ROTC and SCHOLARSHIPS!

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

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May 18, 2011
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Hello Everyone, I am a senior in High school. I was just accepted into Virginia Tech as a Cadet. I have applied for the ROTC 4 year scholarship back in august 2011. I’m taking my Medical Exam tomorrow for the scholarship! My question is, how good are my chances of receiving that scholarship?! Virginia Tech is defiantly my first choice, I really want to go there, but the tuition is very expensive, especially since I'm an out of state student. If I don't receive the scholarship, can I still be able to go there for a year then receive a 3 or 2 year scholarship. What are the chances of that!? Please just help explain the scholarship process and how i can go to this school with financial burden lifted. I can't pay for college straight up and don’t want to take a loan. I want to be an officer in the Army and happy I got accepted into the Corps of Cadets. So is it possible this scholarship is in my reach? Especially since there asking me to take a medical?
 
Hello Everyone, I am a senior in High school. I was just accepted into Virginia Tech as a Cadet. I have applied for the ROTC 4 year scholarship back in august 2011. I’m taking my Medical Exam tomorrow for the scholarship! My question is, how good are my chances of receiving that scholarship?! Virginia Tech is defiantly my first choice, I really want to go there, but the tuition is very expensive, especially since I'm an out of state student. If I don't receive the scholarship, can I still be able to go there for a year then receive a 3 or 2 year scholarship. What are the chances of that!? Please just help explain the scholarship process and how i can go to this school with financial burden lifted. I can't pay for college straight up and don’t want to take a loan. I want to be an officer in the Army and happy I got accepted into the Corps of Cadets. So is it possible this scholarship is in my reach? Especially since there asking me to take a medical?

Not that anyone here can ultimately say, but you don't provide enough information such that anyone can even guess. Which ROTC program(s) did you apply to? What is your planned major? AFROTC & NROTC will care. NROTC grants 85% if scholarships to their Tier 1 tech/science/engineering majors. What are your stats? GPA, SAT, ACT, ECs, physical fitness scores, leadership positions, etc? All these are factors in your chances.

Another factor to consider is that you may not be able to keep the scholarship once you've received it. For AFROTC you need to be selected for SFT your rising junior year. If you are not selected you will be disenrolled, losing your scholarship. Last year only 55% were selected for SFT. Many factors go unto your selection. Even for NROTC tier 1 majors often drop from the program due to the heavy demands of their major. Are you prepared to leave VT and gi elsewhere if you find you can no longer afford it? Would you be better off going to a more affordable school where you could stay even without the scholarship. I only mentuon all this as something you should consider. You need to think thru the while path and not drop at getting the scholarship.

I'm not sure why you've been scheduled for DoDMERB as that doesn't normally happen until you've received a scholarship. It does seem to happen from time to time apparently for nothing more than keeping DoDMERB busy during a slack time. They must be pretty much wrapped up with the Academy workload at this point, so I wouldn't read anyrhing into being scheduled for the physical.

Good luck. Despite the gloom and doom of my post I do hope you get a scholarship and all your dreams come true.
 
Virginia Tech is defiantly my first choice, I really want to go there, but the tuition is very expensive, especially since I'm an out of state student. If I don't receive the scholarship, can I still be able to go there for a year then receive a 3 or 2 year scholarship. What are the chances of that!?
Yeah, really bad idea. The chances of getting a 3 yr. once in the program is probably between 10-20%. 3 years ago it would have been 90%.
 
My son was just declined for the NROTC 4 year scholarship. I have read various threads and am wondering if I have come to the right conclusion: that he should not join NROTC freshman year, that he should take Naval Science second semester and reapply for the NROTC scholarship. I have read his chances of getting a scholarship this way are greater than getting a sideload as a college programmer. Have I got this right?
 
