AROTC January Board Acceptance

[pj01720]

In order to be offered an ROTC scholarship, do you have to obtain an admissions decision from each school on your list? For example, I am into my number two school, but have not heard back from number 1 or 3 about an admissions decision. Would this prohibit me from being offered a scholarship during the January Board which just passed?
I didn't even apply to my numbers 4-7 school because I heard back very early from my number 2 rated school so I said "what's the point?" I hope this doesn't delay my scholarship application process.

 

[rotcdonde]

Nothing to worry about, DoDMERB has not yet recieved the names of this months scholarship board winners. I was told by Larry Mullen to check in a week or so. Then when you enter his name and SSN, it should come up once they get this months winners in.

the pms from my first choice school said the dodmerb might not have us registered until we accept the scholarship. i guess we'll have to wait and see

 

[rotcdonde]

In order to be offered an ROTC scholarship, do you have to obtain an admissions decision from each school on your list? For example, I am into my number two school, but have not heard back from number 1 or 3 about an admissions decision. Would this prohibit me from being offered a scholarship during the January Board which just passed?
I didn't even apply to my numbers 4-7 school because I heard back very early from my number 2 rated school so I said "what's the point?" I hope this doesn't delay my scholarship application process.

no, not necessarily. i havent gotten into any of my school choices yet, but i got scholarships from some of them. i guess the danger is accepting if you're not sure you're in the actual school yet.

 

[RKO123]

Not to scare anybody or burst anybody's bubble...but a PMS just contacted me and told me that the status change from "interview" to "you may check your medical qualifications on the DoDMERB website" really means this: "This does not mean you were awarded a 4 yr scholarship. It means that there was an update to your medical status and that you can check the status. As of right now you still have not been awarded a 4yr Army scholarship." Ahhhhh! My heart just sunk. Can anybody confirm that this statement is true or false(PLEASE SAY FALSE!) ASAP?

 

[The OC Josh]

Not to scare anybody or burst anybody's bubble...but a PMS just contacted me and told me that the status change from "interview" to "you may check your medical qualifications on the DoDMERB website" really means this: "This does not mean you were awarded a 4 yr scholarship. It means that there was an update to your medical status and that you can check the status. As of right now you still have not been awarded a 4yr Army scholarship."

I can't give you an official answer, but during the last two boards multiple posters(including myself) got scholarships after getting that status.

In order to be offered an ROTC scholarship, do you have to obtain an admissions decision from each school on your list?....Would this prohibit me from being offered a scholarship during the January Board which just passed?

Supposedly, CC has each PMS check with the admissions office to see if you are a competitive candidate for that school. If you are, they give you an offer. If not, they don't. Since you have been accepted, obviously you were a competitive candidate.

 

[singaporemom]

We've seen on this board that PMS's at some schools are the last to know!
DoDMERB only gets the update when it's uploaded to them from the scholarship program.

Did you check DoDMERB?

 

[RKO123]

We've seen on this board that PMS's at some schools are the last to know!
DoDMERB only gets the update when it's uploaded to them from the scholarship program.

Did you check DoDMERB?

Yes I checked DoDMERB. Still doesn't recognize my SSN or Birthdate. Mr. Mullen says they have not yet recieved this months board results. So do you think if my status is DoDMERB I got the scholarship and that the PMS just may not know yet?

 

[mariner116]

A few inputs into the discussion.
1. Agree with OCJosh, it appears everyone so far this year getting "DODMERB" gets a scholarship offer.
2. In our experince public schools are reluctant to offer out-of-state scholarships because they cost the battillian 2X to 3X offering an in-state scholarship. In our case, D was offered 4-year to instate school and 3-year scholarship an out-of-state school.
3. In prior board, the list of schools comes out a couple of days after the DODMERB update. This list did not have the length of scholarship offered at each school.
4. The letter from CC arrives in about a week. Then you find out how long the scholarship offers are (3 or 4 year).

 

[singaporemom]

tomorrow might bring more news...statuses seemed to change one day at a time

 

[teach2]

Not to scare anybody or burst anybody's bubble...but a PMS just contacted me and told me that the status change from "interview" to "you may check your medical qualifications on the DoDMERB website" really means this: "This does not mean you were awarded a 4 yr scholarship. It means that there was an update to your medical status and that you can check the status. As of right now you still have not been awarded a 4yr Army scholarship." Ahhhhh! My heart just sunk. Can anybody confirm that this statement is true or false(PLEASE SAY FALSE!) ASAP?

I am not even going to begin to sound like an expert on this subject. With that said, "It means that there was an update to your medical status and that you can check your status" sounds weird. I mean, my son has never had anything to do with the medical boards. He has never even talked to anyone about a physical of any kind. How could he have an update to his medical status? As much as I hate to say it, I don't think PMS' know the whole process, either. In my son's case, that statement wouldn't make any sense. Do I make any sense? This whole process has me going crazy!

