Should I apply for an ROTC scholarship?

frenzymando

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Let me start by saying my goal is ultimately to attend a service academy. But if I can't attend a service academy, I would still like to be an officer(and I intend to become one even if I don't get into a service academy), but I would really, really like to go to a service academy. I intend on applying to get into a service academy until I get in or until I become ineligible to apply.

I'm currently a junior in a high school, and at many schools in my state I am already guaranteed full tuition for my test scores and GPA. But what I am not guaranteed is room/board and all the other expenses that come with college, which is why I am considering applying for an ROTC scholarship. But I have several questions about ROTC scholarships:

1. If I accept a 4 year ROTC scholarship but then I get accepted into a service academy after my freshman year of college, will I be able to go to the service academy since I have accepted the ROTC scholarship? Or will I be locked up in ROTC?

2. If I am allowed to go to the service academy in the situation above, do I need a waiver or anything to do so?

3. If I get an ROTC scholarship in say Army ROTC but then I get accepted into the Naval Academy, will I be allowed to go to the Naval Academy?

4. If I accept an ROTC scholarship and then go to a service academy(if this is possible) do my service commitments from the ROTC scholarship and the service academy add together or do I simply take the service commitment from one or the other(I'm not sure I'm very comfortable with having a 16 year service commitment....)?

5. If I accept an ROTC scholarship and then I go to a service academy(assuming this is possible) do I have to pay the ROTC unit back for the money they gave me in the scholarship?
 
Depending on the branch, scholarships are different. I say why not apply? It won't hurt. It's not like you're guaranteed to get it. (Air Force doesn't pay room and board.)

Yes you can transfer to an academy
 
1. Yes, No
2. No
3. Yes
4. No
5. No
These answers assume you graduate from a SA.
Side note: The Navy holds a small number of appointments for current NROTC midshipmen.
 
Alright thanks! So how competitive are these scholarships? Is a 4 year one about as difficult to get as an appointment?
 
So how competitive are these scholarships? Is a 4 year one about as difficult to get as an appointment?

Frenzy -- Yes. They are very competitive. The same preparation is required to earn a SA appointment or a 4 year (or 3 year) ROTC national scholarship.
 
For AFROTC statistically the chances are about the same as an appointment, between 16-18%. The big difference between ROTC scholarships and appointments is ROTC is a national board, whereas the SA starts off geocentric and than go to national. It is possible to get an appointment and no scholarship, vise a verse you can get a scholarship and no appointment.

Also AFROTC and NROTC give about 80-85% of all of their colleges to STEM majors.
 
Let me start by saying my goal is ultimately to attend a service academy. But if I can't attend a service academy, I would still like to be an officer(and I intend to become one even if I don't get into a service academy), but I would really, really like to go to a service academy. I intend on applying to get into a service academy until I get in or until I become ineligible to apply.

Frenzy, for what it's worth, my advice is that you will probably need to rearrange your goals before you are in your interviews. You need to convey that your ultimate goal is to become an officer in the military. Your preferred route to get there would be through the service academies. You definitely need to apply for the ROTC scholarships for the branches you want to serve in. I would expect your MOC interviews and ALO, BGO, etc... interviews to include a question along the lines of..."If your ultimate goal is to be a military officer, have you applied for the ROTC scholarship?"

My son applied for the NROTC and AFROTC scholarships because those were the branches he was pursuing. He was awarded an NROTC scholarship and AFROTC Type 7 scholarship. Regarding the AFROTC scholarship, I think the Type 1 scholarships (that cover out-of-state tuition) would be even more difficult to obtain than a service academy appointment. They don't give out many Type 1 scholarships. The Type 7 scholarship covers in-state tuition. The NROTC scholarships are tied to particular schools, and you will need to rank your preferences and apply to the colleges you ranked. Neither of those scholarships cover room & board. There is a thread on this forum regarding which colleges give discounts, etc... on room & board to ROTC scholars. It would probably be good to consult that thread before ranking your choices. I don't know anything about the Army's ROTC program. I'm sure the advice on the website will be thorough. We had not found this forum before my son applied, yet he figured out what to do. The only thing he didn't take into account was who offered room and board discounts....but that's a big variable in my opinion. So, be sure to check that out.

