Problem with AROTC interview

Jwmiller6

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
122
Hello everyone,

I completed my interview a couple weeks ago now, and my officer (I am in Alaska, so they treat me like an international applicant, which means I get to choose an officer to complete our interview) sent the results in a day or two later. I started getting concerned when I checked my status a few days ago and saw that it still had not been received. So I contacted my ROTC point of contact. He told me that the interview was illegible (something went wrong when they were scanned), so they asked if my interviewer could resend them. My interviewer was out of town until two days ago, so he was not able to resend the forms until last night. However, my status shows that my interview has not been received, and tomorrow is the last day before the deadline. If it is not added tomorrow, is my application done? Should I call tomorrow morning (I am sending another email tonight)?

Thanks!
 
Hello everyone,

I completed my interview a couple weeks ago now, and my officer (I am in Alaska, so they treat me like an international applicant, which means I get to choose an officer to complete our interview) sent the results in a day or two later. I started getting concerned when I checked my status a few days ago and saw that it still had not been received. So I contacted my ROTC point of contact. He told me that the interview was illegible (something went wrong when they were scanned), so they asked if my interviewer could resend them. My interviewer was out of town until two days ago, so he was not able to resend the forms until last night. However, my status shows that my interview has not been received, and tomorrow is the last day before the deadline. If it is not added tomorrow, is my application done? Should I call tomorrow morning (I am sending another email tonight)?

Thanks!

I have no direct knowledge but I doubt you'll be considered "done" as you have a strong case to argue otherwise. Nevertheless I'd be working the phone to try to get this resolved.
 
I agree with kinnem, this is not something you had actual control over, it was on their side of the fence.

I would be contacting people all day until I could at least get some guidance on how this will impact your process.
 
How many times have I said, scan and email...save what you scan in a PDF form...don't rely on a fax machine if you can help it!!!
You are not "done". First off contact your processor at CC and let them know what you are trying to do. If they don't accept your interview in time for the second board you will obviously have everything in for the third board. The deadline to have your file complete is 28 February, so you will get at least one shot at a 4 year scholarship. Also remember that if you don't get an offer you can still come to school, enroll in Army ROTC class, and compete for campus based scholarships.
Good luck
 
Thank you for the replies!

It was processed this morning! So everything is fine and ready for the Jan 10 deadline.
 
the 10 Jan deadline was to start your scholarship. The deadline to have everything submitted for the third board is 28 February. There was a deadline to have everything in by 26 December for your file to be seen by the second board. Did you submit everything the first time before the 26th of December? If so, I would encourage you to contact Cadet Command, and see if they will accept allow your file to be seen by the second board.
 
Unfortunately, my interview submitted on the December 29 the first time. I was under the impression that Jan 10 was the deadline and Feb 26 was just deadline for updating things like activities.

I wish I would known this information sooner. However, it is my own fault for waiting so long to complete the application (I had everything except the interview done for a few weeks before I actually scheduled it). I was just too caught up with my service academy apps, and my ROTC scholarship app escaped my mind.

How bad is it that I missed the December board? I understand that this means that I will only be looked at once. Does this also mean I can only get one scholarship?
 
Unfortunately, my interview submitted on the December 29 the first time. I was under the impression that Jan 10 was the deadline and Feb 26 was just deadline for updating things like activities.

I wish I would known this information sooner. However, it is my own fault for waiting so long to complete the application (I had everything except the interview done for a few weeks before I actually scheduled it). I was just too caught up with my service academy apps, and my ROTC scholarship app escaped my mind.

How bad is it that I missed the December board? I understand that this means that I will only be looked at once. Does this also mean I can only get one scholarship?

Well, you can get only one scholarship anyway. If you look at each board as an opportunity to get a scholarship then you will only have 1 opportunity instead of 2. If you meant you will only be awarded a scholarship to one school, instead of multiple schools, that may be the case by that point in time, but only the boards know that for sure. I suppose it may also depend on how competitive you are and how badly they want you.
 
Yes, that is what I mean. I believe my file is strong, but not super strong.

