Appy for ROTC scholarship first?

Hello. My son is exploring colleges with Army ROTC. I have been reading conflicting information. Some say he needs to apply (and get accepted) to colleges first, and then apply for ROTC scholarship. I read a thread on this site that said the opposite. Any thoughts? Which would be better?

Thoughts from a Army ROTC dad:

tthas99 said:

Which would be better?

Click to expand...

It really depends on the college.

• There are three boards that meet to choose scholarship winners, usually October, January and March, so you should apply in time for October to maximize success.
• Read this website completely. It is a primary source of information. https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/scholarships.html
• Your son should make a list of colleges that interest him. Follow application instructions for each college as deadlines very (so your question about who to apply to first really varies on the school.)
• Read this blog from Recruiting Operations Officer (ROO) Scott Toth. He is almost revered on this forum for being a wealth of information. https://goldenknightbattalion.com/category/the-scholarship-process/
• Of these colleges find out which ones offer Army ROTC. Use this link to find the schools that offer Army ROTC. https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/find-schools.html
• Different colleges have different application deadlines - follow those dates.
• If you live near a school that offers Army ROTC, visit the battalion and meet with the ROO there.
• Your ROTC application will allow you to rank a group of colleges in preference.
• If your DS is offered a scholarship from AROTC, but he is not accepted, he can request Cadet Command to transfer the scholarship to a school that he has been accepted to.
• My personal opinion is to focus on colleges that you can afford even if you don't receive the scholarship, but many folks disagree with this premise.
• Choose the best fitting school over the best fitting battalion. Cadres change personnel more often than colleges.

This should get you off to a good start.

Good luck to you and your DS.

Oh yes, don't forget to use the acronym page if you don't know what a DS is.
https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/the-acronym-list.11568/

Applications to colleges and ROTC scholarships are normally done in parallel. Choose colleges wisely. Maybe have one reach school, and one you know will be a safety where you'll gain acceptance.

You do not apply and get accepted into colleges before applying for an Army ROTC Scholarship. It is possible, but you would have to apply to colleges that offer Early Action or the like and you would only be able to be reviewed by the last and final board.

Apply to colleges and the Army ROTC Scholarship at different times. I would suggest that you apply for the Army ROTC Scholarship when the application opens. I believe it opens on June 12. I would recommend applying to colleges when the applications open, generally August 1.

If you have your Army ROTC application completed (including the interview) by October 1, you could be reviewed by the October Board (the first Board of three) and even receive a conditional scholarship in October --- way before you receive any college decision, e.g., mid-December.

I don’t understand how it’s possible to get college acceptances before applying for a scholarship. For my DS, the ROTC process started way before acceptances came thru. Early Decision maybe?

I agree NROTCdad. 1st boards meet in Oct. I don't think even ED is that early. There is only a limited pot of money, and the more boards you miss the less $$$ will be in that pot.

I would add onto kinnems advice. Not only make sure you have thought about chances of getting an admittance letter, but also think about the cost for each university.

IF attending that school means you can only afford it with an AROTC scholarship than think long and hard about the what IF scenarios. This board is littered every yr with posters saying I love my school, but have decided the military is not my desire. They will get the freebie 1st yr in case they make this decision....iows, no payback. However, what if they can't afford to stay without that scholarship, what do they do next? Go big time in debt for the final 3 yrs? Do they need to transfer as a rising sophomore to a school they can afford, but really don't want to attend?

Both processes are done in parallel. Know your schools, your ranking of them and what dates they have and submit your applications accordingly. Then also know what date you need to submit the ROTC application by--which takes longer than anticipated to complete all the moving parts. Yes, it will be a busy Fall...

For those unaware, it is conceivable to apply and receive college acceptance letters and then begin your Army ROTC application afterward. For example, you could apply to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign via Early Action (non-binding) and receive a decision by December 14. This would allow enough time to apply and complete your application for the Army ROTC March Board, but probably not enough time for the mid-January Board.

Half of the schools I'm applying to offer Early Action. Rose-Hulman sends out their decisions ~December 15 while the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor sends out their decisions before Christmas.

I plan on applying to the Army ROTC this month and completing the application before the end of summer.

As for a busy Fall, in my opinion, you should strive to make your Fall as quiet as possible. Complete your Army ROTC AND your college applications before your senior year starts. I plan on asking for teacher recommendations next week. Over the summer, I will be working diligently on my college essays. I have a solid SAT score, but plan on taking it one last time on August 24 (after a summer of SAT studying).

Enjoy your senior year.