Application and Interview Questions

BigBillNY

5-Year Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
91
Hi Everyone,

First off, I have enjoyed reading most of the threads here. Everyone is helpful and offers sound advice. As a parent, new to this process, I just wanted to thank all of you.

So, my son will be applying to AROTC in the fall. He has started his application online and met with two recruiting officers from colleges he is interested in. He has forwarded both his ST and ACT scores to Cadet Command. He has not yet fully completed his application. He is working on his personal statement.

The application seems "live" in that there is no submit button. He noticed that his status has changed to "interviewee" and it indicates he can now schedule his interview. Questions- Can he pick where he wants to interview? Does it matter that the nearest location is not one of his choices?

I've noticed as he completes the application, each tab has an icon (green, yellow, red). Once he is green all across- will that automatically submit his application? Or, will some other action be required?

At what point in the process will his coach be contacted to administer the physical fitness test? The same question applies to his medical examination. When is that usually scheduled?

I know I have a lot of questions and I thank you for your patience. As I go through this process with my son, I am learning new things and will be able to offer advice in the years to come.

Regards,
Bill
 
I can't really answer much, since I went through the old application system.

I'm not 100% sure if it still works this way, but for the interviewing location - have your son interview at his #1 choice (if that is possible).

Part of the reason is, well it's his #1 choice. Part of that ties in to if the interviewing officer asks: is School X your #1 choice. And if he says no, School Z is ... get my point?

Now granted, if the closest school is the most economical for you, then don't be afraid of doing so. Just make sure your son is prepared to explain that.

Best of luck.
 
My DS went through the process last year and will be starting AROTC this Fall. He was awarded a scholarship to his top three choices and ironically is not attending any of the top seven choices he put on his application. His scholarship was transferred. Anyway, he interviewed at his number one choice school last summer after arranging it with the PMS. He believed the interview went well.
If I remember correctly, my DS contacted his gym teacher and set up a time for the PFT.
As for the DODMERB exam. My DS applied to USMA and they sent him for a medical exam long before AROTC notification. The DODMERB exam transferred over and was accepted for ROTC purposes.

Here is a link that might be useful:

https://schlr4yr.usarmyrotc.com/scholarshipstatus/status.asp
 
Your kid will arrange his own physical fitness test with his PE teacher or coach. It's a good idea to start working on that now as teachers are hard to track down during the summer.

When the application is completed, it will tell you that you are board ready. If I'm not mistaken, when you have completed the on-line application part, it will tell you that you need to schedule your PMS interview. The interviewing PMS will upload his part after the interview.

As for the PMS interview... If he can interview at one of the schools he plans to attend, that's great. However, it's not necessary. When my son's packet was ready for the PMS interview, the system provided him the name and location of the nearest (I believe) five universities where he could interview. The PMS of the closest AROTC unit was away on business for weeks, so my son called a PMS from a university about 100 miles away. He was able to schedule an interview without a problem. The interview went very well.

The medical physical will come after he is offered the scholarship. Don't worry about that for a while.

Tell your kid to stay on top of things and upload documents as he receives them. If he can improve his physical fitness score before the boards, do so, and upload the test card. If he can improve the SAT score, do so and upload proof.

Oh... and I hope to welcome you to the "Army Parent" club very soon. My wife (a long time Army Wife) and I joined the Army Parent club this year. My son is headed to San Diego as a scholarship Cadet later this summer.
 
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I can't really answer much, since I went through the old application system.

I'm not 100% sure if it still works this way, but for the interviewing location - have your son interview at his #1 choice (if that is possible).

Part of the reason is, well it's his #1 choice. Part of that ties in to if the interviewing officer asks: is School X your #1 choice. And if he says no, School Z is ... get my point?

Now granted, if the closest school is the most economical for you, then don't be afraid of doing so. Just make sure your son is prepared to explain that.

Best of luck.

That's what my son did. He arranged the interview at the same time we did a tour of his first choice school. He got accepted into the school and got a 4 year AROTC scholarship to the school and two others on his list.
 
Ah - that's grand news! Now comes the hard/fun part: decisions! :thumb:
 
The icons will change color as he completes the items. if he takes the SAT or ACT again, you can update before the first board.
print out the PT form and take it to the coach, but have him email/upload it if possible. We snail mailed my sons and even though it showed up, we ended up having the coach email it because one of the icons would not turn green. Do not submit it until he is happy with his scores.
DS interviewed at one of his choices, the closest, but it was not his top choice, however he had toured there and talked to the ROO twice. The PMS never asked why it was his third choice school.
DS also applied to USMA so his physical was early in the process. He ultimately got 4 year scholarship offers to his top 3 schools and will be attending his top choice in the fall. sounds like your son is well on his way to being board ready for the first board! Best of luck!!!
 
Hi Everyone,

The application seems "live" in that there is no submit button. He noticed that his status has changed to "interviewee" and it indicates he can now schedule his interview. Questions- Can he pick where he wants to interview? Does it matter that the nearest location is not one of his choices?

