Chance of getting an ROTC scholarship

UmiZoomi

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Hey guys, I'm very new here. I'm currently a sophomore interested in serving in the USMC. I am specifically aiming to get a ROTC scholarship to a top tier college like HYP. I'm wondering whether or not I'm competitive and have a good chance of receiving the scholarship. I have taken the SAT already and scored a 1520 and my weighted GPA is a 4.6. I am a world class sparrer in Taekwondo and have competed nationally. I am also a national level fencer at an Olympic development center and a national honor society member with over 500 volunteer hours related to my sports. I will complete 13 AP classes by the end of senior year. I am also a national medalist at numerous science and engineering fairs. Furthermore, my school is STEM-oriented, "I don't know if this is more appealing for a scholarship". I've practiced the PT with my PE teacher and have gotten a perfect score during practice.

What do you guys think I should improve on? Do you guys think I will be a competitive applicant? I know you guys can't assure me of anything but I would love to hear feedback. Also, I was wondering if I should talk to the officer who runs the NROTC program at Yale because I live close by; would he be able to give me advice or should I seek out a recruiting office?
 
First of all, if you want to serve in the USMC you would be looking at a NROTC Marine Option scholarship which regardless of your grades, is very competitive. What they're looking on application is not only outstanding academics and PT ability like you mentioned, but leadership capability. I would recommend that you look for an extracurricular that you are first and foremost passionate about, but also allows you to serve in a leadership capacity(Varsity sports team, hell even Math Club worked for me). Keep up the hard work and research all of your options !
 
Echo on what obesetiger said, your grades/tests look good, but it's really about much more than that. Leadership experience is essential, as is a good PFT score. Also, on your application there will be essay questions ("why do you want to be a Marine officer", etc.), that you'd better have very solid answers for.

If you're just a sophomore now, I wouldn't worry too much about contacting the NROTC unit or a recruiter yet. The NROTC-MO application is online and it's not a necessity that you work with a USMC recruiter (I didn't), but a USMC recruiter can help you and put you in contact with the officer who does the applications.

By "practiced PT and got a perfect score" do you mean you can run a 300 PFT? (20 pull ups, 105 crunches, and 18:00 3 mile)

Also, HYP = Harvard/Yale/Princeton?

Feel free to PM me.
 
why do you want to be a Marine officer
This is something I didn't see in OP's original post. It sounded like it was all about getting a scholarship and not necessarily about serving as an officer in the Corps. Regardless it will be a necessary prereq to receiving a scholarship.

@UmiZoomi To receive a scholarship, the previous posts mention, you will need to do well on the Marine PFT. This is the same physical fitness test that active duty Marines perform. Google it and begin getting ready for it. I recognize Taekwondo and fencing are pretty tough. It always surprised me about fencing as it looks pretty easy but is, in fact, physically demanding. I'm not convinced that those things alone, or together for that matter, will make you "Marine fit". Good luck! Serving as a Marine officer is a very rewarding experience that takes tremendous dedication.
 
I'm sorry if I didn't give off the vibe that I cared about being a marine. I thought everyone would take that for granted . In all honesty being a marine is a dream for me. The ability to serve my country is one which makes my heart swell with pride. This might seem corny but I've always wanted a semper fidelis tattoo on my arm. To me the marines are the greatest of the great, their dedication and strength unparalleled. I want to make it clear that I'm not doing this for a scholarship it's just something I would like. I want to be a marine officer so I can lead the greatest warriors in the world to victory, to ensure success in whatever form possible, and to serve my great nation.
 
In terms of leadership I've done a few things but I don't think it's enough. I run my schools Future Buisness Leaders of America club I'm the founder and president. In addition im a coach for two state taekwondo champions. I've also been the Chief operating officer of our schools expo teams for 2 years and have led our teams to win state awards. Do you guys think this will be atleast somewhat good? FBLA is the only really important leadership position I have taken which has significant value to me personally. Is one leadership position your really interested in good or do they look for multiple leadership positions?

*thank you guys for your responses they are invaluable to me. im sorry if my barrage of questions is overwhelming. In trying to learn.
 
