Trying to choose NROTC schools

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bosco535

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I have come down to my final three NROTC schools. I was wondering if anyone new a little more about the reputation of the programs and the schools themselves, as it pertains to NROTC.
I am currently looking at Tennessee State NROTC (a cross town of Vanderbilt)
Iowa State University
Milwaukee School of Engineering (a cross town of Marquette)

Should I choose the school with the highest tuition and the best education program, or should I also take into factor the culture of the unit at the school? (I have a tier 1 major)

Thanks for the help.
 
Don't worry about the culture at the unit. Alot of that will change while you are there since Mids are always coming(freshman) and going(seniors) and leadership will only be there a couple years also. The only thing related to unit you might want to consider is if it is cross town or not. How much will you have to commute, and will it bother you in 4 years. No matter which school you choose, 90% of what you will be doing at the unit is the same no matter which school you choose.

Choose the school you want to go to. The one that feels like the right place and has what you want related to academics, culture, amenities, etc.
 
Thanks for the advice! Its good to know that most units are similar.

Are cross town universities worth attending? I Googled it and Milwaukee School of Engineering is 1.4 miles from Marquette, and Vandy is 3.2 miles from TSU. I don't think these would be bad commutes.
Also, it might sound like a silly question, but are cross town students offered less opportunities, or generally looked down upon in the unit?

Thanks
 
Not at all in my experience. You are all in the same unit, you just go to a different school. Alot of it has to do with just commuting. Both of those are pretty close, but who do you get there? Does it take 45 minutes to drive that 3.2 miles on a friday afternoon? How about having to wake up to drive for PT at 4am?


I'm not discouraging you from picking a crosstown I hope. You should still base yur choice on your favorite school, but if you have a crosstown school that is right at the same level as a home school as far as choice. Then these type of differences might mean something
 
That all makes sense. It is actually encouraging that the cross town Mids are not at a disadvantage in any way. I could completely see the commuting issue. I will have to look into walking the 1.3 mile trek. I am a avid hiker, so 1.3 miles is nothing for me.

The 4am PT is definitely a consideration.
I have heard of schools giving out extra benefits to NROTC students. I should check and see if those schools offer anything as well.
Thanks for the help.
 
My son is doing NROTC at Pitt and takes an electric scooter/bike three days a week at 4:30/5am to Carnegie Mellon which is next door (about a mile away). Trust me you do not want to travel far that early in the am.
 
The bike is a good idea! Does he regret attending a cross town because of the commute, or is he okay with it?
 
He’s fine with it, but if it were any further he said it would be painful! The schools have e-bikes and scooters all over campus which is convenient. Carnegie Mellon and Pitt are right next door to each other so it’s not too far to gi. He’s a Marine Option so they workout an extra day more than the NROTC crew. It’s a commitment but they get used to it.
 
Makes sense. Good to hear that he is okay with it.
I bet that the commute gets draining after some time.
I will be going on tour soon, so I will have to make a point to walk or drive the route to see just how feasible it will actually be.
Thanks for the advice!
 
Does anyone have experience with Milwaukee school of engineering from a NROTC perspective?
I have heard good things.
 
I attended Marquette Army ROTC, and our cadet battalion commander was from MSOE, and is a COL at West Point today. He chose to live at Marquette and go back to MSOE for senior year. As stated above, it was an easy commute.

We had a fine relationship with the Navy. We shared the Old Gym, and we each had our own classrooms on the sides, and there is a gym in the basement. Navy wore uniforms all day on Thursday and Army on Friday.

With all that being said, my son and I visited Iowa State in November and it was awesome. Engineers pretty much stay on the west side of campus, and the obstacle course was cool, and the cross country course was beautiful. As a kid from STL who didn't want to go to Mizzou, if I had to do it over again 30+ years later, I would go to Iowa State.
 
Thank you for your input!
Your experience is invaluable!

I am glad to hear that you think very highly of Iowa State, and MSOE. I am really torn between the two at this point, both seem like fantastic programs.
 
I would say that the most important thing, by a massive landslide, is the culture of the school/academic program you are doing at that specific school. This will determine your mental health by a long shot; ROTC will eb and flow with leadership (MIDN/cadets and Active duty), but your day to day academic grind and social life outside ROTC will always be a huge contributing factor to your college experience.

As for crosstown; look up this phrase and lots of good stuff will come up. i LOVED crosstown and would not have changed it for the world.
 
I have heard that MSOE has a lot of what some people consider socially awkward students. However, going there and meeting students might help me get a better idea than the internet. I want to find a school where there will be a good social life, but at the same time, I am okay with focusing mainly on academics.

I have heard nothing but good things about cross towns, so I think that I will have no problems attending one.

Thanks.
 
My DS been placed at Russell Sage but now he’s changing his mind and wants to go to Marquette University. Does anyone know how selective Marquette is?
 
romtome said:
My DS been placed at Russell Sage but now he’s changing his mind and wants to go to Marquette University. Does anyone know how selective Marquette is?
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Has he contacted the unit at Marquette to determine if they have room for him? That’s his first step.
 
Capt MJ said:
Has he contacted the unit at Marquette to determine if they have room for him? That’s his first step.
Click to expand...
Yes he did and they have room. He just put in his application for admission almost 2 weeks ago. Not sure why he decided to last minute to apply for another college. I think I know why, the other 3 was in the south, one up north and I think he made up his mind to attended school in the Midwest. What his chances of getting accepted?
 
romtome said:
Yes he did and they have room. He just put in his application for admission almost 2 weeks ago. Not sure why he decided to last minute to apply for another college. I think I know why, the other 3 was in the south, one up north and I think he made up his mind to attended school in the Midwest. What his chances of getting accepted?
Click to expand...
Not trying to be rude, but his chances are anywhere from 0-100%. There are a hundred different variables both at the school and with his application that we don't know, so not sure anyone on SAF will know. If he was awarded a NROTC scholarship, then I'll guess he is good academically. So maybe he has a good shot if they still have room?

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/marquette-university-3863/applying

This says 87% admissions rate, but applications need to be in by Dec. 1st. Though this could be wrong.
 
Ihavenoidea said:
Not trying to be rude, but his chances are anywhere from 0-100%. There are a hundred different variables both at the school and with his application that we don't know, so not sure anyone on SAF will know. If he was awarded a NROTC scholarship, then I'll guess he is good academically. So maybe he has a good shot if they still have room?

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/marquette-university-3863/applying

This says 87% admissions rate, but applications need to be in by Dec. 1st. Though this could be wrong.
Click to expand...
Spoke to the admission counselor and they said they are looking at his application now. They have rolling admission. Finger cross that we know something soon before May 1 so we can put in for placement change. Thanks for the correspondence.
 
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