. We have beat ERAU several times at the college flying competitions. I also know a few people that transferred here from both Orlando and Prescott, and they said that UND was way better. We have airlines come here all the time hiring our flight instructors with reduced time minimums specfically for UND grads. You should come check us out... if you can handle the cold its well worth it!

[PaddyPilot]

I'm actually not concerned with the quality of ERAU's pilots or its AS program, I'd rather do the rest of my flight training at some FBO anyway. The Aeronautical Engineering program is what I'm going for. Sorry, I should have clarified.

[Dave]

Having seen both sides now on a 121 side and military side, heavy (C5) and "small" (ERJ) I can tell you it's all what you make out of wherever you go. I graduated from Prescott in 2004, was an IP there then went into the reserves. Was it the best? I dunno, i had some great professor's with awesome experience and the flying was a good program because it was what I made of it. I'm sure UND is great too, no offense brotha when it comes to the "Flying team" I dont think having your school beat our school or beat Daytona or Daytona beat us wa wa wa is gonna make you a better or worse aviator. I know great pilots from Arizona State, John's flying club, the USAFA, etc. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me, I will say ERAU flying was better than some joe's flying club and certainly didn't hurt me goin thru UPT etc, but it's a whole new ball game when it comes to 121 flying and military flying. Saying "Well @ UND or at ERAU we did this in the seminole or 172" won't go far other than make you be the laugh @ club friday night

Motown

Edited March 24, 2008 by Dave

[Insubordinate & Churlish]

I don't know you PaddyPilot, so know that the following comments are not meant to be an insult to you, I'm just telling it the way it is. You may be a really smart dude, but the following needs to be said.

Aeronautical engineering is incredibly difficult (obviously), and I think it is important that you know what you will do if you find it too hard and want to bug out. They're called enginerds (because they're really smart) and they smell funky (because they work so hard) for a reason. At my university, there is an incredibly high engineering drop out rate. My older (and much smarter) brother is an Aerospace Engineer at Notre Dame. I have personally seen the crazy shit he has to do for homework. He has also personally seen a large drop out rate, and ND isn't even one of the top three aero engineering schools.

Or perhaps you find it's just not your thing.

Being to the point, have a backup plan. This is where I cast my "nay" vote. I know ERAU has non-aviation degrees, but a large state school will have many more options.

To each his own. Good luck with your choice.

[To you engineers out there, sorry for the over generalization about all you guys smelling, but a select few of you got some bad stench that really brings the group's reputation down.]

Edited March 25, 2008 by Port Dog