Advice on what to do?

Lynch

5-Year Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2012
Messages
5
NROTC scholarship- DENIED
University of Florida- DENIED
University of Central Florida- ACCEPTED

I am more than conflicted on what to do now. I really want to be a naval officer but the college I was accepted to does not have NROTC, but they do have AROTC. I just want to ask, (specifically to a person on this thread who is well respected and liked) should I apply to transfer to UF, after two years and join the NROTC program there or should I try to apply for the Naval academy as a transfer after 1 and 2 years. Also, if i were to apply to USNA, would joining the AROTC at UCF help me much or no?

Thanks
 
I'll leave advice on what you might want to do this year for others more knowledgeable to give. But if you DO decide to transfer to UF for NROTC, have you also considered some of the other Florida schools that offer it? DS was accepted to three other Florida schools with NROTC units: Jacksonville University has NROTC on campus, University of Tampa has a cross campus NROTC with USF, and FSU has a cross campus NROTC with FAMU. He didn't apply to UF because they don't have a good program in his desired degree so I don't know how he would have done applying there, but I just wanted to mention there are more options in Florida than UF for NROTC, and sometimes UF is harder for Florida students to get into because they're so flooded with in-state applicants they can be really picky.
 
IMHO it will be very hard to get accepted for a 2 year scholarship NROTC even if you can get transferred to UF. There will already be mids in for 2 years competing for these scholarships and advanced standing. If you really want navy, you need to go to a school with nrotc and "walk on"' The 3 ways to commission are USNA, NROTC and OCS. Your best chances are going in as a college program mid and pick up a scholarship or advanced standing. If you dont go to a nrotc school, take all the plebe courses and do real well and apply again to USNA or wait for OCS. Not sure how good it will look if you are AROTC and want USNA, maybe someone will chime in. We are from Fla also and DS picked up a 2 year scholarship nrotc at UVA last year.
 
I did get accepted to USF as well, but I dont think that USF is the school I want to go to. From what I have read online and from the statistics. USF is rated lower than UCF and UF for my intended major. UF was my number one school and all I am really asking is it worth risking applying to transfer to UF with the chance of not getting in or going with USF. Also, keeping USNA as a shot as well.
 
Its a no brainer if you want Navy. Go USF as a college programmer and try for scholarship and/or apply to USNA while in the program. IMHO USF is not quite as good as UCF but in the end it won't make much differance. You will be an ensign in the Navy.
 
Thanks alot for the advice terp. :thumb: Not for sure yet but if I do USF, I will do the NROTC college program and try again for the scholarship next year.
 
I did get accepted to USF as well, but I dont think that USF is the school I want to go to. From what I have read online and from the statistics. USF is rated lower than UCF and UF for my intended major. UF was my number one school and all I am really asking is it worth risking applying to transfer to UF with the chance of not getting in or going with USF. Also, keeping USNA as a shot as well.

What is your intended major.

Terp is right, if your overriding dream is to be a Naval Officer then go where you accepted and can participate in NROTC from year one.

If you go to UCF, apply to the USNA and do not get an appointment then you will be behind the game as far as NROTC, if you try and transfer after 2 years your chance of getting Advanced Standing is slim since you will have not been in NROTC your first two years.

You can attend USF you would be able to still re-apply to the USNA while participating in NROTC.

You really just need to make a list in order on importance and then decide what will get you what you want with the least risk.
 
I agree with Terp. Once you're a Naval Officer it won't matter where you went to school. And if you do a 5 and dive, the fact that you were a Naval Officer will also override where you went to school. There are a lot fewer "ifs" by attending USF.
 
I did get accepted to USF as well, but I dont think that USF is the school I want to go to. From what I have read online and from the statistics. USF is rated lower than UCF and UF for my intended major. UF was my number one school and all I am really asking is it worth risking applying to transfer to UF with the chance of not getting in or going with USF. Also, keeping USNA as a shot as well.

Its a no brainer if you want Navy. Go USF as a college programmer and try for scholarship and/or apply to USNA while in the program. IMHO USF is not quite as good as UCF but in the end it won't make much differance. You will be an ensign in the Navy.

What is your intended major.

Terp is right, if your overriding dream is to be a Naval Officer then go where you accepted and can participate in NROTC from year one.

If you go to UCF, apply to the USNA and do not get an appointment then you will be behind the game as far as NROTC, if you try and transfer after 2 years your chance of getting Advanced Standing is slim since you will have not been in NROTC your first two years.

You can attend USF you would be able to still re-apply to the USNA while participating in NROTC.

You really just need to make a list in order on importance and then decide what will get you what you want with the least risk.

I agree with Terp. Once you're a Naval Officer it won't matter where you went to school. And if you do a 5 and dive, the fact that you were a Naval Officer will also override where you went to school. There are a lot fewer "ifs" by attending USF.

Excellent advice all around.

One additional thought is that depending upon your major (if they don't have what you want - unlikely - don't go), you may be fortunate to be going to a less competitive school. There are lots of pressures with being in ROTC to keep competitive including keeping top grades. If you are in the hard sciences, this could mean the difference between making it (ROTCwise) or not in a more difficult program. And there is no shame in doing better at a less prestigious school than being so-so at a higher school.
 
Another option is to attend Santa Fe College and be eligible to do NROTC at UF and then transfer into UF. The transfer rate into UF from here is really high. That's a good option if UF is truly what you are working for a the end.

Not sure what your major is, but it is something to check into.
 
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Lynch-realize if you go the college program route you will need your A game. I'm sure its a large unit and alot of mids competing for the same thing. Pick a major Tier 1 or II that you like and will do well in. The GPA is extremely important. You will need to perform better than the scholarship mids and get good recs. There have been 100-200 in-school scholarships awarded the last few years so you see the level of competition. Good luck.
 
Also, forgot to mention I was also accepted to FSU. What do you guys think is a better school between fsu and usf? Also, If anyone has any info on how a cross town affiliate nrotc is like?
 
Also, forgot to mention I was also accepted to FSU. What do you guys think is a better school between fsu and usf? Also, If anyone has any info on how a cross town affiliate nrotc is like?

I don't think anyone can say. Personally I don't think,in general, there is such a thing as a better school, only a better school for you. A whole bunch of variables go into that: major, location, social life, academic life, extra curriculars including NROTC, etc. I think that's a call you have to make.
 
And terp, I know, I really plan to do my best and not quit. All this rejection has just made me want to be a naval officer even more and I wont stop trying until I am one.
 
I don't think anyone can say. Personally I don't think,in general, there is such a thing as a better school, only a better school for you. A whole bunch of variables go into that: major, location, social life, academic life, extra curriculars including NROTC, etc. I think that's a call you have to make.

And the same advice I would give to a recruited athlete... Where would you rather be if you blew out your knee and couldn't continue with you Plan A?
 
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