Embry Riddle Help?

Good Evening Everyone,

 

Im currently a high school student that is looking to head on over to Embry Riddle in 2 years. Im currently a sophomore in high school and my gpa for this year is a 2.8. Which is absolute s***. Last year mine was a 3.5 which is alright. However, when I graduate my gpa should be at a 3.7 which is ok. Can I get into Embry Riddle with this GPA? I havent taken my SATs yet but im doing that next year.

I have heard that this school is extremely expensive but if I were to go into the Air Force (which I was planning on doing ever since I was a kid) and go through their AFROTC program, will they forgive my student loans (I dont know how that works) because I know other places do. 

Cheers,

Stephen

 

 

JUST KIDDING WITH THE 2.8 GPA. SOMEHOW I MESSED UP. ITS A 3.5

Hi Stephen

 

I'm currently attending Ohio State's flight program, so I can't give you too many specifics concerning ERAU. I've heard around 3.5 cumulative GPA is enough to get into ERAU, but extracurriculars and AP classes really do count just as much as GPA, so don't fret if it's a bit on the low side.

 

I'm sure you've heard about this already, but my advice to you, as a fellow student and a pilot with significant student loan debt, do not go to ERAU unless you can pay with cash, get a very generous scholarship or you have an arrangement with the Air Force. The cost is astronomical...over $41,000 a year. My question is what are you getting for that? You get the newest airplanes with all the toys, but that doesn't make you a better aviator. The major benefit of Daytona and Prescott isn't the school, but the year round flying weather, and you can get that by enrolling in a public college program anywhere in the South or Southwest for half the cost.

You mention a desire to go into the Air Force. Yes, ERAU has a great relationship with them, but just about every single flight program in the country also has a very active AFROTC program. And it doesn't matter what school you go to, just because you are in AFROTC doesn't mean you'll fly with the AF. I don't really know about loan forgiveness in the military, but I do know that you'll have a tough time paying for more than half of the cost of ERAU through loans...no one owes you financing for your education, so don't assume that you'll have access to adequate credit until you've actually applied for the loans!

 

Bottom line...I love flying, but I would never pay that much for a flying education. You can get a better deal almost anywhere else in the country. Talk to you high school counselor about aviation programs in your state, paying for college and whether the military will pay of any of your debt. If you haven't already, join a ROTC program at your high school.

 

--Robin

 

 

Just to put things into perspective, I got into the University of Colorado Boulder with a 2.8 cumulative GPA

Might I suggest UND? Or really any other public university flight program.
In this line of work, it's all about cost. For me as a MN resident, UND was by far the cheapest option. (At UND in state tuition which is about 7-8000 is very easy to qualify for.) Also the flying can be, ahem, challenging in the winter, which will improve your flying. When you graduate, unless your family has money, you will be surviving on poverty line wages. Dont make it harder for yourself by going to ERAU. The airlines dont really care where your degree is from at the end of the day, as long as you have one.

As for the AF/AFROTC, if that is your dream, then by all means go for it, but remember that a) the AF will not pay your flight training costs (only tuition) and b ) the AF is training far more drone pilots then actual pilots, and drone time does not count as flight time.

FWIW, I got into the UND program with 3.2 GPA/3.7 WGPA and 30 ACT