When I was first applying for the scholarship I would always search all over the internet for the stats of the people who got it and look for any tips.
Well, I luckily got the 2014 Marine Option Scholarship and for those who would like to compare themselves or would like to know, here are my stats and what I did:
Academics:
Freshmen-Junior Overall GPA:
Unweighted: 3.71
Weighted: 3.8
ACT: 30
Activities
2 years Swimming JV
2 years Cross Country JV/Varsity
2 years Naval Sea Cadets
100 hours community service(tutor, teacher aid)
1 year working as Lifeguard
PFT: 280
Pull Ups: 20
Crunches: 100
Run: 21:12
As you can see, you don't have to be the Varsity Captain of manly sports or the president of a hundred clubs (but they do help). I think the best thing you can do is just show that you have a lot of Determination to become a Marine Officer.
Little things like showing up to all the PFTs, being the first/being early to contact the officer, completing all your forms early, etc. I feel these things can definitely show that you have Determination and you take Initiative.
Other Tips:
-Don't be a government scholarship mooch. Pick a branch that you like and stick with it. Don't apply for every branch's ROTC scholarship and service academy. If you want to be a Marine Officer, stick with MO NROTC and/or Naval Academy.
-Know Marine Corps Values and Traits, if you include these in your essays and explain how you try to master them, it's very good stuff
-Leadership activities, even if you didn't do much, write/talk as much as you can about them and make connections from those activities to your duties as an Officer
Last Words:
I suggest asking the local recruiter if you can train with the poolees. You get a great exercise and you get to learn more about the Marines. Also, if you do well, you could probably ask the recruiter for a recommendation, which would help greatly.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
DEPing in will not help you that much. I didn't DEP in and I was fine.
Props to you if you DEP in anyways though. You're a true Marine.
Well, I luckily got the 2014 Marine Option Scholarship and for those who would like to compare themselves or would like to know, here are my stats and what I did:
Academics:
Freshmen-Junior Overall GPA:
Unweighted: 3.71
Weighted: 3.8
ACT: 30
Activities
2 years Swimming JV
2 years Cross Country JV/Varsity
2 years Naval Sea Cadets
100 hours community service(tutor, teacher aid)
1 year working as Lifeguard
PFT: 280
Pull Ups: 20
Crunches: 100
Run: 21:12
As you can see, you don't have to be the Varsity Captain of manly sports or the president of a hundred clubs (but they do help). I think the best thing you can do is just show that you have a lot of Determination to become a Marine Officer.
Little things like showing up to all the PFTs, being the first/being early to contact the officer, completing all your forms early, etc. I feel these things can definitely show that you have Determination and you take Initiative.
Other Tips:
-Don't be a government scholarship mooch. Pick a branch that you like and stick with it. Don't apply for every branch's ROTC scholarship and service academy. If you want to be a Marine Officer, stick with MO NROTC and/or Naval Academy.
-Know Marine Corps Values and Traits, if you include these in your essays and explain how you try to master them, it's very good stuff
-Leadership activities, even if you didn't do much, write/talk as much as you can about them and make connections from those activities to your duties as an Officer
Last Words:
I suggest asking the local recruiter if you can train with the poolees. You get a great exercise and you get to learn more about the Marines. Also, if you do well, you could probably ask the recruiter for a recommendation, which would help greatly.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
DEPing in will not help you that much. I didn't DEP in and I was fine.
Props to you if you DEP in anyways though. You're a true Marine.