<p>There is a big myth in A&M admissions that, if you just check the “Corps of Cadets” interest box on your application, it will get you in. The CofC staff does have some influence with admissions, but under circumstances that require much more than a box checked. First, you have to at least meet the minimums for entrance into the university. Participation in the Corps, especially during your freshman year, can cause a real hit on academic performance. They are not interested in admitting students to the program that don’t have the mental fortitude to pass their classes. It would look bad on the Corps statistics if that was the case. Secondly, the Corps is interested in decent retention. Therefore, they also want to see you are at least entering with the intention of staying in the Corps, not just using it as a stepping stone for admission only to drop out and become a non-reg the first week of school. So they look for prior involvement in Corps admission programs. These include campus visits to talk to Corps staff, Spend the Night and Spend the Day with the Corps, Aggie Eagle program, obtaining an ROTC scholarship, etc.</p>
<p>So, the short answer is, yes, it can help, but the long answer is, only if you seriously want to participate. Now, any student who has been accepted to A&M can easily join the Corps at that point. It’s the getting accepted that is the tough part.</p>