AROTC 3 Year Scholarship Questions

Spydey

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Messages
4
Hey guys, I was a NROTC Scholarship Applicant for this upcoming school year (Im an incoming Freshman) but did not receive the scholarship. At this point I have decided to switch gears and pursue an Army ROTC scholarship. Now, the question I have is that being an incoming freshman, will I need to wait until the Spring (or whenever the scholarships for the 2013 year go up) and apply for the 3 year scholarship? I knew the process for coming straight out of highschool, but Im pretty lost on how it goes for someone who is already in college and applying. It appears as if I would need to go through this year in the program without a scholarship, and then as a rising Sophomore I would apply for the 3 Year Scholarship. Is that correct or is there something I should be looking at applying for now?

As always any help is appreciated!
 
Hey guys, I was a NROTC Scholarship Applicant for this upcoming school year (Im an incoming Freshman) but did not receive the scholarship. At this point I have decided to switch gears and pursue an Army ROTC scholarship. Now, the question I have is that being an incoming freshman, will I need to wait until the Spring (or whenever the scholarships for the 2013 year go up) and apply for the 3 year scholarship? I knew the process for coming straight out of highschool, but Im pretty lost on how it goes for someone who is already in college and applying. It appears as if I would need to go through this year in the program without a scholarship, and then as a rising Sophomore I would apply for the 3 Year Scholarship. Is that correct or is there something I should be looking at applying for now?

As always any help is appreciated!

There is no application process for an AROTC 3 year scholarship. You would start your freshman year as a non scholarship cadet. During your first year you will be looked at by the battalion cadre just as every non scholarship cadet. If the battalion has any 3 year scholarships available they will look at every non scholarship cadet and then decide which cadet will get the scholarship. There is nothing for you to fill out or any formal application, the cadre will give a acholarship, if available to the top MS1
 
1) You should begin the scholarship application process immediately with the intention of competing for a 3-year scholarship starting your sophomore year.

2) Contact the AROTC cadre tomorrow to introduce yourself. Let them know you will be joining the battalion as a non-scholarship student. Ask them to send you any required paperwork and schedules.

3) It is possible that AROTC will have an orientation that will begin a few days earlier than your university, especially if freshman have already had a pre-orientation. If you have to report to campus early, make sure the AROTC notifies the Residence Halls department of this.

4) Review your academic schedule and make sure it will accommodate the MS1 course.

5) If you are not in good physical condition, get working on it.

6) Good luck
 
1) You should begin the scholarship application process immediately with the intention of competing for a 3-year scholarship starting your sophomore year.

Has the Army started an application process for 3 year Scholarships?

The last I have heard was that campus based scholarships were still given out by the battalion cadre based on the internal OML, that there is no formal application process.

Of course I may have blinked which means they could have changed the whole process.

2) Contact the AROTC cadre tomorrow to introduce yourself. Let them know you will be joining the battalion as a non-scholarship student. Ask them to send you any required paperwork and schedules.

3) It is possible that AROTC will have an orientation that will begin a few days earlier than your university, especially if freshman have already had a pre-orientation. If you have to report to campus early, make sure the AROTC notifies the Residence Halls department of this.

4) Review your academic schedule and make sure it will accommodate the MS1 course.

5) If you are not in good physical condition, get working on it.

Great advice by the way.
 
Has the Army started an application process for 3 year Scholarships?

The last I have heard was that campus based scholarships were still given out by the battalion cadre based on the internal OML, that there is no formal application process.

Of course I may have blinked which means they could have changed the whole process.

Great advice by the way.

Jcleppe is correct. I seem to have confused the national competition for scholarships available to high school students (which includes 3 year advanced scholarships) with the on-campus process. GoArmy.com instructs students already in college to speak with their school's Military Science department regarding 2, 3 and 4(?) year scholarships.
 
EDelahanty - As far as the 4(?) year scholarship goes - my son started his freshman year as a non-scholarship cadet who, like the OP, did not apply for an AROTC scholarship while in high school. He was awarded a 4-yr scholarship in September/Oct, back-dated to the beginning of the semester, based on his high school stats, PT test during ROTC orientation, etc. I don't think they had an extra 4-yr scholarship just laying around - I know the Bn Cdr went to Ft. Knox to secure my son's scholarship.

