Chance me for an AROTC scholarship?

A

aexc400

5-Year Member
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I have a 2040 SAT score (770 cr, 590 m, 680 w). I'm going to take subject tests and the ACT in the fall. I'm in the top 20% of my class I believe and I have a 4.1 weighted GPA, having taken all AP and honors classes. I'll have 4 varsity track letters and 2 varsity cross country letters at the end of senior year and I'll have also been a captain in both sports senior year. I also played varsity soccer one year. I'm on student council, national honor society and many other clubs at school. I also have a lot of community service hours and participate actively in my church community. I'm a half Asian female by the way. I'm interesting in majoring in history and I live in PA. I'm also applying to USMA and maybe the Coast Guard Academy. I went to USMA SLS already this summer and I'm going to AIM next month. Also any advice for the interview?

Bucknell University (PA)
Case Western (OH)
University of Pittsburgh (PA)
University of Virginia (VA)
College of William and Mary (VA)
Colgate University (NY)
Dickinson College (PA)
Lafayette College (PA)
Marist College (NY)
University of Richmond (VA)
Washington and Lee University (VA)
 
aexc400 said:
I have a 2040 SAT score (770 cr, 590 m, 680 w). I'm going to take subject tests and the ACT in the fall. I'm in the top 20% of my class I believe and I have a 4.1 weighted GPA, having taken all AP and honors classes. I'll have 4 varsity track letters and 2 varsity cross country letters at the end of senior year and I'll have also been a captain in both sports senior year. I also played varsity soccer one year. I'm on student council, national honor society and many other clubs at school. I also have a lot of community service hours and participate actively in my church community. I'm a half Asian female by the way. I'm interesting in majoring in history and I live in PA. I'm also applying to USMA and maybe the Coast Guard Academy. I went to USMA SLS already this summer and I'm going to AIM next month. Also any advice for the interview?

Bucknell University (PA)
Case Western (OH)
University of Pittsburgh (PA)
University of Virginia (VA)
College of William and Mary (VA)
Colgate University (NY)
Dickinson College (PA)
Lafayette College (PA)
Marist College (NY)
University of Richmond (VA)
Washington and Lee University (VA)
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Obviously, your chances increase from 0% when you actually apply (the standard reply around here). Beyond that, your overall stats look competitive (would love to see that math score up another 50-100 pts, so take that SAT again in October. Athletics look good. Leadership has lots of boxes checked.

The fly in the ointment is your school selection. Pretty soon (member) Marist College ROTC will chime in with a bit more here, but your school list seems to be dominated by private institutions, which in the past couple of years have had their scholarship allocations reduced and shifted towards 3-yr AD types. Given you are in-state in PA, there are not a lot of in-state public (PSU obviously) options that would improve the number of scholarships available to you. With that list of schools, the best thing you can do to improve your outcomes, would be to retake the SAT and/or ACT (full) to improve the test scores. Your GPA and class rank are pretty well set in stone as are your ECs and sports at this point.

You should also check out Marist on an overnight visit, if you have the opportunity. I'm sure you Marist College ROTC, will be happy to give you the link with the details.

Paging Marist College ROTC...
 
http://goldenknightbattalion.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/the-interview/

here's my take on the interview. I don't see Clarkson or St Lawrence on that list, but I won't hold that against you. Your list will have to be refined a little bit. gdad is right on about the schools. These days your school list plays as much of a role in your chances as your personal stats do. I cringe every time I see "what are my chances" on the subject line of a post, because you could have crappy stats and still pick the right school and have the best stats of anyone with that school on the list.
 
What other schools would you recommend for my list then? I'd like to stay in the NE/Mid Atlantic region. I actually got interested in Marist because when I was at SLS someone spoke to us about ROTC who was from Marist. Also I've taken the SAT twice so far. The first time I got a 590 in math and the second time a 570 so I'm not sure how I can improve that.
 
No I couldn't take it because I was going to SLS that weekend I'm taking it in the fall.
 
I am just recommending you refine your list before the first board. The application tells you how many of each type of school should be on your list.
 
aexc400 said:
What other schools would you recommend for my list then? I'd like to stay in the NE/Mid Atlantic region. I actually got interested in Marist because when I was at SLS someone spoke to us about ROTC who was from Marist. Also I've taken the SAT twice so far. The first time I got a 590 in math and the second time a 570 so I'm not sure how I can improve that.
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Probably not the right forum for school searches (that would be College Confidential), but let's start with what you've seen in terms of schools so far (visits) and what you want out of a school (other than the obvious ROTC and your history major which is found everywhere).

It sounds like your boundaries are Cleveland (in the west), DC in the South, NY/CT in the east/north - basically anything 4 hours from Central PA.

You have a variety of schools on your list, so I am thinking you are open to different size campuses.

Tough question -- Finances. It the ROTC scholarship a necessity to afford schools other than in-state public? (not that PSU campuses are cheap - NY publics are often cheaper for PA students).

