Three Year Scholarship?

vira

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I was a former class of 2015 mid at USNA but I dropped out after Plebe Summer. Currently I'm going to UCR because my other choice schools were full and UCR was the only open campus. I realized I made a HUGE mistake from dropping out of USNA (but I don't want to really talk about this decision) and I still want to do military. I'm taking ROTC at Claremont McKenna College, and they said that I should try to transfer in next year and try to get a scholarship next year too.

My question is, is that my only option left in terms of a potential scholarship? I was offered an AROTC scholarship to UC Santa barbara (my 3rd choice) but it's been withdrawn cause I went to USNA. The recruiting officer said he'll try to make it work for me and says that the admissions office will make a special case for me to transfer to UCSB next year but I have to be certain that I am committed (usually UC transfers are two years). I highly doubt I will get into Claremont McKenna since I got rejected from schools like UCLA and USC, but I'll try.

What exactly is available to me at this point? Is the UCSB probable? The recruiting officer has not contacted me in weeks. Is NROTC still a possible option if I want to reapply to a school with NROTC?
 
Are you in AROTC because there is no NROTC unit affiliated with your college?

The problem for you trying to get an NROTC scholarship IMPO would be you are not in NROTC. Why should they give you a 3 yr when someone else has been in NROTC and you have been in AROTC?

You need to decide which branch you want to serve in because college is still college...30 weeks a yr. and not 40 hrs a week. AD is AD...52 weeks a yr. and can be more than 50 hrs a week.

If you are going AROTC only to pay for college, remember you still will owe 4 yrs payback and you will serve at their pleasure.

The people that are always the most miserable in the military are the ones that their hearts are not in it.
 
I'm in AROTC because it's either this or AFROTC. I'm not doing this for a scholarship because I already have a Calgrant to pay for college, I just want to be able to have a career in the military and I threw away a good opportunity and now I regret it :frown:

I would prefer doing NROTC though and I'm trying to get into a school with one. Only thing I AM worried about paying for is room and board if I do transfer, because I am a commuter right now.
 
Are you in AROTC because there is no NROTC unit affiliated with your college?

The problem for you trying to get an NROTC scholarship IMPO would be you are not in NROTC. Why should they give you a 3 yr when someone else has been in NROTC and you have been in AROTC?

You need to decide which branch you want to serve in because college is still college...30 weeks a yr. and not 40 hrs a week. AD is AD...52 weeks a yr. and can be more than 50 hrs a week.

If you are going AROTC only to pay for college, remember you still will owe 4 yrs payback and you will serve at their pleasure.

The people that are always the most miserable in the military are the ones that their hearts are not in it.

Pima,

One of the best post I read, in a long time.

RGK
 
I was a former class of 2015 mid at USNA but I dropped out after Plebe Summer. Currently I'm going to UCR because my other choice schools were full and UCR was the only open campus. I realized I made a HUGE mistake from dropping out of USNA (but I don't want to really talk about this decision) and I still want to do military. I'm taking ROTC at Claremont McKenna College, and they said that I should try to transfer in next year and try to get a scholarship next year too.

My question is, is that my only option left in terms of a potential scholarship? I was offered an AROTC scholarship to UC Santa barbara (my 3rd choice) but it's been withdrawn cause I went to USNA. The recruiting officer said he'll try to make it work for me and says that the admissions office will make a special case for me to transfer to UCSB next year but I have to be certain that I am committed (usually UC transfers are two years). I highly doubt I will get into Claremont McKenna since I got rejected from schools like UCLA and USC, but I'll try.

What exactly is available to me at this point? Is the UCSB probable? The recruiting officer has not contacted me in weeks. Is NROTC still a possible option if I want to reapply to a school with NROTC?

A lot will depend on where you are able to transfer.

My advise would be to transfer to the college you feel the best about, not one that gives you the most optimistic chance of a scholarship. In school Scholarships will be difficult this year and even more so next. If you end up at a school you really don't like just for a chance at a scholarship and end up not receiving one, then your stuck. Things are changing every year in regards to AROTC scholarships, what worked last year may not work this year. The ROO may have been making comments based on how he was able to secure scholarships last year only to find out he can't do the same this year.

The bottom line is that you should first work to get a transfer to the college you wish to attend, make sure they have the ROTC program you want, and be prepared to complete school and ROTC without the scholarship. Not sure if dropping out of the USNA will have an effect on whether a scholarship would be offered or not, if there is it will probably effect the NROTC the most.

I was surprised to hear UCLA and USC rejected you but you were accepted to the USNA, those schools must be tough to get into these days.
 
A lot will depend on where you are able to transfer.

