Anxious mom seeks advice

momneverquits

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Hello! My DS is going through the application process (as am I) and we are anxiously waiting to hear from multiple entities and the waiting is killing me (more so than him)! First let me start with this: He truly wants to commission as a Naval Officer. That is his goal. He is a HS senior who has applied (as official candidate) to USNA. He DID NOT get congressman or either senatorial nomination. We live in New Jersey and our home state is inundated with applicants to USNA. He did get an NJROTC nomination from his Commander. Does that count? He wrote to his Admissions Counselor at USNA saying he would do anything to get to Annapolis, would take NAPS or Foundation school in a heartbeat. He is in top 20% of his class with comp0site 1470 SAT, and is in excellent physical shape. Meanwhile, he has applied for a Navy ROTC scholarship and we have heard nothing. He has, thus far, been accepted to 2 SMCs he applied to: Texas A&M Engineering (his 1st choice major-nuclear, and his 1st choice school) and VT (though VT gave him his 2nd choice major-physics). He's also applied to Rutgers New Brunswick, our instate college, and VMI, (both haven't heard from yet) and Rensselaer (who put him on a wait list). We have received low financial aid offers from both Texas and VT. I'm concerned if he doesn't get an NROTC scholarship how I am going to afford college. He is applying for small local scholarships. At the time we filled out FAFSA we had a bit of savings but that savings has been nearly exhausted. I'm preparing a letter of appeal but he is holding out to hear from USNA and to hear about the scholarship. Should he register for Texas A&M anyway - does that have any bearing on a scholarship being awarded since he was accepted to his 1st choice school? Should he contact the Corp of Cadets asking for additional scholarship opportunities; should I contact the financial aid office directly? Thank you very much for any advice as it will surely calm my motherly nerves ;)
 
@momneverquits Firstly, take 3 deep breaths and relax. :)
Next, if your son's goal is to be a Naval Officer there are many paths to get there that don't include USNA or NROTC Scholarship.
Attending your in-state university and joining the associated NROTC unit will most likely get him to his goal. Assuming he performs well in the unit and academics. This is a relatively low cost option and how they get the most officers. There is also OTS after he graduates from college, but that is separate discussion.

Now, when did he apply for the NROTC Scholarship and has he completed all steps including the Interview and physical fitness test?

I don't have knowledge of the NJROTC nomination to USNA, and will have to let others answer that question. My gut is that it is not sufficient as I remember that only Reps, Sens, Vice President and President can nominate. Unless there is a special circumstance like Medal of Honor in his legacy. As you said in your email, prep schools are also an option.

You can always call university Financial Aid and plead for more money. I have heard that work in the past, but not in an amount that significantly swings the financial picture when facing out of state tuition. You might get several thousand more a year, but most likely not 15-30.

For VT, I understand from another source that the Corps Emerging Leader Scholarship will likely be offered to all incoming freshman this year. You should hear shortly (if your son checked the box on his application to join the Corps) about this scholarship which is $12k over 4 years. I believe at the rate of $2k, 3k, 3k and 4k, but not 100% certain. Again, it is only about 7% of the total cost per year, but its something.

Hope this helps a little....
 
@user987 The NJROTC nomination counts. They'll accept up to 20 candidates with an NROTC or NJROTC nomination. Keep in mind that many apply and it's up to. They normally don't take the full 20 they're allotted.

NAPS is not an option since he appears to be academically qualified. NAPS is reserved for the academically unqualified out of high school.

What is it you would appeal? I don't see how you would proceed without first receiving a TWE from USNA or NROTC. Or are you referring to the wait-listing at RPI? One can always ask for additional financial aid from any college but, of course, they're under no obligation to provide additional aid. Contacting the Corps of Cadets at VMI might be helpful. However, I wouldn't think an appeal anywhere is not going to bear fruit unless your DS is committed to attend that school (JMPO).

Did he not apply to an in-state school you could afford? Sounds like the applications were sent to private, and perhaps out-of-state, schools only. Bad decision to count on the scholarship. One always needs an affordable backup plan. If he did apply to an in-state college he could enroll in NROTC without the scholarship. There are opportunities in NROTC to win a scholarship down the road. This is what my DS did and he got a scholarship during his sophomore year.

Committing to a particular college has no bearing on whether one is awarded a scholarship.

USNA and the NROTC scholarship are still in play. He may not hear from NROTC until mid to late April, perhaps even late for USNA, but in all likelihood he'll know where he stands in April. That's plenty of time to execute a well- crafted backup plan, but I'm not sure you have one.

