Yale NROTC

Mman5247

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Can anyone tell me about the Yale NROTC unit? DD is in process of applying as she was already awarded the scholarship. It's new, so there is no reputation to go by. Also, since it's very small right now, I wonder how that may change a midshipman's experience. What is the daily routine and if anyone is there, how do they like it so far? Much appreciated!
 
Can anyone tell me about the Yale NROTC unit? DD is in process of applying as she was already awarded the scholarship. It's new, so there is no reputation to go by. Also, since it's very small right now, I wonder how that may change a midshipman's experience. What is the daily routine and if anyone is there, how do they like it so far? Much appreciated!

Her experience there will be very similar to the experience of any NROTC unit. PT 3 days/week minimum, at 0'dark:30. Some weekend exercises (probably one per semester). Naval Science classes, one per semester. Navy Lab once per week about 3 hours. She will wear her uniform to classes one day per week, probably on the same day she has Navy Lab. Probably tailgating as a unit before home football games. Perhaps cleaning the stadium on Sunday after home football games.

The unit appears to have 10-11 members currently, judging by the photos on their web site. I would expect, due to its size that there is more bonding of the unit as a whole than might be found elsewhere. My surmise is your DD's class will add 10 - 20 more midshipmen. As a unit they will try to re-establish the reputation the unit held previously. With such a small unit she should expect to have far more contact with the cadre than one would at a more established unit. She will probably have more leadership opportunities there and certainly more responsibility within the unit than might be normal. This is because all the roles that need to be played at a larger unit still need to be handled here. I would also expect the cadre will work to ensure that no one fails, perhaps more so than in a "normal" unit. They will expect more from her in terms of representing the Navy on campus. Those uniforms had better be really crisp on uniform day.

Congratulations to your daughter on her scholarship. She must be awesome to get it awarded to Yale. I'm confident she'll be accepted without even knowing her stats, if for no other reason than I'm sure the unit will lobby hard for her at admissions. Normally I would say the unit may or may not have influence in admissions but given the unit's recent re-establishment I have a suspicion they do. :thumb:
 
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Don't mean to rain on the parade

I don't mean to rain on your parade but.... one thing you need to keep in mind as you and your daughter go through this process.

The first year of NROTC is on the Navy. Once your daughter starts her sophomore year she is obligated to complete the program and serve out her AD and Reserve obligation. If she withdraws from the program, or is dropped for cause, after the start of her sophomore year, she will either enlist or repay all the scholarship money the Navy gave her, including her freshman year money. The choice is at the discretion of the Navy and not the student. In these days of excess manpower and limited dollars we find that the military is insisting on repayment of the scholarship money.

Since this is Yale, we're not talking peanuts. I know of folks on this forum who had children who were dropped late in their senior year for cause and now have 6 figure debt obligations to the Navy. And the Navy sets the terms for repayment... it's not like repaying a student loan. Just something you and your daughter need to keep in the back of your head as you start down this path (and the real point of my further post).

If she survives freshman year I would expect her to complete the program as long as she doesn't do anything stupid and continues to meet the physical and academic requirements. NROTC isn't bean bag, although everyone will help her to succeed. She'll need to be good at time and stress management. Nothing different here from any other NROTC unit.
 
I'm confident she'll be accepted without even knowing her stats, if for no other reason than I'm sure the unit will lobby hard for her at admissions. Normally I would say the unit may or may not have influence in admissions but given the unit's recent re-establishment I have a suspicion they do. :thumb:

My DS was awarded a MO NROTC scholarship to Yale last year. He met with the officer that would be leading the program in November and was told flat out that "they had a good relationship with administration but would have absolutely no influence in the admission's process." She was concerned that potentially none of the scholarship recipients would be admitted. In he end the was denied admission and is a happy 4-year AROTC scholarship cadet at another ivy.
 
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My DS was awarded a MO NROTC scholarship to Yale last year. He met with the officer that would be leading the program in November and was told flat out that "they had a good relationship with administration but would have absolutely no influence in the admission's process." She was concerned that potentially none of the scholarship recipients would be admitted. In he end the was denied admission and is a happy 4-year AROTC scholarship cadet at another ivy.

Thanks for the info. Glad to know the facts in the case. So OP better make sure that DD is applying to all colleges she listed in case she needs to attempt to transfer the scholarship later. And for other reasons as well I'm sure.
 
