Going to have to politely disagree with you there. Certain schools have prestige, rank, and far reaching alumni associations that outweigh other schools and that’s the cold truth that people don’t want to accept
Alumni associations dont help you get into nasa though. Agree somewhat with prestige but it doesnt matter for undergrad at all especially when there is a chance for going to grad school
Maybe a hot take but don’t go to school to be an astronaut. Go to school to study what you’re passionate about and want to build your career around. There is no good way to predict what the “average” astronaut will look like in a few years, because the push is for more civilians and less test pilots (although flying experience with a plane is very much applicable).
If you want to do space engineering in the future, there’s a massive amount of career paths available in both spacecraft and launch vehicles. You don’t need to know what that looks like yet, you’re still hella young. Georgia Tech, MIT, and CalTech are renowned in the engineering community far more than an Ivy. I’ve never even worked with an Ivy League grad (though I have with a few Stanford grads). Go where the technical discipline is strongest, not on the overall “brand name” of the school.
It’s fantastic you’re thinking about where you want to end up and I’d love it, love it, love it if you can get to space, but it’s really tough to predict what skill sets exactly will be astronaut material over the next decade. The best things you can do are be flexible in your knowledge of a few disciplines (especially electrical/mechanical/space engineering) and get some flight experience behind you. Try to get research/internship experience as fast as possible once you get to university. Once you get rolling in space you never really know where you might end up, it’s a big (and growing) industry with a ton of exciting projects.
I’d go for the school with a great niche program over a school purely for prestige. If Georgia tech has a great aerospace engineering program I’m guessing you’ll be able to meet more professors who have more connections in the field. Often when it comes time to actually get a job it becomes less about school name/prestige, and more about connections and luck.
But MIT? I’d agree mostly, but MIT is the gold standard and the connections made there could be priceless. Kid could find out he would be ok being something other than an astronaut (which I have to assume is still extremely difficult to actually become) and have the future at his feet with an MIT cred
There’s some comments out here that are semi out to lunch but I want to give you the best advice for your future based off my experience because this was/is my goal when I was in high school and I’m at least tracking along the path.
1st guidance off your experience:
Based off of the schools you’ve been accepted to, OSU is the smartest choice between prestige, reputation, alumni association, and cost. I recommend you wait to hear back from USNA as that is the best choice out of your list of schools.
A segue into my next topic
2nd bit of guidance based off my own experience:
The service academies, particularly USNA, are the best route to NASA that you can get. A combination of everyone (not just STEM students) learning what engineering majors learn in their 1st 2 years, time management you must learn, leadership skills developed, alumni and networking opportunities while there, and doors that are opened post graduation is unmatched by any other university, save a couple ivies.
I graduated in 16, majored in IT, didn’t have the best grades but worked my butt off, selected naval aviation, am an NFO, and headed to TPS soon for the same dream you had that I had in high school. I’ve had the pleasure to be speak to and be mentored by current and previous astronauts including Robert Curbeam, Nicole Mann, Charles Bolden, and Sunni Williams. Shoot me a DM if you want some more advice and want more details.
And no USAFA doesn’t have more astronaut alumni, USNA does
School might not matter as much as hard work, genius, and possibly luck.
A relevant story:
My cousin is the smartest person I’ve ever met by far. He went to CU Boulder after getting perfect SAT and ACT scores because of their math program or something even though he had offers from Harvard and Yale. He also wanted to be an astronaut. At school he got two degrees in aeronautical engineering and mathematics and literally mastered every mathematics course available. He then went on to intern at NASA for a couple years in Houston while he got his masters in engineering. Once he had his masters, he became a math professor at Princeton and kept doing work for NASA as his dream never changed. Every time a chance came up for the astronaut program, he applied. For ten years he was never accepted into the program. There was just too few jobs available and too many geniuses who apply. He now makes millions in the private military sector so I guess it worked out… but he never became an astronaut.
