Competitiveness of Marine Corps Scholarship

nickolai77

5-Year Member
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Feb 13, 2010
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Hello again everybody. I was also wondering how competitive a Marine Corps scholarship is compared to all of the other ROTC scholarship possibilities. A qualifying score is apparently SAT 1000 or ACT 22. Do scholarship recipients usually have a lot high scores than the ones posted? If so, can somebody please lend insight on the academical, physical, and leadership qualifications needed to be selected for an NROTC Marine Corps scholarship. Thank you again.
 
My DS received an NROTC Marine option scholarship. His ACT score was a 32 and GPA wad 3.6 with many dual credit and AP classes. He had lots of community service, was an eagle scout, 2 sports letterman two years in a row, national student ambassador, and an all district football player. Hope this helps.
 
My daughter applied for and didn't receive Marine Corps scholarship. She did receive AROTC 4-year scholarship. She has a 3.5 GPA, 1300+ on SAT, is Battalion XO in her high school ROTC, 3 year Track and softball letterman, in all gifted or AP classes. (she's been in gifted program since Kindergarten). Apparently, it was highly competitive this year. And your declared major makes a huge difference.
 
Marine Scholarship number less than 600 too

The Marine Corps Scholarship is very competitive and it would serve people better to learn as much as you can beforehand to judge your competitiveness. And here's something to ground you: Marine candidates who come out of the USNA are few compared to class size - maybe 75-100 graduate each year from the USNA. Going to the USNA DOES NOT mean you can just choose the USMC route; you try-out for it during your first 2 years and are accepted or declined by your junior year.

Marine Option scholarships in 2010 numbered 560: 274 Eastern Region and 286 Western Region. These get sprinkled over 6 recruiting districts and their sub-stations for filling. Likewise there are federally enforced minority regulations that are also a part of the process. This year mandated that of the 560 awards available 99 be for those of different minority groups. My son's NJ unit had 11 scholarships to offer and the poolie group numbered about 24 when all was said and done.

Although the USMC doesn't require ANY specific major, certain majors or career ambitions should be obvious - if your goal is to pursue a medical degree, a nursing degree, a dental degree, become a psychiatrist, physician's assistant, opthomologist, or religious minister, the USMC Scholarship is not for you. The USMC wants to create officers for combat assignments: Infantry, Armor, Air, Artillery, Communications, etc... and the requisite supporting units. The USMC does not have doctors, nurses, religious personnel, etc... All those roles are in the US Navy.

Likewise, even though your GPA is 4.00 and your combined Math and Eng scores on the SAT are 1500, if you can't run 3 miles in less than 23 minutes(men), do 45 crunches in 2 minutes or do any pull-ups/hangs(women), the USMC is not for you. OCS is EXTREMELY physical and for the kids doing OCS the summer of their junior years, it is only 6 weeks long. Anybody who shows up at Quantico that summer with less than a Class 1 PFT, is going to be at severe risk of washing out.

So the bottomline is that Marine NROTC Scholarships are very competitive and each area of assessment is weighed in the process: academic, minority, fitness, and extra-curricular activities.
 
DS awarded scholarship from an early board (notified in November). Stats:
- 1280 SAT, 98.8 weighted average
- HS Rank 10/265
- Two sport varsity athlete (Track - all four years, X-C - three yrs) - Also played BB and FB as a freshman...not varsity
- GT/Distinguished Scholar academic track (several AP classes)
- National Honor Society and some community service time
- No "formal" leadership positions (Track and X-C do not have captains at his school and never ran for class officer), but participated in PAL's (Peer Assistance and Leadership) class for 3 yrs.
- 250 on PFT taken in August

He was told that he was competitive, but fairly average recipient for the MC option.
 
My son also applied for a Marine option Rotc scholarship but did not receive one, but he did get the Army 4 year.

His stats were:

ACT 26
GPA 3.6
4 year varsity track and x-country letter athlete.
Peer helping 3 years.
But lack leadership opportunties because of track hurt him.

He got perfect score on his PFT

Ran 3 miles at 17:00
Maxed out on pull ups and sit ups

So I would agree with everyone else it is very competive scholarship.
 
I was awarded a Marine Option NROTC Scholaship and here are my stats:

-SAT:1110 GPA:3.34
-Class Rank 34/172
-2 year Varsity letterman in Football (Captain my senior year), Baseball and Basketball freshman year, and Wrestling junior year
-Lots of community service and I had a job
-I was in the Delayed Entry Program which the recruiter told me helped significantly
-282 on my PFT

I was far from an outstanding candidate academically I think the big thing was being in DEP and being captain in football but no one really knows why they choose who they do.
 
