My chances of a 4-year scholarship for AROTC, AFROTC, or NROTC

I want to become an OB/GYN for the military. I hope to receive an ROTC scholarship. I am a high school sophomore. I know it is early, but I want to have everything squared away for next year.
GPA: UN 3.5 W 3.7
ACT 25
I have not taken the SAT yet!
JROTC 2 and a half years, but will be 4.
I am apart of YouthLead of my city.
I am a member of DECA, FCCLA,FBLA, Anchor Club, Key Club, National Science Honor Society,BETA Club, Medical Explorers, and a member of the Capstone Leadership Academy
I am also S-5 of staff for JROTC, drill team master (Cadet Captain), and Bravo Company Commander
I also just got a part time job!
I have done community service dealing with Saint Jude, ASPCA, MDA, Renewing Our Rivers(cleaning around the bluffs), TGIF( a mentor for teen abstinence), Adopt A Mile (walking a mile picking up trash with drillteam),and canned food drives.
I run and work out 3 times a week, and I do Tai Kwondo, and kick boxing.
With me working I really do not have time to fully dedicated myself in sports.
I am an honor student taking 2 AP classes along with Dual Enrollment ( school half a day and college classes the other half). This also includes health occupations ( classes on health services and careers).

What are my chances of getting a scholarship, and what do I need to improve on?

You look good so far but definitely work on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores

The lower ACT score and lack of varsity sports and related leadership positions may hurt but everything else looks OK. Take the SAT and see how you do. I did substantially better on the SAT then the ACT. To be honest I dropped working in favor of sports and that really helped with my interview because my ROO/PMS were sport buffs (particularly baseball), but if you need the money you need the money.

I can't comment on the JROTC experience because I never participated and I do not know how much effort or responsibility a "S-5" has in a high school program.

Take the PSAT next yr because it is the only way you can get selected for the National Merit. Study for it, the selection criteria starts at the 95%. The other perk is that it allows you to place that on your ECs as awards, and many selective colleges will approach you because in their college profile, they like to brag about the % of NMSF/NMFs.

I would take this time to study up on how the process works for each branch regarding med school, including % that are selected for this path.

From there, I would also look into what you will do in those branches if not selected for this path, because the reality is upon commissioning you will owe 4 yrs back, and for some branches it is no other option, but AD, for some you can go IRR.

I agree you are weak on sports. As much as you say you don't have time to join a sport, you also say work out 3 times a week and do Tae Kwon Do and kick boxing. TKD was our DS's sport, and what he did was compete on the state and national level. If your Dojo has a competitive team I suggest you try out for it. The SA's and ROTC are now understanding that not every candidate does a traditional sport like FB/BB/etc. However, just being a Black Belt won't cut it alone. It shows commitment, but not competition or leadership. At DS's Dojo, the competitive team were assistant instructors, so not only did he get a sport out of it, he also got a job EC. They were not paid, it was mandated volunteering.

DS also decided to strengthen his athletic portion with his PT job, he became a YMCA lifeguard, eventually the SR guard with 23 saves in over 2 yrs. As a teenager it is a better job (fun wise) than stocking shelves at Target. It also allowed him to place it in his leadership column since he was the SR guard out of 16 guards.

Again, you have stated you don't have the time, but let's be real you are in 9 clubs. That's a lot of time, even if they meet only 1X a month after school, basically that is 2 afternoons a week, or every other day, yr round. Sports are seasonal, you like to run, try out for track. Inform the clubs for 3 months out of 9 you will not be attending meetings...they are accustomed to this.

You imply that you have a job, see if you can change the hours for those 3 months, maybe work all day Sat and Sunday. Again, most companies that work with HS kids understand that for some it isn't about the money per se, but EC for college apps.

Finally, as far as the ACT, I wouldn't worry about it yet because you have yet to be in higher level classes that will build your foundation to get a better score.

I do not know about A/NROTC, but I am positive that AFROTC does not superscore, they take the best sitting. Most candidates that are awarded a scholarship are @30, so you really need to push that up. You can submit both SAT and ACT, they will convert the ACT to an SAT score and take whichever is higher, so it is a no harm no foul issue, and actually to your benefit to take both.

There is a trick to getting a higher sitting score. If one section is substantially higher than the other, the next time study your butt off for the weaker section, most likely you will maintain that higher score, or maybe drop off a few points, but the lower score will dramatically increase, which means your sitting will increase.

AFROTC really leans toward Tech majors, 85% of the scholarships offered go to STEM majors. I do not know if pre-med is considered STEM, so check into that also.

Good luck.

OBTW, one portion of the academic scoring will be your rank in the school. The reason why is it allows the board to determine if A's are handed out like candy on Halloween. Plus, they will re-weight it to their system, since some schools give a higher weight for APs, some schools grade on a 7 pt scale whereas others will score on a 10 pt scale. Hence, this is why rank can mean more than just a number in the class.

