coldharbour
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2010
- Messages
- 18
When exactly do i need to start filling out the application and everything? I am a junior right now in HS.
Coldharbour...My daughter was in the same situation. She definitely wanted to go to college outside of California but still dealt with the local batallion at SDSU for the application/interview process. Even though she was honest about having no desire to attend SDSU, she was given the highest interview score possible.
I'm not 100% sure but I'd say have all your ducks in a row to apply during the 2nd semester of your senior year for sure. My daughter didn't have everything done until late September (1st month of senior year) so her package wasn't even reviewed during teh 1st (2) boards. Better to have it done so your application gets reviewed by the 1st board....usually in August I think.
I'm not 100% sure but I'd say have all your ducks in a row to apply during the 2nd semester of your senior year for sure.
Right on, I all find out the nearest school with an AFROTC program and contact the coordinator. I wan't to have my thing reviewed and my applications in on time, and as early as possible.
I think you meant JUNIOR!
Some of those ducks would be:
1. Teacher recs
2. More than 1 SAT score
3. Transcript issue...if the school is closed during the summer make sure you can get a sealed transcript prior to them closing.
4. Talk to your GC re: the process for recs. Most hs gc's know the process because students not only apply ROTC, but to the SA's.
Review what is needed to submit a package, and then do a check list. Our DS was late to the game, and we spent the summer scrambling to get things done. He still met the earliest board for AFROTC, (Oct), but it was hectic, especially since he also had to spend hours writing essays for college admissions and meeting with the ALO (BGO for Navy/MALO for Army).
Don't call the det if you are not a match to the school...i.e. Stanford is the closest school, but it is not a match. Call the det you want to attend. I say this for multiple reasons.
1. Talk to them about the det itself...how many cadets, how many got summer training (%), how many got their 1st choice assignment(%), military fraternities, etc.
College is only one aspect, ROTC is the other. You can love the academic program, BUT, if the det doesn't jig with you, than your career for several yrs is on the line.
Ex: ERAU AFROTC det loves to tell people that they give out the 2nd highest amount of UPT slots. Sounds great, right? They fail to tell you that the % of cadets with UPT slots is lower than many other colleges, thus, you actually hurt your career chances by going to ERAU over VaTech.
Good luck
2. Dets are very busy with their own corp. Calling a det to ask for a review when you don't match is wasting their time, and probably giving you answers that are not appropriate for you...go back to #1. Calling a det that matches your college desires will also spend more time with you since you are a potential cadet
EX:
Hi, my name is XYZ, I was hoping you could help me out. I want to go AFROTC, and I wanted to see how I stand and what I need to do?
Det: Okay, so you will be an incoming Freshman?
You: No, I intend to apply to ABC, but you are the closest college, so I decided to contact you.
Det: Well, I'll try, but I don't think I will be much help since you won't be attending here.
Now, play that role play game where you say Yes...the conversation will go much differently.
ROTC dets are just starting up, and right now this is the spin time. They are busy doing reviews for cadets that completed FT over the summer. They are busy writing recs for C300 cadets that will meet their career boards in the next few months. They are busy processing scholarships and book reimbursement. They are busy getting the det on line for the AFOQT that occurs in Sept. In other words, they are busy, busy, busy. Call in October, especially since you are only a jr. Even as a SR., you would probably not get enough attention in Sept. It is important that you get that quality time.
Thanks for all the help so far! I am wondering if there are any room for other recommendations. Like I said before, I work at a Postgraduate school for the Navy doing DOD research. I have accumulated quite a few officer contacts with in each branch and several of them have offered to write me letters of rec when I app for ROTC. I am just wondering how ROTC boards would take this into consideration, and how they would act upon it.