My advise would be to transfer to the college you feel the best about, not one that gives you the most optimistic chance of a scholarship. In school Scholarships will be difficult this year and even more so next. If you end up at a school you really don't like just for a chance at a scholarship and end up not receiving one, then your stuck. Things are changing every year in regards to AROTC scholarships, what worked last year may not work this year. The ROO may have been making comments based on how he was able to secure scholarships last year only to find out he can't do the same this year.

The bottom line is that you should first work to get a transfer to the college you wish to attend, make sure they have the ROTC program you want, and be prepared to complete school and ROTC without the scholarship. Not sure if dropping out of the USNA will have an effect on whether a scholarship would be offered or not, if there is it will probably effect the NROTC the most.

I was surprised to hear UCLA and USC rejected you but you were accepted to the USNA, those schools must be tough to get into these days.

I really want to transfer to UCSB because I just love the campus and the community. My first priority is to get out of Riverside, I just really don't like this place. I don't mind being in Army ROTC because I do like stuff they offer like Ranger Challenge and so far it's been really fun, but I would still prefer being a Naval officer. I'm prepared to be rejected from NROTC again though and I really don't want to go out of state either.

I was considered average in my high school, and about 30-40 people from my high school are going to UCLA. My school was very smart and talented and there were about 40 National Merit Scholars and also a good amount of Ivy League students, so it's no surprise to me that I didn't get into those schools considering my class rank.
 
I really want to transfer to UCSB because I just love the campus and the community. My first priority is to get out of Riverside, I just really don't like this place. I don't mind being in Army ROTC because I do like stuff they offer like Ranger Challenge and so far it's been really fun, but I would still prefer being a Naval officer. I'm prepared to be rejected from NROTC again though and I really don't want to go out of state either.

I was considered average in my high school, and about 30-40 people from my high school are going to UCLA. My school was very smart and talented and there were about 40 National Merit Scholars and also a good amount of Ivy League students, so it's no surprise to me that I didn't get into those schools considering my class rank.

Don't feel bad about dropping out of the USNA, you still have the opportunity to serve a long and successful career in the army/navy. Who knows the army might even grow on you. Besides UCSB is awesome school (academically and well...socially) or so I have heard.....even all the way up here in Washington state ;)
 
It's hard to advise you when the most important decision you ever made, one that WILL affect your placement in NROTC, you don't want to talk about.

Assuming your NROTC doors to entry are at minimum impaired b/c of leaving the Academy, and the fact that NROTC is only offered at UCLA and UC Berkeley, I'd focus on AROTC. Since you say you have Calgrants to pay for UCSB, I'd attempt to transfer to UCSB or UCI, though I think UCI is a cross-town ROTC and not a host, so that would be my 2nd choice. UCSB is a host for its AROTC Battalion and everything will be on campus. You should most definitely take up the offer of the PMS at UCSB to smooth the way with admissions. It would be really tough to transfer from UCR to UCSB otherwise... the UCs don't like UC-UC transfers... they much prefer Community College and then next in order is Cal States. If you do very well as a non-scholarship AROTC cadet at UCSB, then you will qualify for Advanced Standing and an eventual Commission, and with a little luck, do so with a 2 Yr. Scholarship.

As far as affording college, you can always live off campus and watch your food spend, and get that done for under $9k vs. the $12.5 k that R&B in the dorms would cost.
 
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I was surprised to hear UCLA and USC rejected you but you were accepted to the USNA, those schools must be tough to get into these days.
Well, they're looking for different things.

UC:
- barred from ethnic/racial diversity considerations (can consider life hurdles, economic barriers)
- no gender consideration
- is 80% academic, then 10% Leadership, 10% athletic
- no geographic targets
-

Naval Academy:
- Mandated by Secretary of Defense to assure ethnic/racial Diversity
- a soft target for female %
- Is about 40% Academic, 30% Leadership, 30% Athletic
- has geographic targets to hit.

I can see how there would be many admitted into UCLA/USC and not admitted into the Academy, and vice versa, especially if Diversity is in play. I don't know if OP is a female diversity admit, but that is a golden ticket to the Academy these past three years.
 
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No NROTC unit at UCSB

Not to be a buzzkill, but UCSB does not have a NROTC unit like dunninla points out. It does have a very nice beach. (I don't know how anyone studies there.) I also think dunninla is right in that a UC to UC transfer isn't very common. Moving you from Riverside to Santa Barbara will be tough given the relative popularity of each campus. What about staying put and making a go of the Army? You are at a UC; why can't the scholarship be for Riverside? The Claremont Consortium colleges are ridiculously hard to get into out of high school, but maybe your UC credentials will help.

