ROTP at Civ U?

[EliasSchanz]

Hi, I’m planning on applying this fall in hopes to go into ROTP as Pilot starting fall of 2024. I would much prefer going the civi u route, because there are some programs I am interested in (but do not require for pilot) that are not offered at RMC. With that being said, is it possible to apply only for the civi u route? If it is, will I need to have my acceptance letter when i start my application or am I able to begin, go through the CFAT/ACS and then submit my letter of acceptance, once I receive it? How much would this situation actually reduce my chances of getting in, assuming I pass all of the testing? Thanks!

 

[George Wallace]

Hi, I’m planning on applying this fall in hopes to go into ROTP as Pilot starting fall of 2024. I would much prefer going the civi u route, because there are some programs I am interested in (but do not require for pilot) that are not offered at RMC. With that being said, is it possible to apply only for the civi u route? If it is, will I need to have my acceptance letter when i start my application or am I able to begin, go through the CFAT/ACS and then submit my letter of acceptance, once I receive it? How much would this situation actually reduce my chances of getting in, assuming I pass all of the testing? Thanks!

Just had the son of family friends go this route to becoming a pilot. He originally was slated to go to a Civvie U that offered courses geared towards flight training.. Then along came COVID, and he was sent to RMC and Distant Learning. Your best bet is to contact your Recruiting Officer and clarify what the situation is now. You may find that you have no concerns..

 

[EliasSchanz]

Just had the son of family friends go this route to becoming a pilot. He originally was slated to go to a Civvie U that offered courses geared towards flight training.. Then along came COVID, and he was sent to RMC and Distant Learning. Your best bet is to contact your Recruiting Officer and clarify what the situation is now. You may find that you have no concerns..

Sounds like that’s definitely my best option to find reliable advice! A flight training civi u would be the dream but I doubt they’ll be willing to cover the $150k it requires.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Winds]

Just had the son of family friends go this route to becoming a pilot. He originally was slated to go to a Civvie U that offered courses geared towards flight training.. Then along came COVID, and he was sent to RMC and Distant Learning. Your best bet is to contact your Recruiting Officer and clarify what the situation is now. You may find that you have no concerns..

It sounds like this person was originally accepted to the, now cancelled, CEOTP-Pilot program run through Seneca College, and was later transferred to ROTP-RMC.

To the OP, only recruiting staff can answer your question. ROTP-Civi U has not been offered for most trades for the last 5 years or so. If you've yet to apply, I would temper your expectations as Pilot is a rather competitive trade with a high medical threshold.

 

[Nat12]

Hi, I’m planning on applying this fall in hopes to go into ROTP as Pilot starting fall of 2024. I would much prefer going the civi u route, because there are some programs I am interested in (but do not require for pilot) that are not offered at RMC. With that being said, is it possible to apply only for the civi u route? If it is, will I need to have my acceptance letter when i start my application or am I able to begin, go through the CFAT/ACS and then submit my letter of acceptance, once I receive it? How much would this situation actually reduce my chances of getting in, assuming I pass all of the testing? Thanks!

I applied for Pilot and got my offer on March 31st. In my application I had stated that Civi u was my preferred choice, however, I have been given RMC. From what I understand, talking to multiple different sources, it is less a lot less common nowadays for people to go to civi u as ROTP. If you have decent grades, they will just send you to RMC.

That’s not all bad though. RMC offers advantages post graduation for pilot training as well, for example, I know that if there are a limited number of spots for a flight phase, they will prioritize the training for people who went to RMC and make them do it before others. Also, if you plan to make a career out of it and climb the ranks having attended RMC will be a BIG bonus. (From what my father has been able to gather from colleagues. He’s also a pilot).

Good luck and hope to see you sometime in the future!

 

[JimmyBean]

I should preface this with the fact that I have not been accepted into the ROTP yet, but based on a convo I had about an hour ago with recruiting, I should be on the competition list within a week or two (for Pilot). Just waiting on a PLAR to come back. I am ONLY being looked at for ROTP Civvi-U. I made it very explicit throughout the process I will not be going to RMC and that civvi-u was the only thing I would entertain and the recruiting centres are on board. This required a waiver to be approved by the head of recruiting for the CAF and took about a year. The reason I would only entertain civvi u is that I am married and have a baby on the way, own a house, and have 6 years of previous reg force experience (INFTRY) so I don't need to learn how to march lol.

