CULP and CIET summer 2015 AROTC

Just spoke with my son - the acceptance email was in his (college) spam folder. His Cadet Portal showed only certified/submitted so applicants should check their spam folders. And acceptances have to be sent back within days (his acceptance letter is dated January 31) He's going to - gulp!- Angola!
 
JMB0265 said:
Just spoke with my son - the acceptance email was in his (college) spam folder. His Cadet Portal showed only certified/submitted so applicants should check their spam folders. And acceptances have to be sent back within days (his acceptance letter is dated January 31) He's going to - gulp!- Angola!
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Awesome! Kosovo for DS. Many memories of our soldiers of past preparing for that conflict years ago.
 
My DD (MSI) got an email that she will be going to Paraguay this summer! But she said that CIET takes precedence and if they overlap she would have to decline CULP. But looking at the schedule for CIET that someone posted here earlier she can do her CULP (scheduled for June 1-30) and can hopefully do one of the later CIET sessions that start in July. Fingers crossed - she's so excited!
 
koneacre said:
My DD (MSI) got an email that she will be going to Paraguay this summer! But she said that CIET takes precedence and if they overlap she would have to decline CULP. But looking at the schedule for CIET that someone posted here earlier she can do her CULP (scheduled for June 1-30) and can hopefully do one of the later CIET sessions that start in July. Fingers crossed - she's so excited!
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If she finds out they do overlap, don't immediately decline CULP! They can move her to other CULP teams if needed to accommodate her CIET schedule. A quick email to the CULP desk officer for her region would be able to get her moved around and situated quickly. It's alot easier for them to move a cadet to a different CULP team than to go back to the list of cadets who applied and pick a new one. They will work up until the last possible day to make sure all CULP slots are filled as its a waste to leave slots unfilled. Most of the CULP contractors are very helpful people.
 
Ok really confused by all this. My son is going to a Flagship University to major in one of the critical languages. The program requires him to spend 8 weeks in the summer after his freshman year for intensive study of the language. I believe the summer after his junior year he is supposed to go to a country that has the language, then after his senior year it is a one year capstone project. He specifically got a scholarship to study foreign language at the school he wanted (all three of his listed schools are Flagship). So does this mean he goes to CIET after his sophomore year? Regardless he is excited as heck, and doing everything he can to make sure he is at the top of his game.
 
Copey said:
-Bull- said:
Copey said:
DS (MSI) is going to ......... Africa:yikes:
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What part?
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He will be in Malawi, what an opprutunity! So excited for him!
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Nice! I believe that is a new trip. When I spent a few months there last year I met an American who lived in Malawi, and she seemed to really like it. I think Malawi came up because a few of the countries that hosted CULP last year are having some problems. He will enjoy the trip, Africa is an interesting experience.
 
If my son wasnt chosen for culp, is this an indicator of where he sits in the eyes of the powers to be in the Army? He's a 4 yr scholarship winner, ms2 at an extremely difficult engineering school. He recd a silver medal as an ms1 and other awards. What criteria is used to select the cadets for culp?
 
Jcleppe, am I remembering this right? did you say one of your son's did CULP Bosnia? If so what was his general impression?
 
kspl, I don't like to comment on things that I really don't know much about, but for the sake of (hopefully) reassuring you a little, and since no one else has answered: yes and no. My understanding is CULP selection is based on an OML that is not dissimilar to the regular OML formula, so GPA and perhaps fitness/battalion OML play a significant role. However, I believe language proficiency might also be a factor, and things such as that silver medal might not factor directly in. I don't know to what degree a commander recommendation (if any) factors in. So, to answer your question: given the overlap in factors for CULP and the regular OML, it probably does give some indication of where your son stands, but there are key differences so it's not a perfect indicator. If he's concerned he probably could ask his cadre where he could improve. Also, things like that silver medal indicate that the cadre think highly of him, so if they didn't have to make a recommendation for CULP but do for the normal OML, that could make a huge difference.
 
kspl said:
If my son wasnt chosen for culp, is this an indicator of where he sits in the eyes of the powers to be in the Army? He's a 4 yr scholarship winner, ms2 at an extremely difficult engineering school. He recd a silver medal as an ms1 and other awards. What criteria is used to select the cadets for culp?
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Did any other cadets in your son's battalion receive a CULP assignment. It is my understanding that they did not give the number of CULP missions this year that they had hoped to. They had over 2300 applications and gave less then 1000 slots, about 44% acceptance. I wouldn't worry too much about your son's standing based on whether or not he received CULP, CC has a way of spreading out the selections, it is likely he was just a victim of a year with a higher number of applicants and a lower selection rate.
 
