AROTC VS. NROTC with ISR. What are the differences?

Joined
May 4, 2018
Messages
67
Hello all,

My DS was awarded a 4-year AROTC scholarship to his three first 3 top choices. He has LOA to USMA and to USNA. However, he still does not have a nomination. Interviewed with one Senator, has an interview with second senator next week and District representative in December.
He was contacted by NROTC recruiter and was told that if he finished his application with NROTC including the required paperwork, he was going to offer an NROTC with ISR to his top college choices.

Now that he has been awarded the 4-year AROTC to his top 3 civilian colleges. It is worth pursuing the NROTC with ISR?

Would it make him be more competitive to the Admission boards at his top civilian schools being the recipient of both scholarships?

He is applying to Princeton, Duque, and Carnegie Mellon as Plan B

Plan A is # 1 USMA, #2 USNA, #3 USAFA, but like I said he has no nominations.
 
If NROTC is in his line of options then yes I would continue to apply. Apply to all options that interest him. Let the scholarships play out, financial aid, SA appointments finalize and then see where it all comes out. If USMA is his solid #1 and he gets his appt to USMA then he can start to remove some back ups and have a Plan B in case something happens.
 
Congrats. 3 for 3 on LOAs! Keep interviewing for those Noms. Ensure he sends the LOAs to his MOCs also. Accept the Army ROTC scholarship. He can always decline it later or keep it as a Plan B.
 
I honestly think NROTC is the better route. Regardless of whether you go through ROTC or the Academy, you end up in the same spot by commissioning into the Navy as a 2d Lt. As a Princeton/Duke/CMU student however, he would also have the benefit of a prestigious education, diploma, and network. So yes, keep on pursuing the NROTC route! I ended up not applying for the Academy this year because I decided ROTC was a much better route for me—you still get to engage in the "normal" college experience.
 
LOL, my sister has a degree from Duke and I have a USNA degree and I can tell you that most people we've known are much more impressed with the USNA degree.
I am a College Professor and even the most liberal/nonmilitary types among my colleagues have tremendous respect for my background.

By the way, I agree that Duke and Princeton would be a pretty big deal, but Carnegie Mellon, while a good school is much less well known.
 
I ended up not applying for the Academy this year because I decided ROTC was a much better route for me—you still get to engage in the "normal" college experience.

@bronze267, the “better route” depends on the individual. USNA mids wear their N*OT COLLEGE apparel with pride (not all of them all of the time, of course) precisely because it’s not a “normal” college.

As for (perception of) prestige, that’s not the best attribute on which to base a college choice. But if that’s what floats your boat, then I agree with @kinnem that you’d be very hard-pressed to find an informed person who doesn’t consider USNA prestigious. The “education, diploma and network” (your words) are every bit as outstanding and admired as Princeton’s or Duke’s. Some would argue even more so: education due to the low student-teacher ratios and professors’ attentive relationships; diploma for the universal recognition and unique experience it represents; network for the very tight bonds developed through small school size,?close quarters and shared ordeals (both at USNA and in the Fleet and Corps).

If choosing NROTC was the right choice for you, then great. But don’t dismiss USNA just because it wasn’t your cup of tea.
 
Last edited:
Hello all,

My DS was awarded a 4-year AROTC scholarship to his three first 3 top choices. He has LOA to USMA and to USNA. However, he still does not have a nomination. Interviewed with one Senator, has an interview with second senator next week and District representative in December.
He was contacted by NROTC recruiter and was told that if he finished his application with NROTC including the required paperwork, he was going to offer an NROTC with ISR to his top college choices.

Now that he has been awarded the 4-year AROTC to his top 3 civilian colleges. It is worth pursuing the NROTC with ISR?

Would it make him be more competitive to the Admission boards at his top civilian schools being the recipient of both scholarships?

He is applying to Princeton, Duque, and Carnegie Mellon as Plan B

Plan A is # 1 USMA, #2 USNA, #3 USAFA, but like I said he has no nominations.
Continue to apply, as there is plenty of time to accept/decline all offers that may come his way. In my opinion, keep options open, then once all the offers are on the table, re-visit the respective schools if need be, then make a more educated decision. As an aside, if NROTC and Princeton interests him, the unit is not on campus. That may be a factor to consider in making decisions. Either way, congrats to him for all the hard work he has done to get to this point in his life, and congrats to you for raising such a fine young man! Good luck!
 
It is best to have as many available options as possible in case something happens. Prioritize the options. Most of the application windows for MoC nominations for my DS close in November, so you may not hear anything yet. However, if your DS's preference is AROTC over NROTC and he has already been accepted to those three schools, then is seems plan B options are already in place.
 
Back
Top