So, Spydey, it can and does happen, but you must get in contact with the battalion asap, and be prepared to show up and out-perform everyone else in every area - academics, PT, etc. Good luck!
 
Hey guys, I was a NROTC Scholarship Applicant for this upcoming school year (Im an incoming Freshman) but did not receive the scholarship. At this point I have decided to switch gears and pursue an Army ROTC scholarship. Now, the question I have is that being an incoming freshman, will I need to wait until the Spring (or whenever the scholarships for the 2013 year go up) and apply for the 3 year scholarship? I knew the process for coming straight out of highschool, but Im pretty lost on how it goes for someone who is already in college and applying. It appears as if I would need to go through this year in the program without a scholarship, and then as a rising Sophomore I would apply for the 3 Year Scholarship. Is that correct or is there something I should be looking at applying for now?

As always any help is appreciated!

In my opinion the 3 year on campus scholarship is the most nerve racking and difficult scholarship to get. You need to A. Adjust to college and ROTC life and B. compete against sometimes 30 problem for one or two scholarships. Everything you do is looked at by cadre and upperclassmen to determine your ranking among the MSI class and eventual scholarship acquisition. This means you need to come out of the gate with an awesome PT score and quickly rise above your cohort academically as well as during training days. Good luck
 
EDelahanty - As far as the 4(?) year scholarship goes - my son started his freshman year as a non-scholarship cadet who, like the OP, did not apply for an AROTC scholarship while in high school. He was awarded a 4-yr scholarship in September/Oct, back-dated to the beginning of the semester, based on his high school stats, PT test during ROTC orientation, etc. I don't think they had an extra 4-yr scholarship just laying around - I know the Bn Cdr went to Ft. Knox to secure my son's scholarship.

So, Spydey, it can and does happen, but you must get in contact with the battalion asap, and be prepared to show up and out-perform everyone else in every area - academics, PT, etc. Good luck!

So the "(?)" in "4(?) year scholarship" should be excised. As I recall, JCC123, your son brought a lot to the table when he showed up on campus.
 
Don't be scared away from the Navy in College Scholarships. There are 100-200 nationwide the last few years and is attainable. Contrary to Army and AF, most students are on scholarship already. You do need to perform well and it does help to be TIER 1 but my son just recieved a 2 year scholarship actually in a TIER 3, he switched out of math last semester- I thought it would kill his chances but he got it. How many are you competing against is the question and my best guess maybe 400. If you don't get the scholarship or Advanced Standing you are disenrolled. From what I have seen, most will get advanced standing if they don't get the scholarship.
 
Interesting. That's a good point about most NROTC mids already being on scholarship, and therefore the college programmers are competing for Scholarship against a smaller group of competing mids than is the case with AROTC.

OP, looks like you've got to figure out whether you really prefer Army or Navy, because you can't join both, and neither one is guaranteed to give you a scholarship, or even keep you in the program without scholarship beyond the first two years. Aside from the differences between actually serving in Army vs. Navy, you need to keep in mind that Navy ROTC requires a year of Calculus, and a year of Calculus-based Physics as a requirement for commissioning. In other words if you really don't like Calculus or Physics, you might have a problem with NROTC.
 
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Interesting. That's a good point about most NROTC mids already being on scholarship, and therefore the college programmers are competing for Scholarship against a smaller group of competing mids than is the case with AROTC.

OP, looks like you've got to figure out whether you really prefer Army or Navy, because you can't join both, and neither one is guaranteed to give you a scholarship, or even keep you in the program without scholarship beyond the first two years. Aside from the differences between actually serving in Army vs. Navy, you need to keep in mind that Navy ROTC requires a year of Calculus, and a year of Calculus-based Physics as a requirement for commissioning. In other words if you really don't like Calculus or Physics, you might have a problem with NROTC.

Unless you go Marine Option in which case the Calc and Physics are not required and they don't care what your major is. GPA and PFT is everything in the Marines.
 
Interesting. That's a good point about most NROTC mids already being on scholarship, and therefore the college programmers are competing for Scholarship against a smaller group of competing mids than is the case with AROTC.

