Army ROTC Scholarship Prospects

Patriot76

New Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2015
Messages
4
Greetings all. I'm a high school student at the end of my junior year. I am currently in the process of applying for the 4 Year Army ROTC scholarship and am awaiting my finalized transcripts. Once I have them, I shall apply and move forward in the process. I'm just curious as to what the forum thinks my chances are in regards to being awarded the scholarship. My stats are:
-3.6 unweighted GPA
-3.8 weighted GPA (lots of honors and AP classes, math grade drags down GPA)
-SAT: 720 Reading, 650 Writing, 500 Math (superscore out of 2 tests) 1870
-I'm 50 out of 400 students (top 12.5%, subject to change)
-I'm the class president for next year's senior class.
-I participate in the debate team, mock trial (was a prosecution attorney and an expert witness), and am a student council representative.
-I speak German fluently.
-I am a National Honor Society Member.
-I am a cashier at a local grocery store and work year round.
All responses are appreciated.
 
720 on the reading portion is great, however you should definitely work on brining your math SAT score up to at least 600 or higher.
 
I agree with the Math SAT comment above. It's late and I'm tired so maybe I missed it, but I don't see any sports. You can get a scholarship without it but most scholarship winners have some sports and even team captaincies on their resume.
 
720 on the reading portion is great, however you should definitely work on brining your math SAT score up to at least 600 or higher.
So would you reccomend holding off on the application until the fall when I can take the SATs again or should I send it out and just update it for the next board if need be?

I agree with the Math SAT comment above. It's late and I'm tired so maybe I missed it, but I don't see any sports. You can get a scholarship without it but most scholarship winners have some sports and even team captaincies on their resume.
I was hoping to compensate for the lack of a varsity letter with my other leadership positions and ec's. How crucial would you say it is? I could always try next fall to secure one if it's a make or break issue, but that would relate to my previous question about whether or not I should apply now or update it in the fall.
 
I was hoping to compensate for the lack of a varsity letter with my other leadership positions and ec's. How crucial would you say it is? I could always try next fall to secure one if it's a make or break issue, but that would relate to my previous question about whether or not I should apply now or update it in the fall.

I don't think there is ever anything that is a make or break issue. They will look at the whole person. Keep in mind a varsity letter doesn't indicate leadership, a team captaincy does. There is also more to athletics than leadership.... there's teamwork, physicality, etc. Your senior class president my be enough to get by. It's a shot you're going to have to call, but I would be doing everything I could to put together the best application I can... it might or might not include athletics at this point.
 
Here are the points for the Whole Person Score (WPS) for the AROTC scholarship:

Whole Person Score
Area of Consideration Possible Points
CBEF 250 points (Cadet Background and Experience Form)
PMS Interview 200 points
ROTC Physical Fitness Test 150 points (work on pushups, situps, mile run)
SAT/ACT 250 points (The average 4 year scholarship winner has a 28+ on his ACT = 1880 on the SAT so you are close - I would definitely retake the SAT concentrating in math and try the ACT, too, if needed although ACT math is considered more difficult and includes trigonometry and some other things)
Scholar/Athlete/Leader 200 points (I would recommend participating in a sport and try to be a co-captain if you can. It's probably way too late for a captain leadership role)
Board Members 350 points
Total 1400 points

DS 4 year AROTC scholarship winner to 3 schools
 
I was hoping to compensate for the lack of a varsity letter with my other leadership positions and ec's. How crucial would you say it is? I could always try next fall to secure one if it's a make or break issue, but that would relate to my previous question about whether or not I should apply now or update it in the fall.

I don't think there is ever anything that is a make or break issue. They will look at the whole person. Keep in mind a varsity letter doesn't indicate leadership, a team captaincy does. There is also more to athletics than leadership.... there's teamwork, physicality, etc. Your senior class president my be enough to get by. It's a shot you're going to have to call, but I would be doing everything I could to put together the best application I can... it might or might not include athletics at this point.
Here are the points for the Whole Person Score (WPS) for the AROTC scholarship:

Whole Person Score
Area of Consideration Possible Points
CBEF 250 points (Cadet Background and Experience Form)
PMS Interview 200 points
ROTC Physical Fitness Test 150 points (work on pushups, situps, mile run)
SAT/ACT 250 points (The average 4 year scholarship winner has a 28+ on his ACT = 1880 on the SAT so you are close - I would definitely retake the SAT concentrating in math and try the ACT, too, if needed although ACT math is considered more difficult and includes trigonometry and some other things)
Scholar/Athlete/Leader 200 points (I would recommend participating in a sport and try to be a co-captain if you can. It's probably way too late for a captain leadership role)
Board Members 350 points
Total 1400 points

DS 4 year AROTC scholarship winner to 3 schools

Thank you both for your replies, they are appreciated. So would you advise waiting until the second board rather than doing the summer board to maximize scoring potential? Or can you do both boards if your credentials change?
 
Patriot -- check out this thread: http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/arotc-first-or-second-board.43467/

Clarkson explains that while you may be able to update your file with new information, once you submit your file to be reviewed by a board, your whole person score doesn't change. In other words, if you submit for the first board, and then improve your math score after that boards meets, the whole person score you were given by the first board stays the same.

