My son's best friend was denied waivers by USMA but approved months later by AROTC and is currently a contracted cadet in his freshman year.
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January 4, 2011 AROTC Board
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My son's best friend was denied waivers by USMA but approved months later by AROTC and is currently a contracted cadet in his freshman year.
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Patent...have to disagree with you on this one a little bit. Cozying up probably isn't the right word, but showing interest and creating a dialog shows me which applicants are serious about my school. It also helps me lay the ground work for the applicant who comes to interview here, to get the best score on his interview sheet. Not that we dock an applicant who comes here and indicates they don't want to attend our school, but it just makes sense that the PMS doesn't have a vested interest in squeezing the last little bit out of their interview score. When I look in the system, and I see an applicant that really impressed us, but chose to do his interview at another school (usually an SMC) they sometimes don't have the best interview score, and I think that hurts them. This is just my perception.
Not sure what a "recommend for selection" memo is either. The only thing we have from our level is the ability to designate an applicant not to receive an offer to our school. In my case I recommend to my boss that we leave "yes" in the offer block for just about everyone, but at a school like Cornell, where some applicants obviously won't get accepted, they use this function routinely.
After all the smoke clears from the third board, hopefully we will have the ability to offer what is left as campus based offers. At that time we will send the names of the most qualified (and most interested) applicants to our higher for the offers to be made. This is where the "cozying" will have paid off. The applicants I have looked in the eye, the applicants that I have traded numerous emails with answering their questions, the applicants that have applied and been accepted will be the ones that I recommend to the boss receive an offer. I only have 90+ applicants on my list, but the ones who haven't applied to Clarkson, haven't responded to my emails, haven't completed all the requirements get my standard emails. The rest get the personal attention I provide when I'm not providing personal attention to my friends on the SAF.
Don't forget
Allow me to add a bit to this experience for those who come behind in 2016. There is the national board process and then there are schools who have campus based scholarships as well. (Not sure if campus based awards will be as prevalent going forward.)
In case campus based awards continue to be available there is a STRONG reason to visit and/or interview at the school(s) that you desire to attend, especially if you are not a 3.9/30+ ACT student. If you are not awarded a national scholarship there is still the secondary process of competing with those on a given campus. DS talked with one school that never filled there spots and another who had 8 spots every year.
So instead of competing with 20,000 applicants nationally you may be competing with 50/20/10 for 8 spots for example. If you want one of those 8 spots interviewing with that specific school, talking with that ROO and continuing to maintain contact and expressing interest is huge. All things being equal most humans go with what/who they know over unknown entities/people. (Can't tell you how many hockey rosters were filled by known less talented players over unknowns with greater talent and the coaches admitting they didn't want to take the chance.)
During the campus visits it also allows the ROO to meet the families which gives them even more data regarding cultural fit, interest, athleticism and other intangibles. If distance/cost is a problem make contact and tell them this but still pick their brain and get to know each other. Personally I think the sooner you can begin to build and maintain this relationship the better as those relational roots go deeper and the ROO's know the level of your interest.
Clarkson can tell us if I am way off base here, but I think campus visits can only help both parties gather information as each side moves forward in the process.
Allow me to add a bit to this experience for those who come behind in 2016. There is the national board process and then there are schools who have campus based scholarships as well. (Not sure if campus based awards will be as prevalent going forward.)
In case campus based awards continue to be available there is a STRONG reason to visit and/or interview at the school(s) that you desire to attend, especially if you are not a 3.9/30+ ACT student. If you are not awarded a national scholarship there is still the secondary process of competing with those on a given campus. DS talked with one school that never filled there spots and another who had 8 spots every year.
So instead of competing with 20,000 applicants nationally you may be competing with 50/20/10 for 8 spots for example. If you want one of those 8 spots interviewing with that specific school, talking with that ROO and continuing to maintain contact and expressing interest is huge. All things being equal most humans go with what/who they know over unknown entities/people. (Can't tell you how many hockey rosters were filled by known less talented players over unknowns with greater talent and the coaches admitting they didn't want to take the chance.)
