ARMY ROTC Scholarship Chances/Help?

boyscouts · 05-06-2012, 10:07 PM

I am a Junior in High School and will be begin my Scholarship process next month. If anyone has any idea what my chances are in receiving one or any helpful advice (such as which scholarship I would have the best chance for?) I would greatly appreciate it.

-3.2 Gpa
-SAT- 1800 (But I am taking it again)
-Eagle Scout
- Currently Senior Patrol Leader
- Lifeguard
- Volunteer EMS in my town
- Section Leader in my school marching band
- School Tennis Team

Thank you very much!

Erin's Dad · 05-07-2012, 12:19 PM

IMO you don't have much chance. ROTC scholarships are highly competitive.

ArielsMom · 05-07-2012, 02:33 PM

The Service Academy forum is the place for you to get advice for an ROTC scholarship. The link is: United States of America Service Academy Forums - Powered by vBulletin.

My daughter received an AFROTC scholarship for next year and here are the stats just released on the Forum for 2012 AFROTC scholarships:

Nationally, over 13,000 high school seniors applied for AFROTC scholarships for Fall ’12:

-- 4,825 met minimum standards to be interviewed and then evaluated by a central scholarship board

-- 1,449 (30%) were offered scholarships

-- 77 Type 1 offers; 5% of total offers; avg 1440 on SAT reading/math or 33 on ACT (full tuition, any school + $900 books + stipend)

-- 216 Type 2 offers; 15 % of total offers; avg 1360 on SAT reading/math or 31 on ACT (up to $18K, any school + $900 books + stipend)

-- 1,156 Type 7 offers; 80% of total offers; avg 1280 on SAT reading/math or 29 on ACT (in-state tuition for 4 years or convert to 3 yr Type 2 + $900 books + stipend)

ROTC scholarships, all branches, are very competitive, but now is the time to start if you want to go that direction. One thing for sure is if you do not apply you will not be awarded a scholarship.

cptofthehouse · 05-08-2012, 11:24 AM

Do you make the minimum stats? Are you in the upper % them that are selected? If, for instance, about 30% is the general acceptance rate from those who meet the requirements, you pretty much have to be in the top 30% of that group to have a good chance.

AF is probably the most stringent. NROTC , Marine Option is less selective. My cousin's son has a full Marine NROTC scholarship with stats similar to the OP's. But he barely got it. He was an alternate, and it panned out at the last minute.

boyscouts · 05-08-2012, 09:22 PM

I am applying to Army ROTC, I have heard it was slightly less selective, does anyone know if this is true? Thank you everyone for your comments helps a lot!

juillet · 05-08-2012, 10:42 PM

Army ROTC is less selective, but that doesn't mean it's not competitive.

cptofthehouse · 05-09-2012, 07:05 AM

Boyscouts, do look at th averages for your area. Airforce is the most selective, NROTC, Marine option the least. Army is right in the middle there. No reason not to give it a go, and if you don't get the scholarship, join ROTC in college anyways and apply each year for a scholarship. You will get a stipend as a participant, and may get something as it comes up. You may also get an award up front--one never knows. It is a very competitive process.

Iron Maiden · 05-09-2012, 07:19 AM

Your info on NROTC (Navy option) is a bit dated. This is now the most difficult scholarship to get due to 1) the Navy not needing many officers so they have cut the # of 4-year scholarships, 2) almost all College Programmer and Side-Load scholarships being cut, and 3) the fact that 85% of all Navy scholarships are now required to go to a technical major. You are correct that Marine option scholarships are easier to receive, but their numbers have been cut as well,

OP, if you are looking at an ROTC scholarship just to pay for school you are making a huge mistake. These scholarships are for men and women who want to serve their country as an officer as their #1 goal. Those that are doing it for the money are weeded out VERY quickly and then have no way to pay for school. My son's unit started with 24 his Freshman year. 4 got commissions.

cptofthehouse · 05-09-2012, 10:59 AM

My cousin's son just got one (NROTC marine option full 4 years of tuition paid) and his stats are like the OPs, as I stated. Granted, he was an alternate, but he did get the award, and it has paid for his first year tuition and books.

ArielsMom · 05-09-2012, 11:14 AM

Iron Maiden is correct - only apply for ROTC scholarship if serving is your #1 goal.

After sophomore year all cadets must go to advanced training - if you are not selected you are disenrolled (including scholarship recipients). The selection rate varies from year-to-year, but recently has been as low as 55% for non-tech majors in AFROTC. AFROTC training is called FT (field training), AROTC training is called LDAC.

If you are not selected as a high school scholarship recipient you can enroll in ROTC classes as a college programmer (any of the services) for the first two years. You will not receive scholarship money or a stipend, but are eligible for a side-load scholarship and attending the advanced training mentioned above. Once you have been to advanced training you will become contracted and then will receive a monthly stipend (but not a scholarship).

If you are a high school scholarship recipient you incur no service/recoupment requirement for the first year. After the first year if you are disenrolled (or choose to leave the program) for any reason, including low grades, attitude, not passing the required PT test or waist measurement you will owe service time or recoupment costs -- recently the military just wants their money back and this year several cadets have owed up to $150K in recoupment.

My point is, there are easier ways to get financial aid for college, so if commissioning is not your #1 priority, go for other scholarships.

Scutrules · 07-17-2012, 05:33 AM

"After sophomore year all cadets must go to advanced training - if you are not selected you are disenrolled (including scholarship recipients). The selection rate varies from year-to-year, but recently has been as low as 55% for non-tech majors in AFROTC. AFROTC training is called FT (field training), AROTC training is called LDAC."

This isn't true for all branches. For NROTC, Navy options only get dropped if their academics or PT scores are not good enough or if they do something else wrong that warrants getting kicked out (including underage drinking). Marine options only go to OCS the summer after their junior year.

cptofthehouse · 07-17-2012, 01:47 PM

A lot of kids don't know if they want to make the commitment, but might. I know some who were sure they did and quit after the first year. If you want to give it a try, fine since the first year of most of these programs are freebies, and if you decide it is not for you, at least you got a full tuition scholarship and some that first year. Do realize that if you go to a school that you cannot afford without that ROTC award, it could and probably will be a problem for the following years in terms of paying for the cost of college.

AROTCDanK · 05-12-2013, 02:05 AM

First of all, thank you in advance.
I am a junior in high school and have a 3.64 weighted GPA with and upward trend. I attend a highly competitive high school (1st in county, 7th in state, 78th in nation) and got a 30 on my act without having taken trig and believe I can bump it up to a 31. I played baseball my freshman and sophmore year, but had to get a job this year and now work ~20 hours per week. I have taken 3 AP classes this year and am taking 4 next year. I am also involved in community service clubs and am about a 50-50 shot of holding a leadership position next year. I am also in pretty good physical shape. I guess my question is am I a competitive candidate for army ROTC and how I should apply to schools (whether there should be reach or safety schools on my ROTC app). Thanks so much