I've noticed as he completes the application, each tab has an icon (green, yellow, red). Once he is green all across- will that automatically submit his application? Or, will some other action be required?

At what point in the process will his coach be contacted to administer the physical fitness test? The same question applies to his medical examination. When is that usually scheduled?
http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/the-interview/
For the PRT, don't wait for the Coach/Gym teacher to be contacted. Download the scoresheet and get it done. Cadet Command won't be in any hurry to contact that coach/teacher.
http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/why-you-should-do-a-pft

Be patient with the DODMERB/medical. Chances are you won't get told to get your physical done until you get a scholarship offer.
 
Hi Everyone,

First off, I have enjoyed reading most of the threads here. Everyone is helpful and offers sound advice. As a parent, new to this process, I just wanted to thank all of you.

So, my son will be applying to AROTC in the fall. He has started his application online and met with two recruiting officers from colleges he is interested in. He has forwarded both his ST and ACT scores to Cadet Command. He has not yet fully completed his application. He is working on his personal statement.

The application seems "live" in that there is no submit button. He noticed that his status has changed to "interviewee" and it indicates he can now schedule his interview. Questions- Can he pick where he wants to interview? Does it matter that the nearest location is not one of his choices?


I've noticed as he completes the application, each tab has an icon (green, yellow, red). Once he is green all across- will that automatically submit his application? Or, will some other action be required?

At what point in the process will his coach be contacted to administer the physical fitness test? The same question applies to his medical examination. When is that usually scheduled?

I know I have a lot of questions and I thank you for your patience. As I go through this process with my son, I am learning new things and will be able to offer advice in the years to come.

Regards,
Bill

I went through the AROTC process last year- so feel free to PM me with any specific questions if you wish. The scholarship portal will have all green all across when it is done. On the status tab- you know when the application is complete when it says "Board Ready". Make sure to get the physical done early- my interviewer wanted it done before the interview. After you get a scholarship offer you will get the DODMERB letter with setting up the medical exams!:thumb:

Don't necessarily rely on the "Messages" on the portal, mine never changed or updated no matter where I was in the process
 
http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/the-interview/
For the PRT, don't wait for the Coach/Gym teacher to be contacted. Download the scoresheet and get it done. Cadet Command won't be in any hurry to contact that coach/teacher.
http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/why-you-should-do-a-pft

Be patient with the DODMERB/medical. Chances are you won't get told to get your physical done until you get a scholarship offer.

How is the PRT scored? What is a good target for each category?
 
Thanks

Thanks for all of the great nfo. ClarksonArmy, your website is fantastic and I learned a lot by reviewing many of your posts. Great job!

After following the one of the links to the Army standards, I am no longer worried about a potential medical issue.
 
How is the PRT scored? What is a good target for each category?



Quotes519-600x374.jpg
 
Iowa 73:

How is the PRT scored? What is a good target for each category?

Here is the link for the AFPT scoring. http://apftcalculator.com/

There is also a youtube video of proper form. Proper form is the key otherwise the exercise will not be counted. Good luck:thumb:
 
Iowa 73:

Here is the link for the AFPT scoring. http://apftcalculator.com/

There is also a youtube video of proper form. Proper form is the key otherwise the exercise will not be counted. Good luck:thumb:

Save that link to the calculator for once you get to campus. Cadet Command asks you to take a PFT, not an APFT. You will probably only take that PFT once in your life, and then you need to worry about the APFT.

http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/why-you-should-do-a-pft/

And I'm with Chuck, the standard for the PFT is as many as you can do in one minute, and one mile as fast as you can.
 
PFT

So, my kid is in decent shape (tall and lanky). He easily bangs out 60+ push-ups in a minute and hits 60 or so curl-ups in a minute. His 1 mile run is around 6:45 and he isn't pushing himself yet on the run.

I know the objective is to do as many as possible, but based on these numbers, does anyone have an idea of where he would stand in terms of scoring.

Thanks!
 
So, my kid is in decent shape (tall and lanky). He easily bangs out 60+ push-ups in a minute and hits 60 or so curl-ups in a minute. His 1 mile run is around 6:45 and he isn't pushing himself yet on the run.

I know the objective is to do as many as possible, but based on these numbers, does anyone have an idea of where he would stand in terms of scoring.

Thanks!

He'll be just fine with those numbers, tell him to work to bring the run time down if he can. PU's and SU's are very subjective for the PFT. When he gets to school and does his first APFT he will get a real education in Regulation Form. New cadets are sometimes shocked to see just how many PU's and SU's are not counted for the first test. It is not uncommon at all to see kids that had stellar PFT's fail their first APFT, these are kids that posted 50 to 60 PU's in a minute for the PFT only to below the required 42 counted on the APFT. For the APFT, Form is everything, nothing gets a cadets morale down more then to hear the grader counting out, 1,2,3,3,3,3,4,4,4 and so on.

I bring up the run because it is the only part of the test that is not subjective, if they run a 6:00 mile on the PFT, they are confident they will run that well on the APFT.

His PFT scores so far seem great and should garner high points for his application.
 
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