Do I still have a shot?

[Ltheriault13]

I'm going to admit that I dropped the ball during the first half of High School and it took me a while to kill bad work habits that damaged my GPA. There's very stark and marked improvement, but my GPA is still terrible.

Applying to Army ROTC

SAT 2140
ACT 31
GPA 2.6 uw (A 2.7 now, but I just got the grades from this semester and have yet to update them)
Mostly all Honors classes or AP (4 AP classes with updated transcripts)
3 Different languages at the Honors level
2 years wrestling, 4 years football(1 Varsity letter)
President of Model UN
Member of Speech and Debate
Boy's State Delegate
Fitness Test: 51 pushups, 46 situps, 7:16 mile

The two primary schools I have applied to are Fordham and Hofstra. I've gotten into the former already and should know about the latter by the end of the month.

My test scores have been my saving grace so far, but I want to know if my GPA will kill my chances. I had heard from a family friend who had talked with someone they knew who was involved in the selection process about his own son, and they had said that they primarily look at test scores over GPA as an indicator. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, so I figured I would ask people that have been selected to see if I still have a shot.

 

[clarksonarmy]

Sure...you have a shot.

 

[Pima]

I agree you have a shot, probably better for a on campus scholarship.

I have a question, I know for AFROTC there is a pure formula. The cgpa is part of that formula. The reasons behind why the low cgpa are not part of the equation.

For AFROTC it is 60% PAR (cgpa, class rank, curriculum rigor, and SAT/ACT). The interview is part of the 20%, but only a part, where other things are added in like recs. from teachers.

Does AROTC follow a formula like this?

I also know AROTC is like AFROTC where they can offer an on campus scholarship, which for some applicants like the OP this is where they can for lack of better terms can offset the AFROTC selection criteria for candidates just like him. They get he didn't get the importance of academics his freshman yr., or maybe had adjustment issues, but has shown great academic progression every yr.

I.E. he has a 2.6 uw, mathematically assume:
2.0 fresh --- all Cs
2.6 soph ---Bs and Cs,
3.2 junior --- As and Bs

That would be a 2.6 uwcgpa. However, they would also see he had a very rigorous curriculum compared to the kid with a 3.6, no APs and a 1200 SAT/27 ACT. His SAT/ACT illustrates academically from a national selection perspective he has the foundation to be successful in college compared to the other candidate. Colleges know HS grades vary school to school, district to district, state to state. SAT/ACTs scores don't!

OP as with others asking chances, the fact is it is going to come to the quality of the pool and the size of it. If these schools are safeties for many and are IS, you may find that the scholarship will not be offered because they had candidates with higher cgpas, and they only can offer X amt. of scholarships. When they offer the scholarship, they do so with the belief that it will be accepted, or at the very least a certain % will accept it. They do not know if the candidate placed it on their list as their safety, match or reach, they only know they said they would take that school.