I know this may seem a bit uneducated regarding the process, but does applying early make an incredible difference? This past year has been the only experience we've had concerning the scholarship process. Because of some family decisions, my son decided to apply for the AROTC scholarship rather late- Jan 2011. Although he'd already received a couple of full scholarships, we were very proud he'd wanted to try for the scholarship anyway- we are an Army family and my husband just went on 'terminal leave'. His first board was in March and in June, he was and we were delighted he'd been awarded the scholarship. He'll be entering his freshman year at Rhodes in less than two weeks and we couldn't be happier or more proud.
That being said, our other son has always planned on entering the military. Unlike our oldest, he's been a member of the JrROTC and has prepared himself for some time to be the best candidate he can be. From our experience...and a positive story, I guess that wasn't terribly distressing....is it better to apply later as we did with our eldest or as early as possible? My son is a current junior in high school, so the earliest option would be next summer. We don't take anything for granted and he doesn't want to place himself in a position with less options. I must say, as a mother, I despise the hurry-up-and-wait that can arise once you've finished your tasks in a timely manner. I also have to say that my nerves were blessed by not finding this forum until a week before the results were posted! I don't mean that negatively, but I found myself caring about every one of your children and becoming nearly as excited or as upset as the parents when certain results were posted!
So...what are the pros and cons of applying early vs applying later? And...does an ROTC hopeful gain or lose by having a family member selected as well? Good luck to everyone and know that perfect strangers care about each and every one of you!
That being said, our other son has always planned on entering the military. Unlike our oldest, he's been a member of the JrROTC and has prepared himself for some time to be the best candidate he can be. From our experience...and a positive story, I guess that wasn't terribly distressing....is it better to apply later as we did with our eldest or as early as possible? My son is a current junior in high school, so the earliest option would be next summer. We don't take anything for granted and he doesn't want to place himself in a position with less options. I must say, as a mother, I despise the hurry-up-and-wait that can arise once you've finished your tasks in a timely manner. I also have to say that my nerves were blessed by not finding this forum until a week before the results were posted! I don't mean that negatively, but I found myself caring about every one of your children and becoming nearly as excited or as upset as the parents when certain results were posted!
So...what are the pros and cons of applying early vs applying later? And...does an ROTC hopeful gain or lose by having a family member selected as well? Good luck to everyone and know that perfect strangers care about each and every one of you!