During the campus visits it also allows the ROO to meet the families which gives them even more data regarding cultural fit, interest, athleticism and other intangibles. If distance/cost is a problem make contact and tell them this but still pick their brain and get to know each other. Personally I think the sooner you can begin to build and maintain this relationship the better as those relational roots go deeper and the ROO's know the level of your interest.
Clarkson can tell us if I am way off base here, but I think campus visits can only help both parties gather information as each side moves forward in the process.
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Here is a current example of this theory. We were just notified that there is money available for additional 2014 3 year campus based scholarships in the Brigade. So, I needed to scrub my MS 1 roster to see who I could recommend to the boss as possible nominees. I have three cadets in the class, one of which was an applicant last year, and is currently enrolled in the class. He applied late and missed out on the National offers last year. He was an obvious choice to be recommended. My other two recommendations are student who have been enrolled in the class and have participated fully. 0% of the students on campus I have never met, and I have never talked to, and aren't enrolled in my class will be on my list of nominees.
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Thanks for that contribution, clarkson. Really good points here. My DS received a 200/200 on his interview from the ROO at the local state school and specifically told the interviewing ROO that, while accepted to the local state school, DS was swinging for the fence and aiming for ivy-level educational experience. DS reported to me that the ROO's response was "Hooooaah . . . Good [Stuff]". In other words, this particular ROO at the local state school understood and accepted my DS's position (didn't "ding" my DS, thankfully).
The reason I mentioned this point was because on Thursday of this week, when it appeared that my DS had been dinged, I started thinking that it was a big mistake not to interview at the school listed on DS's AROTC application. Thereafter, my DS's AROTC status changed (I hope that is good news), but others here on SAF have not. I just wanted folks to know (who might be harboring similar thoughts that I had on Thursday evening) that failure to interview at the #1 school is not necessarily outcome-determinative.
I suppose the lesson here is this: If an applicant is truly interested in a particular school, it is best to do the interview at that school if s/he can afford to travel there. That way, all cards will be stacked in his or her favor and the potential risk (however remote) of getting dinged for "lack of interest" in the ROO's school can be eliminated from the equation. On this whole ROTC thing, I would always advise anyone to accept clarkson's advice over patentesq's advice (patentesq is a total "newbie" in this game and is making it up as he goes along and has received bruises in the process!).
Time will tell for my DS on whether he ultimately gets the cold shoulder when he learns from CC which school(s) they want him to focus on. I certainly hope not, but nevertheless, DS will definitely request an overnight with a future fellow cadet at that school (can't WAIT to find out next week!). Frankly, all of the schools on my DS's list are choice #1, based on info he's been able to gather. But the odds of DS gaining admission to his listed schools are so incredibly stacked against him that it's almost like winning a Powerball lottery. The probably of admission from collegeconfidential.com was a major factor in coming up with DS's school list, notably NOT the perceived quality of the particular ROTC units at those schools.
The "offer block" you mentioned must be what ROOs are talking about about when they mention the "recommendation" issue. However, a few weeks ago, the Office of Admissions from one of my DS's listed schools did request a formal letter of recommendation from the school's AROTC PMS to the school's Director of Admissions, basically saying "This kid's a nice guy -- you should admit him." Don't know where things sit right now, though. As Pima has pointed out repeatedly, some ROTC units talk to admissions and some don't.
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Although I advise to interview at school of interest, it's obviously not the only solution. I'm fine with an applicant interviewing at another school, but keeping in contact with me. What really concerns me is when I see an applicant who finally gets an offer, and thens starts to research what school is the best fit (it actually happens). It is going to become painfully obvious here soon that if you haven't thought long and hard, and refined your list of schools you are going to be sitting there with an offer to a school you have no intention to attend begging Cadet Command to give you another chance, and trying to contact ROOs for the first time to get some help. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I see it often, and I do everything I can to forewarn applicants.
