Attempt occupation transfer or withdraw application until next year?

[jetfuelcola]

Hope this is the right category for this question. Mine is a complicated situation, so I apologize in advance for the length of this post. I've applied for ROTP and I have my aptitude test coming up soon. I recently got my private pilot's license through Air Cadets and I've wanted to be a military pilot since I was a toddler, but this Autumn I had some serious family/personal issues and got thinking I didn't want to join. By the time I came to my senses, I had missed the deadline for pilot by a matter of days. I applied for Infantry O and Armour O instead.

I know I'll love either of those careers and I was prepared to go for either of them if I didn't make the grade for pilot. But that missed opportunity is still nagging me.

If I get accepted this year and go army, I'll go through the rest of my life wondering what would have happened if I'd gone through aircrew selection. If I failed, that would be fine, at least I'd know I'd pursued my dream, and then I could move on with life.

At this point I'm looking at two options: IF I am accepted this year, I might attempt an occupation transfer at the first chance - but seems like quite a back door way to do it. Is it indeed frowned upon? What would be my chances  of success if I did? Would this be a poor decision?

Or, I could withdraw my application right now and reapply next year. I'm applying to civilian universities and I don't mind applying during my first year. But would this be frowned upon? Might it negatively affect my chances of getting in next year? I'm 18, graduated high school in June 2011. I was told by a serving member that they prefer to get applicants right out of high school with minimal delay. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but it's got me concerned about this option. I'm already delaying one year after graduation as it is.

Now, supposing I went with the latter option - is it seen more negatively the later in the process you pull out, or does it not really matter? Can I afford to wait a bit? What if I was accepted this spring and turned it down then? I feel like I'm rushing this decision and I'd rather have time to think about it. Right now I'm trying to decide before my aptitude test.

Or is this all just a fools errand and I don't' have a clue what I'm talking about? Ha, I'm asking too many questions, I'm sorry. A rather complicated post; anyone who can provide me with some answers has my sincere thanks.

 

[SkyHeff]

As one pilot hopeful to another pilot hopeful, if pilot is the trade you really want, I would recommend applying for pilot. Even if this means another year, at least you will know whether it was an attainable goal. After talking to many ROTP and RMC students who are trying to switch into pilot after enrollment, the process is highly competitive and for past two years the VOR (Voluntary Occupational Re-assignment) list hasn't even had pilot on it. One friend of mine is getting top marks in university, excelled at his french training this past summer and was the Sergeant Major on our BMOQ grad parade, and he's been trying to switch to pilot for 3 years now.

In response to the "straight out of high school" statement, I applied at 23, after 3 years of college and one year of work. I am now a 3rd year ROTP student at a civilian university. Granted, it appears that more students are being sent to RMC now instead of Civy-U's, that doesn't mean if you apply with some university or at an older age you won't get accepted. Point and case: my original offer was for RMC and I would have been 24 going into my first year. I also met 5-6 RMC students this past summer that had already had a year of Civy-U or college under their belt before going to RMC.

Ultimately, this is up to you, but by the sounds of it, if you were to receive an offer for Infantry O or Armour O, you would be spending all your time trying to get out of it and into pilot. If you try next year and don't make the grade for pilot, as you said:

at least I'd know I'd pursued my dream, and then I could move on with life.

 

[kenmnuggas]

I was in a similar, though reversed situation earlier this year.
As I was going through my recruitment process, my recruiter (a pilot) suggested I apply for pilot in addition to Infantry Officer, since my scores were high enough that I would be competitive.
Of course, being a pilot would be pretty cool. What swayed me away from applying was just that - for me, it was 'pretty cool'. There's someone, somewhere, who grew up with model airplanes and had helicopter bedsheets and doodled all sorts of aircraft on his tests in highschool. He has grown up with a passion for aviation.
I have no interest in taking a spot when someone like him could be there instead of me.