My son is a senior in hs and wants a military focused college life. He wants to attend a SMS but does not have the grades to get in just yet so we're looking into JMC for a year to get his grades up then reapply to a SMS. The other option is to attend a college with a strong ROTC program but so far the programs at schools he can get into are small (15 - 20 people). We live in Texas but can also go out of state. He's not 100% sure if he wants to ultimately commission or not - he needs to experience ROTC/Core first. Right now our focus is on NMMI and UNG. Does anyone have any insight or opinions on this?
I would tend to agree with PIMA on this one.
If your son attends at JMC and joins ROTC they are geared toward ECP (Early Commissioning Program) Your son would attend LTC ( A course to catch them up on the first two years of ROTC) then start ROTC as a MS3, this would mean your son would be contracted and obligated from day one.
I'm not sure if you can attend a JMC, do ROTC and not be a ECP.
Don't let the size of the battalion be an issue, there is nothing wrong with a small battalion, they can sometimes be beneficial.
Going to a traditional college will allow your sone to experience ROTC with no obligation for the first two years. Your son will get a chance to see if this is something he wants without being immersed in a 24/7 military lifestyle, a chance to get his feet wet. He will have a chance to interact with the upperclassmen in a less strict environment and get a chance to see what ROTC is like from start to finish.
65% of ROTC is within the cadets control, GPA and APFT (Physical Fitness), it doesn't matter what school or the battalion size. LDAC (The summer Assesment Course) is attended by all cadets including SMC's, this accounts for 18%. The rest involves an assesment from the battalion, sometimes a smaller battalion will give cadets more opportunities for early leadership roles and a closer relationship with the cadre. Larger battalions are fine as well, just don't be wary of smaller battalions.
It is less about a Strong ROTC program, and more about being a strong cadet in any program.