4 year ROTC or self prep?

Hopeful1Day said:
I am not sure I can yet due to only having this one post. Is it possible for you to start a PM with me and I reply? We really need some solid advice but I didn’t want to share all of the details publicly.
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To send and receive, you need 5 posts, a week as a registered member and a system refresh. I think your account isn’t old enough yet.
 
It is five little threads...so five entries not posts.
 
Capt MJ said:
The Magic Wand is revealed! Who knew!
🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄
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Image result for labrador dressed harry potter
 
Hopeful1Day said:
Thank you so much for your kind words and inspiration. I would like to PM you to share the understanding of my post and concerns if that is okay.
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Well, I yield no such magical power💫. Only in my dreams 😆 But you may absolutely message me when time grants you full forum privileges!!
 
Honestly if he doesn't get decent grades in college he probably won't get good grades in USMA.

One thing he should do that is in his control is use all the tools his college gives him right away (e.g., don't wait until you aren't doing well)...
E.g., Going to professor office hours, tutors, study groups, writing centers, etc.
He should be proactive in getting help.
 
Prep school!!
Greystone is a great prep program ,allows your kid to have ROTC experience and college experience. Great program to get your scores up too! They have an incredible track record for free agent applicants.

if an academy is his dream, choose Greystone.
 
Gutenhiem said:
Prep school!!
Greystone is a great prep program ,allows your kid to have ROTC experience and college experience. Great program to get your scores up too! They have an incredible track record for free agent applicants.

if an academy is his dream, choose Greystone.
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Are you on greystone’s payroll? 5 of your last 6 posts are this verbatim. The 6th is a rehash. This is borderline spam.

In your original posts last cycle, you claimed to be in “prep school” at that time, but apparently failed to gain an appointment. You are apparently applying again, so if greystone was your prep school last year it didn’t do the job you claimed it would do. This cycle, you alternatively claim to be a parent with a graduate of USAFA who attended greystone, and in others you are an applicant still awaiting an admission decision despite “3 congressional nominations and 3 senatorial nominations”. If Greystone was the panacea you claim, certainly you would have an appointment to announce by now. Please make up your mind on which personna you are pretending to be, and remain consistent.

The OP would be nuts to give up a guaranteed rotc scholarship to self prep with a chance of gaining an SA appointment, and almost no chance of regaining their rotc scholarship if they don’t receive an appointment.
 
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Hopeful1Day said:
Thank you so much. Our concern as well as his, is what if he doesn’t get decent grades. Right now he is a straight A student and didn’t get in so it’s hard to understand if his grades drop in college, if they would even accept him.
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The curriculum offered at the prep schools like MMI and GMC is virtually the same as freshman year at any college. So your DS will do well or struggle with either option. Both options will offer the needed support to reapply to USMA. Good luck!
 
My daughter was faced with the exact same situation as you...and unlike most that have responded to this thread she chose the self-prep route. As a high schooler my daughter only applied to USAFA, and when she got the twe she had the same questions...should I take the ROTC offer or should I self prep. After speaking with her ALO and her Cadre from summer seminar she chose self prep. Her ALO went to USAFA and his roommate had done a year at NWP, he felt that his roommate was much more prepared for academy life and that the extra year came back to him in aces. He also said that the prep school she was considering, NWP was known for raising ACT & SAT scores and creating a much more rounded applicant. Her Cadre had very similar feelings about self-prep and 2 of his brothers had attended NWP and received appointments the following years. He said he also felt his brothers had an advantage with the extra year.

While at NWP many graduates from all the service academies come to visit and talk extensively about their respective schools. Also each academy sent admissions staff to talk to their sponsored students as well as the self-preps. And while my daughter had only been interested in USAFA to start with NWP encouraged all the self-preps to apply to all 5 academies. She did only 4, but had the majority of that app done when she realized she really didn't have any interest in that branch. Long story but the result was that she chose USMA over USAFA after visiting west point because of their focus on leadership. She will be graduating next month and loved being a year older and was so happy to have gone this route over ROTC.

I guess if you know why he didn't get accepted...obviously not gpa as stated, but if it was lack of leadership, low ACT or no Nomination, would greatly play into what I would chose based on which would build my application.
 
DDmom said:
My daughter was faced with the exact same situation as you...and unlike most that have responded to this thread she chose the self-prep route. As a high schooler my daughter only applied to USAFA, and when she got the twe she had the same questions...should I take the ROTC offer or should I self prep. After speaking with her ALO and her Cadre from summer seminar she chose self prep. Her ALO went to USAFA and his roommate had done a year at NWP, he felt that his roommate was much more prepared for academy life and that the extra year came back to him in aces. He also said that the prep school she was considering, NWP was known for raising ACT & SAT scores and creating a much more rounded applicant. Her Cadre had very similar feelings about self-prep and 2 of his brothers had attended NWP and received appointments the following years. He said he also felt his brothers had an advantage with the extra year.