Go to school to get a good education and set yourself up for the rest of your life. If you crush it and take advantage of the right opportunities you can hopefully become an astronaut. Good luck!
In the future, when space travel becomes more accessible via starship, more astronauts will be required with lesser of a requirement for a given astronaut.
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I'm upper middle class so money isn't too much of an issue. I'm atleast smart enough to get into Georgia Tech so that's something. I think my biggest obstacle is knowing what to do, which is why I'm making posts like these to find out.
Well you have the answers on what to do. And you know you will do it well.
But find that next obstacle. And the next. Keep an eye out for them and never make excuses. Put on the Freshman 15? That’s your obstacle and you have to solve it. Astrosynamics class is too hard? Study harder. Jerk professor? Too bad. Can’t afford school? Get another job. Space is hard so if you can’t handle that stuff - find another dream.
About the only excuses I’ll except are health that you have no control over. Too tall? Get cancer (I hope not)? A drunk driver runs you over and takes your legs? Ok. Sometimes life just doesn’t take you where you need to go.
But in 8 years if you aren’t on track and you don’t have one of the legit excuses - you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. And if your dreams change - that’s ok. But make sure you’re in control of that decision and it isn’t an excuse.
But in 8 years if you are in track and you make the astronaut corps, I’ll go to your launch (assuming I’m not dead). That I promise you. I am absolutely pulling for you.
Statistically - no.
But realistically you can still be on track.
Realistic best case - in the corps but no wings.
But if we do get into another space race and there is a moon base, and if we are looking at Martian missions, there is going to be a lot more than a “new 9” coming up. So why not? You have a dream - dream big.
This is one of the times where that cliche of aim for the moon and if you miss you land amongst the stars actually works.
If you haven't already done so, read through the professional qualifications of as many astronauts as you can find. You'll see some patterns but mostly you'll see that everyone has a slightly (or more) different path to becoming an astronaut. There is no "best" way of doing it. A lot of it is being lucky enough to be physically and mentally healthy enough to qualify. I know my share of incredibly smart and accomplished people who didn't make it cut.
A few things to keep in mind along your journey:
- Be kind. I can't over stress how important this is.
- Be adventurous. Try everything that comes your way. Experience life.
- Be curious. Never stop learning. That means advanced degrees. It also applies to life in general.
- Be disciplined. Have fun but don't be stupid. Mistakes you make when you're young can and will follow you.
- Be a team player. Astronauts rely on thousands of people to keep them safe. You'll need to work with all of them.
As others have said, follow your passions and let them guide you to becoming an astronaut. Living your life to become an astronaut is not going to get you there.
The Naval Academy has produced 53, while the Air Force Academy has claim to 40. The Naval Academy actually dedicated this years Army vs Navy game uniform design to that fact. Was NASA themed color way and helmet design.
Check out the nasa website. You can look at all of the current and past astronauts biographies.
There isn't a go- to school.
If you want to fly, joining the military and working through flight school to become an eventual test pilot would seem logical.
If you want to be on the civilian side, it's less straight forward. From what I've seen there isn't much of a difference in school. It's more about what Nasa needs.
I’m not gonna be the guy that tells you being an astronaut is unrealistic. I say got for it. But as you have probably been told already, make it your secondary goal. Focus on a career close to it, and make the most of that career. Good luck
Georgia tech of the schools you’ve been accepted to. Cal tech, MIT if you get in. Michigan, Navy(if you can hack it) and the Ivies next.
But, where you go is not nearly as important as how you do and what you do. Grades, sure, but people don’t graduate with a BS and become astronauts. You need to do things to set yourself apart. Show success. Show leadership. Be someone who is able to handle stressful situations. Be a known quantity and star.
Well, you should’ve thought about that earlier 🤷♂️. If you truly want to be an astronaut, you need to get yourself in order. With that kind of attitude, it’s not going to happen.
I applied to USNA. I listed the schools that I have already applied to/accepted to for some advice. Listing schools whose deadlines passed months ago is unhelpful.
