Hi Everyone,
I'm new here at the APC Forums, and this is going down as my first post.
As a little introductory, I am an 18.5 year old freshman in college from the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. I am dually-enrolled at my community college and Northern Illinois University; community college is saving me big money that I'm putting towards building hours. I plan on get a BA in Business Arts, simply for the credential of having a bachelor's degree and to have something to fall back on as the airline industry appears to be bottoming out right now and is rather unstable (though there's a lot of gab about there being an upcoming pilot shortage; not sure whether it's hard evidence or speculation).
I am highly motivated to start a career as a commercial pilot; I'm fully aware of both the pros and cons to the profession, as I've met with one of the top 10 seniority ranked pilots at United Airlines and he given me invaluable advice.
Ideally, I'm hoping to have accumulated 500+ diversified hours accumulated within the next 2-3 years so that I'll be able to apply at a regional airline for flying job and begin building hours towards my ATP. I'm highly motivated to achieve this goal by the age of 21; however, I would imagine it'd be nearly impossible to be a full-time student and be a pilot.
So here's what I've been thinking, please advise:
Would it be possible to receive my minor in business at community college, get hired at a regional when I'm 21, and then finish up my bachelor's degree
online through an accredited college?
Also, if anyone knows of any accredited colleges in Illinois (or elsewhere) that offer full online courses towards getting a bachelor's degree (preferably in business), please let me know. I read in an article in an aviation enthusiast's magazine that motivated young pilots have begun taking this route due to the advent of the internet.
Are there any pros or cons I should be aware of if I choose to take this route? My only thinking is that if I were to apply at a major airline down the road, that an internet bachelor's degree won't look as good on my resume as if I were to attend the physical class. Again, I know colleges like the University of Phoenix Online is not considered an accredited college, so I wonder if taking online classes through an accredited college would still be accepted.
Anyway, I apologize for the lengthy post - it was hard to list all of my concerns/thoughts/ideas in a concise manner.
Any constructive advice will be welcome!
Thanks,
- Voski89