Any Private Univ. recommended AROTC

mismarrero

5-Year Member
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Mar 13, 2013
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9
Hi there...
we are very new to this forum & new to the search for service military colleges & rotc in general. We have a junior in high school who will be going into the army after college. He wants to participate in rotc while in college - are there any recommendations from this forum on a good rotc program within a private university - not a service military college.
 
Hi there...
we are very new to this forum & new to the search for service military colleges & rotc in general. We have a junior in high school who will be going into the army after college. He wants to participate in rotc while in college - are there any recommendations from this forum on a good rotc program within a private university - not a service military college.

SMC=senior military college. And not all cadets at smc's like vmi, citadel, c tech and tamu commission. One can attend and participate in ROTC and not Comission. Also is your son enlisting in the reserves or national guard or active duty?...
 
oops...yes senior military college. sorry! He definitely wants active duty - would just enlist after high school graduation if he could, we prefer that he get his get a college education first. He plans on making a military career, he is researching different options and I just want to know how I can help him make good choices. thank you!
 
colleges

One of the best pieces of advice we read on here was to go to a college that you can afford and one that you are comfortable with. No need to go Ivy league or across the country if there is a good in-state college that offers the programs you want.

Another piece of knowledge was you'll get out of any ROTC program what you put in. I'm sure they all have their positives and negatives but that varies with the individuals participating in them.

Read, research, visit, ask questions.

My DS applied to West Point but ended up going to an instate junior military college that offered a scholarship and will transfer to another in-state university to finish his degree.

There are many options and your ds's mind will change 10 times btwn now and then.
 
thank you! I definitely agree with you...we have visited a few already (small universities) My thought process was the same as you - "you'll get out of any ROTC program what you put in" - We are getting advice from aggie grads that any rotc other that a senior military college (especially TAMU) is a waste of time & he probably won't get what he wants b/c the program or instructors won't be up to par...I just don't know that I believe that though alas...I am here searching the forum for advice. thank you for your help :smile:
 
Each of the Senior Military Colleges (“SMCs”) have their own unique traditions and strengths. There are benefits and challenges to attending each of them. Some of the smaller SMCs have a much lower faculty to student ratio – there is just no place to hide so the student will have more interaction with faculty – and have faculty who principal purpose is to teach undergraduates. Some of the larger SMCs have some of the advantages of scale which a larger public university can provide. What is “right” for one student might not be “right” for another student. By looking at the sundry SMCs and perhaps visiting them the student might that one of the schools is the right ‘fit’ for him. There are others that can speak to the advantages and challenges of attending a more traditional school with a ROTC program. Generally speaking the SMCs have a Corps of Cadets. The members of that Corps also take ROTC classes. At Texas A&M University (“TAMU”) the cadets have to ROTC for two years but incur no service obligation unless they are on an ROTC funded scholarship. Out of state students who are members of the TAMU Corps pay in-state tuition. I am lead to believe that is also the case for students at the University of North Georgia.

Most of the SMCs have ROTC programs for all branches of the service, though I believe the University of North Georgia has only the Army program. One advantage of the SMCs as opposed to other ROTC programs is that, with the recommendation of the Professor of Military Science, graduates of Army ROTC programs at the SMCs will be placed on active duty. There is an earlier thread that explains this in more detail.

@ @

10 U.S.C.A. § 2111a

§ 2111a. Support for senior military colleges

(e) Assignment to active duty.--(1) The Secretary of the Army shall ensure that a graduate of a senior military college who desires to serve as a commissioned officer on active duty upon graduation from the college, who is medically and physically qualified for active duty, and who is recommended for such duty by the professor of military science at the college, shall be assigned to active duty.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the Secretary of the Army from requiring a member of the program who graduates from a senior military college to serve on active duty.

