NROTC Application Process

[Michael R.]

I dont believe that even headquarters can make that happen. Im so sorry you are caught in this mess.

If my colleges are Nc State, michigan, UNC, Georgia tech and virgina tech, do you think my chances are very slim now

No..Move forward and apply to your colleges..Have that part done

My application FINALLY got to CNRC. I might try to make a phone call to get my app to a earlier board. If it doesn't work. What board do you think my app will be viewed first at?

 

[kinnem]

I wouldn't bother with the phone call. Your application will be boarded when it is supposed to be, based on it's date of arrival. I don't think they are going to let your application skip ahead of the hundreds or thousands that got there before you just because you made a phone call and asked.

The answer to your question on which board it will be viewed at is that it depends upon how many applications are in the queue ahead of you. Each board can only review so many applications. The remainder are examined by the next or even a later board. You may have gotten it in early enough to be reviewed by an early board. Keep in mind that if you are not awarded a scholarship by whichever board initially reviews your application, your application will continue to be re-boarded until all scholarships are awarded.

I understand your eagerness, but patience is the order of the day. It is possible you may not hear a yes or no on a scholarship until early to mid-April. I do hope you hear sooner though. In the meantime, to keep occupied if nothing else, continue to work on plans B, C, D, and E.

Good luck!

 

[MilFam]

My son went through this process 2 years ago and had some of the exact same frustrations when applying for his NROTC MO scholarship...lost paperwork, phone calls not returned, recruiter not showing up as scheduled for the physical fitness test (my son waited 4+ hours sitting on the sidewalk outside the locked recruiting station because the recruiter kept saying he was 'on his way'), interviews not scheduled. It was a mess on all levels. He received an Army ROTC scholarship on one of the first boards, received appts. to USNA, USMA, and USAFA, was accepted to the other 5 colleges to which he applied, including SCEA ivy league school, but because the paperwork and process for NROTC MO were so messed up, the very last application he heard an answer on was NROTC. It was probably April when he heard he received a MO scholarship. All along that was his first choice of options and he stuck with the process and is now a college sophomore on an NROTC MO scholarship and loves it. While it all worked out for him, it really leaves an extremely bad impression of the competency of the people involved in the process.

 

[proudofmyboy]

My son went through this process 2 years ago and had some of the exact same frustrations when applying for his NROTC MO scholarship...lost paperwork, phone calls not returned, recruiter not showing up as scheduled for the physical fitness test (my son waited 4+ hours sitting on the sidewalk outside the locked recruiting station because the recruiter kept saying he was 'on his way'), interviews not scheduled. It was a mess on all levels. He received an Army ROTC scholarship on one of the first boards, received appts. to USNA, USMA, and USAFA, was accepted to the other 5 colleges to which he applied, including SCEA ivy league school, but because the paperwork and process for NROTC MO were so messed up, the very last application he heard an answer on was NROTC. It was probably April when he heard he received a MO scholarship. All along that was his first choice of options and he stuck with the process and is now a college sophomore on an NROTC MO scholarship and loves it. While it all worked out for him, it really leaves an extremely bad impression of the competency of the people involved in the process.

What did he hold on to while waiting for the NROTC MO?

 

[Michael R.]

I wouldn't bother with the phone call. Your application will be boarded when it is supposed to be, based on it's date of arrival. I don't think they are going to let your application skip ahead of the hundreds or thousands that got there before you just because you made a phone call and asked.

The answer to your question on which board it will be viewed at is that it depends upon how many applications are in the queue ahead of you. Each board can only review so many applications. The remainder are examined by the next or even a later board. You may have gotten it in early enough to be reviewed by an early board. Keep in mind that if you are not awarded a scholarship by whichever board initially reviews your application, your application will continue to be re-boarded until all scholarships are awarded.

I understand your eagerness, but patience is the order of the day. It is possible you may not hear a yes or no on a scholarship until early to mid-April. I do hope you hear sooner though. In the meantime, to keep occupied if nothing else, continue to work on plans B, C, D, and E.

Good luck!

