ROTC Scholarship College of Choice

klw · 06-11-2009, 02:08 PM

My son was was put on the National Waiting List a month ago. He was taken off the waiting list two weeks ago and told he was FQNS and had he gotten his application in by December it would have greatly increased his chances. Several days ago he was just offered a four year ROTC scholarship to the college of his choice. He will be getting a packet soon but in the mean time does any one know what is meant by a college of his choice. Would it be one that he has already applied for or could he start over and look at others?

Ann · 06-11-2009, 09:03 PM

"Would it be one that he has already applied for or could he start over and look at others? "

My understanding is that the college of his choice would be one that he has already been accepted to.

"had he gotten his application in by December it would have greatly increased his chances"

Yes, applicants are always advised to have their application completed by the end of November if possible.

Best of luck to your son!

hubbellgardner · 06-12-2009, 02:40 PM

the only caveat is that the 'college of his choice' must offer ROTC. My brother had to switch his choice from Sewanee to Furman(he had been accepted to both) because of this. Otherwise, it is his choice. The deadline to notify colleges(May 1) had passed in his case, but, Furman and Sewanee were both gracious and understanding in supporting his change in college choice.

klw · 06-12-2009, 05:51 PM

Thanks for the information. I am not sure what he is going to do. I guess we will wait for the packet. My oldest son looked at Furman and we thought it was a really nice school. Good luck to your brother.

jwlstn · 06-12-2009, 08:32 PM

I don't know if it makes any difference at all in your decision but the scholarship is given to anyone and everyone who can pass a PT test and medical exam, it's not exactly a competitive scholarship.

I only say this because I wouldn't want your son to take the 4-year scholarship when he has the option of trying out ROTC for a year or two and then making the decision while retaining a 2 or 3 year scholarship. AROTC is great though, best of luck to your son.

Anonagron · 06-12-2009, 10:55 PM

jwlstn, I am a little confused by your perception that the 4-yr AROTC scholarship is not competitive. My son was offered 3 different full 4-yr AROTC scholarships, a Level 2 AFROTC Scholarship (full, 4-yr, just not quite as much as Level 1 - those only went to prospective engineering majors), as well as a West Point appointment. Our experience was that only those who were highly competitive were being offered the full four yr opportunities. Even then, cadets at civilian schools have a year (or in some cases, 2 years) fully paid in the ROTC program to decide if they wish to continue all four years. Most of the students we knew who were entering ROTC programs were not being offered the 4-yr scholarship straight out of high school, but rather a 2 or 3 year full-tuition after they had been in the program for at least a year.

jwlstn · 06-12-2009, 11:16 PM

I guess it depends on what your perception of competitive means. I'm just telling you what I've seen personally, and heard from many cadre members. PMS's have a tendency to play up the competitiveness of scholarships when in reality they are given to almost anyone who can gain admission and pass a medical/pt test. When I signed my contract the enrollment officer was actually confused because I was the only person he had come across that didn't ask for a scholarship or sign for one; in other words it's not something you apply for, it's generally assumed you get one whenever you contract.

At the end of the day how "competitive" it is doesn't matter, perhaps I shouldn't have used that term, we're all going to be officers in the United States Army and after you commission no one cares about how hard it was to get your scholarship. I didn't mean to disparage anyone's accomplishments, I was merely offering some perspective as I didn't want the OP to think that her son was being granted some one-time deal that they couldn't pass up.

BTW, I'm speaking about AROTC scholarships, I have no idea how the other branches do their scholarships, although I have heard that in recent years the Army has gotten a lot more funding for scholarships than other schools.

klw · 06-13-2009, 09:36 AM

As I was researching the ROTC Scholarship opportunities I was also wondering how competitive the scholarships are. Thus, my question as to if he could choose any school to attend might make the offer a bit better and make a difference in his decision. The bottom line is he did not get his application in until March because he really wanted to make sure he wanted to be an officer in the army. I read these posts of how badly these high school students want to be an officer and what they are willing to go through to reach their dreams. It is their life passion. I want to keep all doors open for him, but right now he does not have that passion that I see in others. I greatly admire all those who want to attend West Point and ROTC to serve our country, especially in these times. As for my son, things will work out. He just has to find his own path.

jwlstn · 06-13-2009, 03:15 PM

I'm not sure exactly what your question is but the scholarships are available if the student enrolls in AROTC at a participating institution. I don't believe that school necessarily has to have an AROTC battalion there however. For example, NC-central (a school near me) students are actually enrolled for AROTC at the Duke campus, not Central. Many smaller schools that cannot support an entire AROTC battalion have agreements with nearby schools like this.

Although I don't have experience with this myself, I think it would make it a little difficult to commute for ROTC classes and events to another school. For this reason it might be better to find a school that has its own program. Again, I'm sure it's different depending on the school so take my speculation for what it is. Hope that answers your question.

klw · 06-14-2009, 01:11 PM

Thanks for all the information. It has been helpful.

JustAMomOf4 · 06-15-2009, 09:29 AM

A couple of things here -

First, AROTC scholarships are quite plentiful - which, I guess, makes them less competitive. It's all about supply and demand. We are in the middle of two wars, folks. The Army has been and is currently expanding, while the Navy and Air Force are shrinking. There is a huge demand for junior officers in the Army.
Hence, it is true that nearly every college student who "qualifies" - academically, physically and medically who applies will receive a scholarship.

Now - those who applied to West Point and didn't concurrently apply for a AROTC scholarship - it's too late if you are FQNS to apply for the fall. The Army is making a concerted effort to offer you a scholaship and move you into officer training. They want you to be an Army Officer, they just don't have room for you at West Point this year.

Without this offer you would have to complete a semester, qualify academically again with a 2.5 college gpa and apply for a 3.5 year scholarship.

Also - for those applicants who choose to re-apply to West Point, taking Army ROTC in college is an excellent addition to your file and will improve it and your chance of selection.
Good Luck to you all.