Declined for NROTC - options

My DS was recently declined for NROTC. He has been accepted to Virginia Tech Engineering and the Corps of Cadets. What is the better option for him, becoming a college programmer in hopes of a sideload scholarship or holding of joining NROTC and reapplying for a 3 year scholarship. He wants to be a Naval Officer. We are out of state. He has an Emerging Leader scholarship. I need advise! Thanks--

momgonavy said:

My DS was recently declined for NROTC. He has been accepted to Virginia Tech Engineering and the Corps of Cadets. What is the better option for him, becoming a college programmer in hopes of a sideload scholarship or holding of joining NROTC and reapplying for a 3 year scholarship. He wants to be a Naval Officer. We are out of state. He has an Emerging Leader scholarship. I need advise! Thanks--

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I will be attending Norwich University in the fall and I spoke with the ROTC rep. there and he said that the school can offer you a teir 2 scholarship (which is the same thing as getting it from the board). It may not be the same though for VT and this was also AROTC so it may be different for Navy. couldn't hurt to ask though. good luck!

He will need to take twice as many classes the second year if he chooses to hold off one year. Personally, I'd rather be a programmer so I can see if I would like being in the program while not have any obligations

Your son can join the NROTC unit as a College Programmer and excel in his academics, PT and NS classes. He would then be in the position (with the recommendation of the unit commander) to pursue a 3 year PNS scholarship... this path has worked for my son.

momgonavy said:

My DS was recently declined for NROTC. He has been accepted to Virginia Tech Engineering and the Corps of Cadets. What is the better option for him, becoming a college programmer in hopes of a sideload scholarship or holding of joining NROTC and reapplying for a 3 year scholarship. He wants to be a Naval Officer. We are out of state. He has an Emerging Leader scholarship. I need advise! Thanks--

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Difficult to say since he'll be in the Corps of Cadets. Seems like we're playing the odds here on a scholarship and I would say in this case there is nothing wrong with that.

If he doesn't enroll as a College Programmer I believe he can still take the Naval Science classes to avoid the doubling up on courses that vira mentioned. In any case its not like he won't be getting his physical and leadership training in the interim if he is not enrolled in NROTC. It's the enrollment in the Navy Lab that should be the trigger for enrollemnt as an NROTC College Programmer. If a scholarship doesn't come through next year he can still enroll in the program as a College Programmer and really shouldn't be far behind, if at all. He could then try for a two year scholarship as a college programmer. You should confirm all this with the VT NROTC unit, but this is my understanding. I have been known to be incorrect from time to time.

Since there is no special rush on this decision (i wouldn't think anyway) I would strongly suggest contacting someone in the CoC and/or the NROTC unit and solicit their advise on this one. Also, in the end you have to consider if you can afford VT without the scholarship since he may not get one regardless of the path you choose. The Emerging Leader Scholarship is nice but it doesn't make that big a dent in things, as you know.

Finally, a dice roll is a dice roll. Neither approach is a sure shot at the scholarship... and my advice is worth what you paid for it.

One more suggestion gonavymom. Try also posting to the "Publicly and Privately Funded Military Colleges" forum which is a peer to this one here on the Service Academy forum. You may get more insight there since VT falls into this category... although it doesn't seem to be as active as ROTC forum.

Since Virginia Tech is a Senior Military College and has a Corps of Cadets, the philosophy of waiting to join your sophomore year may be different than at a non-SMC ROTC college. I know at Texas A&M, cadets that skip their freshman year and don't join until their sophomore year are looked down upon because they "skipped out" on that very difficult and demanding first year.

Whether you are in ROTC or just a college programmer, you are expected to participate together from the beginning in the Corps of Cadets. Can you join as a sophomore. Yes, of course. There are all kinds of exceptions (veterans, transfer from a military junior college, etc.), but, as a regular high school graduate coming in, you need to start in the Corps from the beginning to truly have the SMC experience.

I have to say I am with CadetMom777 on this issue.

If I recall correctly there are only 7 SMC's in the nation. TAMU and VT mentality regarding ROTC will be very close.

VT has a dorm set aside for CoC and ROTC cadets. It isn't small, i.e. 100-200 kids. The cadets/mids in the system bond that freshman yr. They become a unit in every ROTC det. They will as ROTC students get jobs within each unit.

The way it works is every ROTC cadet/mid must be in the CoC, but CoC students are not required to be in ROTC. Notice the key words in my statement...student vs cadet!

I would take this time right now and do a hard research.

What is the statistical chance as a side load, nationally? What is the chance at VT? VT is an SMC.

What is the statistical chance of a 3 yr? What is the statistical chance at VT?

You need to talk to NROTC and ask these questions. Don't assume anything.

If VT states that 95% get side loads, but only 75% 3 yr., you have your answer.

VT from a ROTC perspective must be given the exception rule when you look at it from what you read regarding national averages.

Nobody here should say yea or nay. Everybody here should say contact NROTC at VT.

Thank you very much. When my DS returns I know he will want to get in touch with VT as recommended. I really appreciate the help.