One did and it's an MS1. Doesn't seem right that they are given them to MS1s over MS2s when MS1s have CIET training. My son was notified that he's receiving yet another award this week so why is he being overlooked nationally? Truly makes me wonder what will happen come commissioning. He is part of a very highly regarded battalion and an extremely difficult school yet is still holding a strong gpa, playing a varsity sport and is doing incredibly well with his rotc battalion.
 
kspl, I feel your pain. I'm a MS4 that graduates in December 2015. I'm really worried about accessions. I feel like I've done pretty well (3.381 GPA, 300 APFT, pretty high on campus OML), but I did not get a CULP slot either. Granted, this may have been because I am a MS4 which is a little old to be doing CULP (I contracted late). I have one instructor telling me I'm good to go and should definitely get active duty, but then I hear others saying I'm right on the AD/Reserves cutoff for accessions. The best thing for your son to do would be to just sit down with his military science instructor and have that conversation to see where he stand and what he can improve on. It will also show his dedication to better himself as well.

Also heard through the grapevine that APFT scores were not used in the CULP OML this year. Not sure how true that is and what they did use as a tool to rank cadets if they didn't use the APFT. We will never truly know what CC is thinking/doing.

Your son sounds pretty squared away and I wish him luck in all that he does.
 
kspl said:
One did and it's an MS1. Doesn't seem right that they are given them to MS1s over MS2s when MS1s have CIET training. My son was notified that he's receiving yet another award this week so why is he being overlooked nationally? Truly makes me wonder what will happen come commissioning. He is part of a very highly regarded battalion and an extremely difficult school yet is still holding a strong gpa, playing a varsity sport and is doing incredibly well with his rotc battalion.
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To be honest it is like they are throwing darts at a dartboard sometimes. How cadet commands selects them has not much to do with how they will rank on the National OML when it comes to Commissioning. A solid GPA and APFT along with a good Battalion ranking will have the most impact on his accessions. Make sure your son lets his cadre know that he is interested in any summer training opportunities they may have available such as Airborne, or Air Assault.

Since your son is a contracted MS2 has he heard whether he will be attending CIET this summer as well? Word is they are sending some contracted MS2's this year.
 
I would agree with the above: yes and no. I wouldn't base AD chances off of CULP, however CULP uses similar criteria (albeit much less, so GPA factors much more). And other times, people simply aren't chosen despite their quality, much like the stats JCleppe pointed out. Usually the upper echelon of MS1's and MS2's apply for CULP and the upper echelon of those are usually selected. The entire cohort is strong, but there are limited slots.

Funny story, I actually wasn't chosen for CULP my MS2 year despite being a fairly strong candidate while another guy from my school with much lower stats was. (Even though I later went on 4 CULP trips as an MS5, lol) he's now in the Guard (not by choice), and I'm active duty. Hopefully, that reassures you.

And if he wasn't chosen, reapply next year. MS2's may be the priority for CULP, but I've seen 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's, and 5's on CULP. Just have to make the schedules work. CULP is one of the best experiences you can do in ROTC, just behind CTLT or an internship.
 
kellen0176 said:
kspl, I feel your pain. I'm a MS4 that graduates in December 2015. I'm really worried about accessions. I feel like I've done pretty well (3.381 GPA, 300 APFT, pretty high on campus OML), but I did not get a CULP slot either. Granted, this may have been because I am a MS4 which is a little old to be doing CULP (I contracted late). I have one instructor telling me I'm good to go and should definitely get active duty, but then I hear others saying I'm right on the AD/Reserves cutoff for accessions. The best thing for your son to do would be to just sit down with his military science instructor and have that conversation to see where he stand and what he can improve on. It will also show his dedication to better himself as well.

Also heard through the grapevine that APFT scores were not used in the CULP OML this year. Not sure how true that is and what they did use as a tool to rank cadets if they didn't use the APFT. We will never truly know what CC is thinking/doing.

Your son sounds pretty squared away and I wish him luck in all that he does.
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I'm sending you a PM.
 
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