March 8th, 2011 AROTC Board

[Niko'smom]

To all of my friends on this thread. BELIEVE...... I had not checked status all day and was going to wait until tomorrow for the last few offers that CC told me would be released. My DS status changed He got his 2nd and 3rd choice. Not sure if 3 or 4 year, but at this point anything is a blessing. Im very emotional right now as this last year and especially this last week have left me limp. After DS getting to the Wait List at USMA and then getting rejected was very tough. As I said earlier, I do not pray often, but now I will do this for all of you out there in the same position. Praying for more Tuesday miracles and many more on Wednesday. Thank you all for being there and going through all of this with me. KevDawgsPop
PS.. DS did not get a Dodmerb packet in the mail last week as he had already been medically qualified by Dodmerb for USMA which carried over to ROTC.

That is fantastic Kev's Pop!!! I am so happy for you and your son. Congratulations! I wish your family the absolute best!!!!!!

 

[Ohio2015Parent]

Just out of curiosity, what schools did you chose? I think some might be more competitive than others. I had University of Cincinnati as my #1, Appalachian State and Ohio University. I'd be happy to get a scholarship to anywhere at this point.

Hey! We're in Cincinnati! DS also has OU and UC on his app. Good luck!

 

[youtoo]

Back again ...we are still hoping for a scholarship. Prayers are welcome! Thx

We are praying for everyone still waiting!

 

[youtoo]

Hey! We're in Cincinnati! DS also has OU and UC on his app. Good luck!

Go BEARCATS!!!

 

[mhale]

To all of my friends on this thread. BELIEVE...... I had not checked status all day and was going to wait until tomorrow for the last few offers that CC told me would be released. My DS status changed He got his 2nd and 3rd choice. Not sure if 3 or 4 year, but at this point anything is a blessing. Im very emotional right now as this last year and especially this last week have left me limp. After DS getting to the Wait List at USMA and then getting rejected was very tough. As I said earlier, I do not pray often, but now I will do this for all of you out there in the same position. Praying for more Tuesday miracles and many more on Wednesday. Thank you all for being there and going through all of this with me. KevDawgsPop
PS.. DS did not get a Dodmerb packet in the mail last week as he had already been medically qualified by Dodmerb for USMA which carried over to ROTC.

Congratulations! I thought maybe I needed to send some Girl Scout cookies to you, we have a case left over

 

[Ohio2015Parent]

Well ladies and gentlemen, I am off to work today. Won't be around to see the miracles happen, but look forward to reading all about them later today. DS and I are content that he will not be selected, the back up is already in place and will get him where he wants to go. The rest of you have my prayers and thoughts with you all day.

mhale and kevdawgspop-again congrats and also to everyone else(even when you found out you need a transfer...I so hate waiting...) congrats and keep posting as your journey continues.

Be back later -- GOOD LUCK

 

[TuckerTroops]

Well ladies and gentlemen, I am off to work today. Won't be around to see the miracles happen, but look forward to reading all about them later today. DS and I are content that he will not be selected, the back up is already in place and will get him where he wants to go. The rest of you have my prayers and thoughts with you all day.

mhale and kevdawgspop-again congrats and also to everyone else(even when you found out you need a transfer...I so hate waiting...) congrats and keep posting as your journey continues.

Be back later -- GOOD LUCK

Have a great day...I'm so glad you and DS have peace with his back up plan. I'm not quite there but I will be. DH and DS are more than at peace with him not being selected. DS has moved on. I'm still here.

Keeping everyone in my prayers today.

 

[Pima]

Tucker, I think for moms, it takes a little longer to adjust. It's just that MOM thing of being protective. It is like them saying your baby isn't cute. It is personal to you. To men, IMPO, it is analytical, and that allows them to move on faster.

You will need time, and we are all here for you. We are all going to keep saying that the dream isn't over until your child decides it is over.

As I have stated once you get to school, and join ROTC, the cadre is not going to tag scholarship cadets as the best and brightest, while thinking the non-scholarship cadets are slackers.