 

[RKO123]

I am not even going to begin to sound like an expert on this subject. With that said, "It means that there was an update to your medical status and that you can check your status" sounds weird. I mean, my son has never had anything to do with the medical boards. He has never even talked to anyone about a physical of any kind. How could he have an update to his medical status? As much as I hate to say it, I don't think PMS' know the whole process, either. In my son's case, that statement wouldn't make any sense. Do I make any sense? This whole process has me going crazy!

It sounded weird to me too, because I have not talked to the medical boards nor am I registered with DoDMERB. So it makes me think that that PMS didn't know how the whole process works. At least, that's what I'm hoping.

 

[aglages]

2. In our experince public schools are reluctant to offer out-of-state scholarships because they cost the battillian 2X to 3X offering an in-state scholarship.

Our experience (with the December board) was different. My daughter was offered 4 year scholarships to all her top 5 schools. First on her list was an OOS private college with a 38K tuition cost. She was also approved for another expensive OOS public and an expensive in-state private along with two "reasonable" in-state publics.

 

[btexino]

FALSE!

Not to scare anybody or burst anybody's bubble...but a PMS just contacted me and told me that the status change from "interview" to "you may check your medical qualifications on the DoDMERB website" really means this: "This does not mean you were awarded a 4 yr scholarship. It means that there was an update to your medical status and that you can check the status. As of right now you still have not been awarded a 4yr Army scholarship." Ahhhhh! My heart just sunk. Can anybody confirm that this statement is true or false(PLEASE SAY FALSE!) ASAP?

Okay, RKO123, I’ll go ahead and say it – FALSE! My son applied to several SAs and for an AROTC scholarship, so I’ve seen the “process” to date and have deciphered most of the hieroglyphics. The PMS’s “check DODMERB” interpretation you mention above seems to be off the mark.

As far as I know, SA applicants are the only ones who take a DODMERB physical right off the bat as part of the application process, whether or not they apply for an AROTC scholarship. AROTC scholarship applicants who don’t apply for SA admission don’t take the DODMERB physical exam until after they’ve been awarded a scholarship. So, CC telling you now to “check DODMERB” means they have awarded you a scholarship, pending approval of the physical exam you’ll take next.

DODMERB only updates a person’s status at the request of one of the military agencies (USMA, USNA, USAFA, AROTC, NROTC, AFROTC, etc.) My son’s DODMERB status popped up as “Qualified” (that’s what you want to see) for USMA and USAFA way back in September, but his status for Army ROTC didn’t pop up until early January, after he’d been awarded a scholarship by the 2nd (December) board and CC forwarded his "offer extended" information to DODMERB. So, the reason the PMS’s explanation doesn’t seem right is because if you’ve just been awarded a scholarship from the 3rd (January) board, you don’t have a previous Army ROTC medical status that can be updated.

After you’ve seen the “check DODMERB” status you’ll receive something in the mail from Concorde, Inc., a DODMERB contractor that sets up physical exam schedules. You’ll have to log on to Concorde’s website to complete 3 medical appointments: physician, optometrist, and audiologist. After you take your physical exams set up by Concorde, Concorde will then forward the exam forms to DODMERB for review. After reviewing the forms, DODMERB will determine your medical qualification status and post same to your account. That’s why CC wants you to “check DODMERB.”

Anyway, your “check DODMERB” status will probably disappear very shortly and you’ll see your list of offered schools. CC will send your “offer extended” status to DODMERB probably within the week, and DODMERB will then create an account for you on the DODMERB website.

How’zat? Clear as mud??

 

[RKO123]

Thank you so much btexino! That just took a load off of my mind!

 

[teach2]

Okay, RKO123, I’ll go ahead and say it – FALSE! My son applied to several SAs and for an AROTC scholarship, so I’ve seen the “process” to date and have deciphered most of the hieroglyphics. The PMS’s “check DODMERB” interpretation you mention above seems to be off the mark.

As far as I know, SA applicants are the only ones who take a DODMERB physical right off the bat as part of the application process, whether or not they apply for an AROTC scholarship. AROTC scholarship applicants who don’t apply for SA admission don’t take the DODMERB physical exam until after they’ve been awarded a scholarship. So, CC telling you now to “check DODMERB” means they have awarded you a scholarship, pending approval of the physical exam you’ll take next.

DODMERB only updates a person’s status at the request of one of the military agencies (USMA, USNA, USAFA, AROTC, NROTC, AFROTC, etc.) My son’s DODMERB status popped up as “Qualified” (that’s what you want to see) for USMA and USAFA way back in September, but his status for Army ROTC didn’t pop up until early January, after he’d been awarded a scholarship by the 2nd (December) board and CC forwarded his "offer extended" information to DODMERB. So, the reason the PMS’s explanation doesn’t seem right is because if you’ve just been awarded a scholarship from the 3rd (January) board, you don’t have a previous Army ROTC medical status that can be updated.