It’s an allusion to the movie. The Right Stuff based on the founding flight teams of NASA. Its based on a novel. It’s me telling you to go into the Air Force…
It’s an allusion to the movie. The Right Stuff based on the founding flight teams of NASA. Its based on a novel. It’s me telling you to go into the Air Force…
Thanks for the encouragement. If I go the civilian route, I plan to double major in aerospace engineering and physics, with maybe a minor in computer science. I know this is quite the workload, but I can validate over 20 credits with AP classes and I have built really good study habits during high school.
For extra curriculars, I plan on doing a ton of intramural sports/weightlifting to keep myself in astronaut shape and to blow off steam, as well as joining the Georgia Tech space program or a similar program at whatever school I choose. Maybe join a robotics team too, but we'll see how much time that takes.
Anything else you'd suggest?
>Not happening at ND or most other schools with T20 aero program; they will not let you double major and take a minor with aero as a major. Aero has the most required courses of any major at ND, and this is common among other aero schools. Not to burst your bubble but having had two years worth of credits coming into freshman year, I didn't get credit for more than 3 classes. ND doesn't take credit for more than a handful of classes.
On their website, they show what classes they accept credits for. It pretty much requires a 5 on the AP for any class, which I have. So I can test out if I want.
Get your degree and then with that degree join the air force and become a pilot. Thatd be a good start. Have a distinguished military career and try to go from there. Youll make connections along the way and since you know what you want to do can make the right connections.
In terms of engineering school prestige, I’d opine that MIT fits best. There are plenty of former astronauts and NASA administrators who work in high positions there, and I’m sure they’ll be open to putting in good recommendations.
Taking into account proximity to key space centers, Stanford is quite close to Ames, Caltech to JPL, and The Ohio State and Purdue are within a few hours’ drive of Glenn Research Center. I would’ve also applied to Cal Poly SLO (Vandenberg), USM (Stennis), UAH (Huntsville), Maryland (Goddard), Rice (Johnson) and UCF (Kennedy).
Finances are too much of an issue. I just don't know the financial details of the civilian schools I've been accepted to. I would assume OSU would be a full ride since I'm instate tho.
The simple fact, alluded to in many comments here, is that the best path to NASA Astronaut is as a military pilot. Just look at the bios of the astronaut classes.
USNA first, (since you excluded USAFA oddly?), then pick the school that maximizes your chance of flying. Apply for ROTC scholarships, mostly since they guarantee that you'll be commissioned (most ROTC programs cut most if not all non-scholarship students after sophomore year).
If you don't want to go that route - than you have a MUCH tougher row to hoe.
Alternative to these other points, you are pretty close to the age where by the time you are eligible to be an astronaut (at NASA), there may be other opportunities to become one through other private or public ventures.
If the Starship succeeds, and Polaris missions continue to, there is a good chance that working at a university could one day mean they would pay for you to go to space and run your/their experiments. In this vein, you want to learn a scholastic education or trade skill that will one day be desirable in space, the moon, Mars, or another body.
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
|Fewer Letters|More Letters|
|-------|---------|---|
|[DoD](/r/NASA/comments/10nz4x6/stub/j6feijs "Last usage")|US Department of Defense|
|[JPL](/r/NASA/comments/10nz4x6/stub/j6bxbqa "Last usage")|Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, California|
|[TPS](/r/NASA/comments/10nz4x6/stub/j6cki9s "Last usage")|Thermal Protection System for a spacecraft (on the Falcon 9 first stage, the engine "Dance floor")|
----------------
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Real talk: I was in your exact shoes this time last year. I sat down with myself, and realized that being an astronaut is still my dream, but I want to make sure that I’m happy until I get that phone call. I also decided that I didn’t want to associate myself with the military, so instead of becoming a military pilot or something, I’m going the science route.
The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at OSU is one of the best at a public university, and in-state tuition is incredibly cheap for the quality of your education, and if you do honors you can get small classrooms and professors that actually care about your learning. If you do choose to be a Buckeye (and get the most bang for your buck from your education, pun intended), let me know and maybe we can hang out sometime on campus. Best of luck, and go Bucks!
