AROTC - Anyone else not get selected this time?

MarineMom

5-Year Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Messages
8
Hi All,

My son did not get selected for an Army ROTC scholarship this board. Does anyone know when the next board is and how many boards they have during the year? Anyone else in our shoes?
 
I was unfortunately not selected this past board either. I talked to a couple of people on the phone and they all told me that the next board would be at the end of this month and the notifications would be sent out before Christmas. Hope this helps!

ROTC Hopeful
 
developing patience...

Hi MarineMom, ROTCHopeful and others -
We are in the same boat - DS had his file complete for the first board, but did not get selected. He knows he "aced" the interview... PMS at first choice school told us so. His academics are decent, Eagle Scout Candidate and volunteer hours up the wazoo along with NHS membership and AP classes and a community college class. His "weakness" would be sports. He played a little soccer and is a member of the American Judo Assoc. He is currently "training" and will resubmit an updated PFT score if it is significantly better than his initial test. Other than that we just wait....
Would love to hear from others in the same boat!
Thanks for the support!
 
Hello ROTC Hopeful and racefam,

I appreciate you both posting. It helps to know a few others are in the same boat. My son's an Eagle Scout, four years on the cross-country team, an ACT of 31, NHS, and lots of AP courses. I had forgotten about the interview - maybe that wasn't so great. We were thinking about submitting the latest ACT scores. He went up a point on composite. Can we resubmit stuff, like ACT's or a new PFT? Any thoughts?
 
.. an ACT of 31..
What ever your son's short comings, I don't think it was his ACT scores.

The following links give some examples of the average SAT scores of scholarship recipients at a couple of colleges. Your son's 31 ACT would convert to about 1360-1400. http://spart6.org/dhs/Guidance website/SAT-ACT Conversion chart.html

Indiana University
http://www.indiana.edu/~rotc/about/
"For Fall 2008, IU Army ROTC has 28 freshmen scholarship cadets inbound, with an average SAT of 1240 and an average high school g.p.a. of 3.5."

Rose Hulman
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/AROTC/scholarships.php
"The most competitive candidates for an Army ROTC Four-Year Scholarship will have at least a SAT score of 1100 or an ACT score of 24. "

University of Illinois
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ro/www/armyrotc/newstudents.html
"To be competitive for admission at UIUC and receive the Army ROTC Four-Year Scholarship, candidates are recommended to have an ACT of at least 25 and SAT of 1120."

Air Force averages
http://www.afrotc.com/scholarships/high-school/eligibility/
 
What ever your son's short comings, I don't think it was his ACT scores.

The following links give some examples of the average SAT scores of scholarship recipients at a couple of colleges. Your son's 31 ACT would convert to about 1360-1400. http://spart6.org/dhs/Guidance website/SAT-ACT Conversion chart.html

Indiana University
http://www.indiana.edu/~rotc/about/
"For Fall 2008, IU Army ROTC has 28 freshmen scholarship cadets inbound, with an average SAT of 1240 and an average high school g.p.a. of 3.5."

Rose Hulman
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/AROTC/scholarships.php
"The most competitive candidates for an Army ROTC Four-Year Scholarship will have at least a SAT score of 1100 or an ACT score of 24. "

University of Illinois
https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ro/www/armyrotc/newstudents.html
"To be competitive for admission at UIUC and receive the Army ROTC Four-Year Scholarship, candidates are recommended to have an ACT of at least 25 and SAT of 1120."

Air Force averages
http://www.afrotc.com/scholarships/high-school/eligibility/

Those were some great links. Thanks

Reading a little into what was written, I'd say that an applicant should be in the upper half of the admitted class to a school with regards to test scores to be competitive for a scholarship. That is in addition to the other ROTC scholarship requirements (ECs, Sports, Grades, Interview, etc.)

That being said, I would expect the test score numbers to be a little higher at more competitive schools and the test score averages to be a little lower at less competitive schools.

It is no wonder that schools like the students who come and participate in ROTC.
 
Based on what I have learned so far, once the minimum set by the board is met, the important thing is to have a list of schools that are comfortable matches for the applicant. It's possible, even likely, that a candidate with SAT 1400 who listed MIT, Harvard, and Princeton may not get the scholarship since the PMS feel that s/he is not likely to be accepted into the schools, while another student with SAT 1300 with the schools like George Washington and University of Maryland - College Park, will be selected for the scholarship.

While getting better standardized scores will still help in that it makes the candidate better match for the SCHOOLS, it may be even more important to revisit the list of schools submitted, and see whether all the reachies are listed as top priorities, and safeties are listed at the bottom. Remember: the PMSs don't want to select, during early board rounds, candidates who listed their schools as a low priority (bottom of the list). My feeling is, you should list one reach, one match, and one safety as your top 3 choices on the list.
 
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