I hope this is helpful. Some comments I made are not meant to criticize, but to be read by lurkers or next years applicants.
 
Rutgers is their public IS for NJ, but the problem with Rutgers is it is like NCST, ECU and Appalachian in NC, basically every kid is going to put it on their list, be it their safety or match or reach. Thus, they are always going to have more applicants than spots available.

Plus, for Rutgers if I recall correctly it is the host college in that area. This is where Princeton mids would go for LLAB. Since NROTC is like AROTC with limited number of scholarships per unit, unlike AFROTC, this might be a problem when you put those two aspects together.

It would not hurt to reach out to the FA offices at each school, but when they look at your FAFSA and you had savings they might want to know where the money in savings went. I am with others I don't think it will get you far, especially at a school like VT.
~ VT is notorious for never taking anyone off their waitlist because they have that many that accept admission. In essence, they don't need to offer more money because you can't afford to attend since someone right behind your child will be willing to take their spot.

Best of luck. Remember the fat lady does not sing until I Day.
 
@momneverquits Firstly, take 3 deep breaths and relax. :)
Next, if your son's goal is to be a Naval Officer there are many paths to get there that don't include USNA or NROTC Scholarship.
Attending your in-state university and joining the associated NROTC unit will most likely get him to his goal. Assuming he performs well in the unit and academics. This is a relatively low cost option and how they get the most officers. There is also OTS after he graduates from college, but that is separate discussion.

Now, when did he apply for the NROTC Scholarship and has he completed all steps including the Interview and physical fitness test?

I don't have knowledge of the NJROTC nomination to USNA, and will have to let others answer that question. My gut is that it is not sufficient as I remember that only Reps, Sens, Vice President and President can nominate. Unless there is a special circumstance like Medal of Honor in his legacy. As you said in your email, prep schools are also an option.

You can always call university Financial Aid and plead for more money. I have heard that work in the past, but not in an amount that significantly swings the financial picture when facing out of state tuition. You might get several thousand more a year, but most likely not 15-30.

For VT, I understand from another source that the Corps Emerging Leader Scholarship will likely be offered to all incoming freshman this year. You should hear shortly (if your son checked the box on his application to join the Corps) about this scholarship which is $12k over 4 years. I believe at the rate of $2k, 3k, 3k and 4k, but not 100% certain. Again, it is only about 7% of the total cost per year, but its something.

Hope this helps a little....

My DS completed his application late December, completed all steps including interview and physical fitness test. He did apply to his instate university - Rutgers New Brunswick. He actually had his officer interview for the scholarship there, not with his recruiter (had trouble with getting replies from email with recruiter and recruiters changing back and forth). And yes, he did receive a letter from VT Corp about the scholarship, should hear mid April.
 
Another note is that your son will have the opportunity to apply for 3 year and 2 year NROTC scholarships while in college. Strong performance in academics and in the NROTC unit will be required, but it is certainly doable. The question then becomes are you willing to take the gamble paying OOS tuition for a year or two in hopes that he receives a scholarship? That's a personal risk-reward decision.
 
@user987 The NJROTC nomination counts. They'll accept up to 20 candidates with an NROTC or NJROTC nomination. Keep in mind that many apply and it's up to. They normally don't take the full 20 they're allotted.

NAPS is not an option since he appears to be academically qualified. NAPS is reserved for the academically unqualified out of high school.

What is it you would appeal? I don't see how you would proceed without first receiving a TWE from USNA or NROTC. Or are you referring to the wait-listing at RPI? One can always ask for additional financial aid from any college but, of course, they're under no obligation to provide additional aid. Contacting the Corps of Cadets at VMI might be helpful. However, I wouldn't think an appeal anywhere is not going to bear fruit unless your DS is committed to attend that school (JMPO).

Did he not apply to an in-state school you could afford? Sounds like the applications were sent to private, and perhaps out-of-state, schools only. Bad decision to count on the scholarship. One always needs an affordable backup plan. If he did apply to an in-state college he could enroll in NROTC without the scholarship. There are opportunities in NROTC to win a scholarship down the road. This is what my DS did and he got a scholarship during his sophomore year.

Committing to a particular college has no bearing on whether one is awarded a scholarship.

USNA and the NROTC scholarship are still in play. He may not hear from NROTC until mid to late April, perhaps even late for USNA, but in all likelihood he'll know where he stands in April. That's plenty of time to execute a well- crafted backup plan, but I'm not sure you have one.

