Accepted to VMI but AFROTC waiver denied?

J19MD

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Feb 9, 2019
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Hello, recently I was accosted to the co 2023 for VMI. But for my DODMERB for the other SAs and the hs AFROTC had me medically disqualified. I was only able to get a waiver from USAFA recently, and got denied a waiver from AFROTC.

Should I even continue with the final checklist for VMI? I was also accepted to The Citadel, and there at least I would have to option not to go into the military. I do not want to commit to VMI (if I dont get into the SAs) and be turned away for medical reasons.
 
Not all VMI grads commission, Citadel is a pretty awesome place. What are you looking for from college?
 
Not all VMI grads commission, Citadel is a pretty awesome place. What are you looking for from college?

I definately want to commission but I thought anyone enrolled in VMI had to go into ROTC. I know with The Citadel there can be civilian leaders, while VMI is more military. Above all I want to get into a SA but these are my contingents.
 
Not all VMI grads commission, Citadel is a pretty awesome place. What are you looking for from college?

I definately want to commission but I thought anyone enrolled in VMI had to go into ROTC. I know with The Citadel there can be civilian leaders, while VMI is more military. Above all I want to get into a SA but these are my contingents.

Saying VMI is more military is like saying would it hurt more to fall from the 17th or 18th floor of the building ...

Both offer a 24x7 Corps of Cadets experience.

VMI is smaller with only the Corps. Citadel is larger with some active duty and veteran day students plus civilian grad students in the evening. Is that better or worse? Is strawberry ice cream better than peach ice cream? There is not a bad choice to be had in any of the Senior Military Colleges I'd say check them all out - well in your case check them both out.
 
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Not all VMI grads commission, Citadel is a pretty awesome place. What are you looking for from college?

I definately want to commission but I thought anyone enrolled in VMI had to go into ROTC. I know with The Citadel there can be civilian leaders, while VMI is more military. Above all I want to get into a SA but these are my contingents.

Saying VMI is more military is like saying would it hurt more to fall from the 17th or 18th floor of the building ...

Both offer a 24x7 Corps of Cadets experience.

VMI is smaller with only the Corps. Citadel is larger with some active duty and veteran day students plus civilian grad students in the evening. Is that better or worse? Is strawberry ice cream better than peach ice cream? There is not a bad choice to be had in any of the Senior Military Colleges I'd say check them all out - well in your case check them both out.
"Smaller with only the Corps". That's exactly my problem. My waiver for AFROTC is denied and they told me it was due to something that can only be resolved with time. If I commit to VMI I dont want to be turned away. It's not the military aspect but the fulfilling my conditional acceptance. That why I asked if I should even continue my application if I have already gotten a glimpse at what will occur.
 
"Smaller with only the Corps". That's exactly my problem. My waiver for AFROTC is denied and they told me it was due to something that can only be resolved with time. If I commit to VMI I dont want to be turned away. It's not the military aspect but the fulfilling my conditional acceptance. That why I asked if I should even continue my application if I have already gotten a glimpse at what will occur.

I must be missing something about VMI -

Seems to me you could join the Rat Line and do your Rat stuff while taking AFROTC classes.

If your medical deal get fixed you contract and off you go into the wild blue yonder , if it doesn't you graduate from one of the better schools in the country and go a be successful from there.

You could do the same at Citadel except you'd be a Knob not a Rat ...

Good luck with it
 
Not all VMI grads commission, Citadel is a pretty awesome place. What are you looking for from college?

I definately want to commission but I thought anyone enrolled in VMI had to go into ROTC. I know with The Citadel there can be civilian leaders, while VMI is more military. Above all I want to get into a SA but these are my contingents.

Saying VMI is more military is like saying would it hurt more to fall from the 17th or 18th floor of the building ...

Both offer a 24x7 Corps of Cadets experience.

VMI is smaller with only the Corps. Citadel is larger with some active duty and veteran day students plus civilian grad students in the evening. Is that better or worse? Is strawberry ice cream better than peach ice cream? There is not a bad choice to be had in any of the Senior Military Colleges I'd say check them all out - well in your case check them both out.
"Smaller with only the Corps". That's exactly my problem. My waiver for AFROTC is denied and they told me it was due to something that can only be resolved with time. If I commit to VMI I dont want to be turned away. It's not the military aspect but the fulfilling my conditional acceptance. That why I asked if I should even continue my application if I have already gotten a glimpse at what will occur.



You are being confused by some things here. At VMI you have to take ROTC as a class all four years. You do not (only about 55% will) automatically commission into the military upon graduation. The same holds true for the Citadel.
 
I'd also see what kind of financial package each would offer. Both have scholarship and aid opportunities. They're pretty similar, you could let price determine your choice. You can find a lot of posts comparing the two if you search this site. Basically mountains or the beach? Small town or small city?
 
Okay thanks for all the answers. I think I just thought that one had to be in ROTC and be cleared by DODMERB with no options.
 
I think now you’ve got it.

DoDMERB affects whether you are medically qualified to enter a SA or accept an ROTC scholarship and eventually commission. (As you know, the SA or ROTC medical waiver authority then decides whether to pursue grant the waiver.).

DoDMERB has no authority over whether you are medically qualified to attend VMI.

VMI does have a medical questionnaire you will need to fill out ... they are primarily looking for things that would affect your ability to fully participate physically as a Rat ... but like other public universities and colleges they accommodate many medical conditions that are DQ by DoDMERB.
 
I definately want to commission but I thought anyone enrolled in VMI had to go into ROTC. I know with The Citadel there can be civilian leaders, while VMI is more military. Above all I want to get into a SA but these are my contingents.

everyone at VMI must do 4 years of ROTC, but you aren't required to commission.
 
As others have stated, I think you're missing the medical DoDMERB requirement separation from DoD functions versus University requirements. Being an undergraduate student in the Corps of Cadets at either university is more similar than different in terms of requirements and future paths. DoDMERB qualified is required for contracting with a service branch to commission - by default any ROTC scholarship requires you to contract thus you have to be cleared by DoDMERB. The military aspect of The Citadel and VMI is the regimented schedule and customs of living within a military environment and you are required to take 4 years, all 8 semesters of ROTC - if you aren't on scholarship with a specific branch, or aren't pursing a contract (trying earn a commission) you can pick one to satisfy the school's requirements. You mentioned AFROTC and I know that the AFROTC programs will allow non-contract, non-pursuers for the first two years (GMC) of ROTC courses BUT going into your Junior year you have to have an enrollment allocation to commission when you graduate (two years away), have to attend Field Training between Sophomore and Junior years and will sign your contract with the Air Force to move into POC which are the last two years of AFROTC. So, by the end of your Sophomore year you'll have to have DoDMERB clearance to continue with AFROTC. If you don't, at The Citadel and VMI you'll be switching to a different ROTC branch, likely Army, for the last two years of school.

As far as medical requirements, without knowing what your DQ cause is (please don't share here, not needed)... The Citadel does have academic and physical acceptance requirements, I'd assume VMI does also. They are very likely much more lenient than DoDMERB since the expectation is that you are able to do the PT and perform cadet duties not that you have to qualify for military service, future deployments, etc as would be expected of military officers coming out of ROTC on a commissioning path.

Summary - these are two military colleges not service academies and you can complete studies, earn a degree and take ROTC classes without DoDMERB qualified status achieved.
 
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