Advice needed

[benseventeen]

As I said in a different thread, I have applied at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Florida. This is the agency I would really like to work for, they seem to be hiring a bunch, and I think I fit the bill of what they are looking for (at least somewhat). However, I am not certified, and didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket, so I also applied to a couple other places that also sponsor (Orlando PD and Orange County SO).

Florida sponsorship opportunities are apparently very competitive. One of the other agencies I applied to said they get about 1,000 apps a year and only sponsor 50-75. Right now I'm unemployed (which explains why I have so much time to be posting on a message board), so I'm thinking if I don't get selected for one of the jobs I applied for, I will eventually have to put myself through an academy. I wouldn't necessarily mind doing that, but I don't want to just blow $3500 either if I don't have to. I don't want to be so negative to think that I'm not going to get a sponsorship, but I don't want to wait 6 months to find out I have to put myself through an academy... by that time I could be certified. Should I just be positive and wait 3-6 months for the process to run its course or should I be proactive, bite the bullet, and go to an academy? What would you do in my situation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated... sorry for asking so many questions.