Ohio, you are correct it is horrible. When you get to this bridge, everything is amped up because now it is their career path, one that may be the largest building block in their life. You as a parent can not help at all, i.e. editing essays, work out partner, study partner etc. All you can do is sit silently on the side lines and pray.
Nobody read into it that I am saying college/scholarship isn't OMG anxiety, because for you right now it is. So please no
I am saying that even at the college/scholarship point, they have the ability to back out and not owe time. These kids will have to serve out their commitment, and that commitment will be their foundation for when they finally hang up their dog tags and enter the "real world", be it in 4, 14 or 24 yrs.
College is 30 weeks a yr, not 8-4 M-F. AD life is 52 and more than 8-4 M-F.
I will be surprised if this thread lights up alot. I would assume it will remain alive, but the majority of 16 candidates will most likely find out starting the next board.
I can't recall if it was Marist or Clarkson who explained the 1st board process over the summer.
Basically, the 1st board is where they get an idea of the base line for college BNs (paraphrasing). They are sim to the SA process, where they know historically without a doubt that this kid will get a scholarship even if the budget is chopped by 75%. Think LOA for an SA.
This does not mean they don't want your child. It means that they want a larger pool before they decide where to offer your child a scholarship, or in some cases not offer a scholarship.
There will be MANY, MANY, MANY, kids that are strong candidates that will not be offered a scholarship right out of the gate.
Do NOT assume because you don't get offered at the 1st board, you are weaker in their eyes. Do NOT assume because you were picked up on the 1st board you are the "best". Once in ROTC they couldn't care at all if you are scholarship or not. The slate is wiped clean. It is how you perform there that will make or break you. The command and the cadets do now discuss which cadet is scholarship/non-scholarship when it comes to performance.
It is also why I agreed with Ohio regarding her comment about the waiting game for MSIVs.
Again, congrats to all of you that are awarded the scholarship from this board. REJOICE!
To those that were not picked up, keep moving forward, it is not the time to start saying Oh SHEAAT!