ROTC Scholarship

B

bradster1993

5-Year Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
38
Hello guys,

I would like to know my chances at a ROTC Scholarship in college (All of the Branches if possible).

My Stats

Rising Junior

GPA- 3.875 Weighted

I have not taken the SAT or ACT yet but I did take the ASVAB and I got an 83 on it.

I am in NJROTC at my High School and im on every team they have Drill, Academic, Athletic, and Orienteering.

I am also aware that Physical Fitness is also an important part in the whole process. The last time I took the NJROTC PT test I got about a 274 overall on it.

I have also been to so many camps my past 3 summers with my NJROTC unit

BLT (Basic Leadership Training)- 3 times most recently a Platoon Commander there.

Sail Academy- I learned how to sail little sail boats.

Leadership Academy- By far was the toughest camp I have ever done.

And a few other little ones

If there is anything else you need to know regarding my chances then feel free to ask.

Thank You for your time
 
For everyone that is going to start asking about chances. There is a commonality between every branch. They look at the Whole Candidate. 3.875 or 3.5 or 3.2 does mean something, but it is also important to understand that the rigor of the course curriculum means alot too. If your school offers 9 APs and you have only taken 1, that can hurt you because your not taking the hardest courses available.

Secondly, the SAT and ACT score means ALOT. Nobody can give you a :thumb: or :thumbdown: without knowing these scores. You can have a 3.875 wgpa and get a 1100 on the SAT or have a 3.875 and get a 1450. A whole world difference.

With all of that said, I do see a big HOLE in your resume. You are very weak on ECS. Summer camps are one thing, but you have nothing yr round, be it athletic involvement, work, school or community activities. You need to get to work on that now.

Finally, realize that every branch operates differently regarding scholarships. AROTC and NROTC are the most similar, where the scholarship is tied to the det. AFROTC doesn't request a list of schools you are applying to, you just need to make sure that the school in question has an AFROTC program or is attached to a school that offers it.

Good luck.
 
Thank You for the response,

I do have EC's they are the teams for my NJROTC unit. I am at one of the teams practices every day of the week until 5:30 after school. I played tennis my Freshman year, but now that i'm on all of those teams I really don't have time for any other school teams.

My unit does all kinds of community service. I don't know the exact hours I have done but, I can assure you it is quite a bit.

Also my school does not offer that many AP classes. They barely have any honors classes much less AP.

I am also leaning towards a Navy or Marine option. My dad wants me to do Marines since he was a Marine Drill Instructor at Parris Island but I kind of like what the Navy has to offer.

I know a lot about the application process to all of the branches. I just want to know what my chances would be.
 
Right now, nobody can give you a chances response. You do not have a major component of the PAR, that is your SAT/ACT. Additionally, you are a rising jr. nobody knows where your gpa will go this yr. You could have a great yr and pull your gpa up to 3.9875 or a crappy yr and pull it down to 3.275.

It is good you are asking now, but you are too far out to get a true indication of chances. I would suggest you follow threads here during this yr to see how you rack and stack.

Finally, NROTC can become like the AFROTC, where scholarships were drastically reduced this yr due to a RIF. This maybe true for the Navy and Marines come the class of 16.

This was stated by Gates, this past Thursday
Pressed on whether some forces would be cut, he said, for example, the Marine Corps was currently at about 202,000 with the increase of current forces in Afghanistan, up from a previous number of 175,000.

"After the surge ends in Afghanistan, they will probably reduce some," he said.
Click to expand...

In other words if the members do not elect to separate from the service, than they may be forced to do a RIF like the AF is currently going through.

All you should do now is keep your nose to the grindstone, get good grades and make sure you have every aspect of the application filled to your best potential. This is also a subject you should talk to your NJROTC instructor about, because I am sure that you are not the 1st student applying from your school. They can tell from your school history how you rack and stack up against other kids that received scholarships before you.
 
