grad school army rotc

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n880

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Jul 5, 2012
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Hello all-

I have been searching the forums but havent found much detail on entering rotc after completing a bachelors degree. I graduated in december with a degree in criminal justice. I want to enroll in army ROTC for 2 years while i complete my masters. A couple of questions:

For LTC, how competative is admittance? I saw that this years class had about 1000 trainees, but i dont have any perspective on how many may have been turned down. Is acceptance into LTC based on the needs of my location/school or overall resume?

SMP with the national guard is something I would need to do to pay for school, as Maryland offers 50% tuition waiver for NG members. Are SMP spots gaurenteed for ROTC cadets or are they limited? Would i have to enlist in the NG before I go to LTC or can i enter into SMP when i begin ROTC courses?

Also, does LTC replace basic training for NG? If possible I would like to do basic and LTC.

How do contracts work after LTC? Am i gaurenteed a contract? Also, is there a way i can be gaurenteed to be reserve or national guard upon commission? I plan on joining a police department after graduation.

Im just begining my research into this, so any info would be greatly helpful. Thanks.
 
You definitely need to talk to the schools you are looking at, not posting questions on a discussion board.
-1000 to LTC seems a little high.
-SMP slots aren't guaranteed. Again, you'll need to talk to the ROTC Battalion to see if they even have room in their MS III class.
-I'm going to assume that you plan to start your grad school fall of 2013. If you were planning to start this fall you are too late.
-You are asking for a lot of guarantees. In the world of Army ROTC there aren't a lot. You will likely get NG or Reserve if you ask for it. There is no guarantee that you will be contracted if you go to LTC unless you meet all the requirements. Additionally the Battalion won't even send you unless they have room and are planning on you joining the Battalion.
Again, you are about to get a lot of advice from board members that don't know what the situation is at the Battalion you hope to join. You'll need to talk to the Battalion to know if you have a chance.
 
Listen very carefully to the above advice, it's the best you will get here on this subject.
 
Thanks for the info, just wanted to know as much as i could before i go in. Ill get in contact with the school for more detail.
 
I agree you need to check with the cadre at the school you are interested in attending. With that said my son just commissioned in May branching Infantry. He went the LTC route then received a two year scholarship to get his Master's degree. He contacted the ROO at the school he wanted to go to and then flew there on his dime to interview and take a PT test. In 2010 when he went to LTC there were about 800 total slots available. He was lucky and did well enough while there to get a 2 year scholarship which paid his tutition and also got his monthly stipend. I believe last year there were a lot less slots for LTC than the previous year and this year. So if you want to go to LTC next year you need to contact the ROO and start the process. I also believe you must be accepted into the Master's program and pass a physcial before they will send you to LTC. Best of luck. There are a lot of hoops to jump through but if your goal is to commission its well worth the effort.
 
Westminster is right, but what he may not be aware of is that the current situation is different than two years ago. Cadet Command is adamant about not overproducing, and we have more than enough cadets in the pipeline. I'm getting calls every other week from students with two years left who have been told there is no room at their Battalion, and they are looking for a Battalion that does. Unfortunately I don't either. Two years ago it was a lot easier to take the path his son did, and that is the path you will be taking if you can find a school that needs one more in their Junior class. Good luck.
 
n880,

This is meant with respect, but I need to ask if you understand the military system, or are you using the system to pay for your degree?

SERVICE BEFORE SELF is the military's motto. It is not a cliche.

I am only asking because you state you intend to join the police upon graduation, and want NG or reserves to pay for grad school.

In August 2001, I bet my life there were people with the same goal. They signed on the dotted line and made a deal with the Devil, because they didn't see 9/11 coming, afterall, there was no military action for every NG/Reserves close to a decade! Nobody saw it, but there they were being called up for duty. For many it was yrs of multiple rotations over another decade. Maybe 2014-20 whatever will not need NG/Reserves, but maybe it will.

Put the whole competitive question aside. You need to ask if you are willing to be deployed for the cost of grad school?

The Devil is in the details aka fine print.
 
n880 said:
Hello all-

I have been searching the forums but havent found much detail on entering rotc after completing a bachelors degree. I graduated in december with a degree in criminal justice. I want to enroll in army ROTC for 2 years while i complete my masters.
Click to expand...

Many ROTC programs have no slots remaining for juniors and seniors. Those that do have to create an OML to determine who will be offered the remaining slots. You will be competing against current, non-contracted Cadets, as well as other students like yourself. Your degree is not one that the military is prioritizing right now. All things being equal, you will be compared unfavorably against a similar candidate with a degree in Physics, Biology, Math, Mandarin, etc.

OCS or Direct Commission might be a better option for you.

What type of military jobs are you interested in ?
 
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