Well, I got done with the process August 10th. It took them more than a month to get the papers to the district office. Being this late is no way my fault. For a month I have been reporting this and just now is it working. Do you think that's a proper excuse?

 

[USMCGrunt]

No. At this point, you need to let this idea go. Its still early in the process - its not as if you missed a deadline. You will be boarded in the order of which your application got there. It is what it is.

 

[kinnem]

Well, I got done with the process August 10th. It took them more than a month to get the papers to the district office. Being this late is no way my fault. For a month I have been reporting this and just now is it working. Do you think that's a proper excuse?

No. The hurdles you faced are no different than what everyone else faces. If you think you're the only person who had that experience then I think you are mistaken. I suppose it can't hurt to call, I'm just saying you shouldn't expect anything.

 

[TriService2017]

There should be a BIG Sticky that says "Start NROTC Process in the Spring of Junior Year" so people have time to work through the kinks and get their packages in ahead of the crowd. DD focused on other applications and nomination packages through the summer and now seems to be WAY behind. I don't think the Online checklist mirrors the current process. She was told she is missing forms and those forms say "to be signed with the recruiter/coordinator." Seems like there is a missing step of going to local recruiter or district office to get a few things done prior to the interview being set up...or am I just reading things wrong?

 

[proudofmyboy]

I wouldn't bother with the phone call. Your application will be boarded when it is supposed to be, based on it's date of arrival. I don't think they are going to let your application skip ahead of the hundreds or thousands that got there before you just because you made a phone call and asked.

The answer to your question on which board it will be viewed at is that it depends upon how many applications are in the queue ahead of you. Each board can only review so many applications. The remainder are examined by the next or even a later board. You may have gotten it in early enough to be reviewed by an early board. Keep in mind that if you are not awarded a scholarship by whichever board initially reviews your application, your application will continue to be re-boarded until all scholarships are awarded.

I understand your eagerness, but patience is the order of the day. It is possible you may not hear a yes or no on a scholarship until early to mid-April. I do hope you hear sooner though. In the meantime, to keep occupied if nothing else, continue to work on plans B, C, D, and E.

Good luck!

Well, I got done with the process August 10th. It took them more than a month to get the papers to the district office. Being this late is no way my fault. For a month I have been reporting this and just now is it working. Do you think that's a proper excuse?

I agree with everyone else..It is not right, but the only fighting you can do is to complete the application. Once it is in and on time, you must let the process work. Try to be patient. The military is full of hurry up and wait. We feel your pain, but will keep you focused on how the military works. Keep the faith shipmate, it will all work out.

 

[USMCGrunt]

There should be a BIG Sticky that says "Start NROTC Process in the Spring of Junior Year" so people have time to work through the kinks and get their packages in ahead of the crowd. DD focused on other applications and nomination packages through the summer and now seems to be WAY behind. I don't think the Online checklist mirrors the current process. She was told she is missing forms and those forms say "to be signed with the recruiter/coordinator." Seems like there is a missing step of going to local recruiter or district office to get a few things done prior to the interview being set up...or am I just reading things wrong?

TriService 2017: Anecdotally, it seems that each OSO or Recruiting Coordinator seems to do things slightly differently. All within the confines of the process but slightly differently none-the-less. The forms could be signed at the interview, ahead of time, or some other point.

Its only mid-September. Your DD isn't WAY behind - she should focus on finishing it up and getting it submitted but no reason to panic. There are some ahead of you, many others will follow. Early submission isn't the key to earning a scholarship - a good application, good interview, good well-rounded candidate with a strong package, timing and luck all come together in this process. Control what you can, not what you can't.

Best wishes to your DD.

 

[Michael R.]

Well, I got done with the process August 10th. It took them more than a month to get the papers to the district office. Being this late is no way my fault. For a month I have been reporting this and just now is it working. Do you think that's a proper excuse?

No. The hurdles you faced are no different than what everyone else faces. If you think you're the only person who had that experience then I think you are mistaken. I suppose it can't hurt to call, I'm just saying you shouldn't expect anything.

