Thanks for the advice, I hear that a lot but I always brushed it off as a underachievers advice but I will look into more personal institutions.
Are any less selective colleges (with ROTC and your intended major) affordable? For example, in-state public universities?
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yes many of my students think the same. It’s natural for teens to focus on achievements rather than growth. I think it’s because that’s what the society bases on when giving feedback/rewards. I don’t think it’s healthy though.
UMASS Amherst, BC maybe
You probably already know this. However, I will point out that the US military, and probably just about any competent military, has a significant need for people with a university education.
As one example there are a variety of mathematics and computer science tasks that the military needs help with. Similarly, the problem of maintaining logistics networks is something that is very interesting to large companies, but is also interesting to the military. Some of the associated mathematics is quite interesting and definitely not easy to solve in an optimal way. There are huge numbers of other ways that a university education can be helpful to our armed services.
Not surprising, given how important logistics is for the military.
Your safety is umass amherst, a very good school. I would recommend prepping like crazy for the psat, in the hopes of making national merit, which would bring a full ride to Alabama and free tuition in some other decent schools.
If you really want the military academies, you need to work on making the connections to get the needed congressional rec, but also consider the Coast Guard Academy, which does not require this.
None of these colleges are guaranteed admissions for you…right now.
But back to the subject…you are a HS sophomore.
I won’t repeat what I wrote in post 12, but please go back and read it…again.
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Preferably I want to go into intelligence or engineering if I chose to serve.
I did re-read it. I’ve been reading more into it and I realized I should keep my high grades but mainly work on sat prep and psat aswell as some sort of “passion project”. It seems disingenuous to make one just for admissions but I’m sure something genuine will come along at some point.
You have a good shot at an ROTC scholarship if you want military to be your career. That would allow you to go most anywhere. You don’t need a “T20” school. You just need a good ROTC program. In fact, Texas A&M Corp of Cadets graduates more officers than the service academies. That’s something to consider.
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Thanks for the comment. I see the T20 more as a educational goal than for the scholarship as it can follow me at any school.
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I didn’t see a branch of ROTC mentioned here but the scholarship following you to any school is absolutely not true for the Navy. For an NROTC scholarship you apply to up to 5 schools and they award it to a specific school- which you must also be accepted to.
My son is currently a senior applying to 3 acacdemies and 2 ROTC scholarships. He had to apply to 3 members of congress as well. So far he’s written about 12 essays, had seven interviews, 3 different fitness tests, medical and eye exams. Started the process in July. It is intense. He is a 3 year JROTC, commander of the Raiders team, won an AFJROTC scholarship to get his pilots license over the summer. Depending on your district, and all of the work involved, a service academy acceptance in my opinion is less of a “lottery” than the Ivy’s because it seems they truly get to know the candidates through this process and if you can get through all of the application hoops you have a decent shot.
An anecdote about prestige. My daughter’s dream school was Princeton where she wanted to dance in their ballet company and major in math. She checked all the boxes - perfect ACT score, graduated with excellent grades from a boarding school ranked in the top 5 in the country that sends 30% of their senior class to Ivy’s. Classically trained pre-pro ballet dancer was her interesting “spike” among other EC’s. Excellent LOR’s. She did not get in. She did not get in to Amherst or Vassar or Williams (WL) or a few others. Did get in to Hamilton and Colgate. Got a full tuition scholarship to Pitt and Bama. Turned them down for the Hamilton “prestige”. Hated it and didn’t go back after first semester. Fit with a school can be a very real thing. She thought she would be fine anywhere. This year she transferred to a school with a wonderful reputation but not super prestigious and is thriving. Find some safeties that you LOVE.
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You may want to take a serious look at Texas A&M, as @coolguy40 suggested above. They actually have the #1 ranked Intelligence Studies program.
Here are the top 25 programs.
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