Since my son received an appointment to the Naval Academy, he is letting his ROTC scholarships go. But they were great Plan B options since they helped him on his way to becoming an officer. He was going to go the NROTC route if he hadn't been accepted into a service academy. He would not have applied again for the service academies, because Plan B would have still got him where he wanted to be. He was actually very excited about the NROTC program.

So, just to emphasize the point, apply for the ROTC scholarships, or be prepared to answer the question, "Why didn't you apply for the ROTC scholarship?"
 
For AFROTC type 1 scholarships only 5% of all scholarships awarded are type 1. Number wise less than 50 nationally. If going nontech it is 5% of that 5%, or maybe 2-3.

I agree with SDMom, be prepared to answer questions for the SA, MOC and the ROTC interview. Questions, like....
What are your intentions if not awarded a scholarship
What are your career goals
Why this branch?
 
Frenzy,

There is something called a search bar which is directly below the Private Conversations button.

Use it!
 
Frenzy,

There is something called a search bar which is directly below the Private Conversations button.

Use it!
My questions were fairly specific... I actually did try to find the information myself but I was unable to... It's not like I asked what the R in ROTC stands for....
 
All of your questions have been answered in previous threads. Sometimes you just have to wade through the posts on a particular forum with the help of the search button.
 
All of your questions have been answered in previous threads. Sometimes you just have to wade through the posts on a particular forum with the help of the search button.
Well put it simply, I wasn't able to find the answers to the questions I asked. I had other questions that I was able to answer by looking at other threads and by using Google, but I couldn't find these answers. Maybe I didn't look hard enough. I apologize for filling up the forum with a thread that has questions that have already been answered, but I wasn't able to find the answers by myself and I wasn't sure if anyone else had asked these questions and I didn't think it would hurt to ask.
 
Yeah, but your questions still are an easy search here. I just placed in the search "holding a ROTC scholarship" and there were multiple threads.

USNA actually has a sticky on their forum for reapplying candidates.

I am not trying to antagonize,but I have to agree with cb7893. You may believe they were fairly specific, but they have been answered all over the place on this forum.
IE. A poster may feel this question as specific, more so impo than yours, but it is a hot button item on every forum every year.

~ Awarded a ROTC scholarship and an appointment,should we pay the deposit for the school even if we accepted the appointment?

There is no such thing as a stupid question. Everybody needs respect that they might not know how to use the search function. However, even if you don't know how to search properly I am betting you know how to hit the next page and can tell which thread might matter to you.
~ USNA page 2 To Reapplicants that were NROTC.
~ College reapplicants also on page 2.

More importantly, I will say this...you intend to apply for the SAs next year. You will be assigned a BGO they are there to assist and support you.
~ Go back to the SDMOM response. They will meet with you. They will do a casual interview. Most likely they will ask if you are applying for ROTC.

In the end, impo you are twisting yourself into a knot right now and not getting the big pic.

Leave all of those questions aside that you posted. Here is what is going to matter.
1. Class Rank
2 CGPA
3. Course Rigor -- APS offered to the amount you took
4. SAT/ACT
5. Sports
6. Leadership --- sports/clubs/elected school positions
7. ECs
8. CFA.

I am sure I am missing things, and nothing here is in rank order of matter, just what will all become factors.

Basically ROTC scholarship mimics SA appointments. Too may going/new posters see ROTC scholarships as an easy scholarship. They don't realize that is a fallacy.
~ Take time and read the stats of those that are awarded. They are not slackers
~~ Just like you many SA applicants will try for ROTC scholarships. Difference is now you are fighting to be in that top 18% nationally, not just your state using basically the same parameters, give or take tweaking.
~~~ USAFA super scores SAT/ACT. AFROTC is best sitting. Both have the same median scores.
~~~ NROTC and NROTC MO are different scholarship boards with different requirements
 
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You know folks, sometimes it takes some expertise in the particular terminology and familiarity/practice with search engines in order to be able to make an effective search. How did you do when you first started using Google? At least OP made an attempt to find the info herself. I think we can quit flogging her and move on.
 
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