OP, looks like you've got to figure out whether you really prefer Army or Navy, because you can't join both, and neither one is guaranteed to give you a scholarship, or even keep you in the program without scholarship beyond the first two years. Aside from the differences between actually serving in Army vs. Navy, you need to keep in mind that Navy ROTC requires a year of Calculus, and a year of Calculus-based Physics as a requirement for commissioning. In other words if you really don't like Calculus or Physics, you might have a problem with NROTC.

Calculus? No prob.

I thought algebra based physics was hard but jeez calc based is VERY hard :eek:
 
Just my own curiosity here, but is your decision to go AROTC and not NROTC based on the chances of getting a scholarship while in college?

If so you need to remember in 4 yrs from now you will graduate and be commissioned which could mean AD if you are in the Army, what it def. means is they own you for several yrs. Have you investigated what you want to do in the military. It is not just different types of careers, but even their lifestyles are different. They are called sister services, not identical twin services for a reason.

There are always cadets/mids every yr that go one branch over another, and some times it is due to the scholarship factor. We all get that, trust me. However, there are also cadets/mids every yr that leave after the 1st yr and transfer over to the branch that didn't award them a scholarship. In the end they did so because they realized this would be their future life and their reason to take the scholarship was not strong enough for them to stay in that branch.

ROTC in any branch is not a cake walk, it is not just a few hours of PT and LLAB every week. The higher you progress, the more time you will need to be involved with ROTC. That is when people really show why they took one branch over another. It is why many will excel compared to their peers. Wanting to serve in the military is great, wanting to serve in that branch is better.

As others have stated take the time and make sure you want Army. That means, you accept in your mind a career you didn't want. For ex: Decided you want Army Helo's because you like their mission over Navy Helo's. Great! However, how will you feel when they tell you your career will be MP? Will you now regret not going Navy, because you liked the Navy life more than Army, and only liked 1 specific career in the Army more than all of the other jobs in the Navy.

Think long term, not just the next 4 yrs in college.

Off topic, Aglahad I didn't think they had Alg. based Physics, I thought all Physics was Calc based. At our kids HS you can't take Physics unless you are in at least Pre-Calc. When I went through it eons ago, I also had to have Calc. AlgII would have been a no go.
 
Off topic, Aglahad I didn't think they had Alg. based Physics, I thought all Physics was Calc based. At our kids HS you can't take Physics unless you are in at least Pre-Calc. When I went through it eons ago, I also had to have Calc. AlgII would have been a no go.

The one they teach in HS is Algerbra based. You can't take Calc based unless AFTER you've actually taken Calc, pre-calc doesn't count. I agree with Aglahad, although I thought Algerbra based wasn't too hard, Calc based Physics is insanely tough. It didn't help that they used most of the alphebet in calculations, upper and lower case, and tended to reuse letters :bang:
 
Thanks for the clarification. I took Pre-Calc which is required here to mean it was passed Alg.
 
Thanks for the clarification. I took Pre-Calc which is required here to mean it was passed Alg.

Both algebra and calculus based physics require calculus as a pre req in college. The difference is simply that with one you use algebra to solve the problem and the other uses calculus respectively. In practice calculus based physics actually makes more sense because derivatives and functions can simplify the physics situation but understanding those concepts can also be difficult.

For most pre med students algebra based is required just to grap the concept of physics for the MCAT while calc based is used primarily by physics and engineering majors. They are both available in college. I took AP physics in high school which was algebra based but in my opinion the actual college course was much more in depth and difficult.
 
Both algebra and calculus based physics require calculus as a pre req in college. The difference is simply that with one you use algebra to solve the problem and the other uses calculus respectively. In practice calculus based physics actually makes more sense because derivatives and functions can simplify the physics situation but understanding those concepts can also be difficult.

For most pre med students algebra based is required just to grap the concept of physics for the MCAT while calc based is used primarily by physics and engineering majors. They are both available in college. I took AP physics in high school which was algebra based but in my opinion the actual college course was much more in depth and difficult.

Intro physics whether it's algebra or calc based covers the same material, kinematics, optics, magnetic induction, circuits etc....

Off topic but I am sure the difference between the two isn't clear to some potential candidates on this board
 
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