Not worried at all!

[patriot]

My brother has applied for an NROTC scholarship and he thinks he will get it!
Here's why: 30 ACT, 26math,30 English
Graduating 56 out of 430! 4.5weighted gpa
He tells me this is all they are looking for. He didn't
Have a face to face interview, he said they just interviewed him over the phone because he is so great. Also, he played no varsity sports
And had not one hour of community service, but he was in one robotics Club!

His he wrong? You guys seem a lot more qualified than him!!

 

[FloridaDad]

Is this a joke?

You have to have a face to face interview. And if you haven't played a sport at Varsity level or been in a leadership position in JROTC your chances are low IMO.

 

[aglages]

He's your brother. Just be supportive and don't worry about whether he is right or wrong about believing he will be awarded a NROTC scholarship. Hopefully he is correct.

 

[Pima]

Aglages is correct just be supportive and smile.

I am curious of how he has a 30 ACT, because that would mean he would have to have 2 other sections avg 31 each. Since one is science and he got a 26 on Math it is hard to see him busting out to the 31 range for that. Traditionally, the Math and Science scores are very close together. A 5 point range on the ACT is a big range.

Additionally scholarships are not only about your current record, but your major too and your intended college. If he is intending to go into a much needed foreign language major, it would be different than if he was intending to major in business.

The whole picture is what needs to be looked at, and currently there are some pieces missing. For example, it isn't unusual to do a telephone interview if you live overseas as a military dependent or perhaps you live in No Man's Land Montana. Not every place has a logistical ability to do a face to face interview.

That being stated, if you said to me we live in Norfolk, VA or San Diego, I would raise an eyebrow to that statement.

From a generalization position Florida Dad is correct, no sports, no EC's, he is than going to get a big fat Zero percent for that part of his WCS. The military looks for a well rounded candidate. They don't want the 2400 SAT, Valedictorian who did nothing for 4 yrs except study. They would rather have the 2150 SAT, top 10%, who was class President, NHS member, played a sport for 4 yrs, and volunteered every summer for the Habitat for Humanity.

They know that college is more than just books and statistically it is the 2400 SAT candidate that does not fare as well as the 2150 candidate. The reason why is the 2150 has proven the most important aspect to success...TIME MANAGEMENT.

 

[navy2016]

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

It would probably be better to have ACT math being higher than the English.

 

[Pima]

That is very true especially for NROTC. Remember the bulk of their scholarships go to engineering/science majors. Traditionally, those are the candidates that are stronger in Math.

Also, it is important for other candidates to keep reminding yourself that there are more than just one factor placed into the equation when they award scholarships.

For all we know this student may attend TJJHS (the number 1 hs in the nation), thus, when they look at the rigor of his schedule he is going to come out with higher points, than the kid with the exact same schedule and gpa that goes to the worse ranked hs in the nation.

The gpa is one of those things that varies, and is usually the item that will be re-weighted by the board. The reason why is because your school may only award 4.5 for AP on a 7 pt scale, but the next candidate's school may award 6.0 on a 10 pt scale. They then combine this with the school profile.

For example the #53 at TJJHS is coming from a school where 75% of the students go private or Ivies, and 25% go IS. That will mean more than the number 53 that attends a school where 25% go Ivy and 50% go IS colleges, leaving the last 25% attending 2 yr or vocational.

For future candidates, when you request your sealed transcript, buy one for yourself --- I mean the sealed one. Sealed is the official transcript that the college receives. There are multitude of reasons to do so, but here are the top reasons:
1. Check your "official" grades. Clerical mistakes occur. If they put a S instead of an H or an H instead of AP/IB, it is going to hurt you in the re-weighting system.
2. Most schools will attach a school profile. This informs them of the % I mentioned earlier and their weighting system.
3. Check that they have included your ECs...for example NHS, FHS, sports, etc. Schools many times include that on the transcript, so if you see that they have you down for NHS 11 and 12, but you know you were inducted in 10th, take it to the gc.
4. It will also show your ACT/SAT dates and the scores, make sure they are correct.

This is true not only for ROTC, but college selection. Colleges look at you, but they also look at the school too when deciding, especially competitive schools.

In the military you will quickly learn that it is your responsibility to review your records, by not doing so you may lose an opportunity.

Again, for this OP, he may have a great shot, especially since NROTC is linked to the university. He may be the best candidate for that University. There is just not enough info to say, "he is living a pipe dream or he is living reality".



Good luck.