Chances of getting Marine Option NROTC Scholarship

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cabcynthia11

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I'm currently a high school sophomore and was wondering if I stood at all a chance(so far) of getting the marine option scholarship for NROTC. I would just like to know how I can improve and what I could do to stand out as a candidate.

•Taken three honors classes-signed up for AP classes next year however.
•1030 on PSAT
•4.0 GPA
•64 on ASVAB
•8:14 mile time, 50 pushups, 52 curl ups
•First chair bassoonist in Symphonic and community band
•Third year alto sax player in marching band.
•Commanded armed squad for drill teamin Army JROTC and should command platoon next year.
•Was platoon leader in JROTC class, currently S-1 main assistant and should be main staff next year.
•Part of Raiders/Orinteering, I've participated in two March or Dies and was part of the winning team of the first inaugural Camp Mackall Competion.
•Has done community service, mostly tending veteran supporting events such as assisting at the Moving Vietnam Memorial(our county brought in a replica of the Vietnam War Memorial for Veterans Day and I assisted by handing out programs and locating names on the wall).
 
You have some good stuff there. That being said...

You need to improve your SAT (I know you took PSAT) score. DS had a 1310 and did not receive a scholarship. Can't say if that was the reason though.

The ASVAB really only matters for enlisted and not for officer selection. It could use improvement though. There are online practice tests at military.com

You need to up your game on your physical fitness. To receive a scholarship you will take the normal Marine PFT. You can find it and the scoring for it online. To max the test (it may have changed a smidge recently) a male needs to run 3 miles in 18:00 minutes, do 20 pull ups, and 100 crunches. I assume you're a female so your standards would be different. Research them online. Google is your friend and these are easy to find. Physical fitness is far more important to the Marines than any other service. DO your best and get as close to a 300 score as you can.

I'm impressed by your leadership positions in JROTC given you're a sophomore. It's probably an area you should highlight in your application.

If you can fit in a sport with all your other activities that would be great. Maybe cross-country which would help you work on running? In any case do what you have a passion for as that will best demonstrate your talents.

Remember this is a competition... and the end goal of being a Marine Officer is worth it.

One more thing... If you're really set on being a USMC officer consider enrolling in NROTC MO without the scholarship if it comes to that. That's the route DS took and he won a scholarship hist sophomore year. Another path is the Platoon Leaders Course, and as a last resort OCS.
 
I would definitely boost your fitness. To look competitive for a marine scholarship or plc, your going to need at least a 235 pft score. To max it now is 23 pull-ups, 110 crunches, and an 18 minute three mile. To get a marine scholarship, you will need to be somewhere in the 280-290 range. Keep in mind these scholarships pay for full tuition so you will need to score higher.
 
Not sure I agree with the 280-290 range but it definitely needs to be high and I would think higher than 235. There are other factors that go into the decision besides the PFT. They've got 4 years to work on you and they don't need everything on day 1. The closer you can come to demonstrating you have everything on day 1 is the best approach.
 
Here are some relevant stats from the scholarship selectees from last year. (gouge from a presentation I attended)

For Male scholarship awardees, the average PFT score was 270. For Females, it was 262.

For Marine Option scholarship recipients, the average ACT score was 28. (SAT score average was 1230). Keep in mind the highest score for the ACT is 36 (Navy scholarship avg was 31). One note, in order to apply you have to have a minimum ACT of 22 -- important to note is that 22 is not competitive.

Scholarship recipients must also have outstanding writing skills. The essays are that important -- it's part of the pre-screening. If you get past the pre-screening, you'll have 1 or 2 face to face interviews with Marine Officers. They will want to know that the person on paper matches the person in front of them -- i.e. you can't have someone else write the essay and expect to get away with it.

The face to face interview is important. The Marine Corps basically scores on a whole person concept -- Academic/Testing, PFT, and Personal accomplishments/interview.

