NROTC News

[kinnem]

To be clear these are guesses.
If you applied as a Tier 2 major, they may be asking whether you are willing to switch.
There may be an inconsistency with your original interview form. People sometimes fill them out incorrectly. They may want another person to confirm.
I wouldn't worry about. If they are asking, it is a good thing.
OS

+1 to oldsalt. I suppose it's also possible, your portal page not being visible to me, that the original interviewer never got the results in. Again, just speculation on possible reasons... conjecture.

 

[USMAROTCFamily]

I actually just got the same call. I'm going in tomorrow and I'm a little confused.

Could it be for the opportunity to win an ISR?

 

[RCave]

Could it be for the opportunity to win an ISR?

Isn't it too late for that?

They made me drive over an hour to the first interview and now on last minute notice they want to do another one 5 minutes away from my house. What a smooth process this seems to be.

 

[USMAROTCFamily]

Isn't it too late for that?

They made me drive over an hour to the first interview and now on last minute notice they want to do another one 5 minutes away from my house. What a smooth process this seems to be.

There have been previous posts about people being offered the ISR's in December and January.

 

[kinnem]

Isn't it too late for that?

They made me drive over an hour to the first interview and now on last minute notice they want to do another one 5 minutes away from my house. What a smooth process this seems to be.

I'd certainly lose the attitude. It's their scholarship to award and they're certainly entitled to have some folks jump through a few simple (did you say it was 5 minutes from your house? ) hoops if they so desire. And driving an hour <gasp> to the first interview is certainly not taxing either. Humble, quiet, confidence is the order of the day. Of course if it's just too much trouble for you, feel free to blow them off.

 

[Pima]

Rcave,

Welcome to the military. The way to look at it is, won't you feel horrible for venting about the process if all this is about is to offer an ISR in person?

 

[USMCGrunt]

What a smooth process this seems to be.

I am going to pile on with Kinnem and Pima.

RCave: Should you be fortunate enough to earn a commission some day, you will find the military life is full of situations like this. In fact, most will be much more logic stretching, head scratching and blood pressure raising.

Go with it and appreciate the fact they haven't lost your name or forgotten about you.

 

[Pima]

USMC,

You made me laugh. Bullet(AF ret.) and his cousin (Navy ret.) were joking about that this past week. They both said that the statement was when they were in the military:
If you did this in corporate America you would be fired!

Now that they are retired.
If you did that in the military you would be in jail!

Rcave,

we are truly saying this all with kindness. We all understand the frustration, but if this is bothering you now....just wait until later on when he is PCSing and his orders are cancelled 72 hrs prior, or board release dates for their career is delayed indefinitely.

I.E. AFA C1Cs traditionally would have had their career selection by now. It typically drops the 1st week of Oct. They have been not given a date yet when they will drop. Some are joking it will be 100's night (i.e.100 days prior to commissioning). The AF had 4 yrs to work those numbers, but because of sequestration everything is skewed.

For all you know since your interview was done in Aug. it can come down to the DoD budget, and they are now reviewing certain candidates. This is in essence is not NROTCs fault, but Congress's fault.

Or they maybe looking at him for a 2nd opinion, i.e. on the cusp of a scholarship for one unit, but def. in for another. A second look may help them decide which one to offer from another rater's perspective.

I know there is another poster in the same situation, so it appears this yr. this might be a common aspect for candidates. Think about it, this is an insanely small forum compared to the amount of candidates that apply. Typically only about 10% of candidates are posters on this site. 2 posters get notified within hrs of each other says to me, something else is occurring for this yr. group that has not occurred in the past.
~ Every yr ROTC will tweak the system. This might be the new tweak.

 

[USMCGrunt]

Let's face it: there is a reason that the military has given rise to a number of acronyms that speak to this (SNAFU, FUBAR, etc)

I agree that it is curious that two posters got the call within hours of each other.

RCave the forum members could all benefit from a follow up post after your 2nd interview. Let us know if you find out what is behind this situation.

 

[Pima]

+1, I think posters will benefit why they called you and the other poster in.

Both stated this was coming from P'cola, but the other poster stated they had notified them of the school choice switches. Which now makes me think, maybe they switched up the list after being boarded, and that has something to do with it.

 

[RCave]

I contacted my coordinator as I hadn't heard anything back from the individual scheduling my interview. She informed me that the board was "on standby" until my interview because they wanted more information. I asked if it were possible to be awarded the scholarship at the second interview and she confirmed it was.