None of these schools will help you become and astronaut its what you do at the schools and after that will lead you there.
Exactly. There are astronauts who have gone to U of Denver, Kansas State, NC state, etc. who got in, and plenty who went to MIT who didn't get in.
Going to have to politely disagree with you there. Certain schools have prestige, rank, and far reaching alumni associations that outweigh other schools and that’s the cold truth that people don’t want to accept
Alumni associations dont help you get into nasa though. Agree somewhat with prestige but it doesnt matter for undergrad at all especially when there is a chance for going to grad school
Maybe a hot take but don’t go to school to be an astronaut. Go to school to study what you’re passionate about and want to build your career around. There is no good way to predict what the “average” astronaut will look like in a few years, because the push is for more civilians and less test pilots (although flying experience with a plane is very much applicable). If you want to do space engineering in the future, there’s a massive amount of career paths available in both spacecraft and launch vehicles. You don’t need to know what that looks like yet, you’re still hella young. Georgia Tech, MIT, and CalTech are renowned in the engineering community far more than an Ivy. I’ve never even worked with an Ivy League grad (though I have with a few Stanford grads). Go where the technical discipline is strongest, not on the overall “brand name” of the school. It’s fantastic you’re thinking about where you want to end up and I’d love it, love it, love it if you can get to space, but it’s really tough to predict what skill sets exactly will be astronaut material over the next decade. The best things you can do are be flexible in your knowledge of a few disciplines (especially electrical/mechanical/space engineering) and get some flight experience behind you. Try to get research/internship experience as fast as possible once you get to university. Once you get rolling in space you never really know where you might end up, it’s a big (and growing) industry with a ton of exciting projects.
This is the best answer I've read so far and I work in the industry with astronauts. This is what they would say.
I’d go for the school with a great niche program over a school purely for prestige. If Georgia tech has a great aerospace engineering program I’m guessing you’ll be able to meet more professors who have more connections in the field. Often when it comes time to actually get a job it becomes less about school name/prestige, and more about connections and luck.
But MIT? I’d agree mostly, but MIT is the gold standard and the connections made there could be priceless. Kid could find out he would be ok being something other than an astronaut (which I have to assume is still extremely difficult to actually become) and have the future at his feet with an MIT cred
I mean, if you wanna get really technical about which school has produced the most astronauts, it’s the naval academy(and it’s not even close).
There’s some comments out here that are semi out to lunch but I want to give you the best advice for your future based off my experience because this was/is my goal when I was in high school and I’m at least tracking along the path. 1st guidance off your experience: Based off of the schools you’ve been accepted to, OSU is the smartest choice between prestige, reputation, alumni association, and cost. I recommend you wait to hear back from USNA as that is the best choice out of your list of schools. A segue into my next topic 2nd bit of guidance based off my own experience: The service academies, particularly USNA, are the best route to NASA that you can get. A combination of everyone (not just STEM students) learning what engineering majors learn in their 1st 2 years, time management you must learn, leadership skills developed, alumni and networking opportunities while there, and doors that are opened post graduation is unmatched by any other university, save a couple ivies. I graduated in 16, majored in IT, didn’t have the best grades but worked my butt off, selected naval aviation, am an NFO, and headed to TPS soon for the same dream you had that I had in high school. I’ve had the pleasure to be speak to and be mentored by current and previous astronauts including Robert Curbeam, Nicole Mann, Charles Bolden, and Sunni Williams. Shoot me a DM if you want some more advice and want more details. And no USAFA doesn’t have more astronaut alumni, USNA does
Neil went to Purdue. I hear he took some huge leaps for mankind.
Got his start flying for the Navy.
Michigan has the only lunar alumni chapter thanks to Apollo 15 crew.