Hey guys, I'm very new here. I'm currently a sophomore interested in serving in the USMC. I am specifically aiming to get a ROTC scholarship to a top tier college like HYP. I'm wondering whether or not I'm competitive and have a good chance of receiving the scholarship. I have taken the SAT already and scored a 1520 and my weighted GPA is a 4.6. I am a world class sparrer in Taekwondo and have competed nationally. I am also a national level fencer at an Olympic development center and a national honor society member with over 500 volunteer hours related to my sports. I will complete 13 AP classes by the end of senior year. I am also a national medalist at numerous science and engineering fairs. Furthermore, my school is STEM-oriented, "I don't know if this is more appealing for a scholarship". I've practiced the PT with my PE teacher and have gotten a perfect score during practice.

What do you guys think I should improve on? Do you guys think I will be a competitive applicant? I know you guys can't assure me of anything but I would love to hear feedback. Also, I was wondering if I should talk to the officer who runs the NROTC program at Yale because I live close by; would he be able to give me advice or should I seek out a recruiting office?
Nope. No chance at all. Unimpressive résumé. Please consider rodeo clown college instead.

Lol. Kidding. Great résumé. Folks can be a bit tight about giving assessments here, but you look outstanding, be that for the ROTC scholarship, or if you decided to pursue an academy appointment you look to be very competitive there as well.

Good luck.
 
I'm sorry if I didn't give off the vibe that I cared about being a marine. I thought everyone would take that for granted . In all honesty being a marine is a dream for me. The ability to serve my country is one which makes my heart swell with pride. This might seem corny but I've always wanted a semper fidelis tattoo on my arm. To me the marines are the greatest of the great, their dedication and strength unparalleled. I want to make it clear that I'm not doing this for a scholarship it's just something I would like. I want to be a marine officer so I can lead the greatest warriors in the world to victory, to ensure success in whatever form possible, and to serve my great nation.
I believe every word of this post and didn't mean to imply you didn't want to serve as a Marine officer. The thing is you will need to lead with that in the interview(s) you will need to do as part of the application process. Trust me. I understand how you feel. DS wanted to be a Marine since 6th grade.

One more word to the wise... IMHO you should never get a tattoo that identifies you as a member of the military. People on hijacked planes have ended up dead on the tarmac simply because they were identified as US service men. I also wouldn't get ANY tattoo until after you commission.
 
The reason why nobody wants to say definitively if you're a "shoe in" or not is because nobody here knows that. People have been selected with "worse" stats, and turned down with "better."

It really is a "whole person" concept and while you seem great to me, you need to show that to the board, as well as the officer who puts together your package. Show dedication and improvement, to whatever it may be. Realize that there are a lot of thing beyond your control (with anything in life) and just do the best with what you can control.

Also if you must get a tattoo, definitely don't get one unless/until you commission/enlist...
 
Why to kids today think a tattoo is important? If a young adult wants to be "original", then skip the tattoo. People are all different already. Those who follow trends just to follow trends are the opposite of original or unique. Distinguish yourself with your character. Have people remember you as being bright, clever, dedicated, passionate, and for having a sense of humor and presence. Anyone can get a tattoo which says anything; whether it is true and accurate or not.

When you are 75 years old, if you are still dying to get a tat, get one.

If I ever get a tattoo it will be on my "spare tire". It will say, "I'm not really fat", and hopefully people will then think I'm skinny when I'm not wearing a shirt.
 
Thank you guys so much, I'll hold off on the tattoo don't worry :) . You guys are so informative and I appreciate the time you've taken to give me these responses. I'm slowly getting the picture. The scholarship is not just about the stats it about how you convey your stats and your character to the officers and the board. One more question you guys, it turns out my enlisted friend gave me the WRONG PT standards. I think he gave me the JROTC PT. Oh crap, on the marine PT I do not have a perfect score, I'll need to improve my pull-ups and my three mile. Also how much time do they give for pull-ups and crunches ? Is each one 2 minutes ?
 
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yes, only 2 minutes. and there is a prescribed rest period between each event that must be followed. Nothing wrong with practicing them individually for a while but eventually you'll need to start doing them all in sequence just as you would for the test. You would be surprised how much each previous exercise drains you for the next one in the sequence.

BTW, you don't need a perfect PFT score for the scholarship application, but obviously the closer you can get to perfect the better.
 
Don't sell yourself short on your leadership. Coaching, especially at the high level your students are competing, and being the COO of the expo teams are leadership roles. Also, you still have another whole year to build on that. While nothing is assured and there will be other amazing applicants competing for scholarships as well, it appears you are on the right path. Continue what you are doing, keep working on the PFT and nail the interview. Just a tip for the interview, practice, practice, practice before hand. Set up mock interviews with people experienced at interviewing if you can. Know what you want to say and get to your point. Don't ramble. Good luck!
 
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