(f) Senior military colleges.--The senior military colleges are the following:

(1) Texas A & M University.
(2) Norwich University.
(3) The Virginia Military Institute.
(4) The Citadel.
(5) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
(6) North Georgia College and State University. (posted by me)

@ @

Posted by Bruno:
For the ARMY only- it is true that Cadets at the Senior Military Colleges are guaranteed active duty IF RECOMMENDED by the PMS (which is a big caveat. Frankly you can't spend multiple years peeing on the PMS and then expect that he will suddenly feel obligated to recommend you go on active duty). It is only true for the Army (this a function of a law written into the USC from the early 90's ) and doesn't pertain to the other services. What you are not guaranteed is the branch of assignment within the Army which is strictly a function of the national ROTC order of merit list (OML) . So if you graduate down in the hopper from VMI or the Citadel or A&M etcl... you may be going AD, but you may doing so in the Chemical Corps when you wanted to be an Infantryman

So- the guarantee of active duty is real and I suppose is something of a benefit, but IMHO, the main reason that you go to an SMC has much more to do with what you get out of the environment itself. I can't speak to the SMCs that are Corps of Cadet's within much larger civilian schools, but I can say that in a place like VMI or the Citadel- what you get is a small , undergraduate focused education in which you are not just one of a large crowd but small classes taught by the full professors on the faculty as opposed to GTAs etc..., a 4 year course in functioning under physical, emotional and academic presssure, a real appreciation for time management, a life long sense of honesty, integrity and honor and an abiding sense of team work and brotherhood amongst your classmates (and learning to deal with delayed gratification). All of those values are life long assets that far too few possess in "the real world" whether that real world is the military or a civilian world. On top of that - should you go into the military for a career- you will run into far more of your fellow classmates or alumns than you would coming form the typical ROTC program.

On the other hand- the life style at these schools doesn't work for everyone and if you aren't actively sold on it- you will have an unhappy 4 years. Additionally- every college- SMC or otherwise- has strengths and some academic programs have a greater reputation in a field than others and you should know and consider that when choosing a school and a major. The school needs to be the right fit for you

Lots to consider- good luck

# # # #
Texas A&M Engineering Programs Continue To Rise In U.S. News Rankings, Other Programs Also Ranked

Texas A&M University’s Dwight Look College of Engineering continues to move up in rankings by U.S. News & World Report for the best graduate degree programs in engineering, now ranking in a sixth-place tie among public universities and tied for 11th place overall.

Texas A&M programs in public affairs, business, education, science and the social sciences and humanities also are ranked in the magazine’s annual spring ratings of graduate-level degree programs in a variety of fields.
U.S. News’s 2014 rankings, released Tuesday (March 12), show that Texas A&M graduate engineering programs overall moved up one place in both categories and into a tie with the University of Texas at Austin. Texas A&M’s nuclear engineering program is rated the third-best of its type in the nation among public universities and fourth overall. Its biological and agricultural engineering program is rated the fifth-best program of its type in the nation, and its aerospace engineering program is ranked sixth among public institutions and tied for ninth place overall with Princeton.

In response to a growing need for engineers in Texas and nationally, Texas A&M officials announced earlier this year plans to expand the university’s engineering enrollment to 25,000 by the year 2025, with both undergraduate and graduate students included in the “25 for 25” initiative. Texas A&M currently enrolls more than 11,000 engineering students annually, placing it among the largest in the nation.

Overall enrollment for Texas A&M surpassed 50,000 last fall and ranks among the top seven universities nationally in size.

University officials note Texas A&M’s graduate program continues to grow in size as well as improve academically, surpassing the 10,000 milestone last fall for enrollment of students pursuing doctoral or master’s degrees.

Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin cited two key factors that have contributed to the university’s enhanced standing in graduate education.

“Unquestionably the faculty reinvestment program — our successful endeavor to add more faculty, including many with world-class credentials — has had a highly positive impact at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and has also enabled us to significantly expand our research portfolio,” Loftin stated.

Texas A&M’s investment in research now totals more than $700 million annually, ranking among the leaders nationally and first in Texas.


Texas A&M University's graduate program now enrolls more than 10,000 students
The U.S. News graduate school rankings released in the spring complement those announced annually in the fall for undergraduate programs at U.S. colleges and universities. Texas A&M programs at that level, particularly in engineering and business, also fare quite well, university officials note. Also, they point out that Texas A&M placed second nationally in the magazine’s “Great Schools, Great Prices” category, which is considered a key assessment that ties academic excellence to affordability.

