Scholarship allocations

[WrestlingX]

I have been searching the web to find out how Cadet Command decides how many scholarships are awarded per brigade or school. I assume that in additional to the whole candidate score assigned to applicants some consideration must be given to distribution of scholarships by geography and school. Does the board determine which schools will be given scholarships and then they pick the best qualified candidates who applied to that school. Is it accurate to assume that a certain number of scholarships are reserved for ivy schools, then a certain number to national universities and they a certain number to state universities?

I assume a host university or battalion would have a certain number of four year scholarships awareded? Does anyone know how this is done

 

[clarksonarmy]

no one knows how this is done. It changes every year, and is based on so many variables that if you are trying to out think the system you will not do it. The question back to you is what would you do with this information if you had it. Would you try to adjust your school list to give you what you think is a better chance? You need to put your best foot forward during the process. Make sure the schools you plan to attend, and that you have on your list are the best fit for you. And if you really want to be an Officer you should be planning on how you will pay for school without the scholarship.

 

[WrestlingX]

I wasn't planning to adjust my college choice list to comport with the methodolgy for awarding scholarships. I was curious how they balance the candidate lists with existing programs.

Also, I would not select a school because the chance of an ROTC sholarship is greater without regard to academic program and whether I like the school. I plan on applying for a scholarship but I am not counting on a scholarship. I am fortunate in that ROTC is not the determinative factor on whether I attend college. or where I attend college.

I would like to serve in the army after I graduate and I know other commissioning sources exist besides ROTC. My plan it to attend the best college possible because I believe this will serve me best throughout my life. Going to a college or university just for an ROTC scholarship is not a strategy I intend to take.

 

[TacKLed]

I am fairly certain that they take in a bunch of variables that they probably won't tell the populace. This is just my opinion but my recruiter said thatthey take in race and circumstance in a lot more then academic standards. I don't know if this is true but seeing as how the Air Force is coming out and saying they want African American officers it is not a far thought that the Marines do something of that nature. Not that I think it's right but it's likely they would take a lesser candidate from different area that is African American then a two ace candidates from the same area.

 

[Pima]

TackLed,

The WCS for AFROTC is very clear.

60% goes to PAR (academics), the 40% remaining, minus the PFA are subjective. EC's and recs. are subjective.

Overall, diversity is something the military wants, but like anything else in the military stats are a factor. The military has a % they want for Flag to Field to Company grade. They have a % for officers to enlisted that they want to maintain.

They also have a % of minority that they want to maintain. That % traditionally mimics the % of minorities in our country. Hence if 33% of our society is the minority, and 50% of them are from the AA community, 35% are Hispanic, 10% are Asian, and 5% are the remaining they will try to their best to mimic those percentages.

I agree that for diversity purposes you get an edge, but when you are looking at the amount of applicants that apply, I am sure that there are many, many minorities that are better candidates than the Caucasian applicant and race has nothing to do with it.

PAR btw for AFROTC includes multiple variables:
1. GPA
2. SAT/ACT
3. Rank
4. Course load
5. School Profile

*** number 5 is a biggie. This gives them insight to how the school works. It will tell them if the candidate took the hardest load available. It will tell them if the school hands out A's like Halloween candy.

Ex: Candidate Smith (minority) from an inner-city school, has a 3.45 gpa, 1300 SAT, 5 APs and is ranked number 1 in the class of 300. Top 1%

The school sends 5% to Ivies, only offers 5 APs.
That tells the board the candidate is the top of the top in their class.


Candidate Jones (caucasian) attends the magnet school in the city. He has a 3.6 gpa, 7 APs, 1340 SAT and ranked number 252 in the class of 350.

The school sends 40% to Ivies, and offers 16 APs.
That tells the board the candidate did not take the most rigorous course load like Smith. It states for the school, he is not Ivy caliber from their stats submitted to ROTC/SA.

School profile will also include organizations at the school, such as, sports and clubs. EC factor. If candidate Smith is only in FB on a state championship team because that is the only sport like FB, but Jones is on FB and LAX because they offer LAX, they are not going to ding candidate Smith for not having LAX on their resume. Now if Jones is only on FB, and not LAX or any other sport, they may decide to ding him. Goes back to rigor.

Candidate Smith with a lower GPA, from an inner city school, got in not because of his skin color, but because he was a better candidate.

AFROTC is also very different than AROTC and NROTC. They do not care about the college an applicant is applying to for admission. AROTC and NROTC does, which places an additional wrinkle in the equation. Some colleges like Howard, has minority of their students that are white, while the majority are minority. That means for the minority student it actually could be a negative regarding the scholarship, because the majority would be minorities, and as we all know AROTC scholarships are tied to the ROTC unit.

As Clarkson stated, the minute you try to play the system will be the minute you drew the short straw.

AFROTC and AROTC scholarships are only alike due to the fact they are scholarships for ROTC. If we start inferring to posters that their boards act in tandem with the same basic regs regarding selection we hurt each other with the fact they both have variables and will follow their branch's needs.

 

[TacKLed]

I see where you're coming from, Pima. I'm African American and I have an average 3.1 GPA, which is getting better this semester, 26 ACT, 1100 SAT, and come from a fairly new school with a large Hispanic and African American population. Both people from Marines that helped me told me I had a better chance because the Marines wanted some exposure in my area. I also take AP classes as well.