They understand at this point the scholarship is more about what they look like on paper, and not in person. There will be many cadet leaders that will lead your son who are not scholarship recipients. They also have seen scholarship recipients leave while non-scholarship stick it out.

Our DS is a flight leader for AFROTC, he is scholarship, but he will tell you he doesn't know which cadet is scholarship and which isn't. All he cares about is how they perform in ROTC.

I am sure AROTC also follows this formula.

Best thoughts always.

 

[Kev Dawg's Pop]

That is fantastic Kev's Pop!!! I am so happy for you and your son. Congratulations! I wish your family the absolute best!!!!!!

You are in my thoughts today. Thanks..

 

[bjc]

Congratulations to everyone who has heard good news in the last couple of days...and fingers are crossed for those still waiting.

DS and I have been offline for a couple of days visiting his college choice. Met with ROO and found out a little bit of information that may be interesting to you all...

According to ROO, they decide whether this person is going to get a scholarship first, then look at school choices and decide where to make offers to. Where they want to go to school does not figure in to deciding whether to make an offer or not. Recently the 4 year offers have been to either IS schools or OOS schools that have agreements with ROTC to offer their scholarship cadets IS tuition rates. Many of the OOS offers have been for 3 years. That may be why some are offered 3 years while others are 4 years. Maybe some of the ones awarded 4 years to OOS schools could confirm whether their school offers the IS rates to cadets?

As for my DS, here are his stats: 34 ACT; 4.2 weighted (3.87 unweighted) gpa; cross country 3 years, basketball 4 years (2 years captain), track & field 3 years; NHS; various academic and athletic awards; tutor; minimal community volunteering; church group.

And here is what he was offered: 3 years to #1 choice school, which is OOS and does not have an agreement with ROTC to offer IS tuition to cadets on scholarship. His #2 was an OOS private (Duke) and #3-#5 were OOS expensive state schools (UNC-CH, Univ of FL, Univ of IL - none of which have that agreement to offer IS tuition to cadets). #6 was IS (Univ of MD) and #7 was also IS Towson (cross-town with Loyola). In ROO's opinion, Army wants DS because of his stats so figured best way was to offer 1st choice but because of budget could only offer 3 years at OOS tuition rates. #2-#5 choices were pretty much out of the question because of tuition rates being so high...besides, if you're offering #1 choice, why would you need to offer anywhere else?

Now throw something else into the mess - DS has an academic scholarship at #1 choice which offers him IS tuition rates. So ROO told DS to, first of all, accept the scholarship as is, then write CC requesting they convert the 3 year OOS scholarship to a 4 year IS scholarship, which will actually cost them less money (by about $35K). He seemed to think that it would be approved, the only reason he thought it may not be is because money for DS is not in this year's budget.

So has anyone ever heard of anyone requesting a change in their scholarship and if so, what was the result?

 

[paradoxer]

Thanks for asking this question

Congratulations to everyone who has heard good news in the last couple of days...and fingers are crossed for those still waiting.

So has anyone ever heard of anyone requesting a change in their scholarship and if so, what was the result?

DS has 4 year to IS but wishes to attend inexpensive private that would pay for 4th year if he is awarded a 3 year scholarship. So like you wondered if it was reasonable to negotiate with CC in a situation like this and offer to take a 3 year at this private institution. Costs in this case would be a wash.

Seems like the problem is whatever has happened in the past may be no predictor of the present.

 

[bjc]

DS has 4 year to IS but wishes to attend inexpensive private that would pay for 4th year if he is awarded a 3 year scholarship. So like you wondered if it was reasonable to negotiate with CC in a situation like this and offer to take a 3 year at this private institution. Costs in this case would be a wash.

Seems like the problem is whatever has happened in the past may be no predictor of the present.

According to the ROO we spoke to, if money is same or less, he thinks they would agree to the change. Only question in my DS' case is since it's a 3 year, no $ set aside for him until FY 2013 since they pay the tuition in November, and if they agreed to switch to a 4 year, they would have to pay $ this November, using FY 2012 money. I guess similar in your case in that they would be paying more in FY 2012, 2013 and 2014 than they had planned, even though they would pay nothing in 2015.