I second Pima on the PSAT. There is opportunity for scholarship $$$ there even if you aren't a finalist. This can be a big help with plans B, C, and D if that becomes necessary. This time next year you should begin visiting colleges and meeting with the cadre at each. Also by that point you should begin seriously preparing for the fitness test. It varies by service and you can find it online. Take both the SAT and ACT a couple times at least. NROTC doesn't superscore either but uses your best seating.

Two years from now your folks should be filling out the FAFSA for other forms of financial aid. This too can be helpful for plans B, C, D, etc. I can't overemphasize having these backup plans. The scholarships are very competitive and will probably be more so next year. DS did not win a NROTC scholarship, but is now participating at his #1 OOS school because of the scholarship he received at that school. Also, as much as you think ROTC is for you, many scholarship winners drop out, are unable to contract due to inability to pass the fitness test first semester, get injured, or what have you. Your backup plan can also save you in these situations. So - focus on the scholarship, but don't forget the backup plans.

Kinnem- NROTC did superscore this year. DS was awarded a scholarship in Nov using math ACT score and English ACT score from 2 separate test dates. Just FYI

Every yr things change regarding ROTC.

For example:

Jcleppe has an MSIV, and when they received their AROTC scholarship it was a 3.0, now it is 2.0

Kinnem, has an NROTC mid, and back when their DS was in the process it was best sitting like AFROTC, now it is superscore.

Nick4060, entered with the PFT system (not PFA) and a higher selection rate for AFROTC SFT, as did our DS. Now it is basically a 55/45 chance.

This is why it is incredibly important IMPO that posters who may only be lurkers correct the "old" posters. We need to be here for the candidates.

Flip side, do not assume because their knowledge is from the "old" way that their perspective is off the mark. They have practical knowledge from within the system, whereas the candidate has yet to step foot on campus or ROTC.

JROTC is not ROTC. That experience will not help you as much as you may believe. Walk on campus and broadcast that you were the JROTC cadet commander because you think it carries weight, and you may find yourself being eaten by ROTC cadet commanders as breakfast.

They may use you as an example. I am not saying don't hide it, I am saying don't enter with an attitude, I am scholarship with 4 yrs JROTC, and believe I know ROTC.

Also as much as posters don't want to admit it, but for AF/NROTC candidates game the system by applying for a STEM major. Candidates believe because they do not struggle in APCalc or APPhysics that an engineering major will be a breeze in college. Nothing is farther from the truth than this fallacy.

This board is littered with scholarship cadets/mids that went STEM and are now in jeopardy of losing the scholarship due to their gpa.

IF you have great stats, you will at least for AFROTC, get a scholarship, Type 7, and covert to a Type 2 3 yr, even as a non-tech. What is a great stat?

SAT @1350 ACT 31 ...best sitting
Strong curriculum:
That means you take every advance course offered, no BS classes.

EC's:
Hate to say it, but reality is you can be in 15 clubs and get a lower score than being in 2 with leadership....Dedication long term is seen, and why BSA Eagle Scout garners points.

Athletics:
It is not about hitting a ball or blocking a tackle. It is about peer respect, teamwork, dedication, leadership and time management.

Boards know that to be an athlete in HS on varsity level, equates to juggling academics and athleticism. You don't have to be on a district winning team to garner more points. Just illustrating that for 3-4 yrs you stuck with it and maintained a gpa will matter.

My last thing to say is I have seen a trend recently for Class 16-18. It appears they believe it is quantity and not quality for their resume. In other words the more the better.

This is a fallacy. The military looks at dedication from a long term perspective. It also looks at leadership. 10 ECs will not give an edge compared to the candidate with 4, (2 sports, 2 non) and leadership positions. Big reason why BSA Eagle matters for the WCS...long term dedication and leadership.

Additionally, if you want to be really chanced, when you state your gpa (uwgpa/wgpa) include school rank, and how the weighting works at your school...i.e. 7 pt scale and 5.0 for AP/IB. Also state how the AP system works...i.e. Soph 2 APs, and that was the max allowed (rigor) by the school. Saying I took 2 sounds great, but not so much of 9 were available.

I am not trying to be a hard arse. I am trying to illustrate how as a rising sr in hs these factors will be players in the decision process. I am trying to make you get in front of the 8 ball.

crair70 said:

Kinnem- NROTC did superscore this year. DS was awarded a scholarship in Nov using math ACT score and English ACT score from 2 separate test dates. Just FYI

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Oh Wow! They didn't do that the year before. But your correct of course. The new application checklist says they superscore. I learn something new every day... but then I'm ignorant enough to make that easy to acheive.

Aglahad said:

I dropped working in favor of sports and that really helped with my interview because my ROO/PMS were sport buffs (particularly baseball),

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small world. The PMS at UCLA, where my DD interviewed las year, is also a baseball nut! My DD played Varsity Softball so that added to the conversation.