The graduate programs in Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, Mays Business School and the College of Education and Human Development also are once again ranked by U.S. News, along with several departmental programs in science and the social sciences and humanities.

Among public affairs programs at universities throughout the nation, Texas A&M’s Bush School is tied for 21st among publics and once again ranks 33rd overall — tied with three other institutions. The Mays Business School ranks 14th among full-time MBA programs at public universities and 35th overall. Texas A&M’s College of Education and Human Development ranks in a 35th-place tie among public institutions and in a 47th-place tie overall.

In the College of Science, the chemistry program is eighth among public universities and tied overall at 19th. In the inorganic chemistry field, Texas A&M places sixth in both categories. The statistics department is tied for third place among similar entities at public institutions.

The political science program in the College of Liberal Arts is tied for 14th among public institutions and is in a three-way tie for 25th place overall. The economics program is in a four-way 21st-place tie among public institutions and in a similar tie for 42nd overall. The psychology program is in a five-way tie among publics at 41st and tied with 11 others at 67th overall.
http://tamutimes.tamu.edu/2013/03/1...u-s-news-rankings-other-programs-also-ranked/
 
thank you! Definitely there is no doubt that TAMU is a great school, full of opportunity, etc...We have a lot to learn!

thank you for the link!
 
colleges

Another good piece of advice is not to get bogged down by the numbers.

The mid-sized university (11,000 students) my DS will graduate from commissioned 15 officers last year (if I remember correctly). According to the ROO we talked to everyone that wanted active duty received it which was 11.

As long as your son maintains good gpa, does well on his physical fitness and LDAC scores, then active duty should not be an issue. Branching into what he wants will depend on his OML (not sure how that works at the SMC's, the same I would guess). If gpa is something that needs work then I might recommend a smaller school where more instructor time is available.

Also, in a large battalion it would be harder to stand out and be recognized (good or bad I guess) and one might not receive the leadership opportunities that would be available with a smaller unit. The same could go for applying to and receiving the available slots for the special schools (airborne, Mt Warfare, etc). I don't have those numbers though:smile:
 
colleges

google junior military colleges.

If your son is not looking to commission as an officer and will enlist after college then maybe a 2 yr degree might satisfy you and him. He can always achieve a four yr. degree later or during his military career.
 
thank you! I definitely agree with you...we have visited a few already (small universities) My thought process was the same as you - "you'll get out of any ROTC program what you put in" - We are getting advice from aggie grads that any rotc other that a senior military college (especially TAMU) is a waste of time & he probably won't get what he wants b/c the program or instructors won't be up to par...I just don't know that I believe that though alas...I am here searching the forum for advice. thank you for your help :smile:

Your hunch that this statement is not entirely true is probably correct.

All you have to do is look at the statistics for each graduating class to know that there are terrific AROTC Battalions at a wide range of schools.

QA1517, said it best, school selection should be based on where the student/cadet feels they will be the most comfortable, and feels it's a school where they can thrive. Almost all ROTC PMS will tell a student to select the school first, battalion second, if a student does not do well in school, it will effect them in ROTC.

When you look at the top cadets at LDAC each year they represent a wide range of universities and ROTC battalions, SMC's are included but do not dominate the list. It all comes down to what others have said, you get out of ROTC what you put in, that is true of any battalion.

Bruno hit the nail on the head when he talked about branching, it doesn't matter what battalion a cadet is in, all cadets will be on a national OML. Finishing in the top 10% at a small local public university is no different the at a SMC when it comes to branching. Once branched and graduated all cadets attend the same BOLC training whether they are from a SMC, the Academy, or ROTC.

Best advice, check out all the schools of interest and choose the one that is the best fit.
 
Yes! That is exactly what my husband and I were thinking: "Also, in a large battalion it would be harder to stand out and be recognized (good or bad I guess) and one might not receive the leadership opportunities that would be available with a smaller unit."