Hopefully someone else will chime in here in with info - maybe even Clarkson or Marist...

 

[paradoxer]

Dates

According to the ROO we spoke to, if money is same or less, he thinks they would agree to the change. Only question in my DS' case is since it's a 3 year, no $ set aside for him until FY 2013 since they pay the tuition in November, and if they agreed to switch to a 4 year, they would have to pay $ this November, using FY 2012 money. I guess similar in your case in that they would be paying more in FY 2012, 2013 and 2014 than they had planned, even though they would pay nothing in 2015.

Hopefully someone else will chime in here in with info - maybe even Clarkson or Marist...

Actually first year is the one paid by the school, or at least that was my understanding.

 

[TuckerTroops]

Tucker, I think for moms, it takes a little longer to adjust. It's just that MOM thing of being protective. It is like them saying your baby isn't cute. It is personal to you. To men, IMPO, it is analytical, and that allows them to move on faster.

You will need time, and we are all here for you. We are all going to keep saying that the dream isn't over until your child decides it is over.

As I have stated once you get to school, and join ROTC, the cadre is not going to tag scholarship cadets as the best and brightest, while thinking the non-scholarship cadets are slackers.

They understand at this point the scholarship is more about what they look like on paper, and not in person. There will be many cadet leaders that will lead your son who are not scholarship recipients. They also have seen scholarship recipients leave while non-scholarship stick it out.

Our DS is a flight leader for AFROTC, he is scholarship, but he will tell you he doesn't know which cadet is scholarship and which isn't. All he cares about is how they perform in ROTC.

I am sure AROTC also follows this formula.

Best thoughts always.

Pima, Thanks for your understanding...you are right...it's a mom thing. (feelers). It doesn't "feel" the best for me...DS is our oldest of 4 and I have been there for him through all of his education, homeschooling, spending lots of love and time with him when we were stationed in less than desirable places. When my husband was deployed and I was handling family support groups and anxious parents of young Soldiers and I thought to myself, "how do these parents do it?" They would email me asking me to have my DH check on their "Johnny." Waiting to hear back from me. I could send my husband off to war but it's different with a child. DS wants to follow in his Dad's footsteps. I'm at peace with that and going RTOC. They have decided on SMP. Plan B. The same route my DH took because he had prior service before attending college. I'm just not there with the peace knowing what deploment entails. That there is that chance. I'm going to sit and wait for the last of the scholarships to be handed out. Just in case....that one inkling of chance....not that DS will change course now.

(For those of you who are concerned about Basic and AIT)My DH was a PMS from 2007-2009. He feels that it doesn't matter if a student starts ROTC a year after his peers. That he/she comes to ROTC with life experience and more discipline than the average cadet. But, keeping in mind, it's not for every student (our DS will be great going that route)...I spent a lot of time with the cadets during those years and they were all very close. It was one of our favorite assignments. They were teams players and brothers/sisters. It could depend on the cadre too? If they foster that closeness. My DH being prior service has great compassion for the Soldier, the young cadet. He is a field guy and likes to get dirty on the land nav. courses and such. He is right in the mix with the young people. Even though he is old. Ha! 29 years in service.

I hope this helps someone deciding on plan B, C or D.

 

[mariner116]

Negotiate!

So has anyone ever heard of anyone requesting a change in their scholarship and if so, what was the result?

Last year we were able to get my daughter's 3-year AD to an OOS school upgraded to a 4-year award. In dealing with the PMS on this it was clear he had one bucket of scholarship money and the year the money would be dispursed never seemed to be an issue. He made the decsion to add the extra year; he lost some of his remaining scholarship budget as a result. I recall he also had to get CC approval.

So, if you can come up with reasons why it makes sense to upgrade a 3-year to a 4-year I strongly encourage you to have a conversation with the PMS.