Class rank: 2/141
SAT: 1810 (math 620, CR 590, writing 600)
Student council treasurer
Boys' State
Boys' State Governor
Boys' Nation
Dramatic staff/leading role participations
Civil Air Patrol
Basketball varsity letter (I have two, if they include 9th grade)
Soccer varsity letter (if they include 9th grade)
First place in state Jiu Jitsu (submission grappling martial art) tournament
PFE: push-ups - 69, sit-ups - 60, mile run - 6:14

My schools I chose are not super competitive either:
Texas A&M
Arizona State University
University of Alaska Fairbanks (in state)
Norwich University
Kansas State University

Is there still a chance I can get a scholarship to more than one of these applying so late?
 
It all depends on the competition and how many scholarships each school will still have to offer, no way to tell for sure.
 
That's a solid resume. Not stellar, but solid. I don't think anyone here can answer your question about a scholarship being awarded to more than one college. I do think the greatest likelihood of the first college, if there are multiples, is Fairbanks... which is why I assume you a so interested in being awarded scholarships to more than one college. I have to believe that ROTC at the University of Fairbanks would bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "0 Dark Thirty"... 9:30 AM would fit that bill. (Great town by the way... got to spend 48 hours there on a pleasure trip once... wish it could have been longer)

If I were a betting man I would think you might get one to U of F if only because there can't be that many students who listed it as a choice. I suppose TAMU might be a possibility. But don't read anything into any of this. It is just me surmising and will get you nothing.

Do you know if you've been accepted to any of these schools yet? I imagine not. One thing you might have going for you is that despite restrictions some states have (Texas?) on the number of out of state students they can take, they would still look to obtain some geographical diversity as well. Given how few (I imagine) new college students come out of Alaska each year I think this is a plus for you.

It's FAFSA time. Make sure you and your parents fill it out as early as possible. Any financial aid made available to you by the out of state colleges might make it viable to attend them even without a ROTC scholarship.

My own son's first choice school was University of South Carolina, which is out of state for us. Fortunately, the school awarded him a scholarship which only out of state students are eligible for (their out of state recruiting mechanism) which brought the cost down close to what I would have paid for him to attend an in state school. Although he did not receive an NROTC scholarship, this scholarship from the school made it possible to send him there. He enrolled in NROTC as a college programmer and just won an in school scholarship this past December(he's a sophomore). Point is, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Hang in there and good luck to you. I would love to hear how things turn out. Given your resume I'm sure you'll be successful whichever path you trod. :thumb:
 
That's a solid resume. Not stellar, but solid. I don't think anyone here can answer your question about a scholarship being awarded to more than one college. I do think the greatest likelihood of the first college, if there are multiples, is Fairbanks... which is why I assume you a so interested in being awarded scholarships to more than one college. I have to believe that ROTC at the University of Fairbanks would bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "0 Dark Thirty"... 9:30 AM would fit that bill. (Great town by the way... got to spend 48 hours there on a pleasure trip once... wish it could have been longer)

If I were a betting man I would think you might get one to U of F if only because there can't be that many students who listed it as a choice. I suppose TAMU might be a possibility. But don't read anything into any of this. It is just me surmising and will get you nothing.

Do you know if you've been accepted to any of these schools yet? I imagine not. One thing you might have going for you is that despite restrictions some states have (Texas?) on the number of out of state students they can take, they would still look to obtain some geographical diversity as well. Given how few (I imagine) new college students come out of Alaska each year I think this is a plus for you.

It's FAFSA time. Make sure you and your parents fill it out as early as possible. Any financial aid made available to you by the out of state colleges might make it viable to attend them even without a ROTC scholarship.

My own son's first choice school was University of South Carolina, which is out of state for us. Fortunately, the school awarded him a scholarship which only out of state students are eligible for (their out of state recruiting mechanism) which brought the cost down close to what I would have paid for him to attend an in state school. Although he did not receive an NROTC scholarship, this scholarship from the school made it possible to send him there. He enrolled in NROTC as a college programmer and just won an in school scholarship this past December(he's a sophomore). Point is, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Hang in there and good luck to you. I would love to hear how things turn out. Given your resume I'm sure you'll be successful whichever path you trod. :thumb:

Yes, I believe it is very likely that I'll get a scholarship to UAF... Which is exactly why I was wondering the chance of multiple schools. I've lived in Alaska my whole life (Fairbanks for the past 10 years), so I'm ready for something different. However, I would be happy with any scholarship. I am an academy applicant, and I plan to reapply if not accepted this year. So I would hopefully only use the scholarship for a year.