After you’ve seen the “check DODMERB” status you’ll receive something in the mail from Concorde, Inc., a DODMERB contractor that sets up physical exam schedules. You’ll have to log on to Concorde’s website to complete 3 medical appointments: physician, optometrist, and audiologist. After you take your physical exams set up by Concorde, Concorde will then forward the exam forms to DODMERB for review. After reviewing the forms, DODMERB will determine your medical qualification status and post same to your account. That’s why CC wants you to “check DODMERB.”

Anyway, your “check DODMERB” status will probably disappear very shortly and you’ll see your list of offered schools. CC will send your “offer extended” status to DODMERB probably within the week, and DODMERB will then create an account for you on the DODMERB website.

How’zat? Clear as mud??

Holy cow.....

 

[House06]

I have debated with how to respond to the postings regarding ROTC PMS's and the ROTC boards. I do not particularly think that it is fair to state that the ROTC PMS at universities and colleges "don't know what is going on". From some of the recent posts, I seem to be sensing some anxiety and nervousness directed at an unintentional (hopefully) target.
Maybe it is time for some parents to take a deep breath, calm down a little, step back from the situation and do a rational assessment of what is going on with the ROTC boards.

I can speak with only a little experience regarding the PMS situations. My Family has personal PMS work experience, we currently have 2 friends who are serving as a PMS and we also have friends and acquaintances in Cadet Command. Additionally our student went through the same process this year. This is what I do know: In an average year, Cadet Command processes more than 50,000 applications. This year applications are up- substantially. I do not have facts, but everyone involved in the process has indicated this. Applications are also up substantially for Service Academies, and Universities and Colleges in general. Two of our student's ROTC Battalion choices had to wade through more than 250+ applicants for 7 scholarships. This seems to be true across the board.

Cadet Command does not have a massive infrastructure. They have a small staff processing more than 50,000 applications from start to finish-including scholarship awarding and paperwork at each ROTC program. This is not a PSA for Cadet Command. Do they lose paperwork? Yes, some of our student's paperwork was lost 3 times. Is the process sometimes slow and aggravating? Yes. But in spite of a major flooding issue, computer system outages and tons of paperwork, they still seem to get the job done, even if it is not to the level or speed which we as anxious parents expect.

In defense of the ROTC PMS, They work long hours during the scholarship awarding process, in addition to teaching current cadets and conducting weekend training as well. These people do know what the process is, but they can only tell a worried parent what is showing up on their C-Sims system and what they hear from Cadet Command. When a PMS tells a parent they are unsure about scholarships or if a student will be awarded, that is the truth. Until the second week of May when the board process is over and all scholarships are offered, accepted, declined, and students are medically "good to go" or DQed- even then they don't exactly know what their scholarship class is going to look like. Additionally Cadet Command is able to reassess budget and (possibly) offer more scholarships to some programs. YES, its late in the process ( particularly) for the student- but that is how the system works.

If an ROTC PMS suggested that an applicant check DODMERB for a status change then it might suggest that the applicant is being offered scholarship; but perhaps not at that particular program. Please realize that many schools, particularly those who are extremely competitve, high cost programs have received as many as 200-400 applications. These programs are fielding phone calls from concerned students and parents continually. Yes, the PMS and ROO ( recruiting officer) should be friendly and helpful, but in all honestly, they cannot tell you what they do not know. Please remember that these folks are part of the process allowing students to receive a very low cost college education and the opportunity for an automatic career after graduation, serving their country in the process.

I hope people might take away two things from this post; (1) patience- yes, it is very hard! (2) At this point, even if your student is awarded a scholarship in this round, it is very important to have several back up plans, due to many unforeseen circumstances. Our own plan is (1) service academy appointments (2) 3yrAD ROTC scholarship to student's #1 choice school (3) merit scholar scholarships to student's #1 in-state school, in case of injury or last minute change of heart regarding military commitment ( not very likely-but possible).

Our own student did not get first choice, due to the extreme competitive nature of the scholarship process this year and the equally extreme budget cutback. Within three years, the #1 choice school went from 20 scholarships to 7, with most applicants in the 32-34 ACT range, top 10% of class, and GPA of at 3.75, with varsity sports and many extra curriculars. It is very competitive these days. In the end, our student will select the college choice which best fits personality, academic goals and a desire to serve our country. And none of the choices are "free" nor without sacrifice.

Even though it is very hard, particularly as parents who want the very best for our children, maybe it is time to regain a little perspective on the whole process and view it more as a wonderful opportunity for our children to pursue their dreams and goals rather than a finger-pointing opportunity.

