army reserve

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texas_Navy2010

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i am a junior in high school and a recruiter told me that if i join the army reserve and go to basic training the summer prior to my senior year, that i would have automatic entrance into USMA or USMAPS....is this true? Also I am from texas, so the A&M corps of cadets is my second choice...if i dont get into to either USMA or USMAPS, is A&M still an option or would i be obligated to continue in the reserve?
 
Hey, I did the same option as you are contemplating about; joining reserves and completing basic the summer before senior year, however, i switched over to active afterwards. It was a great decision in that I went through basic and obtained a CO nomination. However, your recruiter is lying to you, there is not a certain chance you will get appointed. As for going ROTC, i believe you can transfer over while in your reserve unit~green to gold.
 
one more question, what are your obligations for the reserve while your in high school? my parents wont sign because they are afraid i'll get deployed or called somewhere else during school
 
First - You will NOT get deployed while still in high school.
As for being deployed during college - that is not necessarily the case any longer. The Army wants you staying in school and getting an education. Some college reservists do deploy but that is generally because they want to go with their units.

Will joining the guard or reserves guarantee you entrance to USMA?
No. It is not a slam dunk at all. Does it help with admissions? Yes. It helps a lot.
There are 85 slots for Army Active duty and 85 slots for Army Reservists each year and to the best of my knowledge those are not filled.

From the West Point admission website:
Each year about 200 Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard soldiers are offered admission to the U.S. Military Academy or the Preparatory School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Although some soldiers are offered direct admission to West Point, most attend the Prep School first. All applications are made directly to West Point. Soldiers not directly admitted to West Point will be automatically considered for admission to the Prep School.
Soldiers who meet the basic eligibility requirements, have achieved SAT scores greater than 1000 or ACT composite score of 20 or higher and achieved average grades or better in their high school curriculum are especially encouraged to apply.
Soldiers must obtain an endorsement from their company or lowest-level unit commander. While this endorsement constitutes a nomination, soldiers are also strongly encouraged to obtain additional nominations from their congressional nomination sources.
Click to expand...
http://admissions.usma.edu/Soldiers/default.cfm

If you are a good soldier and motivated to attend West Point you have an excellent chance. This may be a good option for kids who are "on the cusp".

I know a West Point cadet who graduated from high school, enlisted and went to basic training then heard about applying to West Point in the fall. She applied and received an appointment and completed Beast the following summer.
So, yeah, it does happen.
 
Just A Mom pretty much nailed it. As for obligations, if you plan on staying in the reserves, are monthly training~depending on your company.
 
My son joined the Army Reserves back in January 2007, his junior year in h.s. That's all he ever talked about, is making the military his career. He went for the monthly drills (which he was not obligated to do, before completing BASIC) but he wanted to, for one because he loved it, and two, he got paid. His last drill was in May. Come April he started the process of his WP application and ROTC applications. He wrote all his essays for the congressmen and senators in May, done as much as he was able too that early. They took him out of H.S. two weeks early to leave for Basic Training, he took his final exams in May. He is an excellent student, so the teachers didn't mind. While he was away, I kept in contact with the ROTC and WP admissions, on updating any information they needed. In July his letter for his med exam with DoDMerb came, and I set up his exam with them the week after graduating from Basic. He was still in top shape. When school started back up, he had his physical tests done with his PE teacher, and got on his teachers butts for their reference letters. Had the portal page all filled out and completed before the end of Sept. We went for a tour of WP in October, talked with the soldier admissions officer, and finally the end of Oct., he received his nomination from his CO, the last step. The following week, we learned by his admissions officer, that he was in, and the next day, he received his big envelope containing the folder of "Appointment" for the Class of 2013. We then got on the phone to tell the senators and congressmen, so they would not give him a nomination, so they could give it to someone else that would need it. It was alot of work, getting everything together, but my son has the grades, did OK on the SAT's, belongs to a sport in school, lettered 3 years, and Captain this year. And is physical fit. He now has a commitment to attend his reserve drills every month, but since he doesn't have a job, that is his only pay. His unit is going to be deployed next year, but since he is still in H.S., he cannot go. He will be discharged come May or June, not sure which, so he can then be reinstated as a Cadet status, He will then graduate H.S. first or second week of June, and be at WP for beast by the end of June. SO, ANYWAY, just thought I would share his story, about the being in the reserves in high school and West Point. :usa:
 
Split-op

Hey, I'm a junior in high school also looking at split-option and then ROTC or West Point. I've talked to wp people and rotc along with a recruiter several times, so here's what i know (this is all from Syracuse ROTC, UT Austin ROTC, West Point Admins, Recruiters (one from UT and my local one to verify it))
-If you do ROTC, split-op is a huge help for your application, but down side is that you'll just be going through the same stuff you've learned in basic the first year or so of ROTC, and it gets "boring" (UT rotc admissions officer quote). There are two ways to do ROTC, either SMP or Scholarship. SMP provides money for school and you still have reserve obligiations till you are commisioned as a 2LT (not a whole lot of money) and Scholarship provides full tuition and nulls your reserve contract once you "sign" your ROTC scholarship contract (read next bullet) in the fall. Overall, i think the ROTC Scholarship is a better option over SM, though the funding from SMP might not be a problem as it'' be cheaper for you since your looking at State Schools in texas, which will be cheaper for you as your in-state (idk though, is A&M state?).
- IMPORTANT, if you want to go to college, you need to get a program called ECS on your contract (this matters if you go ROTC way, it doesn't matter for wp, as i'll explain). ECS guarantees that while you are in good standing with your academics or job (educational career stability), you will be exempt from deployment to OIF or OEF. Why does this matter? If you go ROTC way, you'll still attend AIT that summer before you sign your official scholarship papers in the fall, and still be in the reserves until then. You can get the scholar ship in the spring of senior year in hs, but you don't officially sign until that fall. So, this matters because deployment orders come in as a rule, but not always, right before, during or right after AIT: before you sign your scholarship papers. Therefore, your all set to go to A&M, but then your deployed. ECS prevents that, and its crucial to have on your contract
-You don't have to worry about any of the above if you go to West Point, as you'll be in Beast when you would otherwise be attending AIT, and your reserve contract will be over before Beast, so no worries about deployment. -For West Point, split-op is a great thing to do. It strengthens your admissions file, gives you some insight to the lives of enlistment men, and shows your commitment in a major way to WP admissions guys. Also, you aren't solely dependent on your congressman for a nomination, as your NCO can give you one. So, good grades, scouts or something similiar, sports, and then split-op, your almost golden (not guaranteed though).
-Also, what your recruiter probablly meant by saying you are guaranteed admissions to WP if you do split-op is that WP always has a slot of admissions solely designated for enlisted/prior-service applicants (you if you do split-option), and that quota is never filled. So, its a lottt easier to get in through split-op.

So that's what i know, post anything else if you know anything because i'm in the same boat as this guy
thanks
 
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