As far as extra-curriculars -- things like National Honor Society are kind of a wash (think about it, if you are in the "average" range of 28 on the ACT, you will be in the national honor society). The important things are items such as part-time jobs, demonstrable leadership in things like JROTC/YMs, captain of a sports team, section leader in a band, etc. Home schooled candidates can demonstrate other community oriented leadership activities.
 
kinnem said:
You have some good stuff there. That being said...

You need to improve your SAT (I know you took PSAT) score. DS had a 1310 and did not receive a scholarship. Can't say if that was the reason though.

The ASVAB really only matters for enlisted and not for officer selection. It could use improvement though. There are online practice tests at military.com

You need to up your game on your physical fitness. To receive a scholarship you will take the normal Marine PFT. You can find it and the scoring for it online. To max the test (it may have changed a smidge recently) a male needs to run 3 miles in 18:00 minutes, do 20 pull ups, and 100 crunches. I assume you're a female so your standards would be different. Research them online. Google is your friend and these are easy to find. Physical fitness is far more important to the Marines than any other service. DO your best and get as close to a 300 score as you can.

I'm impressed by your leadership positions in JROTC given you're a sophomore. It's probably an area you should highlight in your application.

If you can fit in a sport with all your other activities that would be great. Maybe cross-country which would help you work on running? In any case do what you have a passion for as that will best demonstrate your talents.

Remember this is a competition... and the end goal of being a Marine Officer is worth it.

One more thing... If you're really set on being a USMC officer consider enrolling in NROTC MO without the scholarship if it comes to that. That's the route DS took and he won a scholarship hist sophomore year. Another path is the Platoon Leaders Course, and as a last resort OCS.
Click to expand...

I thought about PLC, but honestly, I think I'd get more quality training by going through ROTC and going into OCS my sophomore/junior/senior year. Will the program still accept you if you don't get the scholarship?
 
@cabcynthia11 I totally agree with you. I only mention PLC and OCS as backup plans should NROTC somehow not materialize. If you enroll in NROTC MO with, or without, a scholarship you will attend OCS for 6 weeks during the summer between Junior and Senior year.
 
Yeah. Real quick though: I've researched and asked a bunch of questions, but I've never really gotten a straight answer. Is it okay just to apply for the scholarship of your senior year of high school? Does it have to be your junior year-why is it even stressed so much to be your junior year?
 
cabcynthia11: You would first apply for the scholarship in your senior year of High School (the application opens in late spring of your junior year but closes during the winter of your senior year).
 
If possible its good to start in the spring of your junior year so you can line up teacher recommendations before school ends for the year. Not as important for Marine Option whose 1st board isn't until Nov (I think). Navy option's first board is in September so starting in the Spring is more important for meeting that first board. You want to try to have it in for the first board. You'll also be interviewed by an officer and have to do the PFT, usually the same day. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to be ready for the first board... but most folks don't start until the fall of their Senior year. I don't think my son started until September and he still made the first board. The second and final Marine board is in late Feb or early March (again, I think... dates aren't published).
 
That's good to know, I was just worried that I wouldn't somehow be eligible if I applied my senior year, cause I know my application would be a bit more stronger if I applied later on. I'm even considering just going into tech after high school first then apply for the scholarship.
 
@cabcynthia11

My son just commissioned. He went through the scholarship process twice. Regardless of the process --- Stick with it and persevere if you want it.
 
cabcynthia11 said:
That's good to know, I was just worried that I wouldn't somehow be eligible if I applied my senior year, cause I know my application would be a bit more stronger if I applied later on. I'm even considering just going into tech after high school first then apply for the scholarship.
Click to expand...
Well, given you'll be applying in the fall of your senior year, and that junior year teachers are what's used for recommendations, at this point all you'll be able to improve upon (pretty much) is your SAT/ACT and PFT scores. Maybe you'll be able to add some extera-curriculars or volunteer hours. There is no reason to hold off as you can start now and submit those scores later or even re-submit them when you improve prior to the first board. Also, you lose nothing by applying senior year except perhaps some time. You['ll have two chances to re-apply freshman year and one more chance in sophomore year. I say apply this year, at least.
 
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