Good luck and don't look back!
 
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Not to be a buzzkill, but UCSB does not have a NROTC unit. It does have a very nice beach.

I know, but like I said I don't mind not doing NROTC, I just prefer it. I really do want to go to UCSB though. Staying put at UCR and contracting through CMC ROTC is an option, but I would like that to be my last resort. I don't really need a scholarship for UCR because everything is paid for through the Cal Grant, but I just don't really like UCR for the community and the location.

I can see how there would be many admitted into UCLA/USC and not admitted into the Academy, and vice versa, especially if Diversity is in play. I don't know if OP is a female diversity admit, but that is a golden ticket to the Academy these past three years.

My name's probably misleading, but I'm an Asian male. My name is based off of a metalcore band. I'm probably going to follow that route unless a new opportunity comes up, but the fact that UCs don't allow transfers for two years is a problem. The ROTC RO at UCSB just said he could pull some strings for me if I was committed to going to UCSB and doing ROTC. On the note that I don't want to talk about my decision, I probably just sound like I'm making excuses for myself if I do talk about why I chose to separate. If you'd like, we can PM each other about this.
 
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vira said:
I know, but like I said I don't mind not doing NROTC, I just prefer it. I really do want to go to UCSB though.


Vira,

I understand your desire to go to UCSB, but seriously I can't see placing this above a career choice when it comes to the military. You post in every post you want to be a Naval officer, not an Army officer. Yes, I see your avatar, but to me it is like you dating someone else while your heart still belongs to another. Trust me those relationships never last...that is why people call them rebound.

Right now, if you transferred in it would be less time than your payback time. I may be interpreting this wrong, but I feel that your desire to place the school above the branch is due to the fact that the USNA, nor your current college were a match for you and now you want to live that match.

However, all of that being stated, it appears you have made a decision and it is the college and you are fine with going AROTC.

I would push forward with UCSB take out student loans and find a career path in the Army that will be your motivation to get the highest OML you can.

I do agree hating the school will make it hard to remain motivated, especially when not only is the school your 2nd choice option, but so is the branch. Basically, it would be killing time until you were able to fulfill your real goal of serving AD in the military...just remember not everyone goes AD in AROTC, so you could also get the 2nd choice of that 2nd choice. You could land up never serving AD with the Army.

The military is going to be cutting troops, their budget is on the line. This is reality right now, the only thing that is up for question now is how deep will those cuts be. Place that thought into your equation too before you leap thinking at least I will serve AD.

Good luck. Although you do not see why right now that the path to your dream is riddled with detours, you will later on. It is called fate/destiny. Sometimes we as mere humans believe we know what we are supposing to be doing or where we should be headed, when in reality we are just along for the ride! Not saying throw up your hands and be free, just saying in hindsight as you are older, you will one day look back and laugh...you will say I fought this path every step of the way, but still I landed up in a place where I said NEVER!
 
PIMA, I don't understand the sharp distinction drawn between the AF, N, and A. You write as though one would be a great fit and the other two a bad fit. The three services share 95% in common, unless your desire is strictly for fixed wing, in which case only Army is out.

How many people do we see here who apply to all three Academies? They want to serve their country within a military branch, period. Do you really t hink serving on a floating city (Aircraft Carrier in fill in the blank sea) is that different from a dusty Army base in (fill in the blank).

That's sort of like saying that being admitted into Middlebury is a perfect fit but at Pomona college is a deal breaker and the applicant is better of not going to college if he/she can't get "the perfect fit". Or like making the high school soccer team and being fully committed as a forward, but quitting the team if you're made a goalie. You may have noted that about a year ago I wrote that the cadets at the AFA, at least a dozen, asked a mid on semester transfer from the Naval Academy "how can I tranfer to the NA?"

A true patriot goes to the Chairman, Joint chiefs and says -- "Send me wherever I'm most needed".

There is as large a variation in duty assignments *within* each of the services... AF, N, A, as there is between them, so not doing Army vs. Navy ROTC is a little like saying that you'll do Army Infantry, but if you're assigned to Demolition, you'd rather go AWOL. I would argue there is a bigger difference between billeted into Submarine vs. Aviator in the Navy, than between MI in the Navy vs. MI in the Army.

Serving is serving. Period. Do you think the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, struggles with understanding how to deploy the assets fo the two communities not his own?
 
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Dunninla,

The three services share 95% in common

This is true if you forget that each branch has a unique mission. AF = Air, Navy = Sea, Army = Land.

I highly doubt that an officer who wants to be in Tanks, would want to serve in the AF or wants to be on a boat.

Yes, they all want to serve, but that does not mean that 95% want to serve in any branch in any position.
 