Big fish in little pond vs. little fish in big pond. Looking at your list of school, most are matches to reaches (UVA is a reach for OOS regardless of stats). Going back to the finances issue, there are several very good reasons to go to a school where you will be in the top 10% of the entering class - first of which is the availability of merit scholarships (aside from ROTC money). If you are to get a 3-yr AD, this might get you through that first year financially and if things don't work out for ROTC get you through all 4 years.

Other advantages in being in the top 10% of admitted students often include Honors programs where you may get smaller classes and more instructor time (and even research opportunities). Plus, looking forward in your ROTC future, being the big fish - i.e. getting top grades - will put you higher on the OML (ranking within your unit) which when it comes to branching after you graduate is huge.

Downside to big fish in small pond is the bumper sticker doesn't look as impressive on your parent's car. :eek: Sometimes they have a bigger problem with that than you do.

On to your study interests... History - any particular reason? Any particular period? Any particular region? Foreign language interest in that region? ROTC loves folks who become proficient in foreign languages and it opens up summer opportunities as well.

That's a start. Let's see what you are looking for.
 
goaliedad said:
Probably not the right forum for school searches (that would be College Confidential), but let's start with what you've seen in terms of schools so far (visits) and what you want out of a school (other than the obvious ROTC and your history major which is found everywhere).

It sounds like your boundaries are Cleveland (in the west), DC in the South, NY/CT in the east/north - basically anything 4 hours from Central PA.

You have a variety of schools on your list, so I am thinking you are open to different size campuses.

Tough question -- Finances. It the ROTC scholarship a necessity to afford schools other than in-state public? (not that PSU campuses are cheap - NY publics are often cheaper for PA students).

Big fish in little pond vs. little fish in big pond. Looking at your list of school, most are matches to reaches (UVA is a reach for OOS regardless of stats). Going back to the finances issue, there are several very good reasons to go to a school where you will be in the top 10% of the entering class - first of which is the availability of merit scholarships (aside from ROTC money). If you are to get a 3-yr AD, this might get you through that first year financially and if things don't work out for ROTC get you through all 4 years.

Other advantages in being in the top 10% of admitted students often include Honors programs where you may get smaller classes and more instructor time (and even research opportunities). Plus, looking forward in your ROTC future, being the big fish - i.e. getting top grades - will put you higher on the OML (ranking within your unit) which when it comes to branching after you graduate is huge.

Downside to big fish in small pond is the bumper sticker doesn't look as impressive on your parent's car. :eek: Sometimes they have a bigger problem with that than you do.

On to your study interests... History - any particular reason? Any particular period? Any particular region? Foreign language interest in that region? ROTC loves folks who become proficient in foreign languages and it opens up summer opportunities as well.

That's a start. Let's see what you are looking for.
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As far as area goes I'd like to be in PA, NY, MD, DE, OH, or VA I think.

As far as campus size and location I'm really open to anything, I'm pretty flexible.

For finances I'm looking to get as much scholarship as possible wherever I go. I definitely want to do ROTC wherever I attend college even if I don't get a scholarship. I'll need pretty good merit/need based scholarship though.

I think I'd prefer to be a "big fish in a small pond". I go to a small high school now and it's just what I'm used to.

As far as my parents go, their first choice for me is West Point but if I do ROTC they don't really care about the prestige of a school as long as I'm happy with it and it's affordable. I'd like to go to a school that has somewhat good name recognition but it's not like I'm looking to go to an Ivy.

History I've just always been interested in and it comes easily to me for some reason. I like American history best but I also enjoy European and world.
For language I'll be taking Spanish 5 next year so I'm fairly advanced in it and I plan to continue to study it in college.
 
Tough set of states to work with when looking for lower cost public options to boost ROTC scholarship opportunities. That being said, additional schools to look at:

Ohio University - Relatively low cost for OOS students. ROTC on campus. BTW, there is a parent here on this board whose son attends OU.
Suny Binghampton - Very low cost for OOS Students. An excellent public and relatively small for a public. ROTC hosted out of Cornell - check with cadre to see how much commuting may or may not be necessary - this may be the fly in the ointment.
U Delaware - Not the lowest for OOS, but excellent school. Size isn't too big either.
SUNY Brockport - This is a bit of the different (big fish small pond) approach. This is a place where you would apply to their Honors program (gets you smaller classes, increased faculty access, etc.). Plus there is merit money in the Honors program. It is the smallest of the schools listed here ~7000 students. It has ROTC on campus and is noted as a military friendly campus. Disclaimer - my mother was an alumna.

Definitely keep U Pittsburgh on your list. In-state public. Well ranked. Not small though.

As to the finances - when it comes to FA, especially with privates, the top 10% get the bulk of the "good" offers.

You should definitely visit several of the schools on your list (especially the publics because your choice is likely to be between publics when it comes to ROTC). There is a saying that you should love your safety school.

And if you are looking at the Army as a career, remember, the Army doesn't care where you get your undergraduate degree. And once you leave the Army, your degree won't mean nearly as much as your Army experience in the hiring process. And if graduate school is the issue, it is better to be at the top of a lesser school than the middle of a greater school when looking at students with equivalent GRE scores.