I was awarded the Scholarship.
SAT:1010 the 1st time and 1150 the 2nd time(Math and Reading)
GPA:3.4 GPA~Graduate 1 semester early
Class Rank 115/700
Played Basketball Freshman year, Football Sophomore year (Varsity),and was on the Weight Lifting team
Lots of community service and I had 2 jobs
I was in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) up until a couple weeks b4 i shipped for boot and got the scholarship.~almost a complete year
297 on my PFT(almost at the magic 300)
 
Looks like the PFT is the Winner....

My son's record:

SAT: 1180
GPA: 3.5
Job: Certified Lifeguard, CPR Training
Varsity Letter in all 3 categories of Track for 2 years.
Volunteer work: Summer Camp for Disabled Children
Early Acceptance: Norwich University, Mechanical Engineering
3 Scholarship Awards - Merit, Achievement, J. Walter Juckett
PFT: 180 - 3 mile: 17:10, 45 crunches, 5 pull-ups

Would seem odd that a PFT score that doesn't matter till your junior year and one that you could have improved in 3 weeks would negate the other areas. He'll try for a side-load next year.
 
Marine option

I was told by our Recruiting Region's XO, that this year's selection for the Main Board was very competitive. I applied for the the Early Board (Fall 2009) and did not get selected; Luckily, I applied again for the Spring 2010 board and got accepted. My Stat's (for what it's worth):

GPA: 3.89
Rank: 10/142
SAT's: 1280
PFT: 276
Sports: Letterd 4 yr Football (Spec Team Capt), Lettered 4 yr Track & Field, 4 yr Soccer (summer league)
Other: Area Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership, National Honor Society, 4 year National Latin Awardee, 4 yr Band. Volunteer work with local Church and area Food Bank.
Stated Major: Aero Engineering/Applied Mathematics
 
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Marine Option

Aglages: I guess I should have said "resubmitted" vice "applied again". The basic NROTC (Marine Option)package which I submitted in Oct 2009 was resubmitted for Spring 2010; however, it reflected newer SAT scores, latest PFT scores, latest class standing (GPA, etc), 2d Semester Transcripts, .......
 
I got an Marine Corps Option-NROTC Scholarship


34 ACT
1/120 Class Rank
One B in four years, including AP's
Varsity Swim Team Captain
Debate Team Captain
Certified Lifeguard

PFT: 248
 
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I received the NROTC MO:

32 ACT
2210 Overall SAT (1500 Math and Reading)
1/480 Class Rank
4.67 GPA
2 Sport Varsity Athlete
14 Years of Club Soccer
294 PFT
Intended Major: Political Science
 
My son's record:

SAT: 1180
GPA: 3.5
Job: Certified Lifeguard, CPR Training
Varsity Letter in all 3 categories of Track for 2 years.
Volunteer work: Summer Camp for Disabled Children
Early Acceptance: Norwich University, Mechanical Engineering
3 Scholarship Awards - Merit, Achievement, J. Walter Juckett
PFT: 180 - 3 mile: 17:10, 45 crunches, 5 pull-ups

Would seem odd that a PFT score that doesn't matter till your junior year and one that you could have improved in 3 weeks would negate the other areas. He'll try for a side-load next year.

Wish I could run a 17:10 3 Mile aha
 
It seems like a lot of you NROTC-USMC Option guys are better qualified than many who are accepted to the USNA, both physically, academically and in character. I see people with almost identical resume's who can barely do 5 pullups on the CFA who still get in, let alone get 1st class on the USMC PFT. Did you guys just not apply to the USNA or were you denied? Does NROTC just stress physical fitness more than the USNA?
 
It seems like a lot of you NROTC-USMC Option guys are better qualified than many who are accepted to the USNA, both physically, academically and in character. I see people with almost identical resume's who can barely do 5 pullups on the CFA who still get in, let alone get 1st class on the USMC PFT. Did you guys just not apply to the USNA or were you denied? Does NROTC just stress physical fitness more than the USNA?

I'll be attending USNA as a member of the Class of 2014.
 
question about scholarship and university choice

What happens if one gets a scholarship to a school that he/she didn't apply to, and the deadline for registration has already passed?
 
School you didn't apply to....

Call Lt. Erin Connor in Pensecola ASAP. She can help with this. Likewise, call the schools NROTC Commanding or Executive Officer.

The bootomline is that you'll be coming to the school "fully paid-for". The school should be very welcoming as they don't have to use any of their funds to help you attend.

:)!
Good luck,
Bob McMahon
 
It seems like a lot of you NROTC-USMC Option guys are better qualified than many who are accepted to the USNA, both physically, academically and in character. I see people with almost identical resume's who can barely do 5 pullups on the CFA who still get in, let alone get 1st class on the USMC PFT. Did you guys just not apply to the USNA or were you denied? Does NROTC just stress physical fitness more than the USNA?

I didn't think my academics and test scores were strong enough to be appointed to USNA, although attending the Naval Academy has always been my dream, so I just focused on NROTC Marine Option and I was lucky enough to get a scholarship.
 
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