Alrighty I understand, but I can assure you my GPA will not go down. I will do everything it takes to keep it from going down. My platoon Advisor at Leadership Academy talked about how since the war is starting to end that there will be a lot more competition for the scholarships. Which in turn makes it harder to get one.
 
How have you been to BLT three times? Also, what area are you from? I'm Area 8. Went to BLT two years ago and Leadership this summer.
 
bradster1993 said:
Hello guys,

I would like to know my chances at a ROTC Scholarship in college (All of the Branches if possible).
Click to expand...

My two cents worth:
Your chances are good, because you are thinking ahead, and you are clearly bright.
ACT/SAT and class standing are huge however.., so you are too early to predict.
You should visit a local ROTC detachment (or 2) and get a feel for what you can do to increase your odds.

Trying to predict military staffing requirements 3-7 years out is anyone's guess.
Currently the Air Force is cutting and the Army is increasing. Who knows what it will be when you are ready to go.
If you are interested in a military career, concentrate on making yourself the strongest candidate possible.

JROTC clearly helps your chances.
GPA is good, keep it up.
Check your schools web site for your National Honor Society requirements.
Get a ACT study guide and study.

Try for as many of these as you can.
(Based on Army ROTC)

SCHOLAR: Meet 2 of these 5 criteria.
1) Valedictorian/Salutatorian
2) Membership in National Honor Society
3) Honors or Advanced Placement Program Courses (Completed)
4) GPA over 3.0 AND SAT/ACT over 1100/24
5) Top 10% of class

LEADER: Meet 2 of these 3 criteria.
1)Elected member of student government, class, activity
2)Captain of athletic or academic team - Eagle Scout/Gold Star/CAP Billy Mitchell etc.,
3)Served in position of responsibility in school/club or private organization and leader in volunteer service organization activities.


ATHLETE: Meet 2 of these 3 criteria.
(Two different sports in one category meets criteria.)
1) Varsity Letter from High School team
2) Membership of regional/city/competitive league
3) Either active involvement in organized competitive (club, church league) team, sports.
 
@MorganC I went to BLT before my Freshman year and since my unit hosts it I go back every year. Leadership Academy was probably the hardest thing I have ever done but, it was worth it because I learned so much while I was there.

@gojack My schools National Honor Society requirements is a 3.5 GPA and I should be getting a letter in the mail about joining any day now. I believe i'm in the top 14% in my class but I keep on moving up the chain.
 
My schools National Honor Society requirements is a 3.5 GPA and I should be getting a letter in the mail about joining any day now. I believe i'm in the top 14% in my class but I keep on moving up the chain.
Click to expand...

That's Great!
The key seems to be to fill in areas where you are weaker, without letting your strengths slide.
 
Yeah i'm going to join it as soon as I can. Could you tell me exactly what my weaknesses are so I can work on them?
 
check the link: LINKY

you are SET in Scholar category: NHS and 3.0+ GPA
(Of course better is always better)

Leadership and Athlete you need to review.
 
OK thanks there is something I forgot to mention I have played basketball for a rec league team for the past 3 years, and if it means anything we won the championship. My dad is also thinking of starting of a team for a business league that if he made I would be on. Being a junior in my NJROTC unit i have a lot of leadership responsibilities. So its not like I don't have any leadership
 
gojack said:
Currently the Air Force is cutting and the Army is increasing.
Click to expand...

GoJack, where did you get this information? This last year, scholarships were cut by around half. (Down to 2579.) While the Army does give more than AF and Navy, it is not increasing scholarships.

Back on topic, I think you are doing well, Bradster. However, I would diversify. The JROTC stuff is great, but maybe consider branching out. As a rising junior, you still have time left to get a job, or volunteer outside of JROTC. Something to show you can be well rounded and not ALL about JROTC.

Do you do any sports? If not, figure out a way to highlight your physical fitness. I never competed in sports in high school, but I did martial arts and earned my black belt. Because I highlighted how that made me physically fit, my lack of letters didn't negatively affect me as much. Maybe bringing up your PT Test scores? Edit:Sorry we cross posted. That is a great thing to bring up.