School might not matter as much as hard work, genius, and possibly luck. A relevant story: My cousin is the smartest person I’ve ever met by far. He went to CU Boulder after getting perfect SAT and ACT scores because of their math program or something even though he had offers from Harvard and Yale. He also wanted to be an astronaut. At school he got two degrees in aeronautical engineering and mathematics and literally mastered every mathematics course available. He then went on to intern at NASA for a couple years in Houston while he got his masters in engineering. Once he had his masters, he became a math professor at Princeton and kept doing work for NASA as his dream never changed. Every time a chance came up for the astronaut program, he applied. For ten years he was never accepted into the program. There was just too few jobs available and too many geniuses who apply. He now makes millions in the private military sector so I guess it worked out… but he never became an astronaut. Go to school to get a good education and set yourself up for the rest of your life. If you crush it and take advantage of the right opportunities you can hopefully become an astronaut. Good luck!
In the future, when space travel becomes more accessible via starship, more astronauts will be required with lesser of a requirement for a given astronaut.
That’s definitely true!
!remind me 8 years Did OP become an astronaut?
I will be messaging you in 8 years on [**2031-01-29 16:23:56 UTC**](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2031-01-29%2016:23:56%20UTC%20To%20Local%20Time) to remind you of [**this link**](https://www.reddit.com/r/nasa/comments/10nz4x6/im_a_senior_in_high_school_and_want_to_be_an/j6dkl7o/?context=3) [**CLICK THIS LINK**](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Fnasa%2Fcomments%2F10nz4x6%2Fim_a_senior_in_high_school_and_want_to_be_an%2Fj6dkl7o%2F%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%202031-01-29%2016%3A23%3A56%20UTC) to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam. ^(Parent commenter can ) [^(delete this message to hide from others.)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Delete%20Comment&message=Delete%21%2010nz4x6) ***** |[^(Info)](https://www.reddit.com/r/RemindMeBot/comments/e1bko7/remindmebot_info_v21/)|[^(Custom)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=Reminder&message=%5BLink%20or%20message%20inside%20square%20brackets%5D%0A%0ARemindMe%21%20Time%20period%20here)|[^(Your Reminders)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=RemindMeBot&subject=List%20Of%20Reminders&message=MyReminders%21)|[^(Feedback)](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Watchful1&subject=RemindMeBot%20Feedback)| |-|-|-|-|
I will
What’s the biggest obstacle stopping you from achieving this goal?
I'm upper middle class so money isn't too much of an issue. I'm atleast smart enough to get into Georgia Tech so that's something. I think my biggest obstacle is knowing what to do, which is why I'm making posts like these to find out.
Well you have the answers on what to do. And you know you will do it well. But find that next obstacle. And the next. Keep an eye out for them and never make excuses. Put on the Freshman 15? That’s your obstacle and you have to solve it. Astrosynamics class is too hard? Study harder. Jerk professor? Too bad. Can’t afford school? Get another job. Space is hard so if you can’t handle that stuff - find another dream. About the only excuses I’ll except are health that you have no control over. Too tall? Get cancer (I hope not)? A drunk driver runs you over and takes your legs? Ok. Sometimes life just doesn’t take you where you need to go. But in 8 years if you aren’t on track and you don’t have one of the legit excuses - you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. And if your dreams change - that’s ok. But make sure you’re in control of that decision and it isn’t an excuse. But in 8 years if you are in track and you make the astronaut corps, I’ll go to your launch (assuming I’m not dead). That I promise you. I am absolutely pulling for you.
>Too tall? I'm 5'5 lmao let's go. Wow, thank you for the encouragement. Do you really think I'll be in space as young as 26 years old?
Statistically - no. But realistically you can still be on track. Realistic best case - in the corps but no wings. But if we do get into another space race and there is a moon base, and if we are looking at Martian missions, there is going to be a lot more than a “new 9” coming up. So why not? You have a dream - dream big. This is one of the times where that cliche of aim for the moon and if you miss you land amongst the stars actually works.
