STA-21 Age waivers

[et1nuke]

So I have a pretty specific question regarding age limits. I have looked over what people have previously wrote and read the instructions and messages regarding the STA-21 application. But there seems to be a bit of a gray area for me. I am trying to figure out when exactly I am too old for the pilot program. My b-day is July 1st when the packages are due, I will be 27 this year. So I know I will need to request a waiver because my intention is to apply for the Pilot as a target option with Core as an alternate. The instruction as I read it says that you need to be able to be commissioned by your 29th birthday. Which depending upon when you attend NSI and start school would be possible because I would take less then the 36 months at school (I have my degree nearly complete with an associates already).

So my question is, should I even bother applying or do you think I would be passed over by younger candidates? I have almost 300 hours commercial ASEL, AMEL, and IFR.

 

[fc2spyguy]

Well, this is what I would do in your case. First, where are your college credits at? Does that school have a NROTC program? If so then I would get a degree program that shows you would be able to graduate prior to your 29th birthday, and include that in your application. Your birthday falls at a good time, as every college that I know of finishes the spring semester prior to July. So, that would give you one year to get your degree, or 3 semesters if you are in the February NSI class.

Another question I have is this, do you have two semesters of calc, and calc based physics yet?

I think your best chance to get accepted is to have a degree plan already with a school that has a NROTC unit, use this based on a summer semester start in '08, and show that you will commission in May/June '09. The worst they can say is no, and if they do, well you still have two years to get your degree right now, and apply for OCS. If you have any other questions let me know.

 

[et1nuke]

My associates is through Thomas Edison and most of my recent credits (calc I & II) through Hawaii Pacific. I did a rough estimate of credit transfer to Embry Riddle and it seemed like it would only take me two semesters there to finish. I figure at any of the other schools It might even be less since most other degree options have more "general" requirements.

 

[fc2spyguy]

My associates is through Thomas Edison and most of my recent credits (calc I & II) through Hawaii Pacific. I did a rough estimate of credit transfer to Embry Riddle and it seemed like it would only take me two semesters there to finish. I figure at any of the other schools It might even be less since most other degree options have more "general" requirements.

Well, one thing you could do is find out what the residency requirements are for degrees at the schools you're looking at, and check their degree requirements to make sure that you can get all of the credits in the two semesters. For instance, UW-Madison requires the last 30 credits of my degree be completed at the University. I'm not sure if that's an average number for schools or not. If that is average then it shouldn't be a problem for residency at the institution. Also, the key will be do your credits directly transfer to a degree that you can get in a year. I would check Old Dominion for one, as I know they are really good about taking transfer credits. Places like Wisconsin aren't as good. I had 30+ regular credits at New Mexico State Univ. but Wisconsin took fewer than half of those for credit.

Again, the worst they can say is no. I would just make sure that you show them you can graduate prior to your 29th birthday.