How many boards does it take to fill up these units usually? Univ. of Michigan, NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, Virgina Tech, or Georgia Tech? I'm just worried that my wanted units my fill up before I even get seen. Any suggested schools that are good in engineering that have units that fill up slower? Also, thanks for the heads up. Is my app going to be within the first 5 boards you think?

 

[USMCGrunt]

From NC State's NROTC Website: "Before offering advice on the college/university placement section, I will take a step back for a moment to familiarize you with how the whole process works. Scholarship selection boards for the Navy meet about a dozen or more times (depending on the total number of applications) throughout the year with the first board usually convening in late August/early September. Marine Corps scholarship selection boards are held in November and February. Each board will review approximately 500 applications and they are reviewed in the order in which they are received. For this reason, you want to make every effort to have all of your application complete by early August so that you will be reviewed as early as possible. By August, there are usually 2,000 to 3,000 applications completed so if you’re just finishing in the September timeframe, you may not be reviewed until several months later. The selection board "scores" all of the applications it reviews based on everything contained in the application and then selects the top hundred or so highest scoring applications. Those not selected are automatically rolled to the next board which would meet about a month later and select another hundred or so applications. In this manner, about 1,800 to 1,900 students will ultimately be selected over the course of the year (the last board meets in April) out of the roughly 8,000 to 10,000 that apply. This represents around a 20 percent acceptance rate, though it varies by year. Again, this is why you want to take the time to make your application as strong as possible. "

http://naval.dasa.ncsu.edu/general-information (see pdf file "scholarship application - helpful information")

There are school units that fill faster than others however I can't speak definitively regarding that. Search for posts from Pflying-17 who used to be active here and was an "insider." She noted some units that filled quickly and others who normally had openings late in the process. Of course, the information will be dated. Also, there is a request process to transfer the scholarship once it is earned.

 

[Michael R.]

From NC State's NROTC Website: "Before offering advice on the college/university placement section, I will take a step back for a moment to familiarize you with how the whole process works. Scholarship selection boards for the Navy meet about a dozen or more times (depending on the total number of applications) throughout the year with the first board usually convening in late August/early September. Marine Corps scholarship selection boards are held in November and February. Each board will review approximately 500 applications and they are reviewed in the order in which they are received. For this reason, you want to make every effort to have all of your application complete by early August so that you will be reviewed as early as possible. By August, there are usually 2,000 to 3,000 applications completed so if you’re just finishing in the September timeframe, you may not be reviewed until several months later. The selection board "scores" all of the applications it reviews based on everything contained in the application and then selects the top hundred or so highest scoring applications. Those not selected are automatically rolled to the next board which would meet about a month later and select another hundred or so applications. In this manner, about 1,800 to 1,900 students will ultimately be selected over the course of the year (the last board meets in April) out of the roughly 8,000 to 10,000 that apply. This represents around a 20 percent acceptance rate, though it varies by year. Again, this is why you want to take the time to make your application as strong as possible. "

http://naval.dasa.ncsu.edu/general-information (see pdf file "scholarship application - helpful information")

There are school units that fill faster than others however I can't speak definitively regarding that. Search for posts from Pflying-17 who used to be active here and was an "insider." She noted some units that filled quickly and others who normally had openings late in the process. Of course, the information will be dated. Also, there is a request process to transfer the scholarship once it is earned.

Can you give a close estimation to what board I might be? (Ex. Around 5 to 8th board")?

 

[kinnem]

Can you give a close estimation to what board I might be? (Ex. Around 5 to 8th board")?

Michael, there is no one here who sits on the boards. Therefore, no one here knows how many applications are ahead of you and it is impossible to give an estimate. We have absolutely no idea. Even if you're reviewed by the very next board, you may end up waiting to hear until April! PATIENCE. I know it's hard but DS waited until mid-April to hear he was NOT awarded a scholarship. Fortunately we had plan B in place and still had plenty of time to execute it. Keep working on your plans B, C, D, and E.

BTW - no news is still good news, meaning you're still in the running.

