AROTC Penn State or Ohio State

J

JMMY

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DS has been offered a 3 year AROTC scholarship to Penn State. He also really likes Ohio State and has been offered an academic scholarship there. Wondering if anyone could offer some insight on any differences between the 2 programs, since the ROTC sessions were cancelled at the Buckeye Bound accepted students day we just attended.
 
Focus on the school, not the battalion. Cadres are swapped out every few years.

My DS is on his third PMS in four years. He still had a great experience because he loved his college.

Pick the college that fits best academically and culturally.
 
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JMMY said:
DS has been offered a 3 year AROTC scholarship to Penn State. He also really likes Ohio State and has been offered an academic scholarship there. Wondering if anyone could offer some insight on any differences between the 2 programs, since the ROTC sessions were cancelled at the Buckeye Bound accepted students day we just attended.
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Congrats to your DS on these choices and for his willingness to serve.

You asked, so sure - here are a few ideas to share.
  • They are both excellent schools.
  • Agree with the advice of focusing on the best overall fit/ the best school.
  • I think your DS's choice of academic major at these two schools could make a BIG difference in choosing between these. If you want to share it, maybe alums on the board from that major(s) could weigh in.
  • I think the caliber of student and academic rigor @OSU was just a little higher. 96% of their admitted students were in the top 25% of their class in HS. My observation is that PSU is more like that old Trident gum commercial - 4 out of 5 (dentists) - they tend to admit a bunch of great young adults, and for some reason, a few meatheads as well.
  • OSU makes PSU look small. Not easy to do. It's block after block of HUGE buildings.
  • OSU is embedded in Columbus - small city but a city. PSU is in a college town all by it's lonesome.
  • The important stuff. For some reason the donuts at the Columbus Dunkin Donuts if you get them at like 6AM are the best I've had in my life. I don't know what magical reason, but they are. PSU has awesome ice cream. OK, whew. Glad we got that covered...
  • OSU has a number of Room/ board scholarships the cadets can compete for. PSU does not offer room/ board support, but a lot of their cadets work as RAs which works out well.
  • Not sure what state you are from - OSU offers the buckeye scholarship, where you pay in-state tuition even though you are out of state. PSU out of state tuition is over 50k per year- in state is not much cheaper. I don't know to what extent the academic scholarship will cover costs for your year 1, or your needs. If you're a Rockefeller, skip this line, but if you're not, depending on where you live and if you can get the buckeye, could be a 45k+ swing.
  • Volunteer and education abroad opportunities at OSU - Spring Break, summers, travel are insane.
  • OSU has a very strong performance on the OML and cadets tend to branch wherever they want. I simply don't know if it's the same at PSU - you should ask.
  • You should also ask what percentage of cadets make it through the program at each school.
  • The OSU Cadre leadership is under a new PMS, and their ROO is among the finest people I have ever met - ever in my entire life. Yes things may and will change but for right now - GREAT TEAM. Last month my DS and I had boots on ground at the OSU AROTC Battalion. A family friend has been in their program for 3 years.
  • I can't say enough positive things about the OSU AROTC program. Awesome leaders, facilities, great young adults, and I think the reason they won the MacArthur Award is because they are laser-focus was on preparing their cadets on what they need to succeed both in the summer programs and in their careers. It was phenomenal.
  • Look, I'll say it. I love PSU but there is one more thing you should know if you don't already - PSU alumni as a stereotype are like that eagle scout who at age 50 still name drops "when I was earning an eagle scout" vignettes randomly into conversations, and pauses for your admiration and applause (yes, my DS is an eagle, and no he doesn't take it too seriously or mention it - ever). Like the same eagle scout who has the "signed" letter from President Reagan in the center of his mantlepiece, while the pictures of he and his wife's wedding day and kids are off to the side. They take themselves a little too seriously. Some are just a little too proud. I work with is a guy who wears PSU SOMETHING daily to work. His car is blue with Nittany lion stickers. His house is like a PSU campus store. He often has some statistic at the ready for what they are number one in- it just gets a little stale. recent example is the PSU engineering alum boasting about his schools GREATNESS to a Princeton Chem Engineering alum - the Princeton Tiger just rolled her eyes and smiled in that way a person from the South might say "Bless your heart..." - we're all used to it but again it gets silly. So far in my experience OSU alum are equally invested but a little more secure about being a buckeye. It's good to be a bit proud, but too proud comes across as silly sometimes.
  • Overall between these he can't lose. but I hope these perspectives and details helps and best of luck as he makes his decisions. If you have any specific questions please ask them. Let the board know please when he makes his final decision:)
 
