NROTC Tier III Question

[trabi_skoda]

Dear All,

What are your thoughts on Tier III applicants this year? DS's application has finally 'gone live' (he had everything in weeks ago, but some things seem to have been lost in hyperspace for a while). He has great SATs (1600), 4.88 gpa, captain of the wrestling team (4 year letterman), a lot of community service hours, and school leadership (co-founded his high school's Model UN Club). He's taking AP BC Calculus now, but has no interest in a technical major. He indicated he'd be happy to go LREC on his application. I just wonder as a parent if with his humanities/social sciences interests he's out of the running even before he starts. If he were a science major, like his brother, I'd be very optimistic. I do, though, support his sticking to his guns and he does have Plan B possibilities if this (his first choice) doesn't pan out.

 

[nofodad]

tier III

My DS applied Tier III and was denied, but his stats were nowhere near as impressive as your son's. If it wasn't possible, it wouldn't exist, people apply each year, and each year as far as I know tier III scholarships are awarded. Interestingly enough, after our DS was denied both NROTC scholarship and USNA, he considered an expensive private and working towards a side-load scholarship but he would not budge on his major. In the end he picked the school that offered the best program he was interested in and enrolled in AROTC. Although our family preferred Navy, at the time there was more room in the Army for non-tech majors (that may be changing).

Others on this forum have stated and I agree that course of study is critical if you want to enjoy college...ya don't wanna get get stuck studying something you don't enjoy.

Go for it! It's rare, so plan B may be in order (or D in my son's case).

 

[kinnem]

+1 to nofodad. Obviously some kids are awarded Tier 3 scholarships. There are several Tier III midshipman in my son's Battalion and class year. My son was a Tier III applicant and was not awarded a scholarship. He participated in NROTC anyway at his #1 choice college and was awarded a side-load scholarship during his sophomore year. There is more than one way to skin a cat if you work hard.