AFROTC Scholarship Board - Week of March 23, 2020

[Tyman]

I should have read ahead, I’m so sorry can you still do a walk on? Maybe pick up a scholarship that way?

this was really a big point in getting my parents blessings to do AFROTC, but now it’ll be even harder. I could try to shoot for an ICSP while in there but who knows how competitive that will be.

 

[BoSox34]

Hey, @T34SuperTank have you heard yet?

 

[Stealth_81]

This is actually potentially bad news. IF there were only 320 awards and they are finished (two "ifs"), then the reboard selection rate was only 23%, the overall selection rate was 59% (NOT 70-80%), and the overall award numbers were 1996, down more than 20% from last year's 2534.

I think if you read Mr. Mullen’s post he means to say that the 320 is just the scholarship winners needing a new DoDMERB file because they had no other source. Anyone who has another source such as a candidate for one of the SAs or another branch ROTC and already has a DoDMERB file would not be included in the 320. The number of scholarships should be quite a bit higher than 320 in that case.

Stealth_81

 

[BoSox34]

Is anyone else still waiting on the decision email from the board?

 

[BoSox34]

That's what I thought. People were already receiving both acceptance and rejection emails, so I wasn't sure if it was still in progress.

 

[franknd]

I think if you read Mr. Mullen’s post he means to say that the 320 is just the scholarship winners needing a new DoDMERB file because they had no other source. Anyone who has another source such as a candidate for one of the SAs or another branch ROTC and already has a DoDMERB file would not be included in the 320. The number of scholarships should be quite a bit higher than 320 in that case.

Stealth_81

That wasn't clear to me, hence the "if" on the number. However, I interpreted it as 320 winners, some of whom ultimately won't have to go through the DoDMERB process because DoDMERB will notify AFROTC that the person already cleared. Otherwise, how would AFROTC know which names not to forward to DoDMERB? I can't think of any possible way AFROTC would know that in advance. (And if they did know that, presumably it would have come from DoDMERB, and Mr. Mullen would have -- presumably -- included that number also.)
But I certainly hope you are right.

 

[franknd]

Here's the other thing, and this is certainly mere conjecture. If it turns out that AFROTC's acceptance numbers were in fact down this year, one easy (and timely) explanation might be that they rather quickly became concerned about the yield rate substantially exceeding past years' because of the Covid-19 economic situation. For that reason I would guess SA and ROTC scholarship yields will be higher this year than normal.

 

[BoSox34]

Has anyone heard anything today?

 

[ColordoKid24]

Reject for my kid. Overall...surprised. Last board..not so surprised given the low selection rate. It still seems to me that if your GPA is not quite high, you have little chance. Thats was the only weakness (about 3.6). Says the interview was fine, better than the Army interview he thought and they offered on the first try. SAT, PT, athletics, ECs all very good to exceptional. Pursuing tech major.

 

[franknd]

Seems clear to me at this point that they did a sharp downturn in offer numbers this year both in percentage and overall numbers. Concomitantly, also clear that the academic standards -- particularly Type 7 SAT/ACT -- were sharply higher this year as a result. I dispute that this had anything to do with applicants not "meeting the standard," etc. Rather, suspect it was budget-driven, possibly/probably in no small part due to the events of the last several weeks.
This is what I'm going with until given data to the contrary.

 

[ColordoKid24]

Probably accurate analysis for the most part.

 

[CKR2024]

Seems clear to me at this point that they did a sharp downturn in offer numbers this year both in percentage and overall numbers. Concomitantly, also clear that the academic standards -- particularly Type 7 SAT/ACT -- were sharply higher this year as a result. I dispute that this had anything to do with applicants not "meeting the standard," etc. Rather, suspect it was budget-driven, possibly/probably in no small part due to the events of the last several weeks.
This is what I'm going with until given data to the contrary.

I wonder if there will be an update to how many were awarded on the last board. I saw the amount of names dumped into dodmerb but was that just kids that hadn’t already went through dodmerb

 

[franknd]

I wonder if there will be an update to how many were awarded on the last board. I saw the amount of names dumped into dodmerb but was that just kids that hadn’t already went through dodmerb

Well, we don't know for sure, but I think the better inference is that it was 320 winners total on the last board, some of whom ultimately won't have to go through the DoDMERB process because DoDMERB will notify AFROTC that the person already cleared. Otherwise, how would AFROTC know which names not to forward to DoDMERB? I can't think of any possible way AFROTC would have known that in advance. (And if they did know that, presumably it would have come from DoDMERB, and Mr. Mullen would have -- presumably -- included that number also.)

 

[AFROTCAdmissions]

Good morning,

Unfortunately, only 306 people were awarded scholarship on this final board, all Type 7. We hope that those not selected will still consider AFROTC and compete for an ICSP. The pool was nonetheless competitive.

With COVID-19, it's been very hectic for us and we have been planning around it. Good luck and stay safe everyone.

 

[kinnem]

I wonder if there will be an update to how many were awarded on the last board. I saw the amount of names dumped into dodmerb but was that just kids that hadn’t already went through dodmerb

They don't normally start the DoDMERB process until a scholarship has been awarded. So most likely they are scholarship awardees.

 

[franknd]

Good morning,

Unfortunately, only 306 people were awarded scholarship on this final board, all Type 7. We hope that those not selected will still consider AFROTC and compete for an ICSP. The pool was nonetheless competitive.

With COVID-19, it's been very hectic for us and we have been planning around it. Good luck and stay safe everyone.

And there it is.

So, 1982 were awarded, down from 2534 last year, a 22% drop.
Selection rate was 58.5%, well below recent historical norm of 70-80%.
Type 1 - 154 (last year 284)
Type 2 - 299 (last year 437)
Type 7 - 1529 (last year 1813)

 

[CKR2024]

Good morning,

Unfortunately, only 306 people were awarded scholarship on this final board, all Type 7. We hope that those not selected will still consider AFROTC and compete for an ICSP. The pool was nonetheless competitive.

With COVID-19, it's been very hectic for us and we have been planning around it. Good luck and stay safe everyone.

feeling absolutely grateful my child was chosen for a scholarship after being at this since Nov.

 

[yickwo]

Updated table to include the 7th board with only Type 7 granted. Please note that the academic stats were not available here for the 7th board, so take the cnumbers for Type 7 and overall figures with a grain of salt. They do serve as a reference point though. Type 1 and 2 academic stats should be complete.

 

[Torero_dad]

Thanks @yickwo, what does the "% of Overall" column represent? I see @franknd mentions a Selection Rate with the same % is this the portion of applicants (with complete/valid packages) who were awarded? Implying around 3400 applicants?

 

[yickwo]

Thanks @yickwo, what does the "% of Overall" column represent? I see @franknd mentions a Selection Rate with the same % is this the portion of applicants (with complete/valid packages) who were awarded? Implying around 3400 applicants?

Happy to contribute. This forum has been invaluable for us, as my child was going through the process this application year, and I really appreciate everyone's comments/help. The overall % is based on the running selection rate of those who were boarded - 3,386. This number does not equate to the number of applicants.