Scholarship for NROTC marine option- what are my chances?

Joined
Feb 23, 2021
Messages
10
I'm planning on applying for the NROTC scholarship this summer. I have contacted my local recruiter and he wants to meet with me in May after I finish this year (11th) so we can talk. He wants to give me the ASVAB test and knows I want to be commissioned as an officer. I told him I was wanting to try to get into the PLC program and he brought up the scholarship I can apply for. I think I will do very well on my PFT which I've heard a lot of people on here say is one of the most important qualifications. I would like to get some tips on how to run long distance. I am more of a 1 mile fast runner that endurance. Also my dad is a retired colonel. He was in the marine corp for 28 years and I was wondering if this would help in my application at all and if I should tell my recruiter this when I go to talk to him in May.
 
The local marine corps recruiter is not your path to NROTC-MO. ASVAB is not needed for your rotc app. You are conflating paths to enlist with a recruiter and applying for a scholarship. Just so you are clear.
A recruiter can mentor you about the corps help you join a workout group at a depot. But recruiters recruit and will not always be clear

Certainly in your essays and interview you can reference your family’s service and growing up in a Marine Corps family. I’ll defer to others on fitness guidance. Good luck.
 
My son received an NROTC-MO scholarship this year. The Marines have applicants do testing in groups at a local marine facility. Getting an adequate score on the PFT was a requirement to advance to an interview. No two interviews are the same, but the officers who interviewed my son were interested in knowing if he had family members with military service. Also there were places on the paperwork prior to the processing day which asked information about family members’ prior military service. So I think your father’s service certainly could help you.

My son is also better at shorter races, but he trained with a running partner to help him with the 3-mile run. They often did interval training (running several one mile intervals at a fast pace with short walking breaks in between) mixed with longer runs to increase endurance. Definitely take adequate time to practice the 3-mile in addition to other parts of the PFT. Some of the kids at the processing day were eliminated from the process immediately after the PFT was conducted because they couldn’t achieve the minimum score.
 
The local marine corps recruiter is not your path to NROTC-MO. ASVAB is not needed for your rotc app. You are conflating paths to enlist with a recruiter and applying for a scholarship. Just so you are clear.
A recruiter can mentor you about the corps help you join a workout group at a depot. But recruiters recruit and will not always be clear

Certainly in your essays and interview you can reference your family’s service and growing up in a Marine Corps family. I’ll defer to others on fitness guidance. Good luck.
I agree. The recruiter is not necessary. At the time my DS was applying for his scholarship we didn’t know that. He thought joining the reserves would enhance his chances, so he enlisted. Luckily, he got the scholarship. If not, he’d have a reserve commitment with no real benefit. The recruiters are all quota based, so don’t believe them.
Yes, your PFT is important, the ASVAB is useless for a scholarship. What’s most important, IMHO, are your academics, leadership accomplishments, community service, the quality of your essay and the in person interview.
 
I agree. The recruiter is not necessary. At the time my DS was applying for his scholarship we didn’t know that. He thought joining the reserves would enhance his chances, so he enlisted. Luckily, he got the scholarship. If not, he’d have a reserve commitment with no real benefit. The recruiters are all quota based, so don’t believe them.
Yes, your PFT is important, the ASVAB is useless for a scholarship. What’s most important, IMHO, are your academics, leadership accomplishments, community service, the quality of your essay and the in person interview.
Who should I get into contact with then? An OSO?
 
The local marine corps recruiter is not your path to NROTC-MO. ASVAB is not needed for your rotc app. You are conflating paths to enlist with a recruiter and applying for a scholarship. Just so you are clear.
A recruiter can mentor you about the corps help you join a workout group at a depot. But recruiters recruit and will not always be clear

Certainly in your essays and interview you can reference your family’s service and growing up in a Marine Corps family. I’ll defer to others on fitness guidance. Good luck.
So who should I get in contact with?
 