 

[teach2]

To House06:

Not sure where your feelings came from. This is a public forum and people are allowed to express views, opinions, comments, etc. If we sound a little confused about the whole process, that is probably because we are. I personally have never called a PMS or CC and gotten snippy with them because things weren't moving along as quickly as I wanted them to. That would be horrible. I am sure there may have been one or two parents who have done this but, I bet the majority of us would never dream of it. Well, that was all I had to say and I hope it didn't sound snotty 'cause it wasn't intended to.

 

[House06]

as this is a public forum, I was simply stating a perspective from the other side. Some have indicated on this particularly posting that PMSs "do not know what they are talking about".

What I have posted is not "feelings" it is information based on experience, first-hand and second-hand shared from others who have these type jobs.

Yes, the process is confusing, annoying and aggravating to all involved at times even the Cadet Command folks! What my original post intends and does state is that the process needs to be allowed to work. We as parents may not like or even agree with some or all of the process. And I think at times, as a parent, that maybe it is not streamlined or always efficient, but it does work in the end.

Noone has indicated that people are not allowed to share "feelings" confusion etc on these forums. It is my understanding that this is what the forum is for, the passing along of information and "sharing". But for some to say that those who are involved in the decision making process do not know what they are doing is irresponsible and I believe comes from an emotional state rather than any real assessment of the situation.

My own student didnt get exactly what was hoped for and we certainly understood the process "inside and out". However rather than complain, point fingers or curse the PMS or Cadet Command, we have attempted to help our student make decisions based on fact and "what is" rather than "what might be" or "could have been".

As this is a public forum, I was simply sharing the other perspective and offering some well intended advice to those who might be feeling overwhelmed and anxious at this point. It is free and certainly operates on the "take it or leave it" principle.

 

[singaporemom]

I think that much of this 'confusion' on the school/PMS side could stem from the fact that the PMS has lost alot of the control on deciding which applicant they get. 2 years ago, my older son received his AROTC scholarship and when my younger son interviewed with the same PMS this year, we were told that PMS doesn't get to do their own choosing like they used to. Don't know the reason, but could stem from funding...just don't know. My younger son has been fortunate enough to have met all but one of the school's PMS on his list and has had many questions answered along the way fairly quickly. (Younger son DID get in to his brother's battallion btw, so I know that he wasn't 'just saying that')

We have all noticed on this forum, that when that DoDMERB status appears on the AROTC status application site, some PMS don't see those results in their records yet...or maybe that school was not chosen for them.

Since we are in this age of instant results we all try to second guess what is going on and take any hint we can. Fortunately, it appears that the system updates and then the results are known to all usually the next day after the DoDMERB status appears.

Each ROTC program has updated the DoDMERB, the candidate, and the PMS in a slightly different fashion. My younger son has received ROTC scholarships form all three branches, and each has been a completely different process from the beginning to the end.

I would recommend that if you see the DoDMERB status on your AROTC status application page.......check DoDMERB...IF...you have already started the DoDMERB process with an SA or another ROTC program. Do not call the PMS yet.

Usually the next day, this message is ammended with the 'Congrats' message and then the next day you see the list of schools followed by a letter/package.

THEN... if you don't see the school you want that you've already been admitted to, then call PMS. If you haven't been admitted yet, let the PMS know that you are still interested and would like to contact them after acceptances are posted.

Good luck everybody. We are all in different stages of this process, learning from each other. By May, everything will be settled and our kids will be where they are supposed to be.

 

[teach2]

as this is a public forum, I was simply stating a perspective from the other side. Some have indicated on this particularly posting that PMSs "do not know what they are talking about".

What I have posted is not "feelings" it is information based on experience, first-hand and second-hand shared from others who have these type jobs.

Yes, the process is confusing, annoying and aggravating to all involved at times even the Cadet Command folks! What my original post intends and does state is that the process needs to be allowed to work. We as parents may not like or even agree with some or all of the process. And I think at times, as a parent, that maybe it is not streamlined or always efficient, but it does work in the end.

Noone has indicated that people are not allowed to share "feelings" confusion etc on these forums. It is my understanding that this is what the forum is for, the passing along of information and "sharing". But for some to say that those who are involved in the decision making process do not know what they are doing is irresponsible and I believe comes from an emotional state rather than any real assessment of the situation.

My own student didnt get exactly what was hoped for and we certainly understood the process "inside and out". However rather than complain, point fingers or curse the PMS or Cadet Command, we have attempted to help our student make decisions based on fact and "what is" rather than "what might be" or "could have been".

As this is a public forum, I was simply sharing the other perspective and offering some well intended advice to those who might be feeling overwhelmed and anxious at this point. It is free and certainly operates on the "take it or leave it" principle.

As I said, my response wasn't intended to sound snotty.