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Thanks i appreciate the advice, I applied Army ROTC, physical scores i did great, not exactly sure though because it was back in August. SAT are strong. I think 600 in Reading, 610 in Math, and 590 in Writing. I know there not the strongest but I have ALOT of other great credentials. 4.2 GPA 2 Varsity Letters, I've played 3 sports. I'm a Sea Cadet, Boys State participant..... so on.. so on.. I know this doesn't help much either, but i figured I'll let you know since you asked. Only question I have now is, if Virgnia Tech accepted me into the college to study a Universal Major, what should i list the ROTC scholarship major as? I'm confused at what a Tier is.
 
Our DD is at VT, but not a cadet. Looking at your SAT scores, for VT you will be considered low. The avg SAT for VT is 1280. That is avg. VT is very competitive since it is an SMC.
 
ROTC and SCHOLARSHIP

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY,

My DS has a former classmate, who will graduating from VT this May. He really enjoyed, and did an internship, every summer he was there and already, has a job. Once he graduates. He is majoring in engineering.

Best of luck,

RGK
 
My son was just declined for the NROTC 4 year scholarship. I have read various threads and am wondering if I have come to the right conclusion: that he should not join NROTC freshman year, that he should take Naval Science second semester and reapply for the NROTC scholarship. I have read his chances of getting a scholarship this way are greater than getting a sideload as a college programmer. Have I got this right?


We went through this last year as well, as DS was declined for NROTC scholarship. I preferred that he reapply and not join the NROTC unit as a college programmer. My DS however felt very strongly about joining as a programmer which is what he did. He loves being in NROTC, and has benefited greatly both physically and academically and only time will tell if the elusive side load scholarships will be offered to him. Best of luck to you both!
 
Thanks i appreciate the advice, I applied Army ROTC, physical scores i did great, not exactly sure though because it was back in August. SAT are strong. I think 600 in Reading, 610 in Math, and 590 in Writing. I know there not the strongest but I have ALOT of other great credentials. 4.2 GPA 2 Varsity Letters, I've played 3 sports. I'm a Sea Cadet, Boys State participant..... so on.. so on.. I know this doesn't help much either, but i figured I'll let you know since you asked. Only question I have now is, if Virgnia Tech accepted me into the college to study a Universal Major, what should i list the ROTC scholarship major as? I'm confused at what a Tier is.

VT is one of the very competitive AROTC schools to receive a scholarship, mainly due to the number of applicants that list the school. You have nice stats which are probably about average for those hoping for the scholarship to VT. VT has probably filled most of their scholarship slots with a few remaining, it will be very competitive for those final spots.

Have you applied to other schools that you listed on your AROTC application. You may receive a scholarship from the final board but it may be to a different school other then VT. Many applicants have received scholarships to In State schools rather then the Out of State schools they listed, it's part of the budget issue.

The final board will meet soon, not much you can do but wait. Since VT is Out of State for you, and considering the competition and budget issues, you may want to start figuring how you will pay for VT while attending as a non scholarship cadet as a Plan B.

What other schools did you list on your application.

Good luck.

One other thing, you asked what you should list as the ROTC major, you should have already done that when you sent in the application, it was required on the form and the major you applied for at VT needs to match the major you listed on your application.
 
if Virgnia Tech accepted me into the college to study a Universal Major, what should i list the ROTC scholarship major as? I'm confused at what a Tier is.
You already listed your intended major on your AROTC application a few months back. That is the Major that will be evaluated in the Scholarship Board. If you listed a major on your Application that is different from the one you will take at the school, that could become a problem with AROTC this year (not in prior years). I believe starting with this Fall's incoming Freshmen scholarship cadets, changing from a more technical Academic Discipline Mix (ADM) to a less technical ADM major must be approved not at the Battalion level, but at Cadet Command level.