I agree. The recruiter is not necessary. At the time my DS was applying for his scholarship we didn’t know that. He thought joining the reserves would enhance his chances, so he enlisted. Luckily, he got the scholarship. If not, he’d have a reserve commitment with no real benefit. The recruiters are all quota based, so don’t believe them.
Yes, your PFT is important, the ASVAB is useless for a scholarship. What’s most important, IMHO, are your academics, leadership accomplishments, community service, the quality of your essay and the in person interview.
I assumed he would point me in the right direction. He said he would send me paper work so I could apply for the scholarship
 
So who should I get in contact with?
So who should I get in contact with? So, where are your manners? A little common courtesy of please and thank you go a long way.

Despite your annoyingly entitled note, I'll help this time, but like Jack Nicholson said in a A Few Good Men, next time, "You'll have to ask nicely."

The application is online:
 
@baseballplayer07 - go to the link on the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps that @Herman_Snerd provided. Educate yourself on the process. You do not need to contact anyone to start the application process and certainly don't need to speak to a Marine Recruiter.

You can be the nation's fastest miler, but if you can't run three miles in the time allowed you won't succeed in this journey. There is plenty of running guidance on Google.

Take the time to learn a bit about the Marine Corps from your Dad. He will be able to contrast the difference between the enlisted and officer paths.

Oh, and take a minute to ask him about this quote from your original post:
He was in the marine corp for 28 years

I would bet he would have something to say that will help you from here forward.
 
BLUF: You need to use a recruiter for the PFT.

My DD is going through the process. Long story short, she is a committed athlete so she reached out to the MC at the school. He pointed her to a recruiter that specializes in the ROTC applications. The recruiter told her he'd need a physical from her (he is sending the form) to run the PFT that he would conduct and he will arrange the interview. He said she could take the ASVAB OR use the SAT scores. She'll obviously use her SAT scores. He let her know the timing of it all and next steps. He (the recruiter) also takes the information required in the application for the recommendations and reaches out to those identified people to get the LOR.

An applicant can start the application though without any assistance. The link is above. We printed off the instructions and we identified where assistance would be required.
 
Last edited:
BLUF: You need to use a recruiter for the PFT.

My DD is going through the process. Long story short, she is a committed athlete so she reached out to the MC at the school. He pointed her to a recruiter that specializes in the ROTC applications. The recruiter told her he'd need a physical from her (he is sending the form) to run the PFT that he would conduct and he will arrange the interview. He said she could take the ASVAB OR use the SAT scores. She'll obviously use her SAT scores. He let her know the timing of it all and next steps. He (the recruiter) also takes the information required in the application for the recommendations and reaches out to those identified people to get the LOR.

An applicant can start the application though without any assistance. The link is above. We printed off the instructions and we identified where assistance would be required.
Thank you
 
This is what my son did:

He filled out the NROTC application online and specified Marine Option. Once he started the application, he got into his portal and found the email address of the Marine Corps coordinator for his area. He emailed this person to introduce himself. O once or twice he asked this person a question if he had one. (I’ll reiterate the advice to always be extremely respectful in all communications.) My son arranged with his high school counselor and teachers to submit the transcript and recommendations. He went to College Board and had his SAT scores sent to NROTC-MO.

Last summer, the Marine Corps coordinator emailed him about upcoming processing days which were scheduled in September and October at a local Marine Corps facility. My son attended the one in October where a lot of paperwork was processed, the PFT was administered, and then interviews were done for the applicants who qualified with adequate PFT scores. At some point after that, his portal showed that his application was being reviewed by the first board.
 
This is what my son did:

He filled out the NROTC application online and specified Marine Option. Once he started the application, he got into his portal and found the email address of the Marine Corps coordinator for his area. He emailed this person to introduce himself. O once or twice he asked this person a question if he had one. (I’ll reiterate the advice to always be extremely respectful in all communications.) My son arranged with his high school counselor and teachers to submit the transcript and recommendations. He went to College Board and had his SAT scores sent to NROTC-MO.

