Guidlines on how to get a ROTC scholarship

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donsauga

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HELP PLEEAASE! I sort of have a clue but the counselors at my school are completely no help, and I can't really ask military "people" yet. Any clues? 11th grade is almost over!
 
donsauga said:
HELP PLEEAASE! I sort of have a clue but the counselors at my school are completely no help, and I can't really ask military "people" yet. Any clues? 11th grade is almost over!
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which service do you want a scholarship for? i just went through the process of applying for a NROTC scholarship for fall 2008, myself.
 
Antoinette said:
Try looking at these websites:

http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/
https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/
http://www.afrotc.com/scholarships/

Also try searching http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27
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Donsauga- Each of these services has a different procedure- and some are a lot more centralized than others.The links that Antoinette posted above were good for the Army and tell you pretty much all you need to know. I don't know about the AF- but the Navy and Marine Corps is pretty much a completely centralized decision process - I believe that they have centralized boards that make the offers- not necessarily the school ROTC detachment.
The Army is almost completely the opposite-you are sending your paperwork into Cadet Command which makes sure you meet all of the requirements and does most of the "administrivia" but the decision to offer is made at each school. The Army is giving away a lot of scholarship $$ right now for some obvious reasons (read the newspaper for more on that). My niece is on an Army scholarship in Chicago and my son is going to VMI on an Army scholarship. While I'm positive that my niece would have received a scholarship based just on her record- but I'm certain that my son got offered mostly on the strength of really good SAT scores and really good PT scores combined with his interview, as his HS grades were just in the OK column (varsity athlete who worked when he felt like it and slacked off if he wasn't interested- not so unusual but also doesn't exactly set you apart from the mass of your peers!).
The links that Antoinette posted above were good for the Army and tell you pretty much all you need to know. My advice to you would be to get your application rolling as soon as Junior year is up as many of these schools have multiple boards. In addition- I would suggest contact the recruiting officer at the ROTC detachments at the schools that you are interested in attending- which you can also find on the web site. Two suggestions of things that you can do in prep: first- arrange for a number of practice interviews with multiple different people- not your parents- so that you are comfortable in an interview setting; can give a reasonable explanation of why you want to be in the Army; what your leadership potential and experience is and will give them a good feel for who you are. You would be amazed at how many kids have a hard time with interview skills - but practice will definitely help you separate yourself from your peers. Finally- on your own you can work on your PT test events to try and get as close to a max score as you can. You can't go back and change your previous 3 years of high school- but you can definitely demonstrate that you are serious and a hard worker by "studding out" on your PT test. Again- this will carry a lot of weight and will help you to stand out from the pack.
Last bit of advice- keep a copy of everything that gets submitted and be prepared to follow up and resubmit, refax etc... as needed - you will be amazed at how many times things seem to get lost in the shuffle and while eventually they get found- if a document isn't there when a board meets- you"re out of luck for that board. So- be a polite but persistent pest on your own behalf and make sure that things not only got sent but got received and documented (this is true for your college application process as well).
Good luck!
 
NROTC scholarship help

Here are a few previous posts that may be helpful:

http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=2423.

The Navy is looking for recommendations from you counselor, math and English teachers which will indicate your personal commitment to getting a good education. (Speak with those 11th grade teachers before you submit their names and email addresses.) Your activities should also indicate those characteristics as well as your leadership. Your essays will give you an opportunity to exemplify your courage, honor, and commitment. Be honest and sincere.

If you have begun the application, you will be on your recruiter's radar. Do your essays offline and perfect them before posting them online. There is a previous posting on this forum about conquering the "word count" so that you are not frustrated when putting your essays online.

Before submitting the application, proofread, proofread, proofread!

The SAT minimum requirement guidelines on the NROTC website are relatively low. Don't settle for low SAT scores. Shoot for those 600s or higher!

If you get everything done and have your interview by August or early September, you will be in the first rounds of review boards. Practice for and dress appropriately for your interview.

Think carefully about your list of colleges. I would suggest that you put a college that you feel you can get into and be happy at at the top of the list. But, I wouldn't make your "safe" school your #1 listing. The scholarship might be awarded before you get accepted to your schools--they are two different processes. [Remember that there is a possibility that you can switch your scholarship to another one on your list if you are assigned to a school you have decided is not right for you.]

If you have more questions, ask away, or you may pm me.

Good luck, and don't give up!
 
inthenavy-- You mention having an interview in august or september-- when does an applicant begin the process of applying for a scholarship?
 
IrishDancer said:
inthenavy-- You mention having an interview in august or september-- when does an applicant begin the process of applying for a scholarship?
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The NROTC website currently says "Check back periodically for dates to apply for the 2009 Scholarship Year." If I recall, I think the application opened in April. Because my son had started his application then, he was on the recruiter's radar. The recruiter wanted to interview him in July; but, he told him his essays weren't ready. The recruiter told him to take his time and do a good job on the essays, and that the final deadline

By the beginning of August, the recruiter told my son to pick one of two dates he gave him for an interview and told him to have his application complete. Although he knew the deadline wasn't until some time in February, he pushed himself to get the essays done and submit the application by his interview in August.

It was at the interview session that the recruiter basically told him that the earlier the application is in, the better the chances. The recruiter was a good one. If the transcript or teacher recommendation wasn't submitted online, he went directly to the school and spoke with my son's counselor. Everything was done by early September.

I think the first review boards meet in October and meet once or twice a month. My son was awarded his scholarship by early December.

So, get started as soon as the application is available. https://www.nrotc.navy.mil.

Summer is a great time to work on essays before you start applying to colleges with ROTC programs. Some of those essays may be helpful in preparing college essays. Some might be helpful if you are applying to an Academy or requesting nominations from MOCS for Academies. (You don't need a nomination from a member of Congress for NROTC.)

Keep in mind that military branches other than the Navy have their own scholarship procedures. If I remember correctly from what my son told me, there are about 1200 NROTC scholarships offered yearly, about the same number as appointments to USNA--but, don't quote me on that.

Good luck!
 
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