Reserve, and ROTC question(s)

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GSTUM

5-Year Member
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Jan 13, 2014
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Hello, I'm currently a senior in high school, and am in the process of joining the Army reserves. I'm joining to help pay for college and ultimately enroll in an ROTC program to get a commission. I have a few questions though: Because of BCT and AIT I won't be able to enroll in college until the spring semester. Would it be worth it to enroll in the ROTC program that semester? Or wait till my sophomore year? How behind will I be? Should I maybe just enroll into college Fall of 2015? I don't wanna wait that long, but if it's the best decision maybe I should. Also, would it be better to go the SMP route, or try for a 2 or 3 year scholarship?

Sorry for all the questions. I want to contact someone from the college I'm going to, but should I contact the scholarship enrollment officer, or the Prof. of Military Science?

Thank you very much!
 
GSTUM said:
Hello, I'm currently a senior in high school, and am in the process of joining the Army reserves. I'm joining to help pay for college and ultimately enroll in an ROTC program to get a commission. I have a few questions though: Because of BCT and AIT I won't be able to enroll in college until the spring semester. Would it be worth it to enroll in the ROTC program that semester? Or wait till my sophomore year? How behind will I be? Should I maybe just enroll into college Fall of 2015? I don't wanna wait that long, but if it's the best decision maybe I should. Also, would it be better to go the SMP route, or try for a 2 or 3 year scholarship?

Sorry for all the questions. I want to contact someone from the college I'm going to, but should I contact the scholarship enrollment officer, or the Prof. of Military Science?

Thank you very much!
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Contact the Scholarship Enrollment Officer first, you may want to do this before sign the enlistment papers, get all the information you can from the ROTC program regarding your options before you enlist.

If you do enlist then you will be in the SMP Program if you do ROTC. You can't receive a scholarship if you enlist other then the GRFD. Just be aware though, if you take a GRFD scholarship then you will not be allowed to serve Active Duty.

I assume you have not applied for the AROTC Scholarship since you are looking to enlist.

Talk to the ROTC program about the pros and cons of enlisting and missing the first semester of school.
 
DS is at a junior military college, they have cadets start and graduate at semesters all the time. They graduated 3 at Christmas and gained 5 new ones for this semester, 3 of which came straight from basic.

Not sure if regular colleges support this or not.
 
Starting the spring semester can be tough academically. Many of the spring courses that will be available have prerequisites that are only offered in the fall. Could make it difficult to get some of the classes you want or need.

ClarksonArmy discusses some of the pros and cons here of enlisting and SMP here: http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/smp-another-option/

It's well worth a read and will help prompt some questions for any discussions you have with a ROTC scholarship enrollment officer (which you should have) first.
 
Jcleppe said:
You can't receive a scholarship if you enlist other then the GRFD. Just be aware though, if you take a GRFD scholarship then you will not be allowed to serve Active Duty.
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This is not correctly stated. You can receive a scholarship if you are enlisted, but you will have two choices, either leave the guard/reserves and take a regular scholarship or remain in the guard/reserves and accept a GRFD scholarship that will limit your options when you graduate. I'm working on getting an offer, which requires a letter of release from her unit, for one of my enlisted Cadets.

Make sure you talk to the ROTC program where you plan to attend and understand all the implications. You should be fine coming to the program in the spring after basic/AIT.
 
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