Best time to apply?

cisco

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What is everyones opinion on what time would be best to apply to scholarships and colleges?
I'd like to do early decision for Texas A&M, it's my first choice of college :biggrin:
 
Apply as soon as possible to be eligible for the first board whenever it will be next year. Depending on the exact timing, you may be lucky enough to be awarded the scholarship to your first choice school in time for the ED application, and the admission decisions will be out in time for you to finalize the scholarship designation school that just accepted you through the ED process.

This is how it worked out for my son, and it made the rest of the senior year a very stress free time.
 
Apply as soon as possible to be eligible for the first board whenever it will be next year. Depending on the exact timing, you may be lucky enough to be awarded the scholarship to your first choice school in time for the ED application, and the admission decisions will be out in time for you to finalize the scholarship designation school that just accepted you through the ED process.

This is how it worked out for my son, and it made the rest of the senior year a very stress free time.

Any idea when the first board is? Or any "rough" estimate of when? For example: Summer, maybe month if possible?
 
What is everyones opinion on what time would be best to apply to scholarships and colleges?
I'd like to do early decision for Texas A&M, it's my first choice of college :biggrin:

As soon as you are eligible is my opinion. Especially if you are going the ROTC route for scholarship. Getting the paperwork in order, references done, PFT, interviews all can take a tremendous amount of time. I am pretty sure all ROTC scholarships allow you to submit additional SAT/ACT scores after the initial application. So the sooner you begin the better.

Colleges generally will have on their website the dates for accepting applications. Maybe others will have a different opinion, but I see no value in waiting. But I caution you on early decision unless you know for sure that A&M is where you want to go whether you get scholarships or not. Most colleges consider an ED application as binding and if your plan B school offers you a huge scholarship and A&M doesn't..will you regret that? Just something to think about. Good Luck to you and Merry Christmas:thumb:
 
cisco said:
Any idea when the first board is? Or any "rough" estimate of when? For example: Summer, maybe month if possible?

The board dates move every yr, but the earliest I can ever recall for any ROTC program is in the Aug/Sept time frame.

The fact is the system is a queue system...first in, first to meet. The longer you wait to submit the more people will be in front of you for the board.

Get your things organized starting early spring, which as stated includes practicing the PFT and recs.

You do not state which branch you are applying for. AFROTC is one of the last boards to meet for the 1st time, and that was in Dec. for this yr.

AROTC and NROTC have many more boards than AFROTC, so it is not uncommon for candidates to be re-boarded.

The other issue I always stress is that you will be required to have a DoDMERB physical, get your medical paperwork in order now. A DQ that requires a waiver can be a long and lengthy process, if you know of any medical issue, including prescribed meds for long term may create problems.

You don't want to get the scholarship and worry that you can't contract because medically you have to wait for them to clear you.

Good luck.
 
NROTC - Navy Option -- Per old thread on this site, in 2009, the NROTC Board met in August, 2009, then every other week or so through March, 2010. In the following application year, the expected August 2010 first Board did not meet, also per posts here, but held its first Board in September.

Army ROTC -- the past few years has met three times, starting in, I think, Sept/Oct, then early January, then early March.

Marine Option NROTC -- is more like Army... can't recall detail but meets only 2-3 times, beginning I think in November with first notifications sent out just before Christmas.

don't know about Air Force ROTC.

Bottom line -- the earlier you are able to get your file complete, the more times you will go before a selection Board. I have read that you can update SAT or ACT scores after your file is complete, between Boards, but cannot confirm that. If that is true, then certainly earlier is better than later as far as completing the file... Perhaps you can target June 1.
 
I'm interested in Army ROTC.

Thank you everyone, you've all helped a lot! I'll get started on my medical papers and such soon after New Years.
 
I'm interested in Army ROTC.

Thank you everyone, you've all helped a lot! I'll get started on my medical papers and such soon after New Years.

Handle the application first when it opens up in the spring. You won't need to worry about medical stuff until after you are awarded a scholarship, if past procedures still apply.
 
My son was asked to apply NROTC Marine option and was told that they are waiving the SAT requirement. Of course not all of the colleges he must apply to will waive the SAT.

Any thoughts on if this means that he has a better chance of being accepted for an ROTC scholarship?
 
They can waive the SAT all day long, because the fact is NROTC ties the cadet to the college. They are not like AFROTC.

He may have a better shot at the scholarship, but if he doesn't match the college that waiver will equate to the adage of "price of shoes in China".

What good is a scholarship to ABC university if they send a letter in April that says "At this time, unfortunately we are unable to offer..."

Maybe I read your post wrong.
 
For NROTC the SAT requirement is waived if you are in the top 10% of your class (if my memory serves me right). That info should be on the website. However, if you also have high SATs it helps the application. The college application is a completely separate process so that would be up to each school. Being in the top 10% of the class is a great thing but is only one part of the NROTC application.
 
Don't know. It might depend on who asked and told him about waiver. Impossible to tell without knowing more about your son, why he was asked to apply, and some inkling as to the credibility of the source. Care to expand some?
 
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