Corps of Cadets Vs ROTC

NavyUMO

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2020
Messages
242
MY DS is looking to attend VA Tech on an ROTC scholarship. Excuse my naivety but he/I are unclear on the difference between the Corps of Cadets and ROTC? Can you be one/the other/both? Do you have to be Corps of Cadets to be ROTC? Can you be Corps of Cadets and not ROTC?
 
I have mentor who is currently at VA Tech for NROTC. Though she is considered a "Midshipman" in the Navy, at VA they use army ranks for some reason. But it is still ROTC and you will still receive a commission after graduation. That's just what I know based off of what I was told. Maybe someone who is actually there could help you answer your question even more?
 
Va Tech is an SMC (Senior Military College). If you join ROTC at Va Tech (regardless of the branch) you will become part of the Corp of Cadets. The Corp lives together, trains together, and to a certain degree simulate the environment that you would have if you attended West Point, USAFA, or USNA.

Va. Tech and Texas A&M are unique in that the Corp is but a small part of the larger school so there are opportunities for a "normal" college experience and a military school experience at the same time. You won't get that at the SA's, The Citadel or VMI. It will though be far more structured than a typical ROTC program at Big State U.

I would recommend you try to visit the campus if they allow it. Va Tech has recently built new dorms for the Corp that are very nice and it's a good way to see if you like the balance they try to strike between a military school and a normal college experience. In a normal year, they also do a spend the night with the Corp program but that will likely not happen this admissions cycle.
 
If in ROTC, then usually you MUST be a member of the Corp of Cadets. A student can choose to participate in the Corp (ie: Texas A&M band members are ALL Corp because they are in band) but not in ROTC.
 
@NavyUMO - this link may help clarify the Corps of Cadets for you, VA Tech explains their process fairly well: https://vtcc.vt.edu/join.html

Basically, there are two tracks - ROTC and Citizen-Soldier. To do either one, you must be in the Corps, but you don't have to be in ROTC to be attached to the Corps. Technically you could be both, if you started in citizen-soldier but then later contracted with ROTC or left ROTC but still wanted to be part of the Corps.

**Small pet peeve - the term is "Corps," not Corp.**
 
You do not have to be in ROTC to be in the Corps at VTech. You would be in the VPI program. This program is for students that want the real structure of what the Corps provides and all the leadership that comes with it. But if you are in ROTC you MUST be in the CORPS if you are at VTech.
 
Back
Top