Do what makes sense academically, financially, and personally.
 
Just a random thought, Alabama's not on your radar, neither was on DS's until we visited. Beautiful campus, friendly, great academics. The merit scholarship and ROTC scholarship can combine to form a full ride scholarship - No student loans. AROTC has a great program there, and it's warm, no cold O'dark:thirty PT

And UA Honors college is like a small elite college inside a large University

"UA Scholar Scholarship
An out-of-state first time freshman student who meets the December 1st scholarship priority deadline, has a 30-31 ACT or 1330-1390 SAT score [critical reading and math scores only] and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will be selected as a UA Scholar and will receive 2/3 tuition for four years."​

"Presidential Scholar Scholarship
An out-of-state first-time freshman student who meets the December 1st scholarship priority deadline, has a 32-36 ACT or 1400-1600 SAT score [critical reading and math scores only] and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will be selected as a Presidential Scholar and will receive the value of out-of-state tuition for four years."​

Link
 
UVA is incredibly competitive, and I would strongly suggest if you want to have a chance re-take the SAT. 590 M is going to be an uphill battle with admissions, even as an OOS.

UVA is the number 2 public university in the nation, it is considered a Public IVY. It accepts @70% from IS, and IS students have a higher M SAT. 30% of the admitted are spread across the 49 other states in the nation.

As someone in Virginia, William and Mary is seen as just as competitive, if not more.
 
aexc400 said:
As far as area goes I'd like to be in PA, NY, MD, DE, OH, or VA I think.

As far as campus size and location I'm really open to anything, I'm pretty flexible.

For finances I'm looking to get as much scholarship as possible wherever I go. I definitely want to do ROTC wherever I attend college even if I don't get a scholarship. I'll need pretty good merit/need based scholarship though.

I think I'd prefer to be a "big fish in a small pond". I go to a small high school now and it's just what I'm used to.

As far as my parents go, their first choice for me is West Point but if I do ROTC they don't really care about the prestige of a school as long as I'm happy with it and it's affordable. I'd like to go to a school that has somewhat good name recognition but it's not like I'm looking to go to an Ivy.

History I've just always been interested in and it comes easily to me for some reason. I like American history best but I also enjoy European and world.
For language I'll be taking Spanish 5 next year so I'm fairly advanced in it and I plan to continue to study it in college.
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My son just finished campus visits in NJ/MD/VA. Two state schools that you might want to consider are James Madison and University of Maryland. Both would be OOS for you but JMU is not too pricey, even OOS. My son was particularly impressed by the ROTC program and cadre at Maryland. Both are large schools with lots of options for honors, etc.

FWIW, the online AROTC application lets you list up to seven schools which you must rank. If you use all seven, at least three must be public.
 
JMU and UMDCP are great colleges, but they are night and day differences.

JMU is in a very rural area, and the college is more LAC oriented. It is a beautiful campus, but outside of the college there is not much life.

I think JMU is much more like a big fish in a small pond compared to UMDCP. UMDCP is a very big pond, it is their flagship school in MD. (DS commissioned from there only a month ago). Put it this way, the graduation ceremonies (handing out diplomas) were dispersed among Sunday and Monday, every 2 hrs from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. in @ 6 different buildings on campus. His Govt and Politics class was @500 students, and that was not considered the largest.

UMDCP is in an urban setting, The AROTC unit there is very large. It too is a beautiful campus, but many people are off put by the fact it is a college town. If city life in not for you, than this college may not be a strong choice. The one bid draw for UMDCP is they have fabulous internships, and if selected in the Scholars, Gemstone or Honors program you will get to be a part of the internships (degree requirement).

I also agree UMDCP is very pricey as an OOS, and they do not give IS to ROTC cadets. As I stated DS just graduated, and from start to finish in 4 yrs the cost went from 28K to 40K a yr (Tuition, Room and Board). A yr from now I am betting it will be 43K. UMDCP is also known to be competitive for OOS students from NJ/NY/PA, since it is very popular among hs students in those states.


VT is a college I would look into if you want the big fish, small pond community. It also has the plus of being an SMC. The problem is if you attend VT, you must be in the Corps as a ROTC cadet. For some students they do not want to live in a ROTC dorm.
 
Thanks to the above for VA public recommendations. I figured that there would be people better than I to pick from that state's publics.

If Clarkson is still watching this thread, I'd like to know if CC is weighing Public school scholarships on an in-state vs OOS basis - i.e. if a public has 4 scholarships, can some/any/all of them go to OOS students or do they reduce the number of scholarships by the difference in OOS tuition (4 instate vs 2 OOS) when they award them to OOS students? Or do they tend to give 3-yr AD to OOS to make up the tuition difference?

I say this because the OP has an in-state public (U Pitt) on her list and a difference in OOS awards could say that she might weigh this when considering the order of her Public schools on her list.
 
I've been looking at some SUNY schools and I'm thinking about replacing UVA and W&M with Geneseo and Binghamton. I think I would have a better chance of getting into these schools as they're less competitive to get into apparently.
 
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