AROTC Scholarship - Official Letter?

Northerner

5-Year Member
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Feb 2, 2012
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Has anyone received the "official" letter from Cadet Command regarding their scholarship offer?
 
My son got his a few months ago, after the first board decisions. It came soon after his status changed on the portal page, and it was consistent with what was online.
 
Congrats, Pontiac33!! And Northerner, can't wait to learn the good news! Congrats in advance!

And congrats to you, too, PotentialParent!! Given your moniker, I had incorrectly assumed you were a recent ROTC/SA grad who was getting a really good head start on college planning, even before kiddos were in the picture. :smile: Wouldn't the moniker "ExhaustedParent" be more precise? :yllol:
 
Still no letter

DS's AROTC portal indicates he has been awarded a full AROTC scholarship but we still haven't received a letter. I sent an email to Cadet Command asking about the status of the letter and have received no reply as of today. Also curious that his award was for a school he didn't even apply to.
 
Also curious that his award was for a school he didn't even apply to.
There was a thread last year about that very subject, from NROTC I think, with a scholarship awarded to UCLA when the applicant hadn't listed UCLA on the application, nor had he even applied to UCLA by the 11/30/10 deadline... It was late January 2011 at the time of the thread if I recall.

Apparently some schools have an informal agreement with the ROTC cadre wherein an awarded Scholarship HS senior may apply for admission to their school well after the official deadline has passed, and is given special consideration.

Why does Cadet Command do this? I don't know, but I suppose the colleges listed on the original application could have no slots available for Scholarship (budget cuts), or that they are too expensive compared to the school to which the Scholarship was awarded. Since AROTC seems to be starting to shrink, I could see how it would be easy for certain schools to have no new Scholarship slots available, and will attempt to maintain their size with non-scholarship cadets. As it is, on a lot of AROTC campuses even last year, only about 20% of the cadets are actually on 4 Yr. or 3 Yr. AD scholarship.
 
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DS's AROTC portal indicates he has been awarded a full AROTC scholarship but we still haven't received a letter. I sent an email to Cadet Command asking about the status of the letter and have received no reply as of today. Also curious that his award was for a school he didn't even apply to.

It could be that one or more of the schools your son listed on his application were not Host Schools. In this case the Scholarship would be awarded to the school that hosts the ROTC program, your son would still attend the satellite school of that program.

Of course it could be that they just awarded it to a different school, that would be odd but it is the Army you know.

Edit: I reread your post, is the school that was offered on your son's list of schools on the ROTC application, if so Cadet Command does not care at all whether the applicant has applied to a school or not, they really don't even know. The application clearly states that it is the responsibility of the applicant to apply to all schools. This is the reason an applicant should never list a school they have no intention of applying or attending, it just might happen that that school is one that they award the scholarship to.
 
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Thank you for your replies. My son's status page was changed last week (like so many of yours) after the January board. My son made a phone call last week and was told by a reliable source that he had received a 4-year scholarship to an in-state school and a 3-yr AD to a private college, but was also told at that time "that nothing is official until you get the letter". Since then his status page has changed, but the status page is only listing the private college. Needless to say - my son is a little anxious to receive the official letter.
 
Letters went out Monday, so they should be arriving any day now. If your student received an offer to a school they didn't apply to, it was because that school was on their list. Cadet Command has no visibility on whether you applied or not. Some ROOs (like the one at Clarkson) have visibility of who applied and who didn't. I usually send out an email reminding my board redies if they haven't applied yet. What that does is let them know that if they aren't serious about having my school on their list, they need to remove it. Some ROOs can work a little magic with their admissions folks, but applicants shouldn't count on that. If you got an offer to a school you don't intend to go to you have two options, request a transfer or decline the offer. Transfers are anything but automatic, and if you are asking to transfer to a higher cost school, probably not going to happen.

Keep an eye on that mailbox, ya'll
 
My DD's status changed last week also. It was to a private (awesome, 1st choice!), but the portal did not say "full" scholarship as jbrowerdallas indicates his DS's did. Does that likely mean it's a 3 yr AD?
 
