u/North_Hearing857

I'm a community college student applying to USNA Class of 2031, and I'm deciding whether to do one semester of ROTC this fall.
I had a 3.2 high school GPA, but currently have a 4.0 college GPA after my first year. I didn't take much STEM early on, so this fall I'm taking Calculus I, Physics I, Macro, and a trig refresher to demonstrate stronger STEM preparation.
My ACT is 30, with a goal of 32+, and my CFA is around average right now. I'm also working on improving both, completing my USNA/nominations applications, and organizing a youth baseball catcher clinic for leadership.
I've received a few different perspectives:
BGO: “Grades > ROTC involvement. For most applicants.” He emphasized that academics are the biggest priority, but when I asked whether I should skip ROTC and focus on academics/ACT/CFA/leadership, he said: “I suggest doing all. Just know academics count the most.”

BGO #2: When I was trying to figure out how to balance Physics and ROTC, he said ideally the answer is “both” and encouraged me to find a way to make it work.

District coordinator: Said either option could work.

I genuinely want to become a military officer, so ROTC interests me beyond just strengthening my application. My concern is that Calc and Physics are both new to me, and I don't know how demanding this semester will be while also studying for the ACT, CFA, and completing applications.
I'm specifically considering NROTC as an alternative to AROTC, but I'm wondering whether either ROTC program would provide meaningful value for a USNA application.
Would you do one semester of NROTC while applying to USNA, or use that time to maximize academics, ACT, CFA, and leadership?

AROTC while applying to USAFA — worth it?
I'm a community college student applying to USAFA Class of 2031, and I'm deciding whether to do one semester of Army ROTC this fall.
I had a 3.2 high school GPA, but currently have a 4.0 college GPA after my first year. I didn't take much STEM early on, so this fall I'm taking Calculus I, Physics I, Macro, and a trig refresher to demonstrate stronger STEM preparation.
My ACT is 30, with a goal of 32+, and my CFA is around average right now. I'm also working on improving both, completing my USAFA/nominations applications, and organizing a youth baseball catcher clinic for leadership.
I've received a few different perspectives:
FFR: “Grades > ROTC involvement. For most applicants.” He emphasized that academics are the biggest priority, but when I asked whether I should skip ROTC and focus on academics/ACT/CFA/leadership, he said: “I suggest doing all. Just know academics count the most.”

Other FFR: When I was trying to figure out how to balance Physics and ROTC, he said ideally the answer is “both” and encouraged me to find a way to make it work.

District coordinator: Said either option could work.

My concern is that Calc and Physics are both new to me, and I don't know how demanding this semester will be while also studying for the ACT, CFA, and completing applications.
So my question is:
Would you do one semester of AROTC while applying to USAFA, or use that time to maximize academics, ACT, CFA, and leadership?

I’m planning to transfer to UCLA for Economics and currently have a 4.0 community college GPA. I’m also in the UCLA TAP program.

My understanding is that Calculus 150, Calculus 151, Macroeconomics, and Microeconomics are all major preparation requirements for UCLA Economics.

My timeline is:

• ⁠Fall: Calculus 150 + Macroeconomics
• ⁠Winter: Microeconomics
• ⁠Spring: Calculus 151

So I’ll have Calc 150 and Macro completed by the end of Fall, but Micro won’t be completed until Winter and Calc 151 until Spring.

I’ve seen information online saying that UCLA allows applicants to finish their major preparation by the end of the spring term before transfer, but that for Economics, it is strongly recommended/preferred to have all major preparation completed by the end of Fall.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for me to change my Fall schedule because the relevant classes are already full.

How much is this likely to hurt my chances? With a 4.0 GPA and being in TAP, should I be seriously concerned about not having all four major prep courses completed by the end of Fall?

I’m planning to transfer to UCLA for Economics and currently have a 4.0 community college GPA. I’m also in the UCLA TAP program.

My understanding is that Calculus 150, Calculus 151, Macroeconomics, and Microeconomics are all major preparation requirements for UCLA Economics.

My timeline is:

• ⁠Fall: Calculus 150 + Macroeconomics
• ⁠Winter: Microeconomics
• ⁠Spring: Calculus 151

So I’ll have Calc 150 and Macro completed by the end of Fall, but Micro won’t be completed until Winter and Calc 151 until Spring.

I’ve seen information online saying that UCLA allows applicants to finish their major preparation by the end of the spring term before transfer, but that for Economics, it is strongly recommended/preferred to have all major preparation completed by the end of Fall.

Unfortunately, it’s too late for me to change my Fall schedule because the relevant classes are already full.

How much is this likely to hurt my chances? With a 4.0 GPA and being in TAP, should I be seriously concerned about not having all four major prep courses completed by the end of Fall?