To add to the points above. PSU is now culturally dominated by a NY and NJ student influence. OSU will definitely have a more mid-west feel to it. I recently talked to an old friend who has sent all of her 3 children to PSU. Her comment to me was "we sent the kids to PSU to get them out of NJ; we might as well have sent them to Rutgers..." All NY and NJ (with Philly sprinkled in) kids
 
You mention an AROTC to Penn State and academic scholarship to OSU. Does he also have an AROTC to OSU? Just curious as that can influence things. Can he stack the scholarships at OSU, if he has both? If he doesn’t have an AROTC to OSU then he will need to compete to contract. Good thing he got a 3 year so if he goes in and does well, I wouldn’t see this being an issue. An academic vs AROTC also might allow more flexibility in what he can major in and doesn’t tie him to him to the school in case he decides the Army isn’t for him. Not sure on the details, just some food for thought. Congrats and good luck to your DS.
 
Thank you all for the very detailed responses, very helpful to us.
  • DS awarded the 3 year AROTC scholarship to Penn State, not Ohio State even though it was on high on his list of schools.
  • DS awarded the Buckeye scholarship and Trustees scholarship to OSU, no academic scholarship to PSU. We are out of state both places, part of the NY and NJ group of kids....
  • DS may want to major in business, accepted to business school OSU. We were very impressed with the business school presentation at Go Buckeye Day on Friday. Lots of internship opportunities, study abroad etc. He was accepted as an undecided major at PSU, they do have a very competitive business school.
  • Not sure if we can stack scholarships at OSU, we need to ask that.
  • When visited PSU last summer, walked into the AROTC office unannounced and several officers spent significant time with us answering our questions. Since then they have emailed DS offering him the opportunity to come spend a day with the unit. DS had conflicts with football and a band trip and could not go. Very impressed with all the staff at the PSU ROTC office.
  • When visited OSU last summer, emailed ahead (or filled out a form on the website?) asking for an appointment but did not get a response. Tried to go to the building but we couldn't get in. They did send DS a few general emails about OSU ROTC during the year. Signed up for one of the 3 sessions called "Tri Service ROTC" 2 weeks in advance of the Go Buckeye Day and flew to Columbus. Went to our scheduled noon session, nobody showed up from ROTC. The admissions office people said for us to come back at 2:00. Went back at 2:00, admissions said they could not get a hold of anyone at ROTC to come down, they were calling and emailing. Asked them if we could just go to the office directly, they advised us not to since it was a secure building. We were disappointed but decided to follow the rest of the Go Buckeye Day program. We have never spoken to anyone at OSU AROTC in our 2 trips there.
  • A friend took us to Buckeye donuts, the Buckeye donut was awesome and the guy behind the counter has family in our hometown...
Questions:
  • DS loved OSU, but since PSU was always his number one, he wants to go back and visit one more time. We can't get there until April 22nd. He has until April 27th on the scholarship letter. If he decides he wants OSU is that enough time to put in for a transfer of scholarship? Should he contact OSU AROTC and tell them he is deciding between both places and ask if there is room for the transfer?
  • Also, if after all this he decides Freshman year that ROTC isn't for him, does he have any obligation?

Thank you all again. This message board was very helpful when my oldest son applied for an AROTC scholarship. He is about to graduate from Virginia Tech. He ended up not doing the Corp of Cadets there, and went a different direction. We learned a lot about VT from this forum. He was part of the large number of NY and NJ kids that end up in Blacksburg.
 
Herman_Snerd said:
They take themselves a little too seriously. Some are just a little too proud. I work with is a guy who wears PSU SOMETHING daily to work.
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I have no dog in this fight — I attended the premier university in the Big Ten, the one on the shores of Lake Michigan — but I do find it humorous to see the above quote in support of a school that insists it be called THE Ohio State University.
 
AROTC-dad said:
Focus on the school, not the battalion. Cadres are swapped out every few years.

My DS is on his third PMS in four years. He still had a great experience because he loved his college.

Pick the college that fits best academically and culturally.
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I agree with AROTC dad. Cadre come and go and they are often what make the program excellent or just ordinary. You can have a great program one year and then a key cadre member leaves and it becomes just ordinary. In addition, you spend the vast majority of your time away from ROTC so the experience at the school itself far outweighs ROTC.
 
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