My interview is at 10am tomorrow so I'll update asap. My AFJROTC instructor wants me to wear service dress to the interview but I've read somewhere that this is discouraged... yes, no?

 

[kinnem]

I contacted my coordinator as I hadn't heard anything back from the individual scheduling my interview. She informed me that the board was "on standby" until my interview because they wanted more information. I asked if it were possible to be awarded the scholarship at the second interview and she confirmed it was.

My interview is at 10am tomorrow so I'll update asap. My AFJROTC instructor wants me to wear service dress to the interview but I've read somewhere that this is discouraged... yes, no?

I think most folks, including myself, would recommend the suit and tie or even business casual with a tie. I think it's more often a MOC interview for a nomination when the uniform is discouraged... because then you become "that guy". Since this is your second interview something tells me, that in this case, the AFJROTC uniform would be OK. I'm sure others will have a different opinion... and you can NEVER be wrong with just the suit and tie.

Good luck with the interview. Looking forward to hearing how it went and what the final wardrobe selection was.

 

[awindmiller14]

I just got back from my interview. I asked the officer conducting the interview and he said often when candidates are applying near the deadline, the people who conduct the first round of interviews will only write about half of the activities a candidate mentions to cut down on time. When it comes to students who are not quite in the ISR range, they often ask to take a second look at a candidate and do a second interview to make a more informed decision. My interviewer also said that the candidates who come in for second interviews rarely get rejected. He was clear that me switching my schools had nothing to do with it.

 

[USMCGrunt]

I just got back from my interview. I asked the officer conducting the interview and he said often when candidates are applying near the deadline, the people who conduct the first round of interviews will only write about half of the activities a candidate mentions to cut down on time. When it comes to students who are not quite in the ISR range, they often ask to take a second look at a candidate and do a second interview to make a more informed decision. My interviewer also said that the candidates who come in for second interviews rarely get rejected. He was clear that me switching my schools had nothing to do with it.

awindmiller14: thanks for taking the time to post. It makes sense.

Many of us had not heard of second interviews before. Its actually a good thing as it allows the candidate a second chance to nail the interview, add to the application, etc.

Good luck!

 

[RCave]

I was interviewed by a Chief as all the officers were unavailable for an interview. They hadn't really told him anything either, just gave him the call that he needed to do an interview apparently.

The guy handling my paperwork said I was called in for a second interview because the first interviewer didn't write enough down and they wanted more details. So, confirming what awindmiller said.

 

[Pima]

Interesting.

Again, this is the 1st yr many of us long time posters have ever heard of a 2nd interview. I wonder if sequestration that occurred over the summer, had an impact since both posters interviewed during sequestration. (Aug and Sept).

Not saying that it is, just saying I wonder.

I also wonder what will happen for those interviewed end of Sept., right before the govt shutdown. Will there be paperwork issues for them too?

 

[kinnem]

Sounds more to me like someone just doing a poor job. If you can get some details of an interview in the system, you can get all relevant details into the system. Period.

 

[kinnem]

I was interviewed by a Chief as all the officers were unavailable for an interview. They hadn't really told him anything either, just gave him the call that he needed to do an interview apparently.

The guy handling my paperwork said I was called in for a second interview because the first interviewer didn't write enough down and they wanted more details. So, confirming what awindmiller said.

So, other than that, how did it go? And what did you decide to wear?

 

[RCave]

So, other than that, how did it go? And what did you decide to wear?

I just wore my service dress. He was pretty laid back, in fact, he hardly asked me anything at all.

Basically he gave me straight 5's and wrote extremely generous answers to the interview questions. He read his answers to me and asked if they sounded good. Then he used 2-3 lines writing "SELECT HIM NOW" in giant letters on the last question.

It was definitely different from the first interview.

 

[kar57]

Today I received a call and was informed that Pensacola wanted me to interview again within the next 2 days.

My first interviewer said I did extremely well(back in August) and he thought I had a good shot at a scholarship, so why are they asking for another interview? Is the board on the fence about my application?

Has anyone else been requested for a second interview?