Tough call whether to submit for first board or wait for second board. All depends on if you think you can significantly improve your SAT math score.

Check out ACT dates to see if you can take that prior to the first board deadline.
 
Personally I'd wait for the second board. I assume you're planning on a fall sport and improving that Math SAT. I'd want those in my whole person score.
 
I concur and also would wait until the 2nd board because 70% of the scholarships are awarded on the 2nd and 3rd boards according to the AROTC. You can take the SAT in October and easily meet the deadlines of the 2nd board assuming your SAT scores go up and you are participating in a sport. My son didn't even board until the 3rd and got a 4 year AROTC scholarship. The timing is not as important as increasing your Whole Person Score.
 
Lack of a varsity letter is not a disqualifier - plenty of home-schoolers have won ROTC scholarships - but keep in mind that AROTC has some physically rigorous aspects. You can be sure that the PMS who interviews you will ask about your athletic activities, organized or not.

If you haven't gotten a varsity letter up to this point, chances are slim that you will be appointed to a captaincy of an athletic team in the near future. Being elected president of a sizeable senior class is an excellent qualification, so I think you have the leadership thing covered.

Be sure to perform reasonably well on the APFT to demonstrate your physical fitness. If you are bright enough to score in the 700s in your reading SAT, you should be able to figure out how to improve your poor math score. Good luck in your quest.
 
Thanks again everyone. I think I'll wait for the second board and try to get a better math score and get a fall sport in if possible. That seems like the better option.
 
I am sure this has probably been posted somewhere but what are the dates of the boards? Son will be applying for the AROTC scholarship in July but he is considering waiting to improve his ACT scores. He has a 29 now but would like to jump that to 30 +He has a good package....otherwise....3.93 unweighted gpa, 6 varsity letters, captain of 2 sports, Boys State, band leadership. He has heard that winners from the 1st board are 30+ on Act. The next AcT is in September.

Thanks.
 
http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?arotc&SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarship Important Date
Due Date Days until Due Date
High School SY 16-17 National Board Deadlines
1st High School Selection Board Deadline for Documents
2-Oct-15 0
1st High School Board-Ready List PMS Deadline
16-Oct-15 14
1st High School Selection Board
20-Oct-15 17
2nd High School Selection Board Deadline for Documents
24-Dec-15 81
2nd High School Board-Ready List PMS Deadline
2-Jan-16 89
2nd High School Selection Board
5-Jan-16 92
4-Year High School Application Deadline for SY 15-16
10-Jan-16 97
Final (3rd) High School Selection Board Deadline for Documents -- Missing Items
28-Feb-16 145
3rd High School Board-Ready List PMS Deadline
6-Mar-16 153
Final (3rd) High School Selection Board
9-Mar-16 156
4-year High School Application Opens for SY 16-17
12-Jun-15 249
 
I am sure this has probably been posted somewhere but what are the dates of the boards? Son will be applying for the AROTC scholarship in July but he is considering waiting to improve his ACT scores. He has a 29 now but would like to jump that to 30 +He has a good package....otherwise....3.93 unweighted gpa, 6 varsity letters, captain of 2 sports, Boys State, band leadership. He has heard that winners from the 1st board are 30+ on Act. The next AcT is in September.

Thanks.

Can't help you with the dates, but many get 4 year scholarships from the first board with a lower ACT than that, including my son (4 year offers to his top 3 schools). Your son has a very well rounded package and his ACT as it stands is very competitive. How do his stats line up with the schools he is applying to?
 
He lines up well with the schools on his list. He doesn't have any reach schools in mind. Thanks for the info on your son getting the 4 year with below 30 on ACT. We are hoping the 1st board is in October which would give him time to take the September test.
 
I believe second board seems better for application if math score higher. Nevertheless meet or visit cadre of schools you like. Get noticed! Listen, ask and learn if school is a fit for you and you for them.
 
The more I think about it, the key decision point for whether to first board or second board should be are your scores high enough to get the full scholar points on the PMS interview. You can find the score sheet here http://www.goarmy.com/content/dam/goarmy/downloaded_assets/pdfs/rotc-overseas-interview-form.pdf
I'm looking at the scholars block on the front. You need to check two blocks to get the full 40 points. To check the SAT score block you need a 3.0 GPA and 1100/24. If you check that block then it really doesn't matter that much whether you have a 24 or a 25 or a 29. If you do get a higher score you can submit the score after the first board and your score will still go up because there is a seperate portion of the OML score based solely on SAT or ACT. I would imagine your score from the board is going to be somewhat similar to your score from the PMS.

Hopefully that makes sense.
 
Clarkson

Understand about the Interview score -- you can get the max points by just achieving the min

Are you saying that the score determined by the review board that reviews your application package can change (increase) after you are placed on the OML if you score higher on the SAT/ACT after you've already met the board?
 
No...your interview and board scores won't change, but the SAT/ACT score (250 points) can change with a new SAT or ACT score. That and the SAL points are about the only things I see that can change after you are boarded.
 
Back
Top