For your GPA, have you taken AP or IB classes? 3.8 isn't bad, but since it's weighted maybe try to bump it up if you can


Looks like you have a good start, now work on finding a college that you want to go to. :thumb:
 
bradster1993 said:
OK thanks there is something I forgot to mention I have played basketball for a rec league team for the past 3 years, and if it means anything we won the championship. My dad is also thinking of starting of a team for a business league that if he made I would be on. Being a junior in my NJROTC unit i have a lot of leadership responsibilities. So its not like I don't have any leadership
Click to expand...

Good to hear!

JROTC will probably count as one of your Leadership, any others?
Basketball will count as one of your Athlete, any others?

For Army two in each category are needed for max points, I'm sure other services have something quite similar.

Getting started before your Junior year allows you to fill in any shortfalls,
Congrats! you are well on your way.
 
Alrighty thanks guys,

@gojack... Well I played Tennis my Freshman year, but JROTC started taking up so much time I couldn't do anything else. I could have but it would have made me fade away in my unit. What do you think my biggest shortfalls are?


@The OC Josh... My school doesn't offer many AP classes and the ones they do offer you have to have take the advanced class before you can take the AP class. My PT scores aren't bad are they? I thought I did pretty good.
 
My school doesn't offer many AP classes and the ones they do offer you have to have take the advanced class before you can take the AP class. My PT scores aren't bad are they? I thought I did pretty good.
Click to expand...

This is may be a pitfall for you to navigate if you are not taking those APs. The selection boards look at your PAR and it is 60% of your score. One thing that they ask for and look at is your course curriculum compared to the school curriculum. They want to see that you took the most rigorous course load available. It doesn't matter how many they offer or the lack of the number they offer, they just want to see you pushed yourself by taking the hardest courses available.

For many schools, it is the jr yr that the ranking starts to change dramatically since it could be the 1st time students can go into the AP classes and not just honors.

Most schools are like yours, you cannot take AP Bio if you did not take Honors Bio. You can take AP Govt, but you can't take APUSH, unless you took Honors US History. It is very common.

I would assume you took the PSAT. because it is typically given to 10th graders. What did you get on it? Traditionally, they will tell you to add a 0 behind the score and that can be used as predictor for your SAT. For example, if you get a 206, a guesstimate would be that you should break the 2000 marker.

In the end, the board is not going to compare your transcript from a specific aspect approach. It is done from a wholistic approach. Your gpa, class rank, and course rigor will be included.

They are also going to view from another aspect and that is diversity. It is great to be so involved in JROTC, but currently, it appears that this is your entire resume. College is not going to be just about ROTC, it is going to be diverse. They are going to want to see that you are well rounded candidate.

For ex:
Our DS was never an AFJROTC cadet, but he got the full ride scholarship, while nobody that was in AFJROTC received one. They had similar PAR scores, but the difference was their ECs.

DS was a Sr. life guard (worked 20 hrs+ a week for 2 yrs), a JR Olympian medalist for TKD, State champ for TKD multiple yrs, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, NHS, FNHS, and NMSF.

The AFJROTC students had CAP, AFJROTC and NHS. Granted they had AFJROTC positions and were heavily involved within their det., but all they had on their packet was something like this:
AFJROTC cadet commander
AFJROTC cadet mentor
AFJROTC XYZ

I am sure you can see the diversity I am talking about

Finally, for you especially since you are in NROTC and want AROTC, you must spread your attention to how you rack and stack for the schools on your scholarship list. The cliche, CHOOSE WISELY is not a cliche in this aspect, it is a fact.

You really need to realize and understand that this system can be a double edge sword. You can get accepted to the college, but not get the det scholarship. You can rejected by the college, but get the scholarship.

As a rising jr. I would highly suggest that this fall and spring you visit the colleges you want to attend. Make an apptmt with the det command and discuss your chances with them.