 

[Government]

I may have mentioned this before but, University of Cincinnati expanded their AROTC program by 40% this past year. They were my number 4 choice and I still got a 4 yr scholarship. My grades are nothing to brag about (3.5 GPA and 26 ACT). I know grades aren't everything, but I hope this helps people who put UC on their app.

 

[Pima]

Tucker,

I think many posters believe that just because you have lived the life as a spouse you can handle it better.

I recall when Bullet was with the 82nd, and I had 3 kids 4 and under. I too dealt with spouses and parents as they prepared to jump into Haiti. You found that inner strength to believe in fate. You did and I did it multiple times over the course of our DH's career...jobs, promotions, PCSing, etc.

It is there. It will be there, you just need time to decompress.

I posted this publicly, because I do believe many non-military families think we have it all together and our approach appears to be more analytical, and less personal.

It's not that at all. It breaks our heart when we go through it with you while we await the shoe to drop. However, after yrs of being the wife that younger troops rely on we have it ingrained in us to look for the silver lining in everything. It is our survival instincts to be positive in every aspect. Yrs of being a wife hand holding other wives hands trained us to suck in our own fears.

It is important that all of you as parents come to that perspective if your child wants to live the military life.

There is always going to be the down moments. This is just the start of it. However, for every downward turn, the upward turn will be twice as high.

Just wait, he/she will call you and say they got a job in the BN, even as a non-scholarship cadet. You will soar higher than if they received the scholarship.

They will call and say they got the highest PFT in the cadre. They will call and say they are ranked top 1% in the ROTC class rank.

There are so many more happy moments in front of you, things that you can't even conceptualize currently. Yet, they are there.

In 4 yrs from now, you will be in the audience and your child will be administered the oath. They will call you up to pin on their butter bars, and I guarantee you this part of your life will not even enter your mind.

You know what they call a LT that was on ROTC scholarship compared to the one that wasn't? LT!

This part may seem the hardest right now, and for many it is for fiscal reasons, but trust me this is the easiest of the 1st boards in their lives.

It is the easiest moment. I don't have enough fingers on one hand to count how many times Bullet was deployed within days to all corners of the earth for months at a time. This is the easy part.

Deployments, babies being born countries away, fear of their job is the hard part.

How do you survive it? Believe. Believe in there is a path out there for them and they can fight it or wish for it all they want, but eventually they will be on that path they were intended to be on.

If you don't believe in fate you will go absolutely insane.

I am now on the other side of the fence, the Mom. I have to say this side is easier for me than the AD wife.

 

[bjc]

Last year we were able to get my daughter's 3-year AD to an OOS school upgraded to a 4-year award. In dealing with the PMS on this it was clear he had one bucket of scholarship money and the year the money would be dispursed never seemed to be an issue. He made the decsion to add the extra year; he lost some of his remaining scholarship budget as a result. I recall he also had to get CC approval.

So, if you can come up with reasons why it makes sense to upgrade a 3-year to a 4-year I strongly encourage you to have a conversation with the PMS.

That's true - last year the PMS controlled the purse strings. This year, though, it all changed and it is all done through CC so the PMS has nothing to do with it. ROO said that if this had been last year this would not be an issue, he would just change it, no problem. But the game rules changed this year with CC awarding/controlling everything. So, we have to deal with CC and, unfortunately, a conversation with the PMS will not help.

 

[cjs]

That's true - last year the PMS controlled the purse strings. This year, though, it all changed and it is all done through CC so the PMS has nothing to do with it. ROO said that if this had been last year this would not be an issue, he would just change it, no problem. But the game rules changed this year with CC awarding/controlling everything. So, we have to deal with CC and, unfortunately, a conversation with the PMS will not help.

If I'm not mistaken, last year was the first year that CC took back control of the National scholarships.

The ROO's did not simply change the scholarships last year. You still had to go through CC in order to have a scholarship changed. We had to deal with CC last year for my son's transfer.

 

[emcs14]

Has anyone heard of any miracles today? I'm still hoping for one...