NROTC Advanced Standing question

voldad

5-Year Member
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Apr 11, 2014
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I have been viewing this website for quite sometime and first want to thank everyone for taking the time to educate so many parents and future cadets. My question is in regards to advanced standing; my son will enter NROTC most likely as a college programmer (going on my GI Bill so no biggie there). I am confident he would earn at least a 2 year scholarship, but also believe in hoping for best and preparing for worst. I had read earlier posts about contacting possible schools and requesting rates of cadets not being offered advanced standing and this is what I have done. Every school I have contacted (4) advised that ALL students maintaining the required GPA and PFT scores had achieved a side load or obtained advanced standing; yet I read reports on here about advanced standing being so limited. Is anyone actually aware of a case where a cadet met all the requirements yet still was forced out of the program? Thank you again for everyone's time and best to all.
 
I have been viewing this website for quite sometime and first want to thank everyone for taking the time to educate so many parents and future cadets. My question is in regards to advanced standing; my son will enter NROTC most likely as a college programmer (going on my GI Bill so no biggie there). I am confident he would earn at least a 2 year scholarship, but also believe in hoping for best and preparing for worst. I had read earlier posts about contacting possible schools and requesting rates of cadets not being offered advanced standing and this is what I have done. Every school I have contacted (4) advised that ALL students maintaining the required GPA and PFT scores had achieved a side load or obtained advanced standing; yet I read reports on here about advanced standing being so limited. Is anyone actually aware of a case where a cadet met all the requirements yet still was forced out of the program? Thank you again for everyone's time and best to all.

From my limited experience with DS's unit, I know of no one who was not a nursing option who was denied advanced standing. That being said, I do know of folks who dropped the program when it would have been time to apply for advanced standing. One went AROTC and another who was a Marine option went to the Platoon Leaders Course. I don't know their reasons but have always wondered if they saw the hand-writing on the wall with respect to advanced standing. These were decent midshipmen but I wouldn't say they were at the top of their unit. I have to emphasize though that I don't know why they left.

I am confident if you enroll as a college programmer and exceed requirements in all areas that advanced standing is achievable. However by exceed requirements, I don't mean the posted minimums for GPA and PFA etc. You'll need to do far better than that to make the cut. For example the cadre's expectations (which exceed the Navy's posted minimums) is that all midshipmen will maintain a 3.0+ GPA and a score of excellent in the Navy PFA. I wouldn't think the odds of getting a good recommendation from the SKipper when applying for advanced standing would be very good if one wasn't in that ball park.

Hope this is helpful.
 
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For the class of 2013 I believe there were no sideloads or advanced standings. A mid in my sons unit was basically told to not stay in the unit as he was a tier 3 and no chance of a scholarship or advanced standing for 2013. My DS is 2014 and I think there were only 20 3 year scholarships and all were for LREC. Then the 2 years came around and they offered more than anticipated (175). So --It changes every year depending on the needs of the Navy. I have never seen a solid number for advanced standings and have looked for years.
 
Is it possible they give out more of the two-year scholarships as a way of testing the commitment of the students and as a way of the Navy saving money?
 
Is it possible they give out more of the two-year scholarships as a way of testing the commitment of the students and as a way of the Navy saving money?

I don't believe I've ever seen numbers but I'm pretty sure they give out more 4 years than 2 years.
 
sideload tier III

"For the class of 2013 I believe there were no sideloads or advanced standings. A mid in my sons unit was basically told to not stay in the unit as he was a tier 3 and no chance of a scholarship or advanced standing for 2013."

This is one of the reasons why my DS went AROTC. He was unwilling to change his major and I believe a tier three sideload scholarship although possible is quite rare.
 
My son's captain told him he was competing for one of 30 sideload spots. But that is for the Marine option. His friend, a navy option freshman, is still in the program. I don't believe he was allowed to apply for a scholarship this semester because his grades weren't good enough but they did not make him leave the program
 
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There is no doubt about it, the Navy prefers tier 1&2, but a tier 3 is possible for a side-load. DS was Math major and wanted to switch to Finance at the end of year 2. I thought he would have no chance of a scholarship if he switched to a tier 3. He switched to Finance and still got the scholarship. Maybe they overlooked it because he had 800M and A's in calcs and physics and a 3.7 gpa. It appears that the CO holds a lot of weight in the sideload decision.
 
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