While at NWP many graduates from all the service academies come to visit and talk extensively about their respective schools. Also each academy sent admissions staff to talk to their sponsored students as well as the self-preps. And while my daughter had only been interested in USAFA to start with NWP encouraged all the self-preps to apply to all 5 academies. She did only 4, but had the majority of that app done when she realized she really didn't have any interest in that branch. Long story but the result was that she chose USMA over USAFA after visiting west point because of their focus on leadership. She will be graduating next month and loved being a year older and was so happy to have gone this route over ROTC.

I guess if you know why he didn't get accepted...obviously not gpa as stated, but if it was lack of leadership, low ACT or no Nomination, would greatly play into what I would chose based on which would build my application.
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Thank you so much for sharing your story. He has quite a bit of leadership under his belt as he attends a military academy. Has a nomination, but low SAT and low ACT. USMAPS was recommended in the beginning by FFR due to low scores, but then the TWE indicated he was fully qualified. It has been conveyed you can’t go to the prep if you are considered fully qualified. So at this point, he/we aren’t sure what happened other than the letter indicates there is not an available spot for him in the upcoming class. So happy your DD chose the right path to achieve her goal. This has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and trying to make the best informed decision.
 
xufan said:
The curriculum offered at the prep schools like MMI and GMC is virtually the same as freshman year at any college. So your DS will do well or struggle with either option. Both options will offer the needed support to reapply to USMA. Good luck!
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Thank you so much for your advice. It is greatly appreciated.
 
Korab said:
Are you on greystone’s payroll? 5 of your last 6 posts are this verbatim. The 6th is a rehash. This is borderline spam.

In your original posts last cycle, you claimed to be in “prep school” at that time, but apparently failed to gain an appointment. You are apparently applying again, so if greystone was your prep school last year it didn’t do the job you claimed it would do. This cycle, you alternatively claim to be a parent with a graduate of USAFA who attended greystone, and in others you are an applicant still awaiting an admission decision despite “3 congressional nominations and 3 senatorial nominations”. If Greystone was the panacea you claim, certainly you would have an appointment to announce by now. Please make up your mind on which personna you are pretending to be, and remain consistent.

The OP would be nuts to give up a guaranteed rotc scholarship to self prep with a chance of gaining an SA appointment, and almost no chance of regaining their rotc scholarship if they don’t receive an appointment.
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Thank you so much for your advice. It is greatly appreciated.
 
Another argument for me to persuade your son to take the ROTC scholarship is that the ultimate goal should be becoming a Army officer not just attending USMA. AROTC allows your son to stay on that four year track to commission as a 2nd LT in the Army and allows him to apply SA if that is what he wanted to do.

As for preparing for SA in terms of discipline or academically it is depended on his determination. If he is able to improve both physically and academically all by himself in a college then he will have no problem getting through SAs.
 
Yan said:
Another argument for me to persuade your son to take the ROTC scholarship is that the ultimate goal should be becoming a Army officer not just attending USMA. AROTC allows your son to stay on that four year track to commission as a 2nd LT in the Army and allows him to apply SA if that is what he wanted to do.

As for preparing for SA in terms of discipline or academically it is depended on his determination. If he is able to improve both physically and academically all by himself in a college then he will have no problem getting through SAs.
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Thank you so much for taking time to post this advice. His ultimate goal is to be a commissioned officer but he also wants a USMA education. I know he will take the best route that will allow him to obtain both goals, but we also want him to have an informed decision. Your sound advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Hopeful1Day said:
Thank you so much for sharing your story. He has quite a bit of leadership under his belt as he attends a military academy. Has a nomination, but low SAT and low ACT. USMAPS was recommended in the beginning by FFR due to low scores, but then the TWE indicated he was fully qualified. It has been conveyed you can’t go to the prep if you are considered fully qualified. So at this point, he/we aren’t sure what happened other than the letter indicates there is not an available spot for him in the upcoming class. So happy your DD chose the right path to achieve her goal. This has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and trying to make the best informed decision.
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In this case of needing to increase his ACT/SAT scores I would highly consider self-prep. I know NWP and MMI both take these tests multiple times. I'm not sure about the other programs but certainly could find out with a quick phone call. If you found a program that was self-prep and rotc there would be another nomination source.
 
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