Last summer, the Marine Corps coordinator emailed him about upcoming processing days which were scheduled in September and October at a local Marine Corps facility. My son attended the one in October where a lot of paperwork was processed, the PFT was administered, and then interviews were done for the applicants who qualified with adequate PFT scores. At some point after that, his portal showed that his application was being reviewed by the first board.
Thank you so much!
 
This is what my son did:

He filled out the NROTC application online and specified Marine Option. Once he started the application, he got into his portal and found the email address of the Marine Corps coordinator for his area. He emailed this person to introduce himself. O once or twice he asked this person a question if he had one. (I’ll reiterate the advice to always be extremely respectful in all communications.) My son arranged with his high school counselor and teachers to submit the transcript and recommendations. He went to College Board and had his SAT scores sent to NROTC-MO.

Last summer, the Marine Corps coordinator emailed him about upcoming processing days which were scheduled in September and October at a local Marine Corps facility. My son attended the one in October where a lot of paperwork was processed, the PFT was administered, and then interviews were done for the applicants who qualified with adequate PFT scores. At some point after that, his portal showed that his application was being reviewed by the first board.
Bookmarking this.
 
I'm planning on applying for the NROTC scholarship this summer. I have contacted my local recruiter and he wants to meet with me in May after I finish this year (11th) so we can talk. He wants to give me the ASVAB test and knows I want to be commissioned as an officer. I told him I was wanting to try to get into the PLC program and he brought up the scholarship I can apply for. I think I will do very well on my PFT which I've heard a lot of people on here say is one of the most important qualifications. I would like to get some tips on how to run long distance. I am more of a 1 mile fast runner that endurance. Also my dad is a retired colonel. He was in the marine corp for 28 years and I was wondering if this would help in my application at all and if I should tell my recruiter this when I go to talk to him in May.
Hopefully I can provide some helpful insight.

This year, I received the MO NROTC scholarship. My small school of 340 students actually got a total of 3 Marine Option and 1 Navy Scholarship. My school, year after year, has produced multiple scholarship recipients as well as service academy appointments. The guidance I was given 110% contributed to receiving the scholarship. It was very beneficial to know and be friends with the other applicants. I would try to see if anyone at your high school is also applying. Running PFTs and working on our application packages, in general, was so much easier when you were being pushed by a peer who is aiming for the same goal.

My father has also been in the Marines for over 20 years. This is a big plus for your application. Somebody above mentioned their DS having family that was prior military. This is an excellent opportunity to write about in your essays or discuss in your interview.

As for the PFT, the Corps is real big on the physical aspect of your application. I can relate with you, being a 1 miler rather than long distance. I took my PFT twice (officially) and ran many mock ones, but I couldn't seem to improve on my run time. As long as you can run a sub 22 min, while maxing out (or coming close to) your pullups and crunches, you will still be in the competitive range as far as your score is concerned. I will drop my final package stats at the end.

Your essays are another big part of the application. Since the selection board is not able to actually see you or talk to you, your essays will do that for you. Go in-depth about the question but don't ramble on and swing off-topic. Hit the word limit. My essays were way over and I had to condense them to fit before submitting them.

Understand that standardized tests aren't everything, and the Marine Option only requires a min. of 1000 on the SAT, but are still important. GOOD scores on multiple tests will look good. Take the ASVAB, it cannot possibly hurt to take, and if you aren't happy with your score, don't report it. I would provide AT LEAST an SAT score though.

In the end, a well-rounded package will be more appealing to the board than a rockstar who might only shine in a few categories. Do good in every aspect of leadership, physical fitness, academics, and you will be fine. Your local recruiter will be a great mentor through this process. That is where I ran my PFTs, updated my package, got advice, etc. However, there is only so much they can do for you as a Scholarship applicant. Another thing- Do not think anything is too small to include on your application! Record every award, ECA, and anything else you can think of. It all contributes to a bigger image of yourself as a person. Best of luck to you, from one military brat to another! You got this.

For reference, these are some of my final stats. I'm sure I'm missing some things. I was not accepted on the early board but received the scholarship on the normal board this past month.