ArmyGurl said:

-I am a part
-I am a member and a member
-I am also S-5 of staff for JROTC, drill team master (Cadet Captain), and Bravo Company Commander
-part time job!-I have done
- mentor for
I run and work out

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The parts of your experience that matter I have bolded. You get no mental points to the reader regarding leadership, which is one-third of the evaluation criteria, for "participation", "membership", following, showing up, helping, etc.

Your part-time job could become important if you take on significant responsibilities, such as training new employees, hiring, firing, or having a team for whom you are responsible.

Yeah, if you're not going to do school sports, then you need to have something important and relevant to say about your martial arts and job, and how they demonstrate teamwork and leadership.

***************

OK, on to a question you didn't ask, but needs to be... are you academically suited to be a doctor? My observation is that students who eventually make it through all the hurdles and hoops to getting into med school usually test very, very well, in both school and standardized testing... usually top 1%, perhaps to 3%, and rarely below that. There are many other ways to make a life helping others in the health professions that you should start considering. It's not about effort. If I had trained to run the 100 meter dash every day of my life, giving 100% effort, from age 5 to 20, I would never have broken 11 seconds. My musculature and nervous system simply aren't built for that.

dunninla said:

The parts of your experience that matter I have bolded. You get no mental points to the reader regarding leadership, which is one-third of the evaluation criteria, for "participation", "membership", following, showing up, helping, etc.

Your part-time job could become important if you take on significant responsibilities, such as training new employees, hiring, firing, or having a team for whom you are responsible.

Yeah, if you're not going to do school sports, then you need to have something important and relevant to say about your martial arts and job, and how they demonstrate teamwork and leadership.

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I don't disagree with dunninla. Just wanted to point out that OTOH the part time job and other activites, regardless of leadership, demonstrate an ability to juggle multiple items and manage a busy schedule. It also shows reponsibility in that (I assume) you're showing up on time at work etc.

This isn't to say you should keep participating in everything you do. Nor is it meant to say you shouldn't strive for leadership positions. You need to consider these things. It is only to say, it is what it is, and whatever it is says something about you... perhaps positive, perhaps negative. The latter is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. You can alleviate (somewhat) a negative impression through what you choose to emphasize in any essays etc.

Sometimes when we look at who gets a scholarship and who doesn't we end up wondering what it is they saw in that person that we missed. Take all the guidance here as (at least semi) accurate but also representing a particular point of view (including mine). Ultimately though, YOU have to figure out how to make yourself the best candidate possible. You might be able to sell something that never occurred to any of us.

Good luck!

kinnem said:

I don't disagree with dunninla. Just wanted to point out that OTOH the part time job and other activites, regardless of leadership, demonstrate an ability to juggle multiple items and manage a busy schedule. It also shows reponsibility in that (I assume) you're showing up on time at work etc.

This isn't to say you should keep participating in everything you do. Nor is it meant to say you shouldn't strive for leadership positions. You need to consider these things. It is only to say, it is what it is, and whatever it is says something about you... perhaps positive, perhaps negative. The latter is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. You can alleviate (somewhat) a negative impression through what you choose to emphasize in any essays etc.

Sometimes when we look at who gets a scholarship and who doesn't we end up wondering what it is they saw in that person that we missed. Take all the guidance here as (at least semi) accurate but also representing a particular point of view (including mine). Ultimately though, YOU have to figure out how to make yourself the best candidate possible. You might be able to sell something that never occurred to any of us.

Good luck!

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My suggestion, and I think dunninla and kinnem and I are all on the same page here, is list everything you are involved in but list and name the activities such as to draw attention to leadership and responsibility. You want them to see that you are busy and can juggle many activities. You also want them to see that many of these activities involve leadership and responsibility. My son had several jobs that he listed but here is an example of one. He moved irrigation pipe for a farmer. He described this as "I am responsible for the irrigation of 120 acres of alfalfa".

dunninla said:

The parts of your experience that matter I have bolded. You get no mental points to the reader regarding leadership, which is one-third of the evaluation criteria, for "participation", "membership", following, showing up, helping, etc.

Your part-time job could become important if you take on significant responsibilities, such as training new employees, hiring, firing, or having a team for whom you are responsible.

Yeah, if you're not going to do school sports, then you need to have something important and relevant to say about your martial arts and job, and how they demonstrate teamwork and leadership.

***************

OK, on to a question you didn't ask, but needs to be... are you academically suited to be a doctor? My observation is that students who eventually make it through all the hurdles and hoops to getting into med school usually test very, very well, in both school and standardized testing... usually top 1%, perhaps to 3%, and rarely below that. There are many other ways to make a life helping others in the health professions that you should start considering. It's not about effort. If I had trained to run the 100 meter dash every day of my life, giving 100% effort, from age 5 to 20, I would never have broken 11 seconds. My musculature and nervous system simply aren't built for that.

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Yes,I am suited to be a doctor, and I will become a doctor. Thank you.

^ more power to you then. When I was your age, I had no clue what I was suited for. Kids grow up quicker these day, I think.