I’m a community college applicant applying to service academies and UC schools. I had a 3.2 GPA in high school, but I now have a 4.0 GPA after my first year of community college. However, I hardly took any STEM courses during that time. I have a 30 ACT (planning to retake for a 32+), and this fall I’ll be taking Calculus I, Physics, and Macroeconomics. These are courses where I need to prove myself academically, and I need to earn A’s because they are important for strengthening my SA applications, especially after my high school GPA, but they are also critical for my UC transfer applications. I’ll also be working on my nomination applications throughout the semester along with ACT prep.

I have the opportunity to participate in crosstown Army ROTC. It fits into my schedule, but it would mean PT three mornings a week and military science classes two evenings a week. From what I understand, ROTC itself would not be an overwhelming commitment, but this fall semester is extremely important and I cannot afford for my grades or ACT preparation to take a hit. I think I can handle the commitment, but I also recognize there is a risk because this semester has no room for error. I’ve also never balanced a schedule like this before.

I’ve heard different opinions on what would be the best use of my time. Some people believe ROTC would strengthen my application and demonstrate my commitment to becoming an officer, while others believe that improving my ACT score and earning strong grades in STEM courses would have a greater impact.

Should I add ROTC, or should I focus all of my time on earning A’s in STEM courses, maximizing my ACT score, and completing applications? I’m trying to maximize my chances of receiving a service academy appointment, put myself in the best position for UC admissions, and figure out what would be the best use of my time. I’d really appreciate all opinions.

I’m a community college applicant applying to service academies and UC schools. I had a 3.2 GPA in high school, but I now have a 4.0 GPA after my first year of community college. However, I hardly took any STEM courses during that time. I have a 30 ACT (planning to retake for a 32+), and this fall I’ll be taking Calculus I, Physics, and Macroeconomics. These are courses where I need to prove myself academically, and I need to earn A’s because they are important for strengthening my SA applications, especially after my high school GPA, but they are also critical for my UC transfer applications. I’ll also be working on my nomination applications throughout the semester along with ACT prep.

I have the opportunity to participate in crosstown Army ROTC. It fits into my schedule, but it would mean PT three mornings a week and military science classes two evenings a week. From what I understand, ROTC itself would not be an overwhelming commitment, but this fall semester is extremely important and I cannot afford for my grades or ACT preparation to take a hit. I think I can handle the commitment, but I also recognize there is a risk because this semester has no room for error. I’ve also never balanced a schedule like this before.

I’ve heard different opinions on what would be the best use of my time. Some people believe ROTC would strengthen my application and demonstrate my commitment to becoming an officer, while others believe that improving my ACT score and earning strong grades in STEM courses would have a greater impact.

Should I add ROTC, or should I focus all of my time on earning A’s in STEM courses, maximizing my ACT score, and completing applications? I’m trying to maximize my chances of receiving a service academy appointment, put myself in the best position for UC admissions, and figure out what would be the best use of my time. I’d really appreciate all opinions.

I am currently working on my essays for my service academy applications and was wondering if anyone would be willing to read through them and provide feedback.

I would appreciate any advice on clarity, structure, grammar, and whether my responses effectively communicate my experiences and motivations.

If you are willing to help, please let me know and I can send them over via email or message them privately. Thank you!

Pretty much what the title says. I've been playing OOTP since OOTP 21, bought every release, and have put hundreds of hours into the series. This year, though, I never picked up OOTP 27. There wasn't any specific reason—I just never got the itch to buy it, even though I'd probably still sink a ton of hours into it.

For those who've played both, how does OOTP 27 compare to OOTP 26? Is it a worthwhile upgrade, or would it make more sense to just wait for OOTP 28 at this point?

I’m planning on taking the December ACT as my last attempt to improve my score. Some test centers near me offer Saturday and Sunday dates, and I was wondering if anyone knows the following

1. Is December is a TIR test?
2. If it is a TIR test is it going to be the same test on Sunday?

J26 math felt SUPER wordy compared to other math sections. Is this something we can expect going forward?

I’ve seen many people say yes and many people say no. What’s the real answer? Will it be the same form or different?

I submitted my CFA last week and here were my scores: Basketball throw 71 feet, Pullups 18, shuttle run 8.7, situps 86, pushups 50, mile 6:53

My CFA tier came back as "Average". I was expecting to be above average.

Before I received feedback from my portal, my field force rep said my scores look good and that I don't need to retake unless I really want to. However, my portal says my tier is average and that retaking is optional but encouraged. Why would my CFA come back as “Average” in the portal, even when my FFR said it looks good and I don't need to retake? Is being "Average" in the CFA a negative to your application?