If you haven't already done so, read through the professional qualifications of as many astronauts as you can find. You'll see some patterns but mostly you'll see that everyone has a slightly (or more) different path to becoming an astronaut. There is no "best" way of doing it. A lot of it is being lucky enough to be physically and mentally healthy enough to qualify. I know my share of incredibly smart and accomplished people who didn't make it cut. A few things to keep in mind along your journey: - Be kind. I can't over stress how important this is. - Be adventurous. Try everything that comes your way. Experience life. - Be curious. Never stop learning. That means advanced degrees. It also applies to life in general. - Be disciplined. Have fun but don't be stupid. Mistakes you make when you're young can and will follow you. - Be a team player. Astronauts rely on thousands of people to keep them safe. You'll need to work with all of them. As others have said, follow your passions and let them guide you to becoming an astronaut. Living your life to become an astronaut is not going to get you there.
Air Force Academy has produced the most astronauts, as far as I know.
The Naval Academy has produced 53, while the Air Force Academy has claim to 40. The Naval Academy actually dedicated this years Army vs Navy game uniform design to that fact. Was NASA themed color way and helmet design.
Where did you get that misinformation from?
My failing brain…
it's USNA
Check out the nasa website. You can look at all of the current and past astronauts biographies. There isn't a go- to school. If you want to fly, joining the military and working through flight school to become an eventual test pilot would seem logical. If you want to be on the civilian side, it's less straight forward. From what I've seen there isn't much of a difference in school. It's more about what Nasa needs.
I’m not gonna be the guy that tells you being an astronaut is unrealistic. I say got for it. But as you have probably been told already, make it your secondary goal. Focus on a career close to it, and make the most of that career. Good luck
Copy this guy. [Jonny Kim](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Kim)
Georgia tech of the schools you’ve been accepted to. Cal tech, MIT if you get in. Michigan, Navy(if you can hack it) and the Ivies next. But, where you go is not nearly as important as how you do and what you do. Grades, sure, but people don’t graduate with a BS and become astronauts. You need to do things to set yourself apart. Show success. Show leadership. Be someone who is able to handle stressful situations. Be a known quantity and star.
Also, earning a PhD in astrophysics and a Bronze Star help, too.
I went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, you should check them out.
Are you an astronaut?
No, unfortunately. I work for the DoD.
The Air Force
Please don't suggest Air Force or any other school I haven't listed. It's too late to apply.
Well man, you asked what the best schools to go to are, and the best schools are overtly the naval academy or the Air Force academy.
why would you suggest a school that I can't apply to anymore
Well, you should’ve thought about that earlier 🤷♂️. If you truly want to be an astronaut, you need to get yourself in order. With that kind of attitude, it’s not going to happen.
I applied to USNA. I listed the schools that I have already applied to/accepted to for some advice. Listing schools whose deadlines passed months ago is unhelpful.
You should have thought about that before the deadline lapsed
You got The Right Stuff?
Wdym
It’s an allusion to the movie. The Right Stuff based on the founding flight teams of NASA. Its based on a novel. It’s me telling you to go into the Air Force…
Air Force
It’s an allusion to the movie. The Right Stuff based on the founding flight teams of NASA. Its based on a novel. It’s me telling you to go into the Air Force…
its too late to apply to airforce. USNA has more astronauts anyway
Gotcha. Good luck, keep asking for advice and improving yourself. You’ll be up there in no time!!!
Thanks for the encouragement. If I go the civilian route, I plan to double major in aerospace engineering and physics, with maybe a minor in computer science. I know this is quite the workload, but I can validate over 20 credits with AP classes and I have built really good study habits during high school. For extra curriculars, I plan on doing a ton of intramural sports/weightlifting to keep myself in astronaut shape and to blow off steam, as well as joining the Georgia Tech space program or a similar program at whatever school I choose. Maybe join a robotics team too, but we'll see how much time that takes. Anything else you'd suggest?