I hope this is helpful. Some comments I made are not meant to criticize, but to be read by lurkers or next years applicants.

I was thinking of appealing the offers from Texas A&M and VT but you have 2 good points: I shouldn't proceed with appeal until he gets TWE, and until he commits to a school. We are still waiting to hear from Rutgers New Brunswick, our in-state school - for some reason they said decisions for the College of Engineering take longer.
 
M NeverQuits,

Don't quit on Rutgers.

Seriously, in your situation, your in-state school is your best bet -- and it's a very good school.

Take a breath, hold off from worrying about the out-of-state schools, and wait to see what Rutgers comes back with. Leave off worrying about college admissions until Rutgers replies. then you can evaluate all your options with complete information.

Best wishes,
T
 
Maybe I have read it incorrectly, but I thought the academies wont accept if you dont have a congressional or senatorial nomination. However, I think I also read that these students are placed in a national pool where they could be selected. Am I wrong about this?

As for the mom, I know you are freaking out, but until they say no to you, you have a chance
 
Committing to a school won't increase your chances of getting the scholarship. When I got my NROTC scholarship, all 5 of my school choices were full for scholarship allotments. They awarded me the scholarship anyway to a different school I didn't apply to. And when I didn't want that school (I didn't even meet the application requirements for it) they let me switch to a different school that wasn't full yet. Granted, this was 7 years ago (<-- I feel old) but I imagine the process is still relatively the same.
 
Maybe I have read it incorrectly, but I thought the academies wont accept if you dont have a congressional or senatorial nomination. However, I think I also read that these students are placed in a national pool where they could be selected. Am I wrong about this?

You just have to have a nomination. Does not have to be senatorial or congressional. These are the sources: https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/Apply/Nomination-Sources.php
 
First, with regard to the JROTC nomination for USNA I believe the JROTC unit needs to be a distinguished unit with honors to be able to provide a nomination. Sounds like your DS's JROTC unit may be in that category if he was able to get a nom. If so, he has a chance, but honestly getting in with a JROTC nom may be a longshot. The number of total ROTC noms is a low number, so the chances are not great - but certainly better than no nom. Is he otherwise qualified? You could be looking at almost a month before you hear from USNA.

The NROTC scholarship is also very competitive, but at least it's another possible way to get him where he wants to be. He hasn't heard "yes" but he hasn't heard "no" yet either.

I would caution on counting on the scholarship as the primary way to afford college. Seems like your DS needs to be looking at at least one school that is affordable without NROTC. If he can find an affordable school that has a NROTC program he can always join as a college programmer. This is not a scholarship but an opportunity to learn about and participate in ROTC and a chance to do well and compete for a 3 year or 2 year scholarship. If he doesn't get a 3 or 2 year he still could get advanced standing which would allow him to stay in NROTC after his sophomore year and is another possible path to commission.

Good luck.
 
May I ask when you completed you application for Rutgers. I feel your pain as I'm in NJ also and Rutgers especially the Engineering school is extremely competitive.
 
Hello! My DS is going through the application process (as am I) and we are anxiously waiting to hear from multiple entities and the waiting is killing me (more so than him)! First let me start with this: He truly wants to commission as a Naval Officer. That is his goal. He is a HS senior who has applied (as official candidate) to USNA. He DID NOT get congressman or either senatorial nomination. We live in New Jersey and our home state is inundated with applicants to USNA. He did get an NJROTC nomination from his Commander. Does that count? He wrote to his Admissions Counselor at USNA saying he would do anything to get to Annapolis, would take NAPS or Foundation school in a heartbeat. He is in top 20% of his class with comp0site 1470 SAT, and is in excellent physical shape. Meanwhile, he has applied for a Navy ROTC scholarship and we have heard nothing. He has, thus far, been accepted to 2 SMCs he applied to: Texas A&M Engineering (his 1st choice major-nuclear, and his 1st choice school) and VT (though VT gave him his 2nd choice major-physics). He's also applied to Rutgers New Brunswick, our instate college, and VMI, (both haven't heard from yet) and Rensselaer (who put him on a wait list). We have received low financial aid offers from both Texas and VT. I'm concerned if he doesn't get an NROTC scholarship how I am going to afford college. He is applying for small local scholarships. At the time we filled out FAFSA we had a bit of savings but that savings has been nearly exhausted. I'm preparing a letter of appeal but he is holding out to hear from USNA and to hear about the scholarship. Should he register for Texas A&M anyway - does that have any bearing on a scholarship being awarded since he was accepted to his 1st choice school? Should he contact the Corp of Cadets asking for additional scholarship opportunities; should I contact the financial aid office directly? Thank you very much for any advice as it will surely calm my motherly nerves ;)

Given his interest in nuclear eng, has your DS looked into NUPOC? Phenomenal, generous, competitive program.
https://www.navy.com/joining/college-options/nupoc.html

There are other links, but I just boarded a plane. I don’t know if he’s missed any due dates, but it’s worth a call if it at all appeals. It’s definitely not as well known as other paths.
 