I had to write a letter/memo giving those reasons. So it is possible. Of course. Is it practical? No.

If you're deadset on avoiding RMC like me, then just do your degree on your own because it was a long process.

 

[ssz6]

I got my offer for civillian university ROTP for pilot mid july. I had originally put RMC as my prefered choice but then the federal worker strikes happened mid april and one of my phase 2 aircrew medical tests were delayed by over a month (and subsequently my entire application got delayed too). By the time my application was fully done processing, i got a call from my recruiter who told me they had around 10 spots left for pilot but RMC had already filled up, so he asked if i wanted to change my preference from RMC to civy (to which i said yes).

From what my recruiter had told me during the phone call, civy ROTP files are processed AFTER RMC files, in part because RMC has priority but also so that there is adequate time for final university offers to be sent.

As for whether or not you need to be accepted into a university when you start your application, think of it this way: most uni offers are sent between january and june, and during that time youll still be in the application process for ROTP. By the time you recieve an offer for ROTP, you will most likely already have an offer for a civy university.

In my case, i got an offer to a civy U in feb 2023. When i got the call from my recruiter in june that RMC had filled up, he already knew that I'd been accepted into a universuty and changing my file from RMC to civy ROTP would be an option (we had exchanged a few emails, I was asking for ETA on pilot offers since at the time course enrollment was happening soon at my civy U)

Theres a lot more to it than what I was able to go over here, if you have questions lmk i'd be happy to answer.

 

[EliasSchanz]

In case anyone comes across this and has the same question:

It worked! I got my Pilot ROTP Civ U offer a few weeks ago. I was initially given RMC but asked if it could be switched and it worked out.

So, give it a shot, they seem to be pretty open to negotiation if you’ve done well in the exams.

 

[brihard]

In case anyone comes across this and has the same question:

It worked! I got my Pilot ROTP Civ U offer a few weeks ago. I was initially given RMC but asked if it could be switched and it worked out.

So, give it a shot, they seem to be pretty open to negotiation if you’ve done well in the exams.

Congrats, and good luck! Purely out of curiosity, what university program will you be doing?

 

[EliasSchanz]

Congrats, and good luck! Purely out of curiosity, what university program will you be doing?

Thanks! I’m taking a combined physics/astronomy program at UVic in BC

 

[brihard]

Thanks! I’m taking a combined physics/astronomy program at UVic in BC

Good stuff, that sounds solid. You’re at the start of what could be one hell of a journey.

 

[EliasSchanz]

Good stuff, that sounds solid. You’re at the start of what could be one hell of a journey.

Thank you, let’s hope so! I’m excited to get started

 

[ytz]

In case anyone comes across this and has the same question:

It worked! I got my Pilot ROTP Civ U offer a few weeks ago. I was initially given RMC but asked if it could be switched and it worked out.

So, give it a shot, they seem to be pretty open to negotiation if you’ve done well in the exams.

Ex-Civ U ROTP here. It's a good ride. Enjoy it.

I will add that you should do your best to make sure you get some professional development done before graduating. You'll be lacking that and French compared to RMC.

 

[dapaterson]

Ex-Civ U ROTP here. It's a good ride. Enjoy it.

I will add that you should do your best to make sure you get some professional development done before graduating. You'll be lacking that and French compared to RMC.

On the plus side, you'll have experience living on your own, managing your money, and planning your time - aka you'll be far advanced in Adulting compared to your MilCol peers.

 

[ytz]

On the plus side, you'll have experience living on your own, managing your money, and planning your time - aka you'll be far advanced in Adulting compared to your MilCol peers.

Unfortunately, adulting didn't necessarily translate into SRIT points.

 

[FSTO]

I had 5 ROTP NWO subbies working for me a couple of weeks ago. Three are going to U Ottawa and two are attending Carleton.
All good kids, one is an ex RCR MCpl.
(Shut up Paterson )

 

[EliasSchanz]

Ex-Civ U ROTP here. It's a good ride. Enjoy it.

I will add that you should do your best to make sure you get some professional development done before graduating. You'll be lacking that and French compared to RMC.

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words… sounds like I made a good decision!

@ytz What do you mean by professional development exactly? Will there be courses available to me while I’m studying, or just French on the side sort of thing?

Thanks