Hi,
My daughter is interested in ROTC and is applying for the 4 year AROTC scholarship. Would it benefit us to speak with an ROTC rep from a college?
Also, if we do should we just speak with one at a local college or go to the college representative at the college she is applying to (Norwich University, about 3 hours away)?
Thanks for the help!
I'm glad to hear that your daughter is interested in ROTC. I am actually the Scholarship and Enrollment Officer at Penn State Army ROTC. I know there's a few more of my counterparts from other schools on these forums, so feel free to ask any questions you have.
A couple of points about schools and techniques to evaluate your daughter's options:
1) Visit all the Universities that your daughter considers options for her schooling. It would be especially valuable to draw the distinctions between a Senior Military College and normal colleges choices. If she does earn a scholarship, it would likely be to more than one school, and she'll want a variety of comparative experiences.
2) Much like what was stated above, we always recommend applicants complete the interview at their #1 school. That said, schools won't lobby on a candidates behalf simply because you've spent time there. We've all come to understand our impact on the National Scholarship Process is extremely limited, and even the best candidates are unknown commodities. We certainly can influence through the interview, but that can't dramatically shift someone's chances.
3) Make sure the number one factor in your daughter's decision is her academics. While the ROTC program should play a role, the University she attends and the degree she earns will have a longer lasting impact after college.
I hope that helps a little bit, and wish you luck though this process!