Hi I’m currently between my ms1 and ms2 year uncontracted and without a scholarship, however I have an appointment to usma. As much as I would like to stay at my rotc, with the recent rumors about reduction in force and slashing of afrotc cadets, I am worried that if I stay in rotc there is a chance I will not be able to commission. Does anyone know if there is truth to this rumor?
Arotc reduction (rumor)
- Thread starter talltrees
- Start date
- Joined
- May 22, 2018
- Messages
- 5,506
Any truth to the rumor?
So, my DD friend spoke to his ROO at his prospective college and was told that b/c of the current administration and the fact that Biden wants to defund the military, that there will be significantly Less or NO campus based ROTC scholarships.... Does anyone know if this is accurate?
www.serviceacademyforums.com
A long thread already going about this. Click here.
NJROTC-CC
Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2019
- Messages
- 2,574
If you are a strong enough candidate to have earned an appointment to USMA, you should be near the top of the list to receive a ROTC scholarship. Why don’t you have one already? When do you have let USMA know about the appointment. Something doesn’t sound right about the timing of your story.
Sounds as if you reserved your place at USMA (by the deadline) with some substantial doubt as to whether you would follow through. Other than that, I'm finding it difficult to make sense of your post.
Nothing is certain in terms of commissioning. This will be true whether you go to USMA or stay in ROTC. One thing that does seem certain - you are not fully committed to USMA. That, in my view, is a recipe for failure. But, good luck figuring it out over the next few weeks. If you do go to West Point, I hope you go "all in."
Herman_Snerd
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2017
- Messages
- 1,417
There are rare ROTC participants whose dream is to participate in ROTC, not attend a SA. However, I struggle to envision what ROTC college programmer with no contract/ scholarship but with a SA appt in hand / who applied to the SA while in college (presumably again) would get an appt but turn it down in HOPES of getting a campus based scholarship in the future in AROTC. Agree this is likely a nonsense post. Bird in hand common sense violation.
To quote the late great Gary Coleman "Whatchu talkin' about, Willis?"
To quote the late great Gary Coleman "Whatchu talkin' about, Willis?"
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2017
- Messages
- 811
It's fact, the commission mission is going down the next couple of years, and being in MS24, the chance to get a campus based scholarship is slim. However, whether or not you can contract depends on you. If you have a high GPA, PT score, and a strong participant in your ROTC program, you will be contracted. If the ability to pay for college is a concern, take the USMA appt. It's a harder road, but if you graduate, you will commission onto Active Duty.
Bash On
Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2019
- Messages
- 131
Read his prior posts and you'll see where he's coming from. He wants to commission as soon as he can and starting over at a SA would delay him. He also seems to like the non-full-time military aspect of ROTC and has connections where he is. Different strokes for different folks. I went NROTC and didn't even think about applying to a SA. DD was in NROTC and didn't hesitate for a second in accepting a SA appointment. [Still unclear about the timing of his question considering the USMA acceptance deadline, though.]
NJROTC-CC
Member
- Joined
- May 6, 2019
- Messages
- 2,574
“Youth is wasted on the young.” I wish I could go back to college again. Being a newly-minted 2d LT isn’t necessarily going to be paradise.
Gonna be honest, an extra year or two or college is not the end of world. I actually think potentially being a year or two older can only help in many ways. Plus the extra training opportunities are a benefit. Bottom line, you have an option with a guaranteed commission. The option has a risk and probably no scholarship. It comes down to where you will thrive the best, willingness to accept risk, and how much debt you are willing to take on. Ultimately this is a decision only you can make.
Bash On
Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2019
- Messages
- 131
Not me for college again--once was more than enough! And, sooner to commission the sooner to promote out of 2d LT.
Herman_Snerd
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2017
- Messages
- 1,417
@Bash On Enjoyed your post - thanks. My DS is like you, by the way - you two are the rare birds who actually wanted ROTC, didn’t apply to a single SA... fyi he had a swift “Very respectfully, no thanks” when an academy attempted to recruit him.
I took your advice and good points - and read the OPs other posts. It's truly sad that the OP over and over and over again discusses wanting to stay at V-T, enjoying ROTC, not wanting USMA for such a long list of seemingly surmountable reasons. He found a home in ROTC, and his old dream has sadly died. Hope he can realize that, "love the one he's with" and move forward. Or make a decision and as others said go "all in" on USMA and to stop whining about what it is not. I'm so thankful I have people in my life who grab the "take me to the river" singing fish off the wall and slap me with it if I even begin to wallow through happy moments like this (Read Cher "snap out of it" moment in Moonstruck) - honestly, no kidding, I am blessed to have perspective.
On a related note I hope the OP can learn to move through change/ transitions without so much angst - a USMA appt to some has them unable to stop smiling for months. This young man is like at an Edgar Allen Poe level of drama/ angst over the "problems" of a USMA appt and change. Being the son, nephew, cousin, grandson of military veterans I've seen that the one thing people can count on in the military is change. Hope the OP can learn to enjoy good news else he will move through life like tarzan swinging on vines - swinging from one drama to suffer through, to another.
From your post and the subsequent thread, I gather you are a rising MS-II at Virginia Tech. First, that's a good place to be -- great school and great ROTC/COC. But let's clear up a semantic issue. There is a difference between commissioning and going active duty, particularly with Army ROTC. I'm sure there's some exception somewhere, but if you remain academically eligible, pass your PT tests, stay within height/weight, don't commit some sort of misconduct, and pass Advanced Camp, you WILL commission. Now whether it will be to an active duty slot is a different issue. I suspect that's the question you meant to ask, but on the slight chance you were only talking about just commissioning, I believe that is entirely in your hands, and I imagine -- given you received a WP appointment -- you should have every reason to believe you will get that far, scholarship or no scholarship.