First, with regard to the JROTC nomination for USNA I believe the JROTC unit needs to be a distinguished unit with honors to be able to provide a nomination.

Only if it isn't NJROTC or MCJROTC. Those units get 3 regardless of status. If they have honors, they get an additional 3. AFJROTC and AJROTC must have honors in order to nominate 3.
 
Maybe I have read it incorrectly, but I thought the academies wont accept if you dont have a congressional or senatorial nomination. However, I think I also read that these students are placed in a national pool where they could be selected. Am I wrong about this?

You just have to have a nomination. Does not have to be senatorial or congressional. These are the sources: https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/Apply/Nomination-Sources.php
Thanks for the info. But the point is someone has to nominate him. The mom did say he got a NJROTC nomination, but i have no idea how far that will get him
 
Thanks for the info. But the point is someone has to nominate him. The mom did say he got a NJROTC nomination, but i have no idea how far that will get him
It can get him as far as any Congressional, or any other nomination, can. In a way it's more like a Presidential or VP nomination, in that there are far more people competing for a limited number of slots vs competing among 10 individuals on a MOCs slate.
 
Hello! My DS is going through the application process (as am I) and we are anxiously waiting to hear from multiple entities and the waiting is killing me (more so than him)! First let me start with this: He truly wants to commission as a Naval Officer. That is his goal. He is a HS senior who has applied (as official candidate) to USNA. He DID NOT get congressman or either senatorial nomination. We live in New Jersey and our home state is inundated with applicants to USNA. He did get an NJROTC nomination from his Commander. Does that count? He wrote to his Admissions Counselor at USNA saying he would do anything to get to Annapolis, would take NAPS or Foundation school in a heartbeat. He is in top 20% of his class with comp0site 1470 SAT, and is in excellent physical shape. Meanwhile, he has applied for a Navy ROTC scholarship and we have heard nothing. He has, thus far, been accepted to 2 SMCs he applied to: Texas A&M Engineering (his 1st choice major-nuclear, and his 1st choice school) and VT (though VT gave him his 2nd choice major-physics). He's also applied to Rutgers New Brunswick, our instate college, and VMI, (both haven't heard from yet) and Rensselaer (who put him on a wait list). We have received low financial aid offers from both Texas and VT. I'm concerned if he doesn't get an NROTC scholarship how I am going to afford college. He is applying for small local scholarships. At the time we filled out FAFSA we had a bit of savings but that savings has been nearly exhausted. I'm preparing a letter of appeal but he is holding out to hear from USNA and to hear about the scholarship. Should he register for Texas A&M anyway - does that have any bearing on a scholarship being awarded since he was accepted to his 1st choice school? Should he contact the Corp of Cadets asking for additional scholarship opportunities; should I contact the financial aid office directly? Thank you very much for any advice as it will surely calm my motherly nerves ;)

Given his interest in nuclear eng, has your DS looked into NUPOC? Phenomenal, generous, competitive program.
https://www.navy.com/joining/college-options/nupoc.html

There are other links, but I just boarded a plane. I don’t know if he’s missed any due dates, but it’s worth a call if it at all appeals. It’s definitely not as well known as other paths.

Yes, actually I brought it up to him yesterday but I read that you have to be at least 19 and in college, but definitely a possibility. (He’ll be 18 in July)
 
May I ask when you completed you application for Rutgers. I feel your pain as I'm in NJ also and Rutgers especially the Engineering school is extremely competitive
May I ask when you completed you application for Rutgers. I feel your pain as I'm in NJ also and Rutgers especially the Engineering school is extremely competitive.

My DS completed it back in November. It seems engineering all around is tough to get into. He just got an email from VMI saying there’s only a few slots left for his 1st choice major before they give out appointments in 2 weeks and they listed other choices for him to consider. So I suppose that if he doesn’t choose another major he won’t get an appointment. Sometimes I feel like he's in a weird dating match game.
 
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