It is probably the case that NROTC at all the "impossible to get into schools" has a wide open door to any scholarship winner who is denied at one of the other "Impossible to Get Into" schools and needs to transfer their Award --

Harvard, Yale, Penn, Stanford, MIT, and to a slightly lesser extent: Duke, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Cornell.

I'm sure all the PNSs at those schools likewise are concerned that their Awardees don't eventually get in through Admissions.
 
Oddly enough I know someone currently in the unit at Yale; I'll try and send them to this way to answer any questions. From talking to him though, through facebook and email, I'd have to say he likes it a lot and the bond is greater in the unit because it's so small.

Congrats on DD's scholarship, and Good Luck with the process to Yale.
 
He met with the officer that would be leading the program in November (2011) and was told flat out that "they had a good relationship with administration but would have absolutely no influence in the admission's process."
I think the key is that this PNS was not yet operating at Yale when you spoke with her. I think when she in fact started maneuvering and interfacing with Admissions, whe would have found that the President of Yale doesn't want the PR disaster of a highly public re-instituting of NROTC at Yale, only to find the ensuing Fall semester that all the Awardees from NROTC were not admitted, and that this high profile new Batallion didn't actually have any Yale students participating! Yale as an institution wants, NEEDS, NROTC to succeed, and AFROTC similarly next year. That requires some degree of "cooperation" between Admissions and the President's office. Note in one of the links at the bottom of the linked Press Resease below that Senator Kerry makes reference to Yale President Levin "reaching out to the Navy" to get NROTC reestablished at Yale.

I infer from all the press releases, and Yale's webpage discussing ROTC, that the institution of Yale is behind it, and that includes the some limited coordination with the Admissions office. Here is the press release: http://news.yale.edu/2011/05/26/uni...tc-unit-yale-returning-naval-rotc-connecticut And here the commitment from Yale College's Dean: http://rotc.yale.edu/

Imagine Secretary of the Navy Mabus calling Yale President Levin this week:

"President Levin, nice to speak with you again. Say, how are those new Yale NROTC students coming along?"

"Ah, hmm, well, actually, Secretary Mabus, I'm told that none of the seven NROTC scholarship Awardees were offered admission into the Class of 2016, I'm sorry to report"

"How ... unfortunate, Rick. We had so hoped to count on the support of your office in getting this historic program re-established at Yale. I was expecting to present a positive report to Senators Lieberman and Kerry when I see them on the Hill next week."

"Err, uh, actually, Ray, I've got a memo into Admissions right now to coordinate with my office the review of any NROTC scholarship winner applicants to the class of 2017. That should take care of that ....regrettable ... oversight."
 
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Mman5247,

My friend at Yale happened to respond quickly to my email, although it is short because I only sent him your original post.

"I have had a delightful time at NROTC at Yale so far, the size and newness allow for all of us to get to know each other well and to build a new tradition. Though I can't speak to how ROTC works in a larger group, I imagine the disadvantages we have (not as much organization, billets) are offset by our ability to really get to know each other well. As far as routines and whatnot, we PT once a week on Monday mornings and have two and a half hours of Naval Science class each week as well as a two hour lab on Wednesdays. I've really, really enjoyed it, we get a bunch of uniforms and for the most part the time commitment is not bad at all."

If you have anymore I'm sure he would be happy to answer them.
 
Mman5247,

My friend at Yale happened to respond quickly to my email, although it is short because I only sent him your original post.

"I have had a delightful time at NROTC at Yale so far, the size and newness allow for all of us to get to know each other well and to build a new tradition. Though I can't speak to how ROTC works in a larger group, I imagine the disadvantages we have (not as much organization, billets) are offset by our ability to really get to know each other well. As far as routines and whatnot, we PT once a week on Monday mornings and have two and a half hours of Naval Science class each week as well as a two hour lab on Wednesdays. I've really, really enjoyed it, we get a bunch of uniforms and for the most part the time commitment is not bad at all."

If you have anymore I'm sure he would be happy to answer them.

Wow! Those Yalies have it easy! Only PTing once a week! Unimaginable to me. DS's NROTC unit PTs three times a week!!! Simply amazing. Makes me think of an American Express commercial.... "Being a member of the Ivy League has it's privileges!" :biggrin:
 
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