Intelligence Which Branch for ROTC?

coldharbour

5-Year Member
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Sep 5, 2010
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18
Hi all I have some questions about ROTC, and which branch I would be best suited for. My Background- I am female, live in CA and attend a catholic private high school, I work for DON (dpt. of the Navy) already at a Military post graduate school. None of my family members are in the Military. I maintain a 3.6 gps with AP and honors classes I am also a Junior in high school. In addition I am involved in marching Jazz and Symphonic band. I want to major in communications/international affairs/relations. My ultimate goal is to work in intelligence, or to become a JAG.

1. When should I take my SAT/ ACT?
2.Which ROTC branch would be best for my "wanted major"?
3. should I bother applying to an SA with my resume, or are my grades just not high enough?
4. Can I apply for more than one ROTC program at a time? IE AFROTC NROTC and AROTC?
5.Will I need to submit letters of recommendation?
6.Which Branch of the military really has the most career extensive and in depth intel dpt?


At this point i really don't care what branch I go into, I just really want to be in the military and be involved with intelligence. Math and Science aren't really my strong suites - English and History I really shine in, so that's why I have shied away from an engineering major. Also my early job working with computers and the military for DON has really opened my eyes into the what CS majors study and it really just isn't for me.

Please let me know what you guys think!
 
1. When should I take my SAT/ ACT?
2.Which ROTC branch would be best for my "wanted major"?
3. should I bother applying to an SA with my resume, or are my grades just not high enough?
4. Can I apply for more than one ROTC program at a time? IE AFROTC NROTC and AROTC?
5.Will I need to submit letters of recommendation?
6.Which Branch of the military really has the most career extensive and in depth intel dpt?

1. Take it in January (since you are a junior) and then retake it if necessary to improve your scores. You will probably want to retake it at least once.

2. Military Intelligence in the Army is probably going to be the smoothest course for you, since you don't want to focus in science/math. The Navy requires calculus and physics and the vast majority of NROTC scholarships are for science/math fields.

3. If you are interested in and committed to attending a SA, then apply.

4. Yes, you can apply to all three and the SAs at the same time. Different selection boards and processes for each.

5. Yes. Often you will get these from teachers, supervisors, etc. Given that you work at (I'm guessing) Naval Post-Graduate School, you should have supervisors who would support you with letters of recommendation.

6. You will probably get all kinds of opinions on this. Each branch's intelligence capability is tailored to the needs of that branch so it's kind of an apples and oranges question. My experience is with the Army's Military Intelligence branch. I have friends who did their whole career in MI, then retired and went to work as civilian analysts for places like NSA and NGA.

As for the process...spend some time reading through these forums to educate yourself on how to proceed. Good luck!
 
1. You should start taking your ACT/SAT as soon as possible because they superscore. Take both because they will take the best of the two. They don't mix and match the tests, but if you score higher on the ACT over the SAT, they will not look at the SAT and only score your packet on the ACT score.

2. Every branch has opportunities for your desired major. You should look into the actual branches to determine which one you want to join. All of the branches have different missions.

3. It is not for us to say apply to an SA. You need to decide if that is the type of education you want. We all always say the only 100% guarantee we can give is that if you don't apply you have 0% of getting in.

4. You can apply for all 3 branches. They are all separate boards. That means you need to apply for each separately.

5. Yes, you need to submit recs, but again each branch has their own procedures for the boards. On top of that each SA has their own reqs that can be different than the ROTC application. In essence, if you applied to each SA and each ROTC, you are looking at creating 6 packets.

6. Each branch has the most extensive and in depth career path for Intels. Jets don't go off on a mission without Intel, Cruise missiles need intel for their mission, and troops need intel. There is no one branch that has more intel than another. The difference is the mission. Again, go and research what branch intriques you the most.

Now for things you have yet to think about.

1. JAG is a very hard path to get on. You can't just graduate and go off to law school (at least for the AF). You need to spend @2 yrs AD before you can apply. Even then the % accepted on the AF dime to attend law school, is very low...you probably have a better chance of becoming a fighter pilot than getting in this option.

That being said, this is a path that many have succeeded in, and you just need to be aware that just because it is your dream doesn't mean it will happen. You will serve at the luxury of the service.

2. You will owe back time no matter what branch you chose. The time will differ based on SA or ROTC and the career field. Payback time does not start until you finish the school for your career. Also in ROTC just because you graduate in May, doesn't mean you will go AD in June. SA grads always go before ROTC grads to schools, thus, when they get through the SA class they will then start sending the ROTC grads. There may be a lag time of 6-9 months. During that lag time, you are not an AD member. They will not be paying you, and your payback time has yet to start.

3. The AFROTC and NROTC boards are considered to be the most competitive. AFROTC does give full rides for your desired majors, BUT, they are very few. 20% of all AFROTC are full ride. 5% of that 20% go to non-technical careers. Competition is steep...think about 5% of 20% is 1 candidate out of 100 that get it.