We just don't want overlook a smaller school - where he may be academically more successful. He is a strong student but in my opinion it would be better for him to be at a school that provides a lower student to teacher ratio, just in case he needs it. We just don't know what makes a "good" rotc program at these types of schools. But I guess it's the cadet that makes it "good" for them. I love this forum - lots of info and great resources! However - I am new to posting on any forum...is there a key to all the acronyms anywhere? There are soooo many!
 
thank you! I am clearing up a lot of grey areas just by posting this first thread and it is so very helpful! Do you know where they post results or standings anywhere for the LDAC, or is this private information....I have no clue where to research this.
 
thank you! I am clearing up a lot of grey areas just by posting this first thread and it is so very helpful! Do you know where they post results or standings anywhere for the LDAC, or is this private information....I have no clue where to research this.

The US Army Cadet Command website usually lists the information for LDAC

You can also find information here:

http://warriorforge.wordpress.com/
 
There is a thread in the Community Information and Feedback portion of the serviceacademyforums.com site that has a list of the acronyms.
 
thank you! I am clearing up a lot of grey areas just by posting this first thread and it is so very helpful! Do you know where they post results or standings anywhere for the LDAC, or is this private information....I have no clue where to research this.

Found this info on another thread posted back in March of 2012 so it might be a little dated, but seems to provide some useful comparative info, so I've cut and pasted below:

Actually, there *is* one way of determining which Battalions have the most cadets who win awards at LDAC. However, some Battalions are very large, with over 150 cadets, and some have less than 20, so size helps a lot in the list I am going to post below.

LDAC published here: [ warriorforge.wordpress.com ] the awards for each of the 14 weeks, just missing weeks #1 and #2. The top award is given to the cadet who is #1 in the Regiment (1 award). Then three more categories: #1 in Company (A & B), #1 in Innovation (1 award), and #1 in Platoon (5 awards).

The following list shows the Battalions that produced at least three cadets who won one of the awards from the above categories from weeks #3 - #14. I could not find awards posted for weeks #1 and #2. In the case that an individual cadet won two awards, I only counted that once.

Battalion / # of cadets winning an awards

(SMC) North Georgia College & State Univ 10
Gonzaga University 5
Campbell University 4
University of South Florida 4
Appalachian State University 3
Cameron University 3
Georgia Southern University 3
Northwestern State University 3
(SMC) Texas A&M University 3
University of Texas at El Paso 3

Conspicuously absent in that list is any of the 30 or so Universities hosting Army ROTC that are ranked in the top 50 of the US News Top Universities list, and only #63 Texas A&M within the top 100 on the rankings. Hmmm... clearly being an academic star doesn't mean much at LDAC. :rant2: Bookworms beware!
 
Yes! That is exactly what my husband and I were thinking: "Also, in a large battalion it would be harder to stand out and be recognized (good or bad I guess) and one might not receive the leadership opportunities that would be available with a smaller unit."

We just don't want overlook a smaller school - where he may be academically more successful. He is a strong student but in my opinion it would be better for him to be at a school that provides a lower student to teacher ratio, just in case he needs it. We just don't know what makes a "good" rotc program at these types of schools. But I guess it's the cadet that makes it "good" for them. I love this forum - lots of info and great resources! However - I am new to posting on any forum...is there a key to all the acronyms anywhere? There are soooo many!

Very true statement in my opinion.

Your correct that finding a school that will help your son be academically successful is important since 40% of the OML is the cadets GPA. Considering that the APFT and athletics is worth 15%, that means 55% of the OML is under the cadets control. You can see wht selecting a school that is a good fit is so important. I've heard of students that select schools based on status or what they perceive a good ROTC program only to find that the school itself is not right for them, they either struggle with academics or just lose focus, either of these can have a big effect on their success in ROTC,
 
For whatever it might be worth:

Two Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets at the University of Virginia were recently ranked in the Top 10 – out of 5,579 cadets – in this year’s U.S. Army Cadet Command national Order of Merit List.

http://news.virginia.edu/content/two-uva-rotc-cadets-among-army-s-top-10-national-order-merit-list

While neither of my children would be admitted I would point out UVA does rank rather well.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandr...-virginia-main-campus-234076/overall-rankings
 
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