My DD's status changed last week also. It was to a private (awesome, 1st choice!), but the portal did not say "full" scholarship as jbrowerdallas indicates his DS's did. Does that likely mean it's a 3 yr AD?

My son's status last year never said "Full Scholarship" he received a 4 year. The letter will be the final word.
 
Thanks, Jcleppe! Guess we're all just nervous... and the mail seems to take so long to get out here to CA! DD is hoping it'll be a 4 yr because we simply can't afford a year of Vandy tuition!
 
My DD's status changed last week also. It was to a private (awesome, 1st choice!), but the portal did not say "full" scholarship as jbrowerdallas indicates his DS's did. Does that likely mean it's a 3 yr AD?
Neither did jbrowerdallas' say "full" scholarship, I assure you. jbrowerdallas was paraphrasing. The status page does not give any clue to whether the Award is 4 Yr., or 3 Yr. AD. You only find that out when the letter arrives in the mail, or the PMS or ROO you're speaking with looks it up in the System... however, it is only official, as everyone has posted, when it is stated in the letter you receive in the mail from Cadet Command.
 
Thank you to everyone who posts on this board. The info the we parents obtain from you all is invaluable - especially for us who are going through this process for the first time. Please keep us posted as your son/daughter receive their official letters.
 
Neither did jbrowerdallas' say "full" scholarship, I assure you. jbrowerdallas was paraphrasing. The status page does not give any clue to whether the Award is 4 Yr., or 3 Yr. AD. You only find that out when the letter arrives in the mail, or the PMS or ROO you're speaking with looks it up in the System... however, it is only official, as everyone has posted, when it is stated in the letter you receive in the mail from Cadet Command.

Yes! I was paraphrasing. The site doesn't indicate the length of the scholarship. Sorry for the misunderstanding :wink:
 
The official letter arrived today. They did not award my son his first choice, which was a large state school in the south (which he has been accepted to). Instead he was awarded a 4-year scholarship to his second choice (which is a large in-state school), and was also awarded a 3-year AD to his third choice (a southern private school). With his merit scholarship he earned to the private school, the cost for the first year is about the same for both schools. I am not sure yet which school he will attend...which leads me to my question.

It states on his "Notification of Intent..." to return the NOI to the address above NOT LATER THAN 2/29/2012. Does this mean that the letter has to be in their possession by 2/29 or simply postmarked by 2/29. Or is it better just to fax it back? Not that we want to cut it close, but I know my son wants to see each school again and speak with people from ROTC at each school again.
 
The official letter arrived today. They did not award my son his first choice, which was a large state school in the south (which he has been accepted to). Instead he was awarded a 4-year scholarship to his second choice (which is a large in-state school), and was also awarded a 3-year AD to his third choice (a southern private school). With his merit scholarship he earned to the private school, the cost for the first year is about the same for both schools. I am not sure yet which school he will attend...which leads me to my question.

It states on his "Notification of Intent..." to return the NOI to the address above NOT LATER THAN 2/29/2012. Does this mean that the letter has to be in their possession by 2/29 or simply postmarked by 2/29. Or is it better just to fax it back? Not that we want to cut it close, but I know my son wants to see each school again and speak with people from ROTC at each school again.

We faxed the letter, sent it Fed Ex, Sent it snail mail, and scanned it and emailed it. We left nothing to chance. I would do it at least 3 days before the deadline and call the ROO at the school he has selected and tell them as well so they can follow up from their end. My advice, leave nothing to chance.

Congratulations to your son.
 
The Pony Express made it out to CA this afternoon. 3-yr AD to elite private, which was DD's third or fourth choice. We are pleased!!
 
The Pony Express made it out to CA this afternoon. 3-yr AD to elite private, which was DD's third or fourth choice. We are pleased!!

Hope you gave the horse some extra oats. Congrats!
 
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