Anyone understand NROTC Scholarship "Top Selects"...?

Hopeful-Dad

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I read about "Top Selects" in an official NROTC document, but can't find anything else online about it. The paragraph in the document is a bit confusing. It sounds like after all the selection boards are complete, they identify the top 10% of scholarship recipients based on a selection score and mark them as "Top Selects." It sounds like they may have some preference as far as reassignments to other Units go (e.g., it mentions something about they can be reassigned to another Unit even if the Unit is otherwise full), but the rest of the explanation is very confusing and almost sounds like the reassignments are only allowed under special circumstances.

Is anyone familiar with this...? If so, any idea if ISR recipients can be potential "Top Selects," or because they were pre-selected are they not scored and ranked like the rest of the scholarship recipients...? Thanks in advance.
 
Sorry, I can't answer your question, but maybe I can put your mind at ease a bit if you are worried about your DS getting into his desired unit. He will be placed in his top choice as long as there is an opening. If he wants to switch units, the process is pretty straightforward and easy, as long as there is an opening at the unit where he wants to transfer his scholarship. There is also a process for joining a wait list for a unit if the desired unit is full. Also, the Navy is moving away from as many 4 year scholarships, but they have not reduced the number of scholarship slots allocated to the individual units, so there is less chance of units filling up. I know this is a nerve wracking time as a father as you are waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. I was in the same boat last year. My DS had his scholarship assigned to his #1 choice by November, but then his admissions application was deferred from early action. I was worried that he wouldn't get in and that the unit at his #2 school, where he had already been admitted, would be full before he found out. My DS was much calmer than me and said he had a good feeling he would be admitted during regular decision. Turns out he was right.
 
Sorry, I can't answer your question, but maybe I can put your mind at ease a bit if you are worried about your DS getting into his desired unit. He will be placed in his top choice as long as there is an opening. If he wants to switch units, the process is pretty straightforward and easy, as long as there is an opening at the unit where he wants to transfer his scholarship. There is also a process for joining a wait list for a unit if the desired unit is full. Also, the Navy is moving away from as many 4 year scholarships, but they have not reduced the number of scholarship slots allocated to the individual units, so there is less chance of units filling up. I know this is a nerve wracking time as a father as you are waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. I was in the same boat last year. My DS had his scholarship assigned to his #1 choice by November, but then his admissions application was deferred from early action. I was worried that he wouldn't get in and that the unit at his #2 school, where he had already been admitted, would be full before he found out. My DS was much calmer than me and said he had a good feeling he would be admitted during regular decision. Turns out he was right.

Thanks, ProudDad17, and appreciate your other posts on the forums. DS' #1 (or #2?) choice is ERAU, which according to their NROTC page says fills up incredibly fast due to it being popular among aviation hopefuls. His #2 (or #1?) choice is at a very small Unit (total of 25 MIDNs). But that's a great point about fewer scholarships being issued, yet keeping the same number of slots within each Unit. I've also heard that some of the earlier boards had been canceled, so the fact that it took a bit longer to get his package to Pensacola (will get there this week) may not hurt his chances as much. When he was presented the ISR, one of the recruiting officers made it sound like he'd have his pick of Units as part of the ISR, but looking around online, it sounds like the Placement process is no different for ISRs than National scholarship recipients, but the "Top Selects" that I read about sounded more like what the officer was describing to me.
 
Sorry, I can't answer your question, but maybe I can put your mind at ease a bit if you are worried about your DS getting into his desired unit. He will be placed in his top choice as long as there is an opening. If he wants to switch units, the process is pretty straightforward and easy, as long as there is an opening at the unit where he wants to transfer his scholarship. There is also a process for joining a wait list for a unit if the desired unit is full. Also, the Navy is moving away from as many 4 year scholarships, but they have not reduced the number of scholarship slots allocated to the individual units, so there is less chance of units filling up. I know this is a nerve wracking time as a father as you are waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. I was in the same boat last year. My DS had his scholarship assigned to his #1 choice by November, but then his admissions application was deferred from early action. I was worried that he wouldn't get in and that the unit at his #2 school, where he had already been admitted, would be full before he found out. My DS was much calmer than me and said he had a good feeling he would be admitted during regular decision. Turns out he was right.
Curious about something you said. "He will be placed on his top choice as long as their is an opening" In terms of openings, does that pertain to scholarship spots only? In other words, at least in my son's AF Rotc detachment, he went in with no scholarship, but there was never any talk about there needing to be an opening for him to join. Now I get that different schools may have different number of totals spots, but I am asking do some Rotc detachments fill up and refuse cadets?
 
Curious about something you said. "He will be placed on his top choice as long as their is an opening" In terms of openings, does that pertain to scholarship spots only? In other words, at least in my son's AF Rotc detachment, he went in with no scholarship, but there was never any talk about there needing to be an opening for him to join. Now I get that different schools may have different number of totals spots, but I am asking do some Rotc detachments fill up and refuse cadets?

