You get the first two years credited to you since you passed basic and AIT so first recommendation is to start rotc in your sophomore year and maximize your time on grades and getting the college thing down.

If you want a scholarship that may change, but you can come in in the end of your last semester and compete for a 3 yr if you have a high APFT, GPA and your medical done.

It’s all about points and maximizing your time in ROTC. More years involved, more points. But the JR Year is the critical one.

You get AD by being present and leading while in ROTC. Good APFT scores, high gpa and good evil at camp and on campus are the biggest tickets. Extra curricular schools and missions in rotc can help points. And on and off campus work can get you a few too.

There is a road map to maximize your score, and if you do that you will be AD. Now for branch and posting that’s another discussion Warrior

And one other thing...I'm not suggesting you do this, I'm merely explaining...I wasn't prior enlisted before I'd gone to USAF OTS...God knows, had I been, I'd have adjusted WAY faster, in retrospect, I think...there were MANY at USAF OTS when I was there, it was at Lackland in TX at the time, it's at Maxwell in AL now, who'd been prior svc from ALL the svcs, one guy, as I tell others here frequently, even wore Navy enlisted sub dolphins on his USAF blues, the only time I ever saw that...those who were prior enlisted performed FAR superior to myself, AND had a WAY easier time than I did...it'd also help to know, not in detail, the generalities, so far as you might be able to relate, of your civilian work...not specifics, of course, just very general aspects of the type of subject matter or work involved, any supervisory stuff you've done, any Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Navy Sear Cadets, Young Marines, or JROTC exposure you'd had at all, if any others among your family and/or friends might also be able to give you advice, if they might be able to help give you advice...I've read a good many such career/educ questions as you've asked on here, and I just typically make such suggestions, and/or ask such purely general questions, if only to try to get more of a handle on what you're actually seeking to accomplish, and/or how much exposure you've had to svc life thus far, that's all I'm trying to say, obviously, please realize that, honest...I do often reflect on how much more rapidly I MIGHT have adjusted to the commissioned side, had I actually GONE enlisted first...it'd have been WAY harder for me, I think, I just mention it as I've reflected on that entire aspect, as I'd said...my next younger brother went USMMA Kings Point, I commissioned him while I was in, when he'd finished and gone USNR...in retrospect, our Dad had pretty much programmed both of us basically from infancy to have done that...my younger fraternal twin brothers, he didn't, as he realized later on that he'd obviously gotten both of us into something for which we, esp. I, turned out to be TOTALLY ill-equipped for...he'd been Navy enlisted, and had gotten out...it always bugged him, which is, we think, my next younger brother and I, why he'd programmed us, even if only even unconsciously, to the extent he had, as we both think he'd realized later, only way, way after the fact...I just thought I should perhaps also explain all that, if only to give you some idea of why your questions interested me, honest...I'd be most interested to hear anymore you might be able to possibly relate, as I'd explained, if you'd care to chat further, as I'd said, certainly....

Not sure how it works now, but when I went on AD, grades and Advanced Camp (not sure what they call it now - the summer training between junior & senior year) performance were the two key factors. I would say grades were the most important.