I thought also that for AROTC you had to have at least 1 IS school on the list.
Here is my 0.017945 cents of why I would revisit the selection list.
KarenH said:
#2 is only school he can afford with NO asssistance, and will be accepted
What if after his 1st yr there he decides ROTC is not for him? Are you prepared to tell him, that either he sticks with it for yrs and yrs to come, or he has to transfer to a new college because otherwise he can't afford to attend there for the next 3 yrs?
Either option is not a great option.
Look at threads here. Right now this is a parent who found out her DS was given the boot before the school yr started. They can't afford him to attend the college. They are now scrambling to figure out what to do. Granted this was an AFROTC parent, but you, me and the man behind the tree can not foresee the future, just like they didn't. What IF?
Another thread is by Gojira, where 6 weeks prior to commissioning, and 143K spent by NROTC they did not commission him, they demanded the 143K back. Gojira's DS is now on the hook. There was no enlistment option offered.
I say this with kindness, but until you walk that path, even as a parent knowing the financial burden hung over their head, you can't fathom the weight. Getting a phone call from your kid saying, Mom, I don't know what to do, I am carrying a C in this class right now, it is going to miss up my OML, do I drop it or keep it is when you heart sinks. It happens, and for the next 8 weeks you are worried along with them, but they are even more stressed than you are at that time. Now it is their career dream, and for some if the gpa is already low, it could be loss of the scholarship.
It isn't just getting the scholarship, it is keeping it too. A child that knows they can stay at that dream college even if ROTC doesn't work out has a lot less weight to carry. Yes, going off to college is a time to grow up, but have a serious conversation with him, and say look, you submit this list, and get 1,3, 4 and 5 for the scholarship, what will you do in the what if situation? How will you be able to stay here for X more yrs?
Not one ROTC program commissions 100% of any incoming class. Nobody wants to think that they won't commission, but let's be honest, many, many, many don't.
DS entered with @100 in AFROTC in 08, 10 were scholarship. He commissioned with 26 cadets. Scholarship cadets have 1 yr to call the ball. If he wants to call the ball, but can't financially, he has 3 more yrs of doing something he doesn't want to do, and then 4+ yrs depending how he commissions on top of that. He will be at least 26 before he can say goodbye. 26!
As far as SMC's one thing candidates do not realize is the amount of time it takes up in their life. SMC's require ROTC cadets to be part of the Corps. It is basically doing 2 ROTCs in the most simplistic terms. Lots of hours away from studying, and the more you progress in these areas the more hours away from academics. We are not talking 5 hrs a week, PT, and LLAB. He needs to be sure he is ready to dedicate a lot more hours even as a freshman.
I am not like clarkson regarding SMCs, but than again I have a soft spot for VT!
Take this time and discuss finances with him, discuss the fact that if he hates AROTC, but loves the school, financially a plan needs to put into place now.