What time of the year were you in Fairbanks?

You are very right, I have not been accepted anywhere yet; I am just now finishing all of my civilian college apps. But, because I am in the top 10% of my graduating class, I am an auto admit to any of Alaska's schools (I was also given an 11k scholarship, and am eligible for 4.5k+ in scholarships for in state schools, so I could essentially go anywhere here for free without an ROTC scholarship). The only two I am semi worried about are Texas A&M (they accept very little out of state students) and Norwich (not quite sure about this one).

Congrats to your son :biggrin:! Seems like everything is working out for him!

Thank you very much! I will be sure to keep you informed.
 
100 % of our Cadets that were eligible for the On Campus ROTC Scholarship were offered one last semester. We are also the closest program to USMA. This would facilitate your application to USMA next year if you don't get in this year.

You can apply to Marist College using the Common Application. Deadline is 1 FEB.
 
jwmiller,

One thing you may have not yet placed into your equation is financial and logistical issues by attending college in the lower 48. Have you thought about the silly things that come with that?

Look at a school yr calendar. T-Day and winter break are typically only 2-3 weeks apart. Can you afford to come home for both in such a short time frame?

Winter break and spring break are usually 6-8 weeks later, which means buying tickets shortly after Xmas to get a good deal.

Will you stick it out in the dorms for some of the breaks if they even allow you to stay? Some schools will shut dorms down, so there is no choice you can't stay.

End of yr is 6-8 weeks later. How will you get home? Fly, or drive the ALCAN? Both cost money. If you fly, will you get a storage unit for your stuff at school? Trust me, you'd be amazed how much crap you take to school...tv, xbox, printer, linens, all of your clothes, carpet for the dorm, mini-fridge, etc. None of our kids moved in a dorm without filling up our Yukon XLT to the brim.

These are all costs that can tally up to be thousands of dollars not covered by scholarships or free room and board as a ROTC cadet if it is offered. They are also costs that many parents overlook when they think about the totals for attendance.

I have yet to even touch upon what many kids experience their fall freshman yr...homesick. It is common, and usually goes away as fast as it comes on...1 weekend home and they realize how much they love school, but they usually need that 1 weekend to recharge. For my kids it happened at the same time...Columbus Day weekend...no FB games and everyone else was going home for a long weekend, all of the sudden reality set in they would be alone in a dorm with nothing to do.

I am not trying to be Debbie Downer, I am trying to make sure you understand flying the coop to the lower 48 for a traditional college with ROTC has other factors besides cost of attendance. SAs are different...just to start with your 1st yr you are only allowed min personal items, and they are accustomed the fact that 70%+ don't live IS or within an 8 hr car ride.

Marist,
Quick question you stated 100% eligible, not 100% cadets, what are the eligibility requirements and how many of the cadets met those requirements? Is it a cgpa, a major, or just enrolled and pass the PFT? Not trying to nit pick, but if you have 30 cadets, and only 3 met the requirements that kind of skews the picture compared to 24 of the 30 were eligible.

One is not good odds, the other one is great odds, thus it brings me back to what is needed for eligibility?
 
Jwmiller6,
Norwich is a private university and accepts many out of state students.
If you do go to Norwich and are not able to travel back to Alaska on school breaks, that will never be a problem. You will have plenty of offers to stay with your rook buddies. You will not be left behind and you will be treated as family.
If I were you I would call the AROTC PMS and let them know of your interest in their program and that you are an ROTC scholarship candidate. You have a strong resume. My son is on a 4 year AROTC scholarship to Norwich. Good luck:thumb:
 