PFT: 278
SAT: 1210
GPA: 3.55 unweighted
Class standing: 12/78
Academics: 7 AP Classes,
Sports: 4yrs of V Baseball, V Football, V Wrestling (Captain on all)
ECA: Band (4yrs), Boy Scouts, Church Groups, 400+ hours of community service, Naval Academy Summer Seminar
JROTC: Marine Corps unit, 4 years, Cadet Batallion SgtMaj, Drill team, Orienteering team, Raider Team, PT Team
Other: Bilingual (German), Part-time job

Please PM me with any questions and I'll help you out as much as I can. If you need me over the summer I'll be here!
 
Hopefully I can provide some helpful insight.

This year, I received the MO NROTC scholarship. My small school of 340 students actually got a total of 3 Marine Option and 1 Navy Scholarship. My school, year after year, has produced multiple scholarship recipients as well as service academy appointments. The guidance I was given 110% contributed to receiving the scholarship. It was very beneficial to know and be friends with the other applicants. I would try to see if anyone at your high school is also applying. Running PFTs and working on our application packages, in general, was so much easier when you were being pushed by a peer who is aiming for the same goal.

My father has also been in the Marines for over 20 years. This is a big plus for your application. Somebody above mentioned their DS having family that was prior military. This is an excellent opportunity to write about in your essays or discuss in your interview.

As for the PFT, the Corps is real big on the physical aspect of your application. I can relate with you, being a 1 miler rather than long distance. I took my PFT twice (officially) and ran many mock ones, but I couldn't seem to improve on my run time. As long as you can run a sub 22 min, while maxing out (or coming close to) your pullups and crunches, you will still be in the competitive range as far as your score is concerned. I will drop my final package stats at the end.

Your essays are another big part of the application. Since the selection board is not able to actually see you or talk to you, your essays will do that for you. Go in-depth about the question but don't ramble on and swing off-topic. Hit the word limit. My essays were way over and I had to condense them to fit before submitting them.

Understand that standardized tests aren't everything, and the Marine Option only requires a min. of 1000 on the SAT, but are still important. GOOD scores on multiple tests will look good. Take the ASVAB, it cannot possibly hurt to take, and if you aren't happy with your score, don't report it. I would provide AT LEAST an SAT score though.

In the end, a well-rounded package will be more appealing to the board than a rockstar who might only shine in a few categories. Do good in every aspect of leadership, physical fitness, academics, and you will be fine. Your local recruiter will be a great mentor through this process. That is where I ran my PFTs, updated my package, got advice, etc. However, there is only so much they can do for you as a Scholarship applicant. Another thing- Do not think anything is too small to include on your application! Record every award, ECA, and anything else you can think of. It all contributes to a bigger image of yourself as a person. Best of luck to you, from one military brat to another! You got this.

For reference, these are some of my final stats. I'm sure I'm missing some things. I was not accepted on the early board but received the scholarship on the normal board this past month.

PFT: 278
SAT: 1210
GPA: 3.55 unweighted
Class standing: 12/78
Academics: 7 AP Classes,
Sports: 4yrs of V Baseball, V Football, V Wrestling (Captain on all)
ECA: Band (4yrs), Boy Scouts, Church Groups, 400+ hours of community service, Naval Academy Summer Seminar
JROTC: Marine Corps unit, 4 years, Cadet Batallion SgtMaj, Drill team, Orienteering team, Raider Team, PT Team
Other: Bilingual (German), Part-time job

Please PM me with any questions and I'll help you out as much as I can. If you need me over the summer I'll be here!
thank you for the help!
 
Presumably you know this is a scholarship to a school you will be able to gain admission to. Another way to get information, is to attend an admissions sessions briefing at one of your colleges of interest. Look up their units on the college website. Different schools run their units differently so they are not all the same. For example one of my sons school of interest provided an overnight ‘shadowing’ type program. Probably not anymore with covid.

One thing to keep in mind, is that enlisted recruiters have a job to do: enlist Marines. Sounds like the one you talked to was helpful in offering information about the scholarship program. But that’s not his job.

Tons of info on the linked website, here on the forums, and Google.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top