It seems, understandably, that many who apply to the academies also apply for ROTC scholarships. Anyone know what happens to scholarships gone unclaimed due to academy acceptance? Are those scholarships wasted opportunities or are they recycled to later boards?
Unaccepted AFROTC scholarships
- Thread starter SirSmitty
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Playing the Percentages
The programs have tracked the historic rates of offers to acceptances and even to showing-up for classes. They will extend an appropriate number scholarship offers expecting to fill the classes at each unit, knowing that it is, somewhat, a guess. They expect to lose some folks to other offers, and they plan on it. If all those who were offered scholarships showed up for class, they'd be over filled.
The programs have tracked the historic rates of offers to acceptances and even to showing-up for classes. They will extend an appropriate number scholarship offers expecting to fill the classes at each unit, knowing that it is, somewhat, a guess. They expect to lose some folks to other offers, and they plan on it. If all those who were offered scholarships showed up for class, they'd be over filled.
Thanx much...makes perfect sense. Another question along the same lines...are scholarships ever pulled (ie, for academic or other reasons)? If so, is this also factored in?
My son has been reboarded and is beside himself because he knows of individuals that have been awarded scholarships (based on junior year stats) who have become "slackers" with severe cases of senioritis...even going to the point of jettisoning all the ECs they used to pad their resumes. Being told that is part of the game doesn't cut it with him.
He also has the misfortune (or fortune, depending on your perspective) of being in a school system that is one of the most difficult in the country and one that does not weight for AP and honors to the same scale as most, so he is already somewhat at a disadvantage when the initial "quantitative" racking and stacking occurs. So when he also sees individuals transfer in their senior year, tank in their grades and get scholarships anyway, disillusionment sets in.
I know programmatic considerations probably prohibit it, but IMHO these boards should begin their deliberations AFTER senior mid-terms.
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Well, it all goes to the the weird "super secret selection" ROTC process. There are soooo many questions about the ROTC process and so many different answers are given from different people that I don't think you will ever get a solid answer about that. I'm not knocking the system, because they hold all the cards and that's just the way it is. However, what I have heard is the Marine Corps sets their scholarships up and if they are not used, they do not get reassigned-don't know if that is true. I have also heard of scholarships being awarded as late as August for the Navy. I don't know who your son applied to, but the Army has more money than any of the services for scholarships and they are still reviewing applications. However, I believe the deadline was January 15, 2009, but it wouldn't hurt to try to get your application in if you haven't already.
Good Luck!!!!!
Good Luck!!!!!
These scholarship boards DO have a tough job...having sat in on similar type boards...they have to review literally thousands of apps and refine them down to perhaps around 10% (about the size of an academy freshman class); just wish they considered achievement beyond the junior year.
I judge this year to be more competitive than most, at least within this decade....I suspect there are more applicants (with the economy and esp w/Iraq less in the news) and less scholies to give out due to force shaping. My son stats are above the median of those that actually received AFROTC scholarships last year (at least according to their website), with decent ECs and a very good interview, but so far no dice. I've had to temper his expectations and just chalk it up to bad timing. He targeted AFROTC specifically, but in hindsight I should have encouraged him to look at other programs as well, since military service is what he wants to do. But the shotgun approach was just not his thing. There is still hope, but...
I judge this year to be more competitive than most, at least within this decade....I suspect there are more applicants (with the economy and esp w/Iraq less in the news) and less scholies to give out due to force shaping. My son stats are above the median of those that actually received AFROTC scholarships last year (at least according to their website), with decent ECs and a very good interview, but so far no dice. I've had to temper his expectations and just chalk it up to bad timing. He targeted AFROTC specifically, but in hindsight I should have encouraged him to look at other programs as well, since military service is what he wants to do. But the shotgun approach was just not his thing. There is still hope, but...
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Keep Plugging
Regardless of the outcomes for this year I encourage your son to enroll in a college with ROTC and participate, even as a non-scholarship "college program" student. I've known many students who were picked up for scholarships in the second (spring Freshman year) semester.
Keep following the dream.
Regardless of the outcomes for this year I encourage your son to enroll in a college with ROTC and participate, even as a non-scholarship "college program" student. I've known many students who were picked up for scholarships in the second (spring Freshman year) semester.
Keep following the dream.