Does my GPA matter?

The answer is a resounding YES--GPA does matter.

Let's talk about GPA.

As many of you know, college is NOT high school. Even though every university is very unique, one thing seems to be similar across the board. That is, to succeed academically in college, you must be diligent, dedicated, and consistent.

All too often new freshmen begin their college experience with a backwards set of priorities. Parties, staying up late, dating, and fun seem to dominate their schedules. As an AFRTOC cadet, you must not fall into this trap. I repeat--you must not fall into this trap. Your GPA is vitally important for your success.

The chart here shows the criteria that make up your rank  "Order of Merit," as it relates to Field
Training Selection. If you aren't sure what Field Training is, I will discuss that in my next post. Essentially, your performance in these elements determine your competitiveness. We will discuss each piece of the pie later--for now, let's look at GPA.

Your GPA makes up 20% of your Order of Merit. It is the second largest piece of the pie, after Commander's Ranking (CC Rank). Quite frankly, your GPA matters a lot.

But it's not just the fact that it is a whopping 20%. Rather, it is important to note that GPA is one of the only pieces over which you have complete control. You determine your GPA. It is my belief that your GPA is a function of time and effort. When you begin a new semester, you go to class and your professors tell you what is expected, when the assignments will be do, etc. If you want it bad enough, you CAN get a 4.0. And I will tell you--there is a very strong correlation between ROTC success (meaning, you get the job you want), and academic success. Those who succeed in school are likely individuals possessing the qualities that will lead to success in other areas of life; e.g., dedication, work ethic, focus, mental toughness, etc.

The AFRTOC Field Training selection is quite literally a "rack and stack" of Order of Merit scores. In other words, after the pieces of the pie are calculated, your score (out of 100) is put next to all the other cadets in the nation competing in your graduating timeline, and then those above the cutoff are selected for Field Training (FT). Those below the cutoff are not selected.

It is imperative that you control the things that you can control. GPA is one of those things. Your GPA will directly affect your success in getting the job you want. For example, when you compete for a "pilot slot," the Order of Merit changes slightly, as follows:

I will discuss this in a later post, so don't get confused about the PCSM, AFOQT, etc. But notice that GPA is still 10% of your Order of Merit.

Bottom line: don't let your GPA fall. Your main job in school is to graduate.