took a tour, in CTI school and already took the AT-SAT test last year...

GolfJuliet F*** Terrorism

If I was in your shoes I would go to a 1 year fast track school. You get out at 26 and that gives you 5 years to get your TOL...I've never heard of anybody having to wait 5 years. I think that in the next few years the hiring process will speed up because what happened was they flooded facilities with trainees over the last year or so, and now their all backed up with no OJTs. If it takes 1-3 years to check out at a facility then doesn't it make since to think that in 1-3 years there won't be as many trainees. Hence more slots for trainees at facilities. That's just my opinion though.

JThurm Senior Member

Ok, that sounds a lot better. Thanks for posting that. I am in a fast track program now and it will take me a year and a half to graduate (April 2011), so hopefully this is plenty of time to get a TOL...?

Rosstafari Daaaang. /X

I have. A few others have as well. But even better than the ATM is to figure out who's actually doing the selecting, which varies by area. It's a lot more work and effort, but I did that, and was promised by two different selectors that they would grab my name for a certain facility.

Keep in mind that you can gush about ATC, but that doesn't matter because you don't have any experience. It's not like any other industry. Enthusiasm for it is worth very little... it doesn't seem to have any impact on whether you can actually do the job. That doesn't mean don't take a shot at it -- I didn't have experience to offer, but I did my best to play up that I was serious about the role, how I'd be willing to lay down roots in the area for a long time, and what little aviation background I had. It worked for me. It may work for you. Just be realistic about what to expect.

BTW... make sure your timing is right. If you're looking at a CTI right now, then it's too early for that. They're not going to remember your name for more than a week after you talk to them, certainly not for a few years. Be strategic about when you make your case so it'll be fresh in their minds when the selections roll around.

If you're only seeing $30,000+ programs, go back to the search. There are options for plenty cheaper than that. Check out the CTI listings here. It can be done for under $10,000 at several places. CCBC (Beaver County) seems to be the cheapest, but that's just been the conventional wisdom for a while... it may've changed since then.


I sympathize with the place you're in. You're looking at a major life decision that involves a lot of both time and money, and you're seeing that there are no guarantees. And the best information you're getting is just off of some people on a forum, which has the potential to be wrong. The application process is just like that; it's awful. There's definitely risk involved. I think in the end you'll have to come to a point where you've done all the fact checking you can, and then you weigh the risk, time and expense with how much you want to do this. It's a tough decision.

GolfJuliet F*** Terrorism

I'd say so.

JThurm Senior Member

Well it's all online, and I believe Vaughn College is the cheapest. Is there anything else thats all online for cheaper?

GolfJuliet F*** Terrorism

There's a thread in the CTI section about MTCT or MCTC...something along those lines and their a two year program but their supposed to be starting a fast track this summer and I think that you do like a semester or two online but idk for sure.

aprolla23 Junior Member Raleigh, NC

As of today, I'm fairly certain Vaughn is the only online program available and even Vaughn is not 100% online. Mostly, but not completely.

GolfJuliet F*** Terrorism

The one I'm talking about is partially online. Vaughn is the only all online program out there to some extent.

Michalak87 Junior Member MI

Vaughn just has that 40 hour class that needs to be done on campus... either over weekends, or 5 days 8 hours a day for a week... they just want to double check you actually learned something! Other than that all online

JThurm Senior Member

Did you guys go to Vaughn? Did you get a job fairly quickly after you graduated? Do you think I will have a good chance of getting this job once I get out since I already scored a WQ on the test?