Commissioning without a scholarship

I am currently trying for both the Marine Option NROTC scholarship and the AROTC scholarship. Realistically, I have a much better chance of getting the AROTC the MO NROTC, but I really have my heart set on the Marine Corps. Nothing against Army, but I come from a Marine family and have always thought that it is the branch for me. So now I am debating whether or not I should even finish the AROTC application process because I am not sure if I will accept the scholarship if offered it because I want to go to the Corps rather than Army. I am willing to pay money for college if it means I can go to the Corps. So I am wondering how easy it is to earn a commission to the Marine Corps without being on a scholarship, specifically from VMI since that is where I will probably be next year? I know the NROTC scholarship only offers 3 year scholarships to Navy and Nurse options, so I cannot go to school for a year and then try for that. I had heard that it was less competitive and easier to earn a Marine commission without a scholarship from VMI since there aren't many Marine option midshipmen that go there.

Whatever you decide to do, if you are not absolutely happy with a branch of service and would rather be somewhere else I highly suggest you do yourself a favor and go where you feel you would enjoy yourself. Not necessarily because of your own reasons, but for the soldiers/Marines you may lead. They deserve nothing but a dedicated and committed leader to them and we as leaders owe that to them.

You won't be at your best if you aren't happy where you're at.

My son was NROTC MO without a scholarship at his #1 school. He worked very hard, volunteered for everything, joined an extra NROTC club, worked very hard at academics, etc. He won a sideload scholarship that kicked in the second semester of his sophomore year. You can apply again for the 4 year MO scholarship your freshman year. You can also apply for the sideload, which is the same thing. Finally, if you don't get a scholarship you can apply for Advanced Standing late in your sophomore year. No money towards tuition, but you do get the stipend. If you don't achieve advanced standing (which allows you to contract... that's the key, being contracted not the scholarship) then you are out of the program.

All these applications I mentioned above go before a national board for review. So you competition is the entire nation, not just the guys at the college you attend. Therefore I don't think the fact (if it is) that there are not many Marine Options at VMI will have any bearing on your ability to commission.

Keep in mind you also need to successfully complete OCS the summer between your junior and senior years.

Finally, don't forget to consider PLC as an alternative path to NROTC if for some reason it doesn't pan out.

Get yourself in shape for the PFT. Good luck!

So is it extremely hard to get a sideload or even advanced standing? And is there anything more you can tell me about these such as selection criteria, how many people get it, etc.?

And anything you could tell me about the competiveness, selection criteria, etc. About PLC and OCC would be greatly appreciated.

Taymcg: consider any path towards becoming a Marine (officer or enlisted) to be competitive, selective and hard.

You can probably search and find some averages but the selection criteria change every year depending upon the needs of the Marine Corps.

If you want to be a Marine after earning a degree, then apply for NROTC, sideload, advanced standing, PLC or OCC in roughly that order. You can always try to enlist after college also. Your USMC family members will confirm that each path is challenging and "hard."

Good luck!

Thank you very much!

taymcg12 said:

And anything you could tell me about the competiveness, selection criteria, etc. About PLC and OCC would be greatly appreciated.

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If you want info on PLC or OCC message me because I just recently contracted for the PLC program and will be on the December selection board.

Sounds good, I will contact you shortly!