Can ROTC Scholarship Affect Admissions?

DeepWaters

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I have heard that having an ROTC scholarship in hand can help with getting into selective colleges. Some schools may like the idea that you will have the financial resources to attend their school so the aid question is much less of an issue. Some schools understand that filling out their ROTC ranks is a good thing. I'd be curious though whether the college ROTC office typically reaches out to the college admissions office to help advocate for a scholarship applicant?

Thank you.
 
I have heard that having an ROTC scholarship in hand can help with getting into selective colleges. Some schools may like the idea that you will have the financial resources to attend their school so the aid question is much less of an issue. Some schools understand that filling out their ROTC ranks is a good thing. I'd be curious though whether the college ROTC office typically reaches out to the college admissions office to help advocate for a scholarship applicant?

Thank you.
Can’t speak for all, but DS and I were visiting with a ROO at a very selective school during admissions. ROO said he was about to go over to advocate for the winners.
 
It varies by college. Believe it or not, many selective colleges could care less.
 
Anecdotal, from conversations with ROOs, candidates/applicants and Admissions officials:

Yes, definitely influences Admissions:
- Yale
- TAMU and the other SMCs

Probably
influences Admissions - make sure the ROO knows that the school is your #1 choice:
- Boston U.
- Brown
- Cornell
- Duke
- MIT
- Notre Dame
- Penn
- Princeton


Unlikely to influence Admissions (it's possible but I've never heard of it):
- Carnegie Mellon
- Chicago
- Columbia
- Michigan
- Northwestern
- Harvard
- Rice
- Stanford
- Tufts
- Vanderbilt
- Wash U.
 
You should be able to find several previous threads on this topic in the search. As stated above, it seems to vary from school to school. When DS was deferred to regular decision from his #1 school, where scholarship had been placed, he informed the freshman advisor at the NROTC unit as requested, who said he would advocate with admissions for DS. He was admitted in first wave of regular decision. No Idea if the scholarship had any influence or not. DS was also in contact with school admissions counselor, who noted that he had a very strong application. He also wrote an email to admissions expressing his commitment to attend if admitted and mentioning the scholarship. I guess bottom line is, it doesn't hurt to ask, but I would only do so at the university you really want to attend. It would not be good form to ask multiple universities to try to influence admissions, just to give you multiple options.
 
Not only can it vary from school to school, but it can also vary year to year. As the staff of the school and the unit change, the involvement they have in the admission process can also shift.

Regardless of whether the unit staff is in contact with admissions, it doesn't hurt to have another thing to add to your résumé - that you were selected for a competitive full-ride scholarship.
 
Everything said above...and

IF YOU HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP IN HAND, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE, INFORM THE SCHOOL'S ADMISSIONS OFFICE IMMEDIATELY! DON'T EXPECT ANYONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR YOU. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE.

Look at the current environment of uncertainty regarding reopening the economy in general and colleges and universities in particular. They are staring at the loss of athletic department revenues, the travel ban keeping out foreign students who pay full tuition, at best 50% dorm occupancy, and a tuition rebellion by parents. A check for full freight tuition from the US Treasury is going to look mighty good to a number of schools, particularly the expensive ones.
 
Anecdotal, from conversations with ROOs, candidates/applicants and Admissions officials:

Yes, definitely influences Admissions:
- Yale
- TAMU and the other SMCs

Probably
influences Admissions - make sure the ROO knows that the school is your #1 choice:
- Boston U.
- Brown
- Cornell
- Duke
- MIT
- Notre Dame
- Penn
- Princeton


Unlikely to influence Admissions (it's possible but I've never heard of it):
- Carnegie Mellon
- Chicago
- Columbia
- Michigan
- Northwestern
- Harvard
- Rice
- Stanford
- Tufts
- Vanderbilt
- Wash U.
I would throw Vanderbilt into Probably. My son was a strong candidate, but he missed ED1 and by then two boys from his high school had been admitted in ED1, likely hurting his chances for ED2. But with scholarship in hand and a good interview with PMS, he was accepted ED2.
 
Yes, I think being an ROTC scholarship recipient helps with admittance (if the applicant meets the University's profile). The ROTC unit is part of the school, a valuable part which turns out fine men/women. These are students undergoing excellent leadership training and who will probably turn out as excellent alumni. Admissions listens to the lifeblood of the University. I think this is true in many cases, again, where the applicant meets the University's profile. I know ~for sure~ that is the case in our very selective State engineering school and probably the same for our State's selective flagship University.
 
Hey, it’s 2020!! Who knows 🤷‍♀️
 
I’ve been told by some schools that it does influence admissions, but that doesn’t mean you’re automatically accepted. I was declined to my first choice and I was told that they had an admissions pull
 
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