AROTC Interview

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Hopeful2025

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Jan 11, 2020
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I am in the stage of interviewee status for AROTC and have to contact a PMS and schedule an interview with them. I tried calling the closest school to me yesterday, no answer and left a message. I tried calling again today and no answer. I will try again in a few hours. If they do not pick up, should I just try and schedule an interview with another local unit that is slightly farther away, or should I just keep trying to contact and set up an interview with the one closest to me?
 
It can be a bit of a pain to schedule. I tried calling/emailing my PMS multiple times for an interview and got no response for a few weeks. I ended up randomly getting in contact with one of the cadre members who set me up with one. I agree with @EEBTTF, you need to be patient. However, if you don't think they are going to get back to you, you need to start making contact with other detachments that may be further to ensure you do get an interview done.

Do understand, though, that at the moment I imagine most PMS's are scrambling for the start of the school year and trying to figure out online classes/ accepting incoming cadets/ etc.

You'll be fine. Be diligent, but not obnoxious.
 
Hopeful2025 said:
I am in the stage of interviewee status for AROTC and have to contact a PMS and schedule an interview with them. I tried calling the closest school to me yesterday, no answer and left a message. I tried calling again today and no answer. I will try again in a few hours. If they do not pick up, should I just try and schedule an interview with another local unit that is slightly farther away, or should I just keep trying to contact and set up an interview with the one closest to me?
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Thinking obliquely, have you scoured the unit website for an email address for PMS? Or any other email to a person in the unit where you could introduce yourself, say you have been unsuccessful in getting in touch with X (don’t say “he/she has not responded to my calls or vmails”), and could they please assist you in making contact to schedule an interview. Ditto any other phone numbers. They may be working from home, able to monitor email but not landline phones.

Does the unit have a FB page? Anyone on there who could help? You may not have a FB account, but it is handy when looking for organizations and units, and connecting in an informal way, as is done in the business world.

Give them at least 5 working days before pulling another school into the loop. COVID has disrupted normal business patterns. And, military people actually take leave, so the PMS might be taking away-from-phone time with family for a week. Military people often have use-or-lose leave, meaning excess leave that if not used by 30 Sep (end of fiscal year), it evaporates. You do not want to be “that candidate” who ventures close to the pestering line.

If no contact despite various approaches after a work week has gone by, try the second school.

I’m trying to help you think of alternative approaches in general, but will send a flare up to @Montana State Army ROTC as someone who is well-placed to advise. They are very forward-leaning and justifiably proud of their school and unit, so stand by for a recruiting pitch as well. 😁
 
Fortunately, you have some time.

From my DS’s experience, if:
1) You think you have a good shot to be a scholarship winner
2) you have a clear number one or number 2 choice
3) if for those top choices you are qualified academically but they are competitive enough schools that admissions is a crap shoot for anyone...

then I would recommend doing the interview at one of those top choice schools, especially if they would grant an in-person interview and you could travel to it safely.

I know during these times that’s tricky, but I believe it can make a big difference. If you prefer ROTC to, or are not applying to, an SAconsider early decision to that school as well if your finances can support it without the scholarship or they let you out for financial reasons.

both of those things can help, IMO.
 
Capt MJ said:
Thinking obliquely, have you scoured the unit website for an email address for PMS? Or any other email to a person in the unit where you could introduce yourself, say you have been unsuccessful in getting in touch with X (don’t say “he/she has not responded to my calls or vmails”), and could they please assist you in making contact to schedule an interview. Ditto any other phone numbers. They may be working from home, able to monitor email but not landline phones.

Does the unit have a FB page? Anyone on there who could help? You may not have a FB account, but it is handy when looking for organizations and units, and connecting in an informal way, as is done in the business world.

Give them at least 5 working days before pulling another school into the loop. COVID has disrupted normal business patterns. And, military people actually take leave, so the PMS might be taking away-from-phone time with family for a week. Military people often have use-or-lose leave, meaning excess leave that if not used by 30 Sep (end of fiscal year), it evaporates. You do not want to be “that candidate” who ventures close to the pestering line.

If no contact despite various approaches after a work week has gone by, try the second school.

I’m trying to help you think of alternative approaches in general, but will send a flare up to @Montana State Army ROTC as someone who is well-placed to advise. They are very forward-leaning and justifiably proud of their school and unit, so stand by for a recruiting pitch as well. 😁
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absolutely will do thanks. I will give it until the weekend and If no luck, try other schools. I have been in contact with one of the chiefs at another nearby unit via email. If no luck still, I will give him an email next week and ask him to help set me up for an interview with their PMS.
 
Schools have bigger problems right now. You have until October and I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer you get is “call us in late September”. We won’t do an interview right now.

don’t call endlessly- send the ROO an email then wait a week or two before a follow up.

Every school is working an extra field training exercise right now, the start of school with an ever changing environment, recruiting freshmen, and trying to telework. Oh, and at 1/3 of schools the PMS is changing out right now.
You are a low priority. Not what you want to hear I know.
 
At one point do you get a prompt to schedule an interview? My application is all done except for the physical assessment. Do I have to complete my entire application first, before getting a prompt to set up that interview?
 
DeepWaters said:
At one point do you get a prompt to schedule an interview? My application is all done except for the physical assessment. Do I have to complete my entire application first, before getting a prompt to set up that interview?
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you need to submit your test scores and transcript before being able to schedule it. If you go to your app status it should say interviewee. You can now reach out to local PMS and schedule an interview.
 
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