How long have you known...?

How long have you known you wanted to attend an SA/ do ROTC?

  • Since grade school or younger

    Votes: 10 17.9%

  • Since middle school (7th or 8th grade)

    Votes: 14 25.0%

  • Since early high school (9th or 10th grade)

    Votes: 17 30.4%

  • Junior year of high school

    Votes: 13 23.2%

  • Only decided this year

    Votes: 2 3.6%
  • Total voters
    56
rotcdonde

rotcdonde

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
70
For those of you who have a ROTC scholarship (or SA appointment) how long have you known you wanted to do ROTC/attend a SA? I've seen a lot of people on these forums that have known since grade school, and I was wondering if that was common...
 
It was only a daydream when I started looking into it early sophomore year - it turned into a reality when I got into SLS and the tears flowed when I got an LOA (not :rolleyes:)!
 
Heavy interest: Junior Year
Definite goal: after Summer Seminar
 
I've always wanted to be in the military, or hold a job as a firefighter or police officer. 9/11 reaffirmed my stance on serving, and about 2 years later (putting me in 6th grade), I decided on the military.

I was unsure about enlisted or officer, and leaning toward Army, but my involvement with the Civil Air Patrol (starting in 7th grade), along with a friend of mine, helped me decide to become an officer in the Air Force.

By 8th grade I knew all about AFROTC and the service academies, so to put a date on it - 8th grade/2005.

Also, where I live, middle school starts in 6th grade, so basically my decision to join the military coincided with when I started middle school.
 
I always thought being in the military would be cool, but never really looked into because college has always been the main goal in my family. However after research my junior year it was obvious I could get that post-highschool education and serve in the military. My true interest started in my junior year when a friend of mine enlisted in the Army (he actually ended up doing ROTC now). Like raimius my interest increased exponentially after summer seminar and has been strong ever since.
 
Military interest: 7th grade after a Veterans' Day project
8-9th grade: found out about ROTC
10th grade: friend got into USNA and I vegan researching academies.
 
Throughout middle school I would always say I wanted to be so and so, but with an empty and hollow meaning. I knew the military was always at the back at my mind, but I think I was too scared to say that I possibly wanted to join the military. It wasn't until right before my freshman year ended we were working on a college/major/career until I researched a little more. I found out a lot about the service academies and the military. Over the summer I found out all I could and I now aspire to receive an appointment to West Point and be an army officer.
 
seems like I decided latest out of everyone....I had thought about, but never seriously considered the military, then applied for the army rotc scholarship in november pretty much as a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing, ended up getting the scholarship and now, after researching a lot more and understanding better what it involved and what the commission means, cant wait to start rotc and serve as an officer. :smile:
 
When I was a kid, at points I wanted to be a fighter pilot, firefighter, police officer. When I was in 8th grade I knew I wanted to be in military spec ops, but was not sure if wanted to enlist or commission. In spring of 8th grade, I began investigating the academies, and about mid 9th grade, decided wanted to go officer (whether it be through academies, ROTC, or Reserves to ROTC/academies) and since then haven't changed mind yet.
 
rotcdonde said:
seems like I decided latest out of everyone....I had thought about, but never seriously considered the military, then applied for the army rotc scholarship in november pretty much as a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing, ended up getting the scholarship and now, after researching a lot more and understanding better what it involved and what the commission means, cant wait to start rotc and serve as an officer. :smile:
Click to expand...

I talked to a USNA grad from 2003 and she said she didn't even consider it until her senior year and very spur of the moment applied, barely got her nomination deadlines in, and then got accepted. She said it was the best thing she's ever done and has never worried about the fact that she hadn't previously thought of a military career.
 
It had been a thought in the back of my mind during the beginning of my high school years, but at that time I was really more focused on doing well where I was. During Junior year I started to consider the military seriously and decided that was what I wanted to do. I feel like I'm an exception to most peoples stories -- I talk to tons of people who have wanted an academy since seventh grade, had military family, had childhood dreams of a certain job (Fighter pilot, sub captain, etc.) or had a particular event or something that sparked their interest. It's kind of hard to put a finger on any one particular thing that led me to pursue the military, I guess I just thought about it initially and the more and more I looked into the military as a career (and the academies for college) the more I liked what I saw.
 
Since 6th grade, but I was quiet about it, meaning I told my parents and family, until about 8th grade. 8th grade I filled out my preliminary application to USNA and then filled out my SS application ASAP. Now it feels great to have recieved a 4-year NROTC to a school I got wait listed to (don't ask) and an Appointment to USNA!
 
Been in the back of my mind since middle school. Definetly grew a strong interest at the beginning of 9th grade. My goals to join the military are pretty much a number one priority right now. I had been contemplating enlisting 11B or 0311 (took the ASVAB and spoke to recruiters), but that didn't sit well with my family who are all college graduates and while appreciative of servicemen, did not want that for their son. After many heated discussions, it was mutually agreed that they would be supportive of me going the officer route. I will now be applying to USNA, USAFA, and for NROTC-Marine Option for the class of 2015. USNA is my top choice, but I wanted to give USAFA a shot so I'll be going to the summer seminar for AF. I plan on pursuing a career as an officer whether it be through USNA, ROTC, USAFA or OCS.
 
goldfarb1 - awesome plan. Extremely important to pursue all options and submit your best possible application to each SA and ROTC unit . As this year proves NROTC MO, USNA, AFROTC are very competitive. And the reality is, each option is truly a plan A.
 
I didn't even know about USAFA until the summer before my senior year. I applied, got denied, did a year of AFROTC, reapplied and got an appointment.
 
Well, back around 8th-9th up until the end of sophomore year I was real gung-ho on the Marine Corps. Then I lost that dream for a bit, and basically all of my junior year I was looking to become a doctor, but I could never get the military out of my mind. About a month into senior year an Army recruiter came into one of our classes, and he was talking about amedd for awhile. That sparked my interest in becoming a doctor with the Army. Well that renewed interest in the military turned into me applying for, and being awarded, an AROTC scholarship to Ohio State with an international studies major. I guess that's part of growing up, finding out who you are and what you want. I'm very glad I went back to my original dreams in the military, and made this choice.
 
I've known since about 8th grade that I wanted to go to a service academy. Knew I wanted to go USMA or USNA, and ended up choosing Army.
 
Honestly, I think it wasn't until the middle of Yearling year that I realized I wanted to do it (yes, you read that correctly). Prior to that, WP was a backup option. When my congressman called on Christmas Eve and told me he was giving me the nomination and wanted to know my decision, I said yes before I even thought about what I was doing. I guess you could say I fell into this whole thing.
 
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