ccapella

My son is a HS sophomore next year and is thinking about West Point. We have Jr. ROTC at our High School but it is Air Force not Army. Does Jr. ROTC help getting in to West Point and would it matter that it is Air Force and not Army.

Thanks for your help.

shadow17

I don't know how much it weighs in (probably as much as any other school club), but if he excells and becomes a student officer it will help for sure.
Your JROTC commander can also help get you a nomination to the academy, but only to the same branch your JROTC is (AFJROTC - Air Force, NROTC - Annapolis, AROTC - West Point)

soltaricynic

On the USMA application, ROTC member is one check box, ROTC officer is another and ROTC Battalion Commander is another, so if your son has the skill and determination to make it up there, that's three check boxes, which is equal to three other extra curricular activities such as band, clubs, etc.

Being in the program is but a small small taste of what to expect in the Academy, so it could be somewhat of a preview for your son. Another thing to consider is that the experiances he has could be useful essay topics for the nomination and application process.

Like what shadow17 said, being an AF program, there's not much that it could do to help him obtain a nomination, but the program does offer some intrinsic value on the application.

Good Luck to your son.

it all works out

I have been told that if your JROTC unit is a 'distinguished unit with honors' then you can receive a nomination to any branch.

soltaricynic

I looked at the forms again and you may only apply if your unit is a "gold star unit" aka "distinguished unit with honors." The form also implies that you may only apply to USMA through an Army J/ROTC unit.

it all works out

Not to belabor the point, but daughter goes to a NJROTC. We asked her MALO about getting a nomination for MA. He reported back 'yes' as long as the NJROTC is distinguished w/ honors. You might want to ask.

JustAMomOf4

it all works out is correct.
Keep in mind the number of nominations available in this category is very small, only 20; and includes those in ROTC in college.
It is still important to apply for your Congressional and VP nominations as well.

That said - being involved in a JROTC unit (even AF) can certainly enhance one's applicaiton. JROTC provides exposure to the military and opportunities for leadership.

Anonagron

Even if the total number nominations from ROTC units is comparatively small, they do produce some from high school units, and from Air Force JROTC Unit of Distinctions at that. I know this firsthand as a young man from an adjoining county to us received a nomination to WP from a high school Air Force unit. If nothing else, it gives more "wiggle room" for admissions to give more students an opportunity for candidacy. That said, not all units qualify. Our unit just gained this status this spring, a year later than our son entered the academy. You will need to check with your high school aerospace instructor to know for sure.

While being a member of a JROTC unit in high school is not a necessity, it certainly will not hurt the application process and from our experience will likely enhance it because of the leadership opportunities it presents. Not only helpful for admissions, but the military drill and ceremonies will become second nature. Our son found this a real advantage on R-Day as he was always waiting for a cadre escort to take him to the next station when his Beast company was learning drill. (We were surprised to find out that R-Day is "organized chaos" -the company does not stay together the entire day - which probably explained why some new cadets did not look like they had a clue how to march during the R-Day parade and Oath Ceremony!). He told us later that he would have had a lot of unwanted "extra attention" that day w/o his JROTC drill experience.

Good luck! Please keep us posted.

suz207

hey there anon!! Such memories huh?
ccapella...I sent you a private message.
;~)

ccapella

Thanks for the replies. You have all been very helpful!

JPWPUSMA

Not unless your the HOOAH leader of your school; college ROTC helps and it is more realisitic in college anyways.