JROTC question?

A

arbella13

New Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
9
Hi everyone,
My son, currently in 10th grade, is getting prepared to apply to all Service Academies. USMA is the top preference.
His school does not offer JROTC. He reached out to the few schools in Massachusetts that offer JROTC and was told that he needs to live in their respective school districts. He found summer JROTC Camps, however they are expensive and will keep him off summer shooting competitions at Camp Perry. My question is how much weight a JORTC carry on service academy application package?
I also overheard a conversation that a JROTC mentor nomination can replace a congressional appointment.
I would really appreciate you you folks can share your thoughts on this subject.

Thank you in advance for your time
Sincerely,
Jake
 
JROTC is certainly not necessary. Think I have read that only about 15% of service academy students did JROTC. And just being in JROTC doesn’t hold much value. However, it does offer leadership opportunities and chance to be a member of several competition teams. I think the size and quality of the JROTC unit makes a difference. My DS got a lot out of it, but our NJROTC unit is very large and successful. Judging from some of the ROTC units that we compete against, I would say that many units are not worth joining.

There are many other ways to get leadership experience through things such as sports or student government. JROTC can be great, but its just one activity.

Don’t forget about grades. Without grades and SATs nothing else will get you into a service academy. Even if you’re the number one high school quarterback recruit in country, grades will still matter.

P.S. - If my DS spent all the time he has devoted to NJROTC studying and tutoring in math instead, he would probably be in a better position today. But I’m sure he has enjoyed NJROTC a lot more than studying math.
 
To the nomination question, yes, each Detachment has 3 nominations available. Not positive on the number. Non-Army JROTC units with honor designation can cross service nominate as well. This pool also has college ROTC units that can nominate. All these nominations get combined and compete for 20 slots. It's MUCH more competitive than any MOC nomination.
 
Please do not stress getting your child into a high school with JROTC. Most kids who go to a Service Academy have not done that. Focus on Scouts or Boys State as a better way to demonstrate leadership. Participation in & Leadership of a sports team or a club or both. For nominations the two senators and the congressmen and the VP are stronger sources/more reliable sources. We don’t see the JROTC nominations reported and that might be a good question for the Nominations forum.
 
If my child asked this question my advice would be to get really good at one sport as opposed to putting their time into chasing a jrotc experience.

Shooting competitive shooting could well be what puts yours over the top. Add in football or cross country etc to show another type of sport.

Leadership and sports can make a difference. Being active in sports is almost mandatory
 
NJROTC-CC said:
P.S. - If my DS spent all the time he has devoted to NJROTC studying and tutoring in math instead, he would probably be in a better position today. But I’m sure he has enjoyed NJROTC a lot more than studying math.
Click to expand...
:cool:
 
Not required, to be sure, but it IS a source of a nomination, which is handy, and it does offer real leadership opportunities that other activities do not. DD was commander of unit, and receipt of several national awards put her name in front of MOC which helped garner that nomination as well. It was very busy, and with IB academics etc., if you can handle the load, it bodes well for time management in college, or at SA. Don't dismiss it out of hand.
 
Your son should seek out other opportunities for leadership if JROTC is not available at his school. Going to any JROTC summer camps will not enhance his application if he is not in an actual JROTC unit where he can be assigned leadership positions during the school year. JROTC is just one avenue to demonstrate leadership qualities. As noted above, being a sports team captain, an Eagle scout, or participating in the Boys State and Nation events also are very positive on an application.

The one benefit of JROTC is the Senior Army Instructor for the unit has the ability to submit a nomination for one of his/her cadets, as long as the JROTC unit is an honor unit with distinction. The nomination is automatically accepted by admissions if the paperwork is submitted as required. My son got a JROTC nomination as one of his noms.
 
thecmp.org

National Matches - Civilian Marksmanship Program

About the National Matches Registration for the 2026 National Matches will open on March 1st. Stay tuned for additional details. The National Matches are open to the public and have offered a wide range of events and matches since 1907. Held annually at Camp Perry, the National Matches include...
thecmp.org thecmp.org

success in this type of sport can make a difference as far as admissions. It’s something that sets him apart.

