When can I apply for an ROTC scholarship?

alpha2716

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Oct 8, 2015
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I am currently in the summer before my senior year. In other words my senior year will start this fall. Can I go ahead and apply now?
 
You can and should start asap. Every effort should be made to get all parts of your application submitted before August. Start with the parts that require others to submit on your behalf: recommendations from math and English teachers, etc. Then get to work on the fitness test. With Navy ROTC, early submission for the first board is the key.
 
You can and should start asap. Every effort should be made to get all parts of your application submitted before August. Start with the parts that require others to submit on your behalf: recommendations from math and English teachers, etc. Then get to work on the fitness test. With Navy ROTC, early submission for the first board is the key.

How exactly do I get the fitness test done in the summer? Also what if I dont meet the weight requirements right now. I'm only about 2 pounds under. I'm 5'6 btw.
 
Refer to the instructions in your NROTC application packet for individuals who are authorized to administer the test, it changes from year to year. If you have already taken the CFA for USNA, you can have USNA send your scores to your NROTC recruiter.

Re: being underweight, I would call your NROTC recruiter to ask for guidance. Experience proves that you want to do your best to submit app early. Waiting to gain 2 pounds before you submit may not be the best course of action. Quite frankly, I know wrestlers who can gain two pounds just by drinking too much water before weighins.
 
Refer to the instructions in your NROTC application packet for individuals who are authorized to administer the test, it changes from year to year. If you have already taken the CFA for USNA, you can have USNA send your scores to your NROTC recruiter.

Re: being underweight, I would call your NROTC recruiter to ask for guidance. Experience proves that you want to do your best to submit app early. Waiting to gain 2 pounds before you submit may not be the best course of action. Quite frankly, I know wrestlers who can gain two pounds just by drinking too much water before weighins.

Well it's checked the weight requirements. Turns out I'm not underweight. The minimum for 5'6 is 107 lbs. I'm 111!
 
If you applying for AROTC I don't believe teacher or any other letters of recommendation are required. If you have all of your test scores apply asap. The more boards you are in front of the better your chances. Good luck.
 
OP: Are you applying for Navy or Marine option?

For the Navy option, there is no minuim weight, only a maximum weight. As for the AFA, a gym teacher, high school coach, NJROTC instructor, etc. can conduct the test. Your recruiter will coordinate this and can also arrange administration through their office or a local NROTC unit, if needed. Also, the AFA is designed to be taken as the AFA, not to have scores extrapolated from the USNA CFA. They should be taken as separate events- this is in the applicants best interest, as the AFA is a shorter, easier test.

If you are applying as a Marine option, there IS a minimum weight. However, this should not hold up your application- min and max weights requirements, while looked at during the scholarship selection process, primarily come into play when the PNS activates scholarships upon reporting in the fall semester. Instead of the AFA, you'll take the USMC PFT, which will need to be administered by a Marine. Your recruiter will coordinate this.
 
OP: Are you applying for Navy or Marine option?

For the Navy option, there is no minuim weight, only a maximum weight. As for the AFA, a gym teacher, high school coach, NJROTC instructor, etc. can conduct the test. Your recruiter will coordinate this and can also arrange administration through their office or a local NROTC unit, if needed. Also, the AFA is designed to be taken as the AFA, not to have scores extrapolated from the USNA CFA. They should be taken as separate events- this is in the applicants best interest, as the AFA is a shorter, easier test.

If you are applying as a Marine option, there IS a minimum weight. However, this should not hold up your application- min and max weights requirements, while looked at during the scholarship selection process, primarily come into play when the PNS activates scholarships upon reporting in the fall semester. Instead of the AFA, you'll take the USMC PFT, which will need to be administered by a Marine. Your recruiter will coordinate this.

I'm applying for an AROTC scholarship
 
If you applying for AROTC I don't believe teacher or any other letters of recommendation are required. If you have all of your test scores apply asap. The more boards you are in front of the better your chances. Good luck.

Would it help strengthen my chances if I got some letters of recommendation. That would be no problem. All my teachers love me.
 
There will be specific teachers they want recommendations from during the application process. Do not run off willy-nilly. They will ignore any other recommendations.
 
There will be specific teachers they want recommendations from during the application process. Do not run off willy-nilly. They will ignore any other recommendations.

What if they haven't told me which ones they want?
 
It will be part of the application. Have you started it? Sounds like you haven't.
 
Apply early!!! The earlier the better! If the Rotc recruiter is not helpful don't worry you can contact others. We ran into that problem last year.
 
It will be part of the application. Have you started it? Sounds like you haven't.

Yes I've started an AROTC application and it doesn't specifically ask for a letter of recommendation. However, there is a place where you have the option to upload one.
 
Well, I give. Tey used to ask for specific teachers Guess it has changed.
 
If Cadet Command does not ask for a letter of recommendation, there is no reason to submit any. They are not going to look at your letters of recommendation when they are not looking at any others. For Army, they will send a form to your guidance counselor, that is it. Don't worry about rushing during the summer, the first board does not meet until October, with a last submit date the beginning of that month. Make sure your are ready to do your fitness test after school gets back, and make sure your ACT or SAT scores are competitive, if not, study during the summer and retake early fall. A very small amount of scholarships are awarded first board, so I would contact one of the school's you are interested in and talk to the Recruiting Operations Officer (ROO) and get their opinion when need to have your application in, and it will depend on how competitive they think you are. I have said this before on the board so it will be repetitive for regular posters, however, my daughter was advised to slow down, retake the ACT and not rush for the first board by all four schools she was interested in. Turns out those ROOs knew what they were talking about! She improved her score by 4 points and still got her scholarship the third board even though she applied before the second. If she would of ignored them and not waited to study for another ACT test, I am convinced there would be no scholarship. Some of the other posters are talking about dates for other services, since you are applying AROTC you have time.
 
If Cadet Command does not ask for a letter of recommendation, there is no reason to submit any. They are not going to look at your letters of recommendation when they are not looking at any others. For Army, they will send a form to your guidance counselor, that is it. Don't worry about rushing during the summer, the first board does not meet until October, with a last submit date the beginning of that month. Make sure your are ready to do your fitness test after school gets back, and make sure your ACT or SAT scores are competitive, if not, study during the summer and retake early fall. A very small amount of scholarships are awarded first board, so I would contact one of the school's you are interested in and talk to the Recruiting Operations Officer (ROO) and get their opinion when need to have your application in, and it will depend on how competitive they think you are. I have said this before on the board so it will be repetitive for regular posters, however, my daughter was advised to slow down, retake the ACT and not rush for the first board by all four schools she was interested in. Turns out those ROOs knew what they were talking about! She improved her score by 4 points and still got her scholarship the third board even though she applied before the second. If she would of ignored them and not waited to study for another ACT test, I am convinced there would be no scholarship. Some of the other posters are talking about dates for other services, since you are applying AROTC you have time.

Thanks for the info, but I talked to cadet command today and they said it would be a good idea to get letters of recommendation from teachers, principals, etc. However it is totally optional.
 
Thanks for the info, but I talked to cadet command today and they said it would be a good idea to get letters of recommendation from teachers, principals, etc. However it is totally optional.
That is good to know! We have a few ROO's on this site that have given the opposite advice for AROTC, if they don't ask for it, you don't need to do it. However, if you are getting it from CC and can easily obtain them, that is great.

It also looks like they have added a second essay question this year, looking for the number of hours of involvement outside of school, that second question was not there last year.
 
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