If you want to be a career military officer, you should go to the AF Academy. If you can't do that, you should do ROTC. That will help to set you up for a successful career. But military officers are leaders and managers first, pilots second...especially as you progress in rank. What is best for your career may not give you the best shot at getting fighters.

Actually you have many hurdles in front of you and you need to focus on them one at a time (keep fighters in the back of your mind, but focus on what you need to do NOW to take the next step)

1. Medical: If you apply for an ROTC or academy scholarship they will send you for a comprehensive medical exam. Do that asap...that way you can find out if you will even pass the medical. I'd guess about 40-50% don't.

2. Then you need to decide whether to shoot for regular AF or ANG/USAFR. The latter is the only way you to ensure you have a shot at "picking" your airplane.

3. If you decide to go ANG/USAFR, go to college. Priority is good grades and being a well-rounded student/citizen. Also try to to do some GA flying, get a PPL and maybe an instrument rating. During your senior year start applying to or at least contacting ANG/USAFR squadrons. After graduation get a civilian jon while you work your way through the application process. If you don't get a fighter squadron, you are still young...you can now apply to other aircraft squadrons or simply go AD USAF. If you go AD, you might still get fighters.

4. If you decide on ROTC, decide whether you want a scholarship. They offer 4, 3, and even 2 year scholarships. If you your grades in HS weren't so hot maybe you can bust your butt, pull straight A's early in college and get a 3 or 2 year scholarship (worked for me).

There are three kinds of ROTC students:

Academy: This is actually not ROTC but it works about the same way. You will be going AD after graduation and will probably have first shot at available pilot slots over ROTC students. You need to start applying early in your junior year of HS. But if you do not qualify for a flight slot, you will be doing something else on AD for five years.

Scholarship: Generally guaranteed an AD commission, with a better shot at a flight slot. The AF has selected and invested in these guys, so they set them up first. Getting school paid for is nice but the big downside is that you are committed and will be going AD, in whatever career they assign you (maybe not flight). If awarded a scholarship you can use it at any school which has an AFROTC unit, including ivy league. (assuming you get accepted to the school)

Non-scholarship: These folks may be offered an AD commission if the AF needs bodies. They will probably have a lower priority for the choice jobs, and are probably not obligated to do AD if they do not want to. Advantage here is that if your vision goes bad or something you are not obligated to a non-flying AD job. Also by the time you graduate, you should have a pretty good idea of the AF's need for pilots. If 80% are going to UAV's or whatever, you could simply graduate and then go look for a ANG/USAFR slot. You will probably be obligate to the USAFR reserve, but I'm pretty sure you switch to ANG easily.


5. Get good grades (technical major prefered), stay out of trouble, and graduate.

6. Next, get a flight slot.

7. Now complete OTS (if you didn't do ROTC), and do well in UPT.

8. If you get awarded fighters, then complete the fighter pipeline.

If you graduate from college and can't get into the AF, also consider the other services. Be aware that the AF offers the best chance of fixed-wing aircraft, and probably the best chance of fighters too.