How organized is the whole process on the military's side? Is it a hassle. I know when I was applying for the Naval ROTC scholarship to attend The Citadel, I basically had to call and email them daily to get all my stuff processed.
There are definitely a lot of forms that need to be filled out. I had to list everywhere I lived, worked, and went to school in the past decade (I think.) as well as have references from each place so they could do a thorough background check. This was a lot for me to fill out, probably more than what is typical. Paperwork is paperwork, so it does get lost. It's important to make copies. Also, if a certain amount of time passes, you have to resubmit certain forms.
At one point, I had to drive about an hour away to MEPS which is where you get your physical done. You find a lot of 17/18 year olds getting processed for the various branches there. I was maybe one of two officer candidates out of perhaps 40 people.
I had to get new letters of recommendation (mostly just getting the med school letters repurposed). I also had to fill out a ten question questionnaire which asked things like: Why the Air Force? What can you bring to the Air Force? Etc.
At the end of the day, you wait on the Scroll which is Congressional approval. Once you get that, you can be commissioned.
It was definitely a long process. If I had to do it again I would submit everything ASAP as I did, make copies of everything, and make sure the recruiter has everything he or she needs as not to hold up the process. There are only so many slots. Sometimes they fill fast, sometimes not. When they changed the MCAT subsection minimum, I think each branch had to work a bit harder to fill spots.
Lastly, don't sign anything without understanding what you're signing.