4. The military (SA and ROTC) likes to see athletic participation too. In your post you do not mention any involvement. They want to see this because both routes will require you to be physically fit. Both routes demand you to participate in PT. Both routes will require you to take their form of a PT exam (PFA or CFA). Your packet will get a score regarding how well you perform on these tests.

5. Now is the time if you have any medical issues to start addressing them. Too many kids think no problem I am healthy I should pass the DodMerb, only to find out that they were prescribed accutane for acne and that is a disqualifier. Or they have a pin in their arm because they broke it at 6 yo. They can get waivers, but this takes time, so if you know now that you had some issue when you were younger, it is best to be prepared with all of your medical paperwork from the start so you can get through the process easier.

Hope that helps. You are ahead of the game because you are starting now instead of next April.

One last thing, if the SA is on the table I suggest in January you apply for the SLS program at each SA. This will allow you to spend a few weeks at each SA to see which one is the best fit for you or if you even want to go this route at all.

Good luck.
 
Hi Pima. Just one quick note on your response. You say that Accutane use is a disqualifier. To my knowledge, it is only a disqualifier if it has been within a window of time since you took it when you have your physical. My son took Accutane as a freshman in high school. He is now on Army ROTC scholarship in his sophomore year of college. He passed the DoDMERB with no disqualifications. Perhaps that has changed since he applied two years ago, but it was not a problem for him then.
 
You are correct it is a window, I was just being broad based in the spectrum. Accutane comes up every yr, along with braces (kids with them still). My point is/was what seems as a no biggie issue can become a dq and that hampers the process.

In the case of the OP, if they know as a jr that they have had any medical issue that would be revealed it would be in their best interest now to go on the DodMerb thread and ask MullenLE if it is an issue.

Candidates do not understand that DodMerb can be a big hold up in this process. I was merely suggesting if there is any medical issue get a head of the game like they are doing for the ROTC/SA process.

This forum is filled with candidates that never realized color blindness is an issue for the Navy, not so much for the Army or AF. I was just trying to make sure they understand it is not only about academics, but physical fitness and medical qualifications that will play a part in the decision. Just because you have the grades and the stats doesn't mean you are the ideal candidate.

OP and other candidates, the reason you get a scholarship or don't get one is because of the Whole Candidate Score (WCS). In that score you will be reviewed on your academics, ECs, PFA/CFA, recs. Your DodMerb is not a point issue, it is a thumbs up or down for medically qualified. If you get a thumbs down, you may have the ability to get a waiver to give you a thumbs up.
 
I don't know about NROTC or AFROTC.

However, AROTC does NOT require rec letters
 
1. You should start taking your ACT/SAT as soon as possible because they superscore. Take both because they will take the best of the two. They don't mix and match the tests, but if you score higher on the ACT over the SAT, they will not look at the SAT and only score your packet on the ACT score.

For the SAT's , do they superscore? Meaning, do they take the highest scores of each subjects among all your SAT's or only a single SAT?
 
They take the highest score for each section, in other words take it in Dec get 600 M and 650 CR. Take it in January and get 630 M and 620 CR. Your superscore would be 630 M and 650CR
 
They take the highest score for each section, in other words take it in Dec get 600 M and 650 CR. Take it in January and get 630 M and 620 CR. Your superscore would be 630 M and 650CR

Are you positive? A local recruiter for the ROTC Scholarship told me they don't
 
Here's the issue with local recruiters, they are not ALO's. They are not involved at all in the process. Their job is not to recruit officers, but enlisted.

Logic here...the SA's superscore. The SA's are the big boys in the military educational system. Now if they do, why wouldn't ROTC?

Next, almost every college, including HYSPM, superscore. For the Navy and Army you place your colleges on the list for determination. They try to match scholarships to schools, without superscoring this would mess the system up, because every kid takes more than one SAT or ACT. To take only the 1st one out of the gate means, that many of these candidates would not match to their intended school.

IMHPO you are much worse off by waiting because in the end you could find yourself behind the power curve and have to wait to next fall, which means you won't meet the earlier boards since your packet would not be complete.

The rule of thumb is place a 0 behind your PSAT score and that will be the ballpark for the SAT. So, if you know your PSAT score and feel it is on the low end for your intended colleges or the SA, start doing practice tests now.

Our DS took the SAT 2x, and the ACT 1x. In the end it was his ACT score they took because it was higher than the SAT when they converted it. A good ballpark to shoot for is 1300. Higher if you are weak on ECs.

One other thing to remember when applying for ROTC, you may not opt to apply for an SA, but 99% of the SA candidates apply for an ROTC scholarship as their back up. ROTC boards don't place into consideration if the student is applying to an SA. Highest score wins the ROTC scholarship. Aim to be competitive against SA candidates.
 
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