My son (rising Junior) really wants to do ROTC. He is looking at SMCs, but is open to ROTC at a typical college if they have a strong program. Can anyone suggest colleges that have great ROTC programs? Extra scholarships for room and board would be nice, but what I am asking about is strong programming and culture at civilian colleges. Thanks so much!
Best ROTC programs
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Herman_Snerd
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If you could share what branch of ROTC and what major he is interested in pursuing, if known, that might help. General guidance is to pick the school, not the ROTC program since Cadres change and the feeling of the program can change with it. Please note there is a Room and Board tab here that highlights programs and branches that offer additional room and board support, or let the student keep their merit scholarships toward either room and board or tuition. if you add some more details, and include whether he wants to attend a large or small school and even what size unit in ROTC, perhaps a few of us could share what we found when looking at programs to see if that could help.
Thanks! He is pursuing Army ROTC. He would like to major in political science or international affairs. He would like to serve in the military and then possibly work for the State Department.
Should have mentioned he is interested in a small or midsize school. He does not want classes with several hundred students in them. He would prefer East Coast.
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Echoing @Herman_Snerd: The best ROTC program is the one at the school that best fits the candidate. In other words, if the school isn’t a good fit for the candidate, then the ROTC program won’t be a good fit either. School comes first and will be the largest determinant of satisfaction.
Some ROTC programs have vaunted reputations. But they aren’t always accurate and things do change as battalion leadership comes and goes. Perhaps the most obvious difference you’ll see is size. DS considered the very large battalions at a couple flagship state universities, as well as the very small battalion (platoon is more accurate) at a midsize private college. He ended up in a medium-size battalion at a state school. But more importantly, he chose the school and not the battalion.
Some ROTC programs have vaunted reputations. But they aren’t always accurate and things do change as battalion leadership comes and goes. Perhaps the most obvious difference you’ll see is size. DS considered the very large battalions at a couple flagship state universities, as well as the very small battalion (platoon is more accurate) at a midsize private college. He ended up in a medium-size battalion at a state school. But more importantly, he chose the school and not the battalion.
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Choose the school first. Then break it down to the top three to five choices and look at each ROTC program.
Remember, Army ROTC cadre's change out every few years, so a program can change. The school, and its academic major are FAR more important than the ROTC program.
A large school will usually have a large battalion. Same thing applies for a small school.
My DS chose his school first. Found an ideal major, and also taught snowboarding at the local resort each year while attending. He had three different PMS's while there. Nonetheless, he loved his college experience, commissioned as an Armor officer (first choice) and did well.
As @MidCakePa says above: Choose the school first.
Remember, Army ROTC cadre's change out every few years, so a program can change. The school, and its academic major are FAR more important than the ROTC program.
A large school will usually have a large battalion. Same thing applies for a small school.
My DS chose his school first. Found an ideal major, and also taught snowboarding at the local resort each year while attending. He had three different PMS's while there. Nonetheless, he loved his college experience, commissioned as an Armor officer (first choice) and did well.
As @MidCakePa says above: Choose the school first.
Carolina Hopeful
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My DS chose Furman University last year and I believe he made a good decision. Small school (<3000 students). Very beautiful campus. Room and board are provided (my favorite part)!
ArmyandCGmom
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Hands down Boston College. Amazing school, campus, ROTC cadre, and overall experience. Good luck!
Strongly recommend it be an on-campus program and not a cross-enrollment. Fewer logistical headaches and likely more institutional knowledge at the school regarding how ROTC fits into the overall curriculum and appreciation for ROTC's presence.
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I am an alumna of Wake Forest University, which has an AROTC program. It’s grown a bit from the 3500 undergrads back in my day but is not that much bigger, about the size of a DoD service academy. I can’t say enough good about the education I received there. I chose it over several other “name-brand schools” for its culture of small classes and engaged faculty. Nicely located in the Piedmont of NC, midway between beautiful mountains and beautiful beaches. Plenty of other great colleges in NC to visit with.
ROTC | Wake Forest University
Our mission is to develop leaders of character who are capable of winning in complex environments. We commission Army Officers to serve, train, and lead our nation’s Soldiers to fight and win our nation’s wars. What is Army ROTC? The ROTC program is designed to [...]
I was not in Army ROTC, but the friends I made in the unit got me to thinking about service, and I applied to Navy OCS.
WFU has a generous merit-based scholarship program, as I can personally attest.
Scholarships | Student Financial Aid | Wake Forest University
Wake Forest offers merit-based scholarships to fewer than 3% of first-year applicants. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions selects all merit-based scholarship recipients.
GWU PNS (emeritus)
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Based on the desired major, and at least the desired end state career of working in the State Department, he should at least consider GWU. The campus is quite literally 2 blocks from the State Department.
And while I am not affiliated with the Army, the Colonel there runs an exemplary program of highly motivated cadets.
If he should desire something in the Navy, I think their FAO programs are excellent.
unkown1961
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Boston U has great IR and language programs and is very supportive of the ROTC program. Southern Cal also has good IR programs and strong ROTC.
Georgetown is a great school for these also and has State Dept. connections.
Georgetown is a great school for these also and has State Dept. connections.
THmom
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Take a look at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. Sounds like it would fit the parameters.
Cowboysfan
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Choose the school not the ROTC program. PMS changes every couple of years and the direction of the program could change dramatically. It did with my DS (changed for the better). It's less likely that the direction/quality of the university will change.
Thanks! GW might be a little out of his reach. But it might be worth a try!
jaglvr
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Dickinson is a great school, but without a car, it's a little remote...
I wish I had read this before my son chose his school! We did the opposite and chose the ROTC program not paying attention to the fact that his major is impacted. He had to change his major and possible add another semester. He really likes his ROO and the PMS so hopefully they don’t leave in the next two years.
Concerning SMCs, all of them offer excellent AROTC programs. However, as others have mentioned, if he is interested in working at the State Department, he should choose the college where he can earn the best grades. This will also help him place high on the OML for Army branching. Realize that if end goal is to apply to the State Department, the most recognizable route to a career in diplomacy is a bachelors degree and then a masters in a related field such as international relations, political science, cultural anthropology, sociology or foreign policy. Getting into one of these top graduate school programs, requires top grades and standardized test scores. This is why the advice is always to choose the school offering the major degrees in which he will do exceptionally well.
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What school is your son at?
Thanks! That is good advice.