Plan B: Split-op/SMP

jlwilkes101

5-Year Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2010
Messages
73
So I've decided on my plan B for if I'm not accepted to West Point, and I was going to ask you guys for your opinion on it. And possibly more information if any of you have any, because I'm finding it difficult to find good information on this. But anyways, I was thinking that if I am not accepted to West Point, I'll go on to an ROTC program at another school (not sure which one yet, because a) I have not decided on a top choice, and b) I obviously haven't been accepted into any yet). Additionally, I'll take part in the Simultaneous Membership Program for the National Guard, including the Split-Option program, where I will enlist in the National Guard, go to basic the summer before my freshman year of college, drill with the National Guard throughout that year along with participating in ROTC in the college (this part I'm not sure about, however, as I've read in some places that going to basic takes the place of the first year of ROTC), and then would reapply to USMA during that school year. Ideally, I would then get accepted, and go to Beast the summer after my freshman year of college; if not, I would go to AIT and then contract with the ROTC unit at the college. From then on, I would either continue reapplying to West Point or possibly simply finish through with ROTC.

I like this plan B because I feel like it will give me both military and academic experience that would help with my hypothetical reapplication, and if I was still not successful in recieving an appointment to West Point, those same experiences would be valuable to me as I took another path to become an officer. Additionally, the split-option training would prevent me from being deployed (not that I have a problem with deploying, but I'm afraid that it would interrupt my education). So, and I know this was an incredibly long post, but what do you all think of this plan? Is it common, or feasible, or promising? Or did I overlook something that would make it an unreasonable plan?

Thank you all very much for your help :smile:
 
Why do you feel the need to do SMP? If you are interested in ROTC, you can participate without enlisting and doing SMP. IMHO unless you cannot get a ROTC scholarship and need help paying for college from the NG or Reserves, it's probably better to just do ROTC and focus on school rather than missing class or study time to go to drill.

Also consider a dedicated prep school such as nmmi, mmi, nwp, or vfmac
 
Thats true, but with SMP, I would get the experience of basic training, which I think would be valuable, and I wouldn't get that with regular ROTC.
 
Thats true, but with SMP, I would get the experience of basic training, which I think would be valuable, and I wouldn't get that with regular ROTC.

True, however you will get the training you need from your ROTC detachment or the academy, so is the redundant lessons of basic-> LDAC/CBT, CFLT worth the one weekend a month spent twiddling your thumbs at drill, time that could be spent improving grades?

Bottom line: I don't know how much weight enlisting in the NG will have on your application, that's a question best left to an admissions rep. But I do know that grades are important and that the guys I know who did SMP all felt like all they did at drill was file paperwork because they hadn't completed AIT and were non-deployable
 
Whatever you do, I would advise against split-op. Its not a great idea if you want to start college with the rest of your class.

Also, SMP doesn't really give you an advantage over your ROTC classmates. Its just a different route, and you may also have to miss school for it (the ROO at VMI said that this depends on your school, of course, and your vacation dates). There are plenty of possibilities to gain experience that you might want in ROTC without doing SMP, in my opinion.
 
Should not discount joining NG.

Joining NG can almost guarantee an appointment if the following conditions are met

- get your commander's endorsement for RC nomination (not enough cadets are accepted under RC nominations).
- 3Q.
 
SMP is a great program, however, you're enlisting into the Guard. Be prepared to fulfill the entire contract should your other options not work out. Understand that if the other options don't happen, you still owe the guard and that could complicate other things down the road.
 
Back
Top