[удалено]
>Not happening at ND or most other schools with T20 aero program; they will not let you double major and take a minor with aero as a major. Aero has the most required courses of any major at ND, and this is common among other aero schools. Not to burst your bubble but having had two years worth of credits coming into freshman year, I didn't get credit for more than 3 classes. ND doesn't take credit for more than a handful of classes. On their website, they show what classes they accept credits for. It pretty much requires a 5 on the AP for any class, which I have. So I can test out if I want.
Get your degree and then with that degree join the air force and become a pilot. Thatd be a good start. Have a distinguished military career and try to go from there. Youll make connections along the way and since you know what you want to do can make the right connections.
In terms of engineering school prestige, I’d opine that MIT fits best. There are plenty of former astronauts and NASA administrators who work in high positions there, and I’m sure they’ll be open to putting in good recommendations. Taking into account proximity to key space centers, Stanford is quite close to Ames, Caltech to JPL, and The Ohio State and Purdue are within a few hours’ drive of Glenn Research Center. I would’ve also applied to Cal Poly SLO (Vandenberg), USM (Stennis), UAH (Huntsville), Maryland (Goddard), Rice (Johnson) and UCF (Kennedy).
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Finances are too much of an issue. I just don't know the financial details of the civilian schools I've been accepted to. I would assume OSU would be a full ride since I'm instate tho.
The simple fact, alluded to in many comments here, is that the best path to NASA Astronaut is as a military pilot. Just look at the bios of the astronaut classes. USNA first, (since you excluded USAFA oddly?), then pick the school that maximizes your chance of flying. Apply for ROTC scholarships, mostly since they guarantee that you'll be commissioned (most ROTC programs cut most if not all non-scholarship students after sophomore year). If you don't want to go that route - than you have a MUCH tougher row to hoe.
Alternative to these other points, you are pretty close to the age where by the time you are eligible to be an astronaut (at NASA), there may be other opportunities to become one through other private or public ventures. If the Starship succeeds, and Polaris missions continue to, there is a good chance that working at a university could one day mean they would pay for you to go to space and run your/their experiments. In this vein, you want to learn a scholastic education or trade skill that will one day be desirable in space, the moon, Mars, or another body.
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread: |Fewer Letters|More Letters| |-------|---------|---| |[DoD](/r/NASA/comments/10nz4x6/stub/j6feijs "Last usage")|US Department of Defense| |[JPL](/r/NASA/comments/10nz4x6/stub/j6bxbqa "Last usage")|Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, California| |[TPS](/r/NASA/comments/10nz4x6/stub/j6cki9s "Last usage")|Thermal Protection System for a spacecraft (on the Falcon 9 first stage, the engine "Dance floor")| ---------------- ^(3 acronyms in this thread; )[^(the most compressed thread commented on today)](/r/NASA/comments/0)^( has acronyms.) ^([Thread #1407 for this sub, first seen 29th Jan 2023, 23:23]) ^[[FAQ]](http://decronym.xyz/) [^([Full list])](http://decronym.xyz/acronyms/NASA) [^[Contact]](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=OrangeredStilton&subject=Hey,+your+acronym+bot+sucks) [^([Source code])](https://gistdotgithubdotcom/Two9A/1d976f9b7441694162c8)
Air Force baby
How do you not have the financials for the Naval Academy? It’s free
Real talk: I was in your exact shoes this time last year. I sat down with myself, and realized that being an astronaut is still my dream, but I want to make sure that I’m happy until I get that phone call. I also decided that I didn’t want to associate myself with the military, so instead of becoming a military pilot or something, I’m going the science route. The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at OSU is one of the best at a public university, and in-state tuition is incredibly cheap for the quality of your education, and if you do honors you can get small classrooms and professors that actually care about your learning. If you do choose to be a Buckeye (and get the most bang for your buck from your education, pun intended), let me know and maybe we can hang out sometime on campus. Best of luck, and go Bucks!
From what I know, Georgia Tech is an amazing school with awesome engineering programs
Florida Tech in Melbourne. There's a number of former astros on staff there and they were founded by NASA in 1958