Jwmiller6,
Norwich is a private university and accepts many out of state students.
If you do go to Norwich and are not able to travel back to Alaska on school breaks, that will never be a problem. You will have plenty of offers to stay with your rook buddies. You will not be left behind and you will be treated as family.
If I were you I would call the AROTC PMS and let them know of your interest in their program and that you are an ROTC scholarship candidate. You have a strong resume. My son is on a 4 year AROTC scholarship to Norwich. Good luck:thumb:

I'm with Philmont on the break issues. If nothing else I'm sure the parents of the other folks in the unit will be more than glad to open their homes to you over Thanksgiving or any other time you need it. We've done it a few times. Hell, we'd put them up even if my son didn't come home with them.
 
jwmiller,

One thing you may have not yet placed into your equation is financial and logistical issues by attending college in the lower 48. Have you thought about the silly things that come with that?

Look at a school yr calendar. T-Day and winter break are typically only 2-3 weeks apart. Can you afford to come home for both in such a short time frame?

Winter break and spring break are usually 6-8 weeks later, which means buying tickets shortly after Xmas to get a good deal.

Will you stick it out in the dorms for some of the breaks if they even allow you to stay? Some schools will shut dorms down, so there is no choice you can't stay.

End of yr is 6-8 weeks later. How will you get home? Fly, or drive the ALCAN? Both cost money. If you fly, will you get a storage unit for your stuff at school? Trust me, you'd be amazed how much crap you take to school...tv, xbox, printer, linens, all of your clothes, carpet for the dorm, mini-fridge, etc. None of our kids moved in a dorm without filling up our Yukon XLT to the brim.

These are all costs that can tally up to be thousands of dollars not covered by scholarships or free room and board as a ROTC cadet if it is offered. They are also costs that many parents overlook when they think about the totals for attendance.

I have yet to even touch upon what many kids experience their fall freshman yr...homesick. It is common, and usually goes away as fast as it comes on...1 weekend home and they realize how much they love school, but they usually need that 1 weekend to recharge. For my kids it happened at the same time...Columbus Day weekend...no FB games and everyone else was going home for a long weekend, all of the sudden reality set in they would be alone in a dorm with nothing to do.

I am not trying to be Debbie Downer, I am trying to make sure you understand flying the coop to the lower 48 for a traditional college with ROTC has other factors besides cost of attendance. SAs are different...just to start with your 1st yr you are only allowed min personal items, and they are accustomed the fact that 70%+ don't live IS or within an 8 hr car ride.

Thank you for the response. I have already taken this into consideration. That is why Kansas and Arizona State are in my top 5 choices. I have a lot of family in most of these areas (mom's family in Arizona, dad's in Kansas, more of dad's family in Texas). So I do not believe it will be too much of a problem, because if need be, I can always store stuff or stay at one of their places. I have already talked to my parents about coming home for break. USMA is my first choice, which means I only really have two weeks for Christmas, ten days for spring break, four days for Thanksgiving, and three or so weeks for summer (depending on what training I do over the summer). During Christmas, I will come home. My parents fly constantly, so we have a lot of saved of miles that we will use to get me home. For spring break, it is up to me if I want to try to come home or stay. Over the summer, I will most likely stay for extra training opportunities. And on Thanksgiving, I will go to my family in the lower 48. If I go to a civilian college, it will be slightly different than this, but not too much.

Jwmiller6,
Norwich is a private university and accepts many out of state students.
If you do go to Norwich and are not able to travel back to Alaska on school breaks, that will never be a problem. You will have plenty of offers to stay with your rook buddies. You will not be left behind and you will be treated as family.
If I were you I would call the AROTC PMS and let them know of your interest in their program and that you are an ROTC scholarship candidate. You have a strong resume. My son is on a 4 year AROTC scholarship to Norwich. Good luck:thumb:

Thank you! I hear it's a great school, and would be happy to attend if I am not accepted to USMA.

Congrats to your son :biggrin:!

I'm with Philmont on the break issues. If nothing else I'm sure the parents of the other folks in the unit will be more than glad to open their homes to you over Thanksgiving or any other time you need it. We've done it a few times. @#!*% , we'd put them up even if my son didn't come home with them.

Well, I hope there are other parents like you out there! I would not really want to be stuck on campus while my fellow students went home.
 
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