PIMA, I don't understand the sharp distinction drawn between the AF, N, and A. You write as though one would be a great fit and the other two a bad fit. The three services share 95% in common, unless your desire is strictly for fixed wing, in which case only Army is out.

How many people do we see here who apply to all three Academies? They want to serve their country within a military branch, period. Do you really t hink serving on a floating city (Aircraft Carrier in fill in the blank sea) is that different from a dusty Army base in (fill in the blank).

That's sort of like saying that being admitted into Middlebury is a perfect fit but at Pomona college is a deal breaker and the applicant is better of not going to college if he/she can't get "the perfect fit". Or like making the high school soccer team and being fully committed as a forward, but quitting the team if you're made a goalie. You may have noted that about a year ago I wrote that the cadets at the AFA, at least a dozen, asked a mid on semester transfer from the Naval Academy "how can I tranfer to the NA?"

A true patriot goes to the Chairman, Joint chiefs and says -- "Send me wherever I'm most needed".

There is as large a variation in duty assignments *within* each of the services... AF, N, A, as there is between them, so not doing Army vs. Navy ROTC is a little like saying that you'll do Army Infantry, but if you're assigned to Demolition, you'd rather go AWOL. I would argue there is a bigger difference between billeted into Submarine vs. Aviator in the Navy, than between MI in the Navy vs. MI in the Army.

Serving is serving. Period. Do you think the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, struggles with understanding how to deploy the assets fo the two communities not his own?

Actually the army DOES have a small selection of fixed wing aircraft....so it is possible to fly planes, just not likely.

To add on to your point, the branches are even more intertwined because we are talking about officer-ship and not individual skill sets like MOSs. In all branches the traits of being an officer are pretty much exactly the same. You lead, manage and deliver according to the commander's intent. The only differences are the resources at your disposal. (Obviously there are exceptions but the leadership model of being an officer is the same)
 
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UCSB probably would be my best bet then, but I am also worried about paying for room and board. I heard somewhere that if you get an ROTC scholarship, you lose your cal grant, but the RO at UCSB said I would still have it if I resubmit a FAFSA the following year. Any truth to this?
 
R&B

Vira...have you checked into Merit Scholarships for the school you want to attend? Many schools offer Merit Scholarships based on grades, GPA and ACT/SAT scores and many schools allow for Merit Scholarships to applied toward room and board. Case in point...my DS was fortunate to transfer his NROTC Scholarship to a school where he had been awarded a Merit Scholarship and that scholarship will cover his room and board for all 4 years!

Check out all your options, talk to the financial aid people, talk to anyone you can at the school you hope to attend. They can't say yes or no til you ask...and you have nothing to lose by asking.

Good luck...just stay open to all the possibilities out there
 
The NROTC coordinator arranged for an interview for me tomorrow afternoon. I don't know how this is going to work because I heard that three year scholarships are only given by the school itself?

I'm also worried about how I'm going to explain myself to the recruiting officer. I left the Naval Academy because I was SIQ for a week and I just had so many negative thoughts and I just felt that I didn't want to be a part of a regimented system and be separated for my family for so long. I believed I was not ready to make such a commitment yet, but before I was on SIQ, I was very gung-ho about being at the Naval Academy. I made a rash and immature decision in leaving, and I don't know how to explain this to the recruiting officer.
 
The NROTC coordinator arranged for an interview for me tomorrow afternoon. I don't know how this is going to work because I heard that three year scholarships are only given by the school itself?

I'm also worried about how I'm going to explain myself to the recruiting officer. I left the Naval Academy because I was SIQ for a week and I just had so many negative thoughts and I just felt that I didn't want to be a part of a regimented system and be separated for my family for so long. I believed I was not ready to make such a commitment yet, but before I was on SIQ, I was very gung-ho about being at the Naval Academy. I made a rash and immature decision in leaving, and I don't know how to explain this to the recruiting officer.

It's my understanding that it's a national competition... but it sounds like a good question to ask in the interview.

Regarding your second paragraph what you just wrote sounds like the proper explanation to me with perhaps a little more elucidation on why you were having such thoughts. Just be yourself and be honest and you'll do fine. That isn't to say you'll get a scholarship, but its your best path to one. :thumb:
 
vira said:
I heard that three year scholarships are only given by the school itself?
Incorrect. There are projected to be 70 "side-load" NROTC scholarships budgeted for this current school year. that was published Dec.2010, so it may have changed downward. To put that in perspective, there are 73 NROTC Host Units. If a school had the authority to offer one, which three wouldn't have one left? No, it is an NETC decision.

Good luck in your interview.
 
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