Not sure about AFROTC, but with NROTC, I don't believe what they refer to as "college programmers" (i.e., NROTC hopefuls that are not on scholarship, but taking the Naval Science curriculum) count toward the number of spots. That said, I would think that if they are awarded a 2-year or 3-year "side-load" scholarship and formally join the NROTC Unit, that would count as a spot in the Unit. So if the Unit was already full, it's a good question - would they allow them to exceed the cap, or compel them to transfer to another Unit in order to receive the scholarship? Sorry that I don't know the answer to that. If someone on the board can't answer that, I'd bet that your DS' detachment officer would know the answer.
 
Sorry, I can't answer your question, but maybe I can put your mind at ease a bit if you are worried about your DS getting into his desired unit. He will be placed in his top choice as long as there is an opening. If he wants to switch units, the process is pretty straightforward and easy, as long as there is an opening at the unit where he wants to transfer his scholarship. There is also a process for joining a wait list for a unit if the desired unit is full. Also, the Navy is moving away from as many 4 year scholarships, but they have not reduced the number of scholarship slots allocated to the individual units, so there is less chance of units filling up. I know this is a nerve wracking time as a father as you are waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. I was in the same boat last year. My DS had his scholarship assigned to his #1 choice by November, but then his admissions application was deferred from early action. I was worried that he wouldn't get in and that the unit at his #2 school, where he had already been admitted, would be full before he found out. My DS was much calmer than me and said he had a good feeling he would be admitted during regular decision. Turns out he was right.
Curious about something you said. "He will be placed on his top choice as long as their is an opening" In terms of openings, does that pertain to scholarship spots only? In other words, at least in my son's AF Rotc detachment, he went in with no scholarship, but there was never any talk about there needing to be an opening for him to join. Now I get that different schools may have different number of totals spots, but I am asking do some Rotc detachments fill up and refuse cadets?
For NROTC each unit has a designated number of spots for incoming freshmen on scholarship. There is no cap on the number of college programmers who can join. This is what people are referring to when they talk about a unit filling up. It only pertains to incoming freshmen on scholarship. Midshipmen who earn a scholarship once they are at the unit do not count toward that number and they would not be compelled to transfer to another unit (and university) to receive the scholarship.
 
Sorry, I can't answer your question, but maybe I can put your mind at ease a bit if you are worried about your DS getting into his desired unit. He will be placed in his top choice as long as there is an opening. If he wants to switch units, the process is pretty straightforward and easy, as long as there is an opening at the unit where he wants to transfer his scholarship. There is also a process for joining a wait list for a unit if the desired unit is full. Also, the Navy is moving away from as many 4 year scholarships, but they have not reduced the number of scholarship slots allocated to the individual units, so there is less chance of units filling up. I know this is a nerve wracking time as a father as you are waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. I was in the same boat last year. My DS had his scholarship assigned to his #1 choice by November, but then his admissions application was deferred from early action. I was worried that he wouldn't get in and that the unit at his #2 school, where he had already been admitted, would be full before he found out. My DS was much calmer than me and said he had a good feeling he would be admitted during regular decision. Turns out he was right.
Curious about something you said. "He will be placed on his top choice as long as their is an opening" In terms of openings, does that pertain to scholarship spots only? In other words, at least in my son's AF Rotc detachment, he went in with no scholarship, but there was never any talk about there needing to be an opening for him to join. Now I get that different schools may have different number of totals spots, but I am asking do some Rotc detachments fill up and refuse cadets?
For NROTC each unit has a designated number of spots for incoming freshmen on scholarship. There is no cap on the number of college programmers who can join. This is what people are referring to when they talk about a unit filling up. It only pertains to incoming freshmen on scholarship. Midshipmen who earn a scholarship once they are at the unit do not count toward that number and they would not be compelled to transfer to another unit (and university) to receive the scholarship.
That is interesting how they limit the total number of spots for incoming freshman on scholarship but not on total who join. Maybe the idea is that there is a more likelihood that those who get scholarships will more than likely finish the four years while those who join with no money have a higher degree of quiting
 
That is interesting how they limit the total number of spots for incoming freshman on scholarship but not on total who join. Maybe the idea is that there is a more likelihood that those who get scholarships will more than likely finish the four years while those who join with no money have a higher degree of quiting
I can assure you that is not the case. Kids on scholarship are just as likely to drop as those who aren't. I know a fair number of kids on scholarship who dropped.
 
That is interesting how they limit the total number of spots for incoming freshman on scholarship but not on total who join. Maybe the idea is that there is a more likelihood that those who get scholarships will more than likely finish the four years while those who join with no money have a higher degree of quiting
I can assure you that is not the case. Kids on scholarship are just as likely to drop as those who aren't. I know a fair number of kids on scholarship who dropped.
I was just wondering out loud what why the limitation on scholarships spots but not on everyone else
 
I was just wondering out loud what why the limitation on scholarships spots but not on everyone else
You're right. Who knows? Maybe they want to try to get a certain mix of scholarship vs non-scholarship. Your guess is as good as mine.
 
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