Good Luck this summer
 
arbella13 said:
Hi everyone,
My son, currently in 10th grade, is getting prepared to apply to all Service Academies. USMA is the top preference.
His school does not offer JROTC. He reached out to the few schools in Massachusetts that offer JROTC and was told that he needs to live in their respective school districts. He found summer JROTC Camps, however they are expensive and will keep him off summer shooting competitions at Camp Perry. My question is how much weight a JORTC carry on service academy application package?
I also overheard a conversation that a JROTC mentor nomination can replace a congressional appointment.
I would really appreciate you you folks can share your thoughts on this subject.

Thank you in advance for your time
Sincerely,
Jake
Click to expand...
While finding another source of nominations is always desirable, you should not be overly concerned about not having a JROTC nomination available to your son. For many (and probably most) candidates, nomination sources are limited to their members of Congress (2 Senators and 1 Congressional Representative) and the VP, the recipient of which is actually determined by the Service Academies as all candidates should apply for same. As a 10th grader, it is good your son (and you) are aware of the need for a nomination and considering potential sources. If your son has/had a parent who served, that can be another source for a nomination. Again, you should not be overly concerned if that is not an available source in your son's circumstance. The key is putting together a competitive application for the members of congress from whom a nomination is sought - high grades, strong standardized test (SAT or ACT) scores, excellent extra-curricular leadership, very strong recommendations (if sought and they usually are sought). One option that exists - not a source for nomination but may carry weight with a MOC nominating panel - is Civil Air Patrol. As a 10th grader, your son may be a little late to the game - but not necessarily irretrievably. Good luck.
 
dddad said:
If your son has/had a parent who served, that can be another source for a nomination.
Click to expand...
Please note those noms for parents who served are the Presidential Nominations and they are for children of career military
both active and reserve. The typical veteran who served 5 or 6 years does not qualify for it other than a small number of
combat wounded disabled or deceased vets.
 
arbella13 said:
Hi everyone,
My son, currently in 10th grade, is getting prepared to apply to all Service Academies. USMA is the top preference.
His school does not offer JROTC. He reached out to the few schools in Massachusetts that offer JROTC and was told that he needs to live in their respective school districts. He found summer JROTC Camps, however they are expensive and will keep him off summer shooting competitions at Camp Perry. My question is how much weight a JORTC carry on service academy application package?
I also overheard a conversation that a JROTC mentor nomination can replace a congressional appointment.
I would really appreciate you you folks can share your thoughts on this subject.

Thank you in advance for your time
Sincerely,
Jake
Click to expand...
DS was in JROTC all four years became Battalion Commander and did receive a nomination from his Senior Army Instructor which was a nice fall back in case he didn't receive a congressional ( which he did) but the JROTC nomination was the only one that showed up in his portal. DS felt since he was never a varsity captain the leadership from JROTC really helped his application.
 
DS is XO of one of the perpetual top 5 NJROTC units in the country. 200+ cadets and many state and national championships. He has gotten a lot of leadership experience. In my opinion, way more than a sports team captain would get. The downside is that he is at Drill, Academic, Orienteering and Athletic practices five days a week every day after school, all year round. It is all-consuming. The NSI’s want to win every competition. One of them complained to me the other day that DS doesn’t spend his lunch hour in the NROTC room. They want it all. And he has delivered with a third consecutive first place regional drill meet yesterday. Will another national title really help him at this point? I know another 100 pts on his math SAT sure would.

I just think they have taken too much out of his time. But it is his thing.
 
Last edited:
For class of 2025 at USMA, 179 out of 1,214 plebes participated in JROTC. So not a detriment to getting admitted If not able to participate in JROTC. As stated above work on leadership in areas available to you. Good luck to your son in seeking SA admission.
 
Thank you very much for the input. I will share this my son. Good reinforcement to concentrate on GPA,SAT, shooting, volunteering ( he is trying to get on a competitive summer volunteering program at local medical center).
Basically, the hard work and dedication.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top