JMPO why do it? People tend to forget or create a false illusion that the straight A HS student will be a straight A college freshman student. Yes, some are, but the majority aren't, the majority in their fall semester are finding their bearing between academics and the 1st taste of freedom.
Many gorge on the freedom and have issues academically.
Why not take a class that you can get that A?
Second reason why to not jump IMPO.
You will come into the unit as a name with no face connection. You can use this time with your experience to shine and have a face connected to your name.
Jumping would be like skipping a grade in school, let's say in middle to HS. Are you 100% sure you know what the HS expects of their students? The child that didn't skip was spoon fed their freshman yr. The soph is expected to be on board since they are a soph. ROTC is no different regarding expectations.
A few months back on the ROTC threads it was all about how the cadets/mids with scholarships were busting their PFT. Parents of the freshman were shocked, the older posters were not. It is not uncommon for them to bust because of 2 reasons.
~ The evaluating person was not being a stickler on form, which ROTC is.
or
~ The cadet/mid worked out for the PFA, and once completed stopped, so they were not prepared for it.
JMPO, but if your child is going to be there for 4+ yrs due to academic requirements, I see no reason to jump.
Here is also one more negative when it comes to jumping. ROTC cadets bond together that 1st yr. They create friendships because they are in the same ROTC classes together. If the unit is small or even medium size, the majority of the sophs are sophs in college. They spent a yr together already. ROTC and College are also social. They don't just talk about what the class assignment is, but they talk about X prof
or how last yr when they played FB against another school Y happened. Experiences he does not have and will feel awkward to join in the conversation.
I am not saying it is right or wrong. I am saying that he will be living between 2 worlds...he is a freshman, but for ROTC purposes he is a soph, however, for ROTC cadets they MAY see him as a freshman. The freshman cadets will see him as being above them, since he won't be taking the same ROTC classes. He can't relate to their ROTC classes since he is not in them.
He would be floating in 2 worlds.
With our 3rd entering college, and our 1st commissioning this May, I just feel that this is the last time for them to be kids. Nobody in the AD world will know he jumped due to HS JROTC. Nobody will care.
On topic, but off topic.
This is really for MARIST and CLARKSON
How does it work for branching? If the cadet enters as an MSII, he is a yr ahead for ROTC purposes. What if he does engineering, typically a 5 yr program, that would mean he was done with ROTC a yr or 2 prior to graduation. How do they keep them in the ROTC program? In this instance he would enter as an MSII, he would have MSIV completed with 2 yrs left in college. If he took a 4 yr program, he would still be an MSIV as a jr.
How do you work that? I guess I am asking if this poster is an engineering candidate and the Army accepts it is a 5 yr program, but because he jumped MSI is there an MS VI? Will they pay tuition, or stipend for his 5th yr?
I know that is confusing, in essence I am asking if the child elects to enter as an MSII could there be a financial disadvantage because the Army only pays to MS whatever?
I would think as a parent with a child in college that would be the true make or break decision for us. If they say he would not contract until soph yr under 1 scenario or we would have to pay the last yr because ROTC would no longer pay, I would go with not contracting due to the fact of college tuition rates inflating at such a high rate compared to the COL increase. 1 dollar today may be 1.50 in 4 yrs.
If you said that they would continue to pay until he graduated, and by becoming an MS II would get him to contract earlier, I really would have to weigh the pros and cons from a fiscal POV. I think most parents would agree that in this economy $$$ matter.
Your answer may be the real reason why their child doesn't go MSII. They may say branching and financially it makes no sense at all, or it makes perfect sense.