Junior in College What Are My Chances

[JohnClark]

I am currently a junior in college and here is my breakdown

Age: 26 about to be 27 in a month (will be 28 when I graduate college)

GPA: 3.68, Criminology Major/Business Minor

Flight Hours: 6 (just started taking lessons towards my PPL, hopefully will have it by summer).

I practice with my college club hockey team and I will be practicing with my college baseball team and I will be playing MSBL.

I also work full time as a writer and I have previous experience working as an exhaust tech/lube tech/mechanic's apprentice before I went to college.

I haven't taken the AFOQT yet. Last time I talked to an Air Force recruiter when I was beginning my sophomore of college he told me I needed to be graduated or near graduation to take the test as I need to be filling out an officer packet. 

I'm looking to go Air National guard, I would prefer a state like New Jersey, Vermont, Idaho, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, etc. Somewhere up north where it's cold and has mountains and cheap land.

I prefer fighters but I don't mind heavies, I will apply to everything. I would like a Law Enforcement career for my civilian job. I have lots of family in New Jersey and New York that are in Law Enforcement that can help me get started on that end. I wouldn't mind going Reserves or Active Duty as well.

The only question I ask is, how should I get started? Should Is start calling units now to see if I can visit them in the summer? (I see a lot of threads saying you should attend meet and greets).

[jvlonardo]

Study hard for the AFOQT and TBAS and when you feel you're ready, ask a recruiter or go straight to a ROTC detachment at a college to ask to sign up. I wish I had started my PPL prior to taking the AFOQT as my Pilot score probably would've been 10% higher. If you feel like your recruiter is blowing you off, engage them or get another if you need to. Research and ensure there's nothing holding you back / waivers you may need. ie I got LASIK as I was worried about my vision DQ'ing me.

Definitely stay abreast of unit activities you may get a chance to visit but it might not be worth your time/money traveling far before knowing where you stand as SugandeseFighter said.

[ldm238]

(disclaimer: also currently applying, so take this with a grain of salt)

Yea man, your stuff looks good, would recommend taking the AFOQT and TBAS asap. If you have the means to start rushing it definitely wont hurt, especially with your age. If you can push all the required components together in a packet during the fall of your senior year and start really seriously applying in the spring that's likely your best bet timeline-wise. You're working against the clock (but I feel like a lot of dudes are right now for whatever reason), so like I said have your app totally ready to go by your last semester and start blasting it then.

Other than that, GPA looks good. Keep on the grind. Like the other dudes on here said, see if theres a local ROTC at a university somewhat close by and just walk into their office or call up and tell them you want to take the AFOQT and TBAS. I'd do that sooner rather than later. I went that route and it turns out they only offer the AFOQT once a semester, which for you could hurt your your timeline. I took both in the span of 2 weeks at the local ROTC detachment and didn't talk to a recruiter once to get it done. Also, "needing to be close to graduation to take the AFOQT" is BS, you can take that test whenever you like. I will say though that you should do a good amount of test prep so you can crush it in the first go-around. Look at the forums on here, get the Baron's study guide, and make sure you practice the sections TIMED. You have to wait 6 months to re-take it and if you don't do really well on your first shot it'll hurt your chances pretty bad, on both an application and timeline front. 

Honestly, getting on here has provided way better info than any recruiter would be able to for this process, for whatever reason. Especially if you're planning on going ANG, since the recruiters don't seem to touch your packet until the unit agrees to give you a slot. They're usually great people with good intentions, but it seems like they're kinda lacking in the background for whatever reason to get dudes into the ANG UPT pipe. 

Take the tests ASAP, and keep working the PPL, you're on glideslope otherwise.