He should transfer his NROTC scholarship to a school that he has gotten into if he doesnāt think heāll make it off either waitlist. He can also go to his in state school and then do OCS after he graduates from there (but I would really do NROTC over OCS just because he already has NROTC scholarship). There are multiple ways to become a submarine officer. I wish your DS the best of luck!
Has he reached out to the unit at Michigan about his waitlist status? They may be able to provide some guidance. If he doesn't get off either waitlist (I really hope he does!) enrolling at the plan C college and doing well while reapplying seems like the best path if he is set on subs. Just based upon the forum posts from this cycle, many reapplicants were successful.
Thank you. He is checking into it, of course, unfortunately we think he may run into the problem others on the forum have had, the NROTC program at the school being capped and not being able to transfer a scholarship. We were really pulling for plan A or B and now it's crunch time. Good luck to you smokey%.
The part I will speak to, is that ātopping his college resumeā may not look like what he thinks it does. He will be taking plebe like courses, and rocking them. Being a good NROTC student, stepping up where he can to lead. Being someone professors and company officers want to support and recommend. VS joining more clubs, doing more service hours, etc. IOW, having a successful NROTC/academic year will go far in reapplying.
Thank you. He said he reached out to admissions right away notifying them of a scholarship, I believe it was after that that he was waitlisted. I've gotten the impression, hopefully incorrectly, that admissions isn't very supportive of having any ROTC programs on campus. Thank you for your feedback, it can't hurt to reach out again. I've heard nuke school is difficult to get into, if he couldn't even make the cut at the admissions level, I wonder if I should try to guide him into another service and career path. Personally, I can not imagine wanting to be on a sub. You all are something.
Curiosity: what is his exposure to subs? Where does his desire come from?
I'm glade you chimed in, I always llvalue your advice. I agree with you on EVERYTHING in the last paragraph, that's where I find it hard to give advice. He has excellent opportunities available at the USAFA and USMA, but not subs. Choosing one of those, is closing the door on the thing he has worked so hard for.
Thank you. I will!
, you've got me! I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those and don't love the idea of having a child on one. He is an intelligent kid with a desire to serve. He got As in both honors and AP Physics, U of MN AB Calc, AP BC calc and ran out of advanced courses at his high school. He's been interested in nuclear energy for a number of years but it wasn't until he researched college in 10th grade that he discovered the Naval Academy and decided that was where he was going.
My kiddo worked REALLY hard on aviation. The right clubs, mentors, academics, summer trainings, leadership billets, ECAS. I get it. Some of his drafted buddies had dreamed of aviation wind a young age. Come from military aviation families. Butā¦ā¦.guess what. Needs of the Navy superseded his 4 yrs of work.
Being the wife of a submariner cannot be easy. I appreciate your insight and it is a breath of fresh air. As a parent it is a reminder and a pause. Everything he has achieved in HS won't matter moving forward anyway. The new goal prove that you can continue to excel under new challenges moving forward. Thank you.
Navy Nuke power is difficult to get through but for an Engineering Major with decent college grades, especially Math/Eng grades, it is generally not too hard as in request it and you get it at Service Assignment or even before the actual Service Assignment since Nuke Power gets to "Advance Select" candidates ahead of the other warfare communities.
Something to add to his research list, designed for people who know they want to be in the nuclear program, the NUPOC path:
www.navy.com
nupocaccessions.blogspot.com
My 18yo son wants to fly fighter jets so believe me when I say as a parent, I get it. For some perspective, my dad, brother and husband have a combined 57 years in the sub force. I grew up with all the stories, some scary, some not. But never was I so worried about hub's safety as when he was assigned to an aircraft carrier passing through some risky waters near enemy territory in a hot political climate. They are SO good at what they do, how they train, how meticulous they check and double check every step, that it all felt much safer to have him hidden below the surface. And I look at his classmates who became Marines, and all that their wives went through in the early 2000s. Man, that I don't think I could do. It's all where you become comfortable I guess. Also fun fact - if you're worried about radiation exposure, they wear a device on their belts that monitors exposure. A summers day at the beach yields quite a bit more than a long time on a submarine.
FACTS! My husband went on to be a prototype instructor and this was definitely something he dealt with - sailors and officers!
Thank you. Yes, that will all be on the table for discussion this weekend. I'm not sure I probably conveyed myself with plan B/C. Mich has a strong math and science program that has been proven to send kids to Nuke School (or so I've been told).If I understand correctly, his choices are USAFA, USMA and civilian college with NROTC scholarship. He needs to ask himself what matters most -- being a commissioned officer, a commissioned officer in the Navy, a commissioned officer in the Navy who drives subs. The common denominator among his current choices is commissioned officer.
He should ask himself where he'd be happier if he doesn't get his first choice. Unfortunately, things can happen, whether in or out of his control. He should also ask himself where he could see himself veering should he change his mind about subs. Cadets/mids change their MOS preferences as much as civilian students change their majors.
Finally, I don't understand what you mean about Plan B or C schools not being a good place to strengthen his case. The informed advice here on SAF is that reapplicants should take a plebe-like schedule (calculus, chemistry, English, all at minimum freshman levels) and excel. Also be an ROTC stud and make a leadership impact. None of that is unavailable at a school deemed lesser than Michigan. I don't believe USNA admissions considers perceived prestige when assessing reapplicants.
Bottom line: Figure out the primary goal. Then pursue the option that gets him there. And a bird in the hand...