Recommendation to admissions makes more sense. That is an indication of the relationship between the Mil Sci department and the school. For me, it's a matter of going into the admissions system (same one admissions uses), checking the status, and then swinging by admissions to schmooze, talk a little hockey, make sure everybody has their Army ROTC coffee cup on their desk, and make sure they are tracking that incoming scholarship applicant hasn't been accepted yet. Works like a charm here at Clarkson, not so sure the cadets bound for Columbia get the same consideration.
Don't we have something better to do on a Saturday morning than pontificate about Army ROTC scholarships??
Recommendation to admissions makes more sense. That is an indication of the relationship between the Mil Sci department and the school. For me, it's a matter of going into the admissions system (same one admissions uses), checking the status, and then swinging by admissions to schmooze, talk a little hockey, make sure everybody has their Army ROTC coffee cup on their desk, and make sure they are tracking that incoming scholarship applicant hasn't been accepted yet. Works like a charm here at Clarkson, not so sure the cadets bound for Columbia get the same consideration.
Don't we have something better to do on a Saturday morning than pontificate about Army ROTC scholarships??
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Absolutely!!! I just have one more post to make, and I'm OUTA HERE!!
jkcksoup
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May I ask when during this series of events your DS received the official letter in the mail?
Thanks!
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The following advice from a fellow DP is absolutely PRICELESS. It was posted on the March 2010 AROTC board but applies to this day.
SARAS is a serious disease and has afflicted many as it did last year, likely many more. Fortunately, by taking down its website, DoDMERB has taken affirmative steps this year to COMPLETELY IRRADICATE the dreaded CMSS disease. SARAS, however, remains a serious health threat.
Thanks to buff81, my understanding of his post below is that those applicants who's status has changed may already be on their way to recovery. But buff81 warns that "ymptoms MAY reappear when another sibling/child opens a file".
SARAS is a serious disease and has afflicted many as it did last year, likely many more. Fortunately, by taking down its website, DoDMERB has taken affirmative steps this year to COMPLETELY IRRADICATE the dreaded CMSS disease. SARAS, however, remains a serious health threat.
Thanks to buff81, my understanding of his post below is that those applicants who's status has changed may already be on their way to recovery. But buff81 warns that "
The AMA might want to take note of 2 new afflictions spreading across the country:
Service Academy/ROTC Admissions Statusosis (SARAS) and Current Medical Status Syndrome (CMSS).
These affect a very specialized segment of the population- candidates and parents of candidates of our nation’s Service Academies and ROTC programs. The first sign is when logging on daily to DoDMERB turns into logging on constantly throughout the day and night. The symptoms usually emerge around Christmas and reach a roaring obsession by March and April.
Symptoms include:
- Worn off numbers and letters on keyboard that correlate to the username and password
- Being late to work or school b/c you are checking DoDMERB ‘just one more time’
- When the 10 minutes between updates seems like an eternity
- Calluses form on fingertips
- “What does this mean?!!!!” e-mail sent to Larry Mullen or posted on SAF when a date changes on status
- Family members brush up on CPR in case you have ‘the big one’ when offered/withdrawn or waiver granted/denied finally appears
- Having heart palpitations while waiting for the page to load
- The mailman feels rejected
- Friends, co-workers and extended family know what DoDMERB is
- There is a designated bottle of wine/sparkling grape juice in your cabinet just in case there is cause for celebration
- Finding comfort with people you’ve never met before on SAF because no one else really knows what you are going through
- The terms ‘ remedial’, ‘Concorde’, ‘waiver’, ‘in process’, and ‘DQ’ become part of your normal vocabulary
- Parents have rehearsed what they will say to DS or DD when the news comes- good or bad
- Experiencing withdrawals now that DoDMERB does not include admissions status
Treatment: None available. These symptoms occur over such a short period of time that implementing a 12-step program is not feasible. However, symptoms quickly dissipate once BFE or TWE arrives in the mail.
WARNING: Symptoms MAY reappear when another sibling/child opens a file.