Active duty is a different animal, and @MohawkArmyROTC already covered that. I'll say that I'm a little surprised -- given that you did well enough at VT so far to earn a WP appointment -- that you weren't able to snag a 3-year scholarship. My son is in your class at Texas A&M AROTC, and I know that at the beginning of the school year they reached out to anyone in his class who was interested in obtaining a 3-year scholarship. I don't know what came of that (he had won a 3AD from the national board so the request didn't apply to him), but I know they were soliciting incoming cadets for that purpose. So I'd be surprised if VT wasn't doing the same thing last August.
Anyway, to boil this all down, I agree with @MohawkArmyROTC. If your primary concern is getting active duty, then WP is the safest bet. But I'm not sure that the inherent difficulty in enduring 4 years at WP doesn't outweigh the somewhat easier path you have with only 3 years remaining at VT. OTOH, and to me this might be the most important factor, can you afford to pay for 3 more years at VT on your own? How much is cost a factor? If you've basically been told you aren't getting a scholarship, and you are definite that you want to be an active duty Army officer, and you've successfully passed your first year in the VT COC, then I might weigh the cost issue (as opposed to the active duty/commissioning issue) a little more heavily in WP's favor.
Just my long-winded 2 cents.
ProudDad17
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2016
- Messages
- 1,289
I'm not sure why it's sad that OP's dream has changed or why you believe it is rare for a person to want an ROTC experience and not an SA experience. DS had no desire to attend an SA, but he thrived and excelled in his ROTC program at a top university. Most of his classmates I talked to over the years also did not apply to any of the SA's. The best path to commissioning is the one that is right for the individual, be it an SA, ROTC or OCS/OTS. There are many posts on here re-enforcing that SA grads generally enter the service more militarily prepared, while ROTC grads tend to be more prepared to balance life outside the strict SA environment, but that these differences disappear quickly and performance is what matters.
Herman_Snerd
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2017
- Messages
- 1,417
To me, it’s sad specifically that his dream has changed and he does not realize it. It’s sad that an event such as a service academy appointment would lead to such drama and angst/churn for this young man.
It’s not sad that his dream has changed IMO - at all.
Appreciate your sharing your perspective / experiences which differ than mine I’ve seen that a lot of people who applied to SAs end up in ROTC as a plan B and wanted SA as Plan A. For fake examples Look at the usernames for some people who end up in ROTC. Similar to Usmahopeful, usafa2023, usnaorbust etc. like those. also look at people post history and in some cases you’ll see posts focused on Appointments/nominations then twe disappointments. See posts noting they are accepting rotc offer but will reapply to their dream of the SA. Maybe your DS and mine aren’t as rare as my perception of actually wanting ROTC as plan a. Again appreciate your sharing a different point of view as perhaps your experiences are closer to reality than how I have seen things. Thanks.
It’s not sad that his dream has changed IMO - at all.
Appreciate your sharing your perspective / experiences which differ than mine I’ve seen that a lot of people who applied to SAs end up in ROTC as a plan B and wanted SA as Plan A. For fake examples Look at the usernames for some people who end up in ROTC. Similar to Usmahopeful, usafa2023, usnaorbust etc. like those. also look at people post history and in some cases you’ll see posts focused on Appointments/nominations then twe disappointments. See posts noting they are accepting rotc offer but will reapply to their dream of the SA. Maybe your DS and mine aren’t as rare as my perception of actually wanting ROTC as plan a. Again appreciate your sharing a different point of view as perhaps your experiences are closer to reality than how I have seen things. Thanks.
Dckc88
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2015
- Messages
- 1,035
This was true for my DD, specifically Army ROTC with a national scholarship was plan A, then plan B was Army ROTC and compete for campus based scholarship, and plan C was to contract as a junior if no scholarship was earned. Luckily plan A worked out. I have heard her respond when asked why she didn’t apply to one of the academies by saying “I don’t know, it was just never on my radar.”
Going to be interesting to see the kids who really want to join the Army and kids that just want the money for college. Also if Biden forgives any amount of student loans that will probably knock out some other scholarship winners who might figure that the Army is not for them.
ghostwritergirl
Member
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2020
- Messages
- 40
My daughter looked into SAs, but decided they weren't the best place to learn the skills needed for the post-military career she dreams of. So ROTC was her "Plan Everything" when it came time to apply for colleges. She decided that she wanted an education that was fit for her not an education that she was fit for.
airborne1030
Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2020
- Messages
- 137
For AROTC, once you've signed a contract with AROTC, you will be able to commission if you meet the requirements of the program. There is no scholarship requirement to commission.
As a former Army officer, I can share that I have witnessed defense budgets shrink and swell over the 11 years I served in the Army. What I will share is that there are no guarantees for anyone who serves. Budgets will shrink and grow over your career, and you will ultimately serve at the needs of the Army.
- Joined
- May 22, 2018
- Messages
- 5,506
If only more students — and for many, especially their parents — followed this dictum. Too many students “chasing” a school because their grades and scores match the profile, hence they “should” go there, rather selecting the school that best fits them.
Love the words posted in my kids’ high school’s college counseling office: “College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won.”