4-yr Scholarship Chances

[goaliedad]

First of all, thanks everyone for the great answers. So informative, and really just very nice of you to take the time to write such in-depth responses.

I believe the only question really directed at me is whether or not my son is looking at cycling schools. The short answer is yes, but the reality is a little more complicated. He is in pretty close contact with 4 schools that have varsity cycling, 3 with nationally-known programs and one with a new program. He deeply desires to race in college, but also realizes that going pro, while possible, is a long shot for everyone. He knows he needs the academics as well. From our experience, really none of the schools with varsity cycling are academic powerhouses (I'm not too familiar with Marion, other than to say I know they're big in track cycling). For a kid who has med school as an ultimate goal (I know that can change), academics are really important.

This leaves club cycling as the next best option. If you're familiar with how collegiate cycling works, clubs and varsity teams compete against each other without distinction as to the type of team. Some of the best teams in the nation are clubs. For this reason, he's landed on a school with a good club team as his #1 choice. Great academics, great club cycling - seems to him to be the best of both worlds.

He is above the middle 50% at his #1 school (1380 Avg. SAT vs. his converted 1520), but doesn't feel that the odds of his of getting one of only 4 full rides offered is very good. He loves the school, loves the club team, and is "liking" the idea of ROTC. The idea is still very new to him, and at this point he probably couldn't articulate his desire to be an officer if someone held a gun to his head. He'll have to roll this around in his head for a while to see if it makes sense for him. He can clearly see the benefits, but I think wants to make sure he's motivated by more than the scholarship before diving in.

He has not yet ruled out the others schools, and firm $ offers could figure into his decision. None of the 4 colleges have ROTC, by the way, so he'll have to come up with a completely new college list if he applies for the scholarship. That has him a little stressed. To add another level of complication, he is a recruited swimmer as well, but at the moment doesn't think he wants to swim in college. That could probably also change.

So, to make a long story short (too late, I know!) - we're just really starting to look at ROTC as an option, and trying to see if it's worthwhile for him pursue the scholarship. It's likely we would not be able to afford his #1 school any other way. As a mom, I'd like for him to have the opportunity to fall in love with other schools if it looks like this is a long shot. He has a list of other schools he likes, but he's already "bought the hoodie" so to speak.

Thanks again for all of the help, and any other insights are welcome!

First, thank you for the detailed insight as to what is important to your son. Yes, he has a lot of priorities to sort out. This is blessing and a curse, as clearly you both realize that something has to be pursued while other things must be set aside. Hopefully, the summer will give him the time necessary to sort things out.

That being said, he needs to understand which combinations of alternatives work together (or don't work together as the case may be).

Some of his college desires leverage others, while others compete. For example, varsity athletics can help leverage admissions and ROTC, while others like the desire to ride professionally can be difficult to pursue while serving 4 years AD.

You indicate college financing is a major concern. Don't let that be the driving factor in a ROTC decision. If he is not committed to serving his country, he should not be in ROTC. The scholarship money simply facilitates the college education necessary to pursue a career as a military officer.

There are other ways of getting better FA, even for families with great need. With his resume, he should be considering the top schools in the country for admissions (you don't need a 4.0 to go to Harvard), as his athletic achievement and ECs demonstrate the level of committment necessary to succeed at the top schools. Most of the top schools WILL meet 100% of demonstrated need, many without the use of loans (all grant aid).

Another alternative is to pursue schools where he is clearly in the top 5% of applicants. You'll have to look carefully, but many will give full-rides to people like your son. Look for schools with research opportunities because the top students at these schools get them. And top grades (not as hard to achieve at these schools) plus research on the resume helps with med school admissions - another important goal of his.

If he decides that serving his country is a great thing that he wants to do with his life, I still suggest looking at colleges where he will be in the top 10% of his class. The Army does send people to medical school, but it is very competitive and it seems that with all things the Army doesn't care where you went to school as much as it cares about your grades and achievements. Reducing the academic competitiveness also allows more time for things like cycling or swimmng. He can pursue a "balanced" set of objectives. He should understand the tradeoffs between level of college, time for sports, impact on medical school and ROTC.

I think you both should also talk to a variety of people concerning his aspirations. Talk to ROTC ROO's, admissions counselors, coaches, FA officers and let them know what your situation is and what he'd like to achieve. Many will work together to help you see what is possible and likely to work.

Your son can achieve a lot of things, but not everything on his list. You can link him up with people to help him see what combination of options will work together. From there ultimately he must make his own decision as to which options are best to pursue.

You have a great son and you are doing a great job in asking these questions now.