Here is a list of Majors in ADM1 (Liberal Arts), ADM2 (pre-Management, Pre-Law, Soft Science), ADM3 (Hard Science/Math), and ADM4 (Engineering). http://www.uccs.edu/~armyrotc/docs/ADM List.doc

What intended major did you list on your Application? If you're like most applicants, you picked whatever suited your mood when you were on that page of the App, but it is a much more serious matter than that now (and actually the application should explain the importance of that selection, but doesn't).

**edit** oops, I see jcleppe already answered that question.
 
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Our DD is at VT, but not a cadet. Looking at your SAT scores, for VT you will be considered low. The avg SAT for VT is 1280. That is avg. VT is very competitive since it is an SMC.

Pima. OP is already accepted by VT.
 
You already listed your intended major on your AROTC application a few months back. That is the Major that will be evaluated in the Scholarship Board. If you listed a major on your Application that is different from the one you will take at the school, that could become a problem with AROTC this year (not in prior years). I believe starting with this Fall's incoming Freshmen scholarship cadets, changing from a more technical Academic Discipline Mix (ADM) to a less technical ADM major must be approved not at the Battalion level, but at Cadet Command level.

Here is a list of Majors in ADM1 (Liberal Arts), ADM2 (pre-Management, Pre-Law, Soft Science), ADM3 (Hard Science/Math), and ADM4 (Engineering). http://www.uccs.edu/~armyrotc/docs/ADM List.doc

What intended major did you list on your Application? If you're like most applicants, you picked whatever suited your mood when you were on that page of the App, but it is a much more serious matter than that now (and actually the application should explain the importance of that selection, but doesn't).

**edit** oops, I see jcleppe already answered that question.

Great expansion on the topic though. I learned from it.
 
I have applied to VT, Florida State, Auburn, Embry Riddle, and University of Colorado at Boulder. I got into all 5. The only major change was that VT declined my entrance for Engineering and offered enrollment for another Major.
 
I have applied to VT, Florida State, Auburn, Embry Riddle, and University of Colorado at Boulder. I got into all 5. The only major change was that VT declined my entrance for Engineering and offered enrollment for another Major.

Is in state tuition available to you at any of these schools?
 
I have applied to VT, Florida State, Auburn, Embry Riddle, and University of Colorado at Boulder. I got into all 5. The only major change was that VT declined my entrance for Engineering and offered enrollment for another Major.
Did you put Engineering on your Army ROTC application?

P.S. why have you defiantly chosen VT as first choice? :)

Given what you have just revealed, I would consider changing my rank order of colleges on my application for the 3rd Board. There is no purpose to getting a scholarship to VT if you didn't get into the Engineering school (assuming you put Engineering on your AROTC Application). OR, change your intended major on your AROTC application to something non-Engineering, which lessens your chances of getting the scholarship. tough choice. I 2nd the question about which is In-State Tuition for you. The odds of getting a scholarship to In-State tuition at this point in the game (2 of the 3 boards passed on you) are much higher than getting a scholarship to an Out of State Tuition school. This is VERY nuanced and you need to really understand CC's priorities in getting Engineering (or scientific method based problem solving) expertise at the lowest possible cost:

Priority order (my estimation)
1. Engineering (ADM4) major to an In-State Public School
2a. Engineering major to Out of State/Private, -OR-
2b. Math/Science (ADM 3) to In-State Public
3. ADM 2 (Pre-Mgmt, Pre-Law, Soft Science) to an In-State Public
4a. ADM 1 (liberal arts) to an In-State Public -OR-
4b. ADM 3 to an Out of State/Private
5. ADM 2 to an Out of State/Private
6. ADM 1 to an Out of State/Private

Do you understand from the above how CC must prioritize its budget? They want Engineers above all, then STM, then fill out the rest of the Headcount mission, and do all at the lowest possible price, which means as much in-state tuition as possible while still retaining high S-A-L for the Class of 2016.

My daughter's awards were in category 4b (3 Yr. AD) and Category 2b (4 yr) from the above list. She was awarded her scholarship out of the 3rd Board last year (too late for Boards 1 and 2).
 
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