Signed: a parent fully recovered from CMSS.
Your situation is exactly like my DS. Posted mid Jan. qualified, status changed the other day to check your DODMERB. Ok so which school is it for? DS didn't apply to all of his schools on his list.....OMGoodness.....He just wants to know in case he has to quick call them up and submit one... Not going to look good I am guessing .... why didn't he apply to them all when we told him to.... Anyone else in the same boat or is it just us in NJ? 
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May I ask when during this series of events your DS received the official letter in the mail?
Thanks!
jkcksoup, I just finished telling clarksonarmy that I was outa here and had only one more post to make. I'll respond, but please keep it just between us that I responded. clarksonarmy will surely ding me with a demerit or two if he learns about this post.
My DS received the official DoDMERB letter within a week or so after the change of status on the DoDMERB website, so in the above timeline, it would be as follows:
Jan. 4 -- AROTC board (first board for my DS)
Mid Jan. -- DoDMERB lists "AROTC -- Qualified", in addition to SAs.
Mid Jan. -- DoDMERB site goes down.
Late Jan. -- DS receives official letter from DoDMERB, adding AROTC.
Feb. 26 -- AROTC status updated to instruct DS to check DoDMERB site for status.
Based on info learned from prior posts, DS does not expect to receive official AROTC letter for another two weeks (assuming no government shutdown).
WinterHater
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Your situation is exactly like my DS. Posted mid Jan. qualified, status changed the other day to check your DODMERB. Ok so which school is it for? DS didn't apply to all of his schools on his list.....OMGoodness.....He just wants to know in case he has to quick call them up and submit one... Not going to look good I am guessing .... why didn't he apply to them all when we told him to.... Anyone else in the same boat or is it just us in NJ?
I dont think your situation is so unique. We also focused on son's first choice school and will be making a mad scramble if the scholarship offer is for one of his other choices. His other choices are also some distance away (7 hours or more) so once the letter is in our hands we could be making a short notice road trip to tour and introduce my son to schools and ROTC departments.
Fingers crossed that his first choice school is involved in the offer. The tuition costs for each of his choices are all pretty close to each other so we feel somewhat positive.
What happens if the admissions deadline has past for those 2 schools? What do you do? Beg them to accept him? Well hopefully its his first choice but from what the blogs are all saying...his first choice ERAU and Texas A&M are closed. Here's hoping that they aren't!
WinterHater
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The earliest admissions deadline for my son's alternate choices is May 1st.
Others here can give you much better advice than I am able, but once I found out what school the offer was for, and if my son wanted to go there, I would be on the phone the same day to his prospective ROTC cadre and school admissions department. And it it were for my son getting a scholarship to a school he wanted begging would certainly be a viable option if necessary.
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I got to get over to the Army/AF hockey game (my boys are going to kick some AF ROTC butt today), needs to be said. Don't give up on asking to transfer your scholarship. If you get an offer to the wrong school, your first step should be to call your school of choice and see what you have to do to request the transfer (unless you got the offer to Clarkson). I'm not going to say it will be easy, I'm not going to say it won't be painful and scary, but if you have a school that's is the best fit do everything you can to get there. The other quick word of advice is that admissions, especially at smaller schools will work with you if you missed the deadline, but come calling with a full cost scholarship in hand.
OK...Clarksonarmy, out. TTYL
OK...Clarksonarmy, out. TTYL
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Hey guys, for past boards, approximately how long was it between the time your status changed and the time you recieved the offical offer letter from CC?
Ummm that was insanely creepy and completely accurate! We are freaks I tell ya! Seriously though...wow! Hilarious and sadly very very true! LOL- thanks for the laugh!
spocksbrain
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Hi, I am one of those DP waiting for any status change too. You mentioned that ERAU being closed? As in closed to AROTC scholarships? Closed to new ROTC applicants? ERAU (Prescott) is my DS #1 school, he has also been accepted there. He didnt list any other schools on the scholarship application. Thanks.