rotc marine corps option scholarship

mom2sons

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Hi I am new to this board and hope someone can answer my q's.My son is a high school junior. Wants to apply for scholarship and is interested in top schools which as I understand it doesnt mean he will get those schools if he gets the scholarship.What is the process for applying? Should he talk to colleges he wants to attend now or is it too early? When does the application come out? Could someone take me through the steps and post a link to the app please?

thanks
 
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Marine Option/ NROTC

Here you go - LINK:

https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/index.aspx

Contact your local USMC Recruiter. Tell them your son is interested in the Marine Option for NROTC. They will put you in touch with the Officer that handles the program for your area.

Basics:

Math and Verbal parts of SAT need to have a combined score better than 1000. Example - 630 Math, 530 Verbal = 1160 combined. Believe the ACT is 21

Needs to be physically fit - 18 to 23 minute 3 mile run, 50-75 crunches in 2 minutes, and more than 5 pull-ups. Max is 20. He should show up being able to do 10 (goal).

Pick schools you like, apply to five (5). You won't necessarily get the scholarship at the school "you" want to attend. Be sure you like all five and that you are accepted to all of them!!!

Good luck.
 
If your son is open to other options, I'd look for other avenues as well.
* Does he only want to go the ROTC route?
* How about the Naval Academy w/ Marine option?
* How about the Army route....ROTC or Academy?

The only reason I bring it up is because (at least this year), the Army seems to hand out a much higher # of ROTC scholarships vs the Navy or Air Force. I can also only speak from *our* experience in this process but the Army ROTC contingent was 100X more helpful and accessible than their Navy counterparts.

For example, my daughter met with the Navy recruiter and he told her that he "got 75% of his applicants scholarships last year" and that she was a virtual lock with her academic and leadership backround. We never heard another word from him or anybody connected w/ the Navy ROTC program. Contsrat that with the Army and we had ROTC commanders from colleges calling us a week after we turned in the application. Before she was ever selected for a scholarship, we had (3) programs calling her every (2) weeks.

Just food for thought. Good luck to your son!!
 
you are on the right track. follow ROTC directions for each branch, be/get in shape physically, hs gpa, college tests, teacher recs and submit app early and complete.

You are correct, especially with 1st tier schools, scholarship award and school acceptance is completely separate. k2rider offers good advice, keep your options open. It appears NROTC and AFROTC awards were very competitive this year. I recall in previous thread a link to NSTC doc stating scholarship award numbers. Sorry I don't recall the exact numbers, but it was low. Maybe someone else has the link handy

U of Michigan NROTC 2014
 
rotc marine option scholarship

I agree with k2rider....To look at the Academies as well, and Army ROTC too - especially if your son is looking at combat arms (infantry, airborne, air-mobile, artillery, mech. and so forth).

Thing to keep in mind however about the USNA and Marine commissions - at the USNA there is no guarantee your son will get a Marine commission. He may want it, but at the Academy these are very competitive now. Usally about 10-12% of the graduating class become Marine officers and you're going to constantly be reviewed and assessed by a Marine board of officers.

The focus and mission of the USNA is to produce "Naval" line officers, the Navy gets first priority on the midshipmen; the fleet's needs come before your preferences....

If he wants "Marine" he might be better off doing the NROTC/Marine Option in a Cadet program at Norwich, VMI, The Citadel, Texas A&M, or Virginia Tech.....
 
Bob's Right....

Totally agree with BobMcMahon and others posted. When you enter the USNA there is an amount of uncertainty as to whether your S/D will be able to select Marine Option. In the ROTC route, you are selected by the Marine Officer acession people in Quantico and assigned to a Unit (school) based on how your desirements fit their needs, i.e. school openings. But once you are in, the Midshipman is "tabbed" as a Marine Option from day one and wears Marine Brass and performs marine activities, some of which overlap with the rest of the NROTC Unit. Further, there are many degree majors which are not available at an Academy* which your S/D may wish to pursue. USNA or straight NROTC are weighted to certain majors.

Having said all of the above. Any of those would be a great path through college.

*disclaimer: The academies are Great schools. S#1 is a Yuk and S#2 is HS Sr heading to NROTC, Marine option.
 
Green4Life made another excellent point.

Majors....Navy gives preference to kids with high SAT Math scores AND Technical majors - the Engineering kind: Electrical, Nuclear, Mechanical, Structural, Computer, etc... These are Tier 1 requirements of the USN due to the nature of ships operations. Tier 2 stuff would be majors in Math, Science, Chemistry, Etc.... If you want to be a line Naval officer aboard a ship - do not even think about majoring in English, History, Sociology, etc... However, if you want to be a JAG (lawyer), doctor, PAO (Public Affairs Officer), etc...fine, but you will have to work with your recruiter to get you on a specific track.

Again, first needs of the USN are engineering officers because that's what makes ships run. Nearly everything after that is a secondary consideration.

USMC however, no such worries. Everything you're going to need to know about being a Marine Officer, they will teach you.
 
USNA is competitive for Marine commissions. However, I would say that Marine Option is more competitive due to fewer slots at fewer schools. Recent classes have been commissioning closer to 25-30% Marine 2ndLts. You have the option of participating in Marine training throughout your time, all of which heavily weights in your favor for the Marine Service Assignment Board. Essentially, if you have the grades/background to get into the Academy and demonstrate the desire and capacity to be a Marine officer, then you will likely be selected by the Committee. Again, there are no guarantees... However, I will tell you that I attended the USNA with the desire to be a Marine officer. In the end, I managed to earn that commission as a 2ndLt. I also applied to NROTC Marine Option and was denied (for what reason I am unsure). Pick your poison.
 
Hi I am new to this board and hope someone can answer my q's.My son is a high school junior. Wants to apply for scholarship and is interested in top schools which as I understand it doesnt mean he will get those schools if he gets the scholarship.What is the process for applying? Should he talk to colleges he wants to attend now or is it too early? When does the application come out? Could someone take me through the steps and post a link to the app please?

thanks

I also encourage you to check out Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course (PLC.) While it does not offer scholarship monies - I overheard the Marine Corps Officer Selection Officer (OSO) that recruits at our Academy state that most Marine Corps officers earn their commission through PLC. I have never seen anything official to back that up - but, also have no reason to doubt it.

I wish your child well through this process!

Fuji
 
While scholarships are awarded based on major, it is my understanding that service selections are not. It has been explained to me that it is based on GPA and overall military standing in the ROTC unit. While a techinal major could help you in you future naval career, a non-technical major will not hurt you.
 
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