Greetings all,

I am a 21 year old male currently pursuing a bachelors degree in Math/Economics at Western Washington University. I have less than two years to go, due to the fact that I completed one full year of my associates degree while still in High School. I have come to all of you like this to ask for a bit of sage advice.

As I think about my future now, the question always comes up "What will I do when I graduate?" Do I go another two years and receive my masters, leave school and try to enter the work force, or enter the service.

I am not ignorant of the life style changes that would have to be adopted if I were to join the Air Force, but the real question is how well would my degree qualify me to enter as an Officer? Once I have completed my Degree I will have taken math classes all the way up through differential equations, mathematical statistics and linear algebra. I feel that this would prepare me for any job/career with a special focus in physics, finance, ect. But if I choose to enter the Air Force, my primary goal would be to serve my country with my mind(though I know I would be trained and prepared to do other wise). Thank you for your time and God bless.


---David

Well dave I don't have the education that you posses, but i know the work force over here in MI sucks balls.

Economy aside, I also thought about the Armed Services as on opportunity. From what i have gathered I beleive that the USAF will have the best opportunities to complete my "what will I do in 10 years". If you are good at what you do and have the time to wait (sometimes), your skills will be put work and give you the chance to master them in a work field.

If you do not have anything lined up that would make you happy after school, I say why not join.

Good luck in either way you go.

quote:

Originally posted by Nadeau101:

If you do not have anything lined up that would make you happy after school, I say why not join.

Good luck in either way you go.

I would say the same thing to you and you really don't have to worry about losing your job do to the economy degree or no degree. oh and officers get the really niice dorms, i dont know maybe im just so excited about startng my new journey monday.

I have looked at the pamphlet given by the USAF on their website concerning the AFOQT. It seems to me that if I were to prepare for the types of questions to be asked on that exam(knowing I can't prepare for the exact exam) that I should be able to pass without any issues.

Do any of you know what the Grade(percentage) on the exam is required to be excepted?

--David

"Accepted."

Also keep in mind that the selection boards for Air Force OTS are insanely competitive. You have a mathematics degree, which is a plus, but you still must put together a strong package that includes much more than the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) score.

As far as the AFOQT goes, a 50 on any given section of the test is considered average. The score is based on percentiles, not percentage of what you got correct. Meaning, if you scored a 50, that means you scored better than 50% of the people who have taken the test. Some say there is no failing score, but in my experience anything under 20 is a real negative on the score set (I think 10 or below is "failing?"). I don't think I'm allowed to say much about the AFOQT other than it is long, timed, and while it's not all rocket science, it is something people need to take very seriously. Do not go in unprepared by blowing off studying and getting familiar with the material on the test.

The boards this year have been competitive, and might get more competitive, though it's really difficult to say. Scores in the 80's and 90's are highlights to the package for sure; scores in the 70's and 60's are still good as they're still above "average," and scores below 50 are usually a weak spot. I've seen people get selected with high 90's across the board; and I've seen people with the same stats get non-selected as well, while people with scores in the 40's and 50's get picked up.

It's for that reason that one has to understand that the AFOQT is important, but not the end-all, be-all of the OTS package. Solid AFOQT scores are a definite plus for sure. However, if your package contains strong leadership experience and skills, volunteering experience, solid academic history, etc, and really demonstrates your qualities as a person and a leader, you do stand a chance of selection even if the test scores aren't 99's. OTS applicants love to throw around the "whole person concept" regarding selection, and I believe it's true. Objective items in the package such as the AFOQT offer a standard by which to compare applicants, but the rest of the package can be just as important from a subjective point of view.

I'lll second the Whole Person concept. I had strong AFOQT scores, but a non-technical degree. On the other side of the coin, I had more than 10 years' experience in a technical career field, one which I had selected as my primary AFSC. To go along with that, I had been selected NCO of the Quarter and NCO of the Year in a squadron of highly competitive achievers. I also had very strong letters of recommendations from a couple of Colonels and Chief Master Sergeants who knew me personally, from close daily contact, and were able to make a strong recommendation based on their personal knowledge of my achievements and potential.

Bottom line: your degree isn't a very strong degree, but it's also not a killer. Yes, competition for OTS IS insane, but people get selected at every board. Put together as strong a package as you can--without makin' stuff up (that'll ALWAYS come back to bite you), and roll the dice.