Let me first disclose that what happened to my DS #4 regarding his multiple NROTC interviews (3 in his case) occurred in 2011/2012. And once the dust had settled after all that, I posted the following - his particular experience with NROTC multiple interviews:

Originally posted 10/18/2012: I debated for quite awhile about sharing DS’s NROTC scholarship application experience on this thread –the series of unfortunate events that unfolded were unsettling and not inspiring, but…this is the good part –in spite of the unsettling, unfortunate, and uninspiring events of that process, DS is now very happily settled and extremely fortunate and altogether inspired as he makes his way through his USNA sponsored prep year 1300 miles away at NMMI. Serving his country as a Naval Officer remains his goal. So okay…the story -

The Reader’s Digest Version
DS began his NROTC scholarship application April [2011] of his junior year. One YEAR and one month later (May 19, 2012) he received the letter from the Department of the Navy “I regret to inform you…” blah, blah, blah no scholarship.

Typical Kar57 Version
DS began his NROTC scholarship application April of his junior year. A couple weeks later (May 16, 2011) DS submitted his completed application and arrived (early, but not too early) for his Officer Interview at the local recruiting station a few miles up the road. CDR XXX who was scheduled to do the interview was suddenly called out just before DS’s appointed time. So DS sat and waited for just a little more than an hour before a replacement interviewer could be found. DS reported that the interview, although delayed, seemed to go pretty well. Skip ahead a bit to fall of senior year, college applications completed and submitted, visits with NROTC units made, more ACT and SAT tests taken and results submitted, NROTC status page reads “NSTC Selection/Placement Office has received your application. All required items have been processed. No decision has been made on your application.” Highest Math and Verbal SAT or ACT equivalent listed. 5 College Choices listed. Everything in order…or so it seemed.

Until December 14 [2011] (7 months after the initial interview). The phone rang in the middle of the school day and it was Petty Officer XXX from the local recruiting station. He called to say that he had just gotten off the phone with the NSTC Selection/Placement Office – THE office in Pensacola - and they were requesting that DS come in ASAP for a second interview. So Petty Officer told me to tell DS to make arrangements to miss the last couple hours of school the next day to drive to yet another city to be interviewed by yet another Officer – this time a LCDR XXX. Well, okay. This was looking very good – and being so close to Christmas and all, put everyone in a cheery mood. So Interview #2 went well, according to DS.

Winter break, college acceptances started coming in, MOC nomination to the Naval Academy, school back in session, DS begins his final semester in high school! Friday, January 13 [2012] – yes, Friday the 13th, DS calls me from school – I could barely understand him through the excitement…Petty Officer XXX (same guy from local recruiting station) had called the school this time and requested DS be pulled from class and immediately report to yet another town to be interviewed – a THIRD time – by yet another Officer. (Now this is 8 months after the initial interview.) DS was calling to say he was on his way home to change into his interview clothes and then head out. Once DS drove out of the driveway I grabbed up his two youngest brothers and had a bit of a celebration dance party! All kinds of wonderful scenarios were playing out in my head. DS arrived home and reported, “No Mom, they didn’t hand me a scholarship on the spot.” The interviewer did say that he “had a good feeling about this, though.” Well, that will just have to do. Two weeks pass – January 31, 2012 - Petty Officer calls and offers an explanation for the Three Interview Saga. Interview #1 – Although what Pensacola received from the “substitute” interviewer way back in May of 2011 was good, it wasn’t in the proper format and so deemed “incomplete.” So a second interview needed to be conducted. Interview #2 (December 2011) – the interview Officer was called out on temporary assignment right after interviewing DS and before the Officer could input the interview. Still looking like an “incomplete” file, says Pensacola. DS was “falling through the cracks” – Petty Officer’s words, not mine. Thus Interview #3 (January 13, 2012).

So there on NROTC Scholarship Application Deadline day, January 31, 2012 – 8 ½ months AFTER DS submitted his complete application and had his Officer interview, his file was NOW complete? And just made it under the wire. And that means his file can go before the Review Board now. Really? Seriously?

Well, skip ahead, past winter, past early spring, and on April 27, 2012 – DS’s status page finally changed its very stale message of "all required items have been processed, no decision has been made" and on May 19 [2012] the snail mail letter confirmation arrived…”you are not among those selected to receive a four-year scholarship…”

A series of unfortunate events to be sure…but like I said earlier, in spite of all of that, DS remains on his journey. And has seen up close and personal before arriving on the NMMI Post and next summer (hopefully) the Yard, how “Hurry Up and Wait” works and “Stuff Happens” and “This is The Military.”

For those of you in the midst of the NROTC Scholarship season, my advice based on personal experience, hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Good luck!!