We can chance you all day long, but because of this system, none of our chances are going to be ones that I would be willing to risk my right pinky for, since none of us know how competitive the dets you want to apply to are and nor do we know the colleges. There is one thing to say UCLA from an IS standpoint, and another from an OOS standpoint.

The AF does not have that process. As long as the school is on their list you are good to go. In other words, you can apply to 17 schools, and take it to any one of them. In the Army and Navy the list is limited to 5....again go back to the double edge sword comment.

Good luck
 
Thank you Pima,

I am going to go get my schedule changed today. I am going to try to get into AP European History as an elective. I see what you are talking about in diversity. I need to spread out my chips and not keep them all in one place. The colleges that I want to go to are UNC-CH, NC State, University of South Carolina. The other two I haven't thought much about. If you were wondering I live in North Carolina. I am not just applying for Army, I will apply for all of them. Navy would actually be my first choice because I know that I would like the Navy.
 
bradster1993 said:
Thank you Pima,

I am going to go get my schedule changed today. I am going to try to get into AP European History as an elective. I see what you are talking about in diversity. I need to spread out my chips and not keep them all in one place. The colleges that I want to go to are UNC-CH, NC State, University of South Carolina. The other two I haven't thought much about. If you were wondering I live in North Carolina. I am not just applying for Army, I will apply for all of them. Navy would actually be my first choice because I know that I would like the Navy.
Click to expand...

have you registered for the SAT yet? You need to take the SAT and should probably take the ACT as well.
Honestly, you are behind on this. Neither your college applications nor your ROTC applications can be considered without the SAT/ACT.

Make sure your scores are sent directly to the ROTC programs and your colleges. Do NOT wait until you get your scores back to send them.
 
Being an ex-carolinian (moved in 08), UNCCH is currently a reach for you from an entire look at your resume.

DS was recruited by them for AFROTC, and as an IS student his wgpa was much higher as a rising jr, he was over the 4.1 marker and had yet to take one AP. He started his APs in his jr yr., and ended with Jump Start his SR yr because he taken the majority of the AP's offered. UNCCH is ranked number 5 in the nation for public universities, and it really is as close to Ivy as you can get from a public school standpoint. Statistically the kids that apply as a match to UNCCH also apply to Duke.

Their EC's are flipping out the door. We have 2 friends' kids that go there, and you just sat with your jaw hitting the floor when you heard their resume. All you thought was when did this kid sleep? They were either valedictorian or salutatorian, they played on school sports,members of some music group (band, choir, orchestra), were class leaders, and had many volunteer hours within the community, while they carried a uw gpa hovering in the 3.9+. Neither of these kids received merit from UNCCH, one is 50% hispanic.

Now, that being said, state universities take a diversity approach. They don't want every kid at UNCCH from Raleigh/Cary or Charlotte. They want them from across the state. Top 14% in Raleigh, attending NC School of Science and Mathematics, is different than being top 14% in Sanford.

You should have no problem matching your other two schools from an admittance issue, but again NC State is an engineering school, thus, ROTC is a big program there.

Contact the dets at all 3 schools, and set up an apptmt with both the admissions dept and ROTC.

I don't mean to scare you, I just want you to see the importance that ROTC scholarship is only one aspect, and they are not the only ones that will be looking at you regarding acceptance. Right now I would say UNCCH is a reach, and it will stink if you got the scholarship, but rejected from UNCCH.

I would continue to do PT, but this really should not be your focus right now. You need to work on your resume from a college selection standpoint.

For candidates, also remember some colleges allow ROTC to voice their opinion regarding the admission process...in other words, they have the ability to say, this kid has a ROTC scholarship and we want him. This doesn't meant that the admission dept will accept just on their wishes, but it does give an edge to that ROTC candidate. At other universities, the ROTC dept has no voice at all, thus it means squat if you have a ROTC scholarship or not.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
JAM, he is a rising jr., so he actually is ahead of the game.
 
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