Hello everybody. This is my first time on the forum and I have a few questions about the road to become an airline pilot. I am a current Sophomore in Highschool and have been interested in Aviation for a long time and really want to pursue it commercially. I have realized that I should probably get some extracurriculars related to aviation in to have a better chance. Can anyone please let me know about any good ECs that I can do before I go to College/Flight School. My grades right now are pretty good and I am maintaing a 3.7-3.8 GPA. Also, if possibile, can you please let me know what path you tookt o become a pilot? I would greatly appreciate any help or info. Thank you very much.
Cory,
Honestly I wouldn’t worry too much about the ECs. Doing well in HS (and college after) is far more important than any little notes on your resume. A strong GPA is better than a “pretty good one”.
Check out our profile pages to see the various paths we’ve taken.
Adam
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Thanks for the help/reply. I will be sure to focus more on my grades. What do you reccomend by first steps should be towards getting a private pilots license. Is there anything important I should do during High School to improve my chances? Also, what do you think is a strong GPA? Thank you very much for the help. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.
Cory,
Again my recommendation is to focus on your studies. What you can do is get that GPA up to a 4.0. Once for done with your education THEN start your pilot training.
Adam
Thank you! I will make sure to follow that recommendation. To stand out, should I take more advanced courses? I was thinking of taking 4 AP Courses next year but I don’t think I can keep my GPA too high (probably can keep 3.8-3.9) while taking those courses. Do you think colleges would look at GPA or the difficulty of courses more and If they look at GPA more, should I just take easier classes? Thank you for your response.
Cory,
Those are really questions for your high school counselor or a college admissions counselor, they would be far better to answer questions about GPAs than a bunch of pilots are.
Chris
Cory,
You should sincerely consult with your high school counselor for specifics regarding class admission and enrollment for college. They will be better in suiting your needs of what classes would set you up for great success… after all, they know you personally and track record, we don’t. One thing that many high school students take is honor and AP classes; being a part of an honor society is always nice.
Brady
Cory,
Don’t overthink it too much. Pursue things you’re interested in. Your grades come first but after that get involved and have some fun.
Hannah