College re-applicant for 4 year

[A6E Dad]

What is the general advice for candidates re-applying for the 4 year scholarship as a college freshman?

I know that it is usually advantageous to complete the app as soon as possible to get into the early boards. But is that the best plan for a re-applicant? Or is it better to spend the time to try to improve whatever might have been lacking, and submit later in the cycle?

Improving test scores is an obvious opportunity. But it's difficult to get strong letters of recommendation from college professors this early, November is more likely. Same goes for letter of rec from NROTC CO, or officer instructors. In addition, submitting a bit a later allows for greater participation and leadership opportunities (ROTC, clubs, etc) and an essay that speaks to growth in college.

Lastly, will college re-applicants be reviewed before first semester grades are available? If not, then it doesn't seem to make sense to rush it. I recall seeing a thread about this a few months ago, and it sounded like there was a pending policy change? And how does this relate to the 30 credit limit? For example, as soon as grades are released (and the semester is complete) then the total credits earned might be over 30 based on AP credits from high school. It's not really clear whether those AP credits count against the 30 credit max for the 4 year scholarship. Haven't found a really clear answer on that after searching through this site and the nrotc site. Whatever the answer, it's a national policy not specific to the unit.

Appreciate any info from those in the know, thanks

 

[A6E Dad]

Just found this on the navy.mil site:

<Students with 30 or more semester hours or students with 45 or more quarter hours of college credit upon submission of the online application are not eligible for the Navy ROTC National Scholarship. It is recommended that these students contact the Professors of Naval Science at the Host University's Navy ROTC Unit to discuss other scholarship opportunities.

• College credits do not count until an applicant has graduated high school and completed a term of college; then all college credits earned (prior to and after high school graduation) count towards the eligibility requirements.
• If you are a high school graduate and complete a term of college prior to submitting your application, all college credits earned (in high school and in college) are counted towards the credit limit.
• If you are a high school graduate and are enrolled in college, all college credits anticipated to be earned by June of the application year (defined as April to January) will count towards the credit limit.>

The way I read this, if someone has 15 AP credits from HS, and then earns 15 credits during fall semester, he/she would need to submit the application BEFORE the end of the semester, or else would be ineligible.
In that case, academic performance in college will NOT be considered by the Board. Is that correct?

 

[kinnem]

Don't worry about credits. The real reason for that restriction is that they expect you to attend college for a full four years. They have changed things so that NROTC freshman are expected to re-apply for the 4 year scholarship. I do not believe that they will look at re-applicants until after the first semester is complete and grades are in. In any case your son should follow the guidance of the NROTC cadre in submitting his new application. He's not in this alone and I'm sure they can be very helpful.

 

[A6E Dad]

Thanks. I understand what you are saying, but it seems to conflict with what is posted on the navy.mil site about eligibility. I guess it's also possible that there is a new policy and the website isn't up to date. That's why I was asking the experts here.
Totally agree with you about asking locally with the Unit, and that is being done. Individual units might have different interpretations though, which is why I was looking for info here.

This is the July '17 post from NavyNola that prompted the question. Copied here since it is relevant:

<I figured this issue would pop up on here soon enough.....

NSTC/OD is playing with the idea of making some changes to the way Navy option 4-year National applications from COLLEGE FRESHMEN ONLY are handled. There is a potential that college program freshmen applying for the scholarship will not be boarded until they have completed their first semester of college and final grades are in; college professor recommendations would also be desired vice high school professors. This proposed change has only recently made it down to the units and is the topic of debate. Also under the proposal is the caveat that incoming College Program freshmen who submit their completed application (including officer interview) prior to checking into their NROTC units would be excluded from the one semester holdup.

I'm sure many of you will have many questions about the above. I have many questions and concerns myself, and they're currently being discussed at many levels. For now, the best advice I can give you is to follow the guidance of the staff at your future NROTC unit, as they will best know your path to a scholarship. If the officer at your unit told you August, then listen to that guidance.

More to follow when it's available. There's a conference taking place next week where this is sure to be a topic of conversation.>​

 

[kinnem]

Right. I'm familiar with that post which is why the bottom line of my own suggestion was to speak with the staff at the unit, just as NavyNOLA advised. Good luck. Please keep us posted on the endeavor.

 

[LMHIT]

DS unit told him only new PT and Officer interview from college. All recommendations, grades, etc. from high school. Told him to include current unit involvement with drill team, etc. He is working with Lt to submit by the end of the month.

 

[NavyNOLA]

As of now, NSTC will not review any Navy 4-Year National scholarships apps from College Program reapplicants until after 1st semester grades are available/submitted. This is a change from last year. The only exception is reapplicants who submitted their applications and completed their interviews prior to reporting to their units.

With regard to your previous questions, the 4-year scholarship is almost entirely high school focused. I advise all of my reapplicants to use recommendation letters from junior/senior year HS teachers; many first semester freshman college classes are huge and the professor will not get to know your son/daughter that well. With regard to test scores, new SAT/ACT scores can be submitted after the application is submitted to bolster your package, so there's really no point in waiting due to that. As far as the CO/officer interview (ideally done by your unit's CO), it's an interview to judge potential, not a recommendation letter to evaluate performance, so length of time in the unit should not limit one's ability to get a positive recommendation.

For the credit concern, as long as you click submit on the application button prior to completing your first semester, then it doesn't matter how many AP/dual enrollment credits you have. You can have over 30 and it wouldn't matter. Until you complete a semester of college, they don't count. So, get your application in prior to the first semester ending. I understand the wording is a bit confusing.

 

[A6E Dad]

Thanks very much for the info.
DS has had his first meeting with his NROTC advisor and these questions weren't answered, has scheduled a follow up. He already re-took the ACT and improved quite a bit.

The unit that DS is at is only in its second year, and I'm sure they have a lot of new people who might not have all the gouge, so info from this site is much appreciated

 

[JaxNavyMom111]

As of now, NSTC will not review any Navy 4-Year National scholarships apps from College Program reapplicants until after 1st semester grades are available/submitted. This is a change from last year. The only exception is reapplicants who submitted their applications and completed their interviews prior to reporting to their units.

With regard to your previous questions, the 4-year scholarship is almost entirely high school focused. I advise all of my reapplicants to use recommendation letters from junior/senior year HS teachers; many first semester freshman college classes are huge and the professor will not get to know your son/daughter that well. With regard to test scores, new SAT/ACT scores can be submitted after the application is submitted to bolster your package, so there's really no point in waiting due to that. As far as the CO/officer interview (ideally done by your unit's CO), it's an interview to judge potential, not a recommendation letter to evaluate performance, so length of time in the unit should not limit one's ability to get a positive recommendation.

For the credit concern, as long as you click submit on the application button prior to completing your first semester, then it doesn't matter how many AP/dual enrollment credits you have. You can have over 30 and it wouldn't matter. Until you complete a semester of college, they don't count. So, get your application in prior to the first semester ending. I understand the wording is a bit confusing.

This is exactly what my DD was told. They said that you had to keep asking and they wanted to get them in front of the Boards ASAP even though they had started college. They said with the military, you have to keep asking, asking, asking. She is reapplying for the 4 year with a recommendation from her CO at VTCC. They still consider her HS record until her first semester grades are in.