 

[fifi5]

NROTC Update! Mission Accomplished. All paperwork turned in. Portal updated and after a 2 hour drive to the interview today, all is complete. This required numerous phone calls and text messages to make sure paperwork was sent in and portal updated. Lt. stated today that complete package will either be looked at the end of this month or for sure next month for those of you looking for some timeline feedback. BTW, DS gave hard copies of recommendations as well as the teachers/counselors doing it online. If you haven't done this already and if your DS or DD is applying to numerous academies as well as NROTC I highly recommend any small gift or gift card for all these teachers and counselors. My DS' have gone way above the call of duty. My kids high school does not produce many on this path so it is Alot of extra work for them. They maybe get one kid every other year. So DS is truly thankful. The teachers and counselors do seem to be honored to help him on his path though. Ugh, now for the Coast Guard Academy app. DS just informed me today, will apply. What?!!! He has at least 5 common apps to do next!!

 

[MilFam]

My son went through this process 2 years ago and had some of the exact same frustrations when applying for his NROTC MO scholarship...lost paperwork, phone calls not returned, recruiter not showing up as scheduled for the physical fitness test (my son waited 4+ hours sitting on the sidewalk outside the locked recruiting station because the recruiter kept saying he was 'on his way'), interviews not scheduled. It was a mess on all levels. He received an Army ROTC scholarship on one of the first boards, received appts. to USNA, USMA, and USAFA, was accepted to the other 5 colleges to which he applied, including SCEA ivy league school, but because the paperwork and process for NROTC MO were so messed up, the very last application he heard an answer on was NROTC. It was probably April when he heard he received a MO scholarship. All along that was his first choice of options and he stuck with the process and is now a college sophomore on an NROTC MO scholarship and loves it. While it all worked out for him, it really leaves an extremely bad impression of the competency of the people involved in the process.

What did he hold on to while waiting for the NROTC MO?

Army ROTC. At some point during the process, he came to the conclusion that his preference was for a civilian college experience.

 

[USMAROTCFamily]

Just to give you a little bit of perspective, my DS's file was not completed for last year's NROTC board until at least 9/12/14. Yet, he was awarded his NROTC Scholarship on 10/10/14. So I don't know if they didn't really have that many scholarship applications submitted yet, or if they are able to get through all of them quickly. We kept hearing about how there would already be thousands of applications ahead of his, so we were shocked to have his get his scholarship less than a month later.

 

[Michael R.]

Can you give a close estimation to what board I might be? (Ex. Around 5 to 8th board")?

Michael, there is no one here who sits on the boards. Therefore, no one here knows how many applications are ahead of you and it is impossible to give an estimate. We have absolutely no idea. Even if you're reviewed by the very next board, you may end up waiting to hear until April! PATIENCE. I know it's hard but DS waited until mid-April to hear he was NOT awarded a scholarship. Fortunately we had plan B in place and still had plenty of time to execute it. Keep working on your plans B, C, D, and E.

BTW - no news is still good news, meaning you're still in the running.

My app made it to the final location, looks like I can take a breather..

 

[proudofmyboy]

Can you give a close estimation to what board I might be? (Ex. Around 5 to 8th board")?

Michael, there is no one here who sits on the boards. Therefore, no one here knows how many applications are ahead of you and it is impossible to give an estimate. We have absolutely no idea. Even if you're reviewed by the very next board, you may end up waiting to hear until April! PATIENCE. I know it's hard but DS waited until mid-April to hear he was NOT awarded a scholarship. Fortunately we had plan B in place and still had plenty of time to execute it. Keep working on your plans B, C, D, and E.

BTW - no news is still good news, meaning you're still in the running.

My app made it to the final location, looks like I can take a breather..

Good luck and relax now...It is out of your hands...Get those apps in ..

 

[fifi5]

How does acceptance work? Is the $$$ amount stated? Some colleges in the list of 5 will be more many than others. Does NROTC tell you which colleges they have assigned your scholarship too? Or is the process 1 step at at time, i.e., acceptance, college, amount......