MIT/Harvard Unreachable?

T

theagentofchaos

5-Year Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
Messages
55
Hello, everyone! Hope you are all having a nice winter.
I'm very happy to report that I received notification from DODMERB this week, and I'm good to go! Qualified Unrestricted Line; no waivers required, childhood asthma be darned :shake:
However, I'm running into a bit of an issue that I'm hoping anyone who may have experience with the MIT/Harvard/Tufts NROTC battalion can comment on.
After being awarded the scholarship, I was told to keep the battalion updated on my progress with DODMERB, but so far, I've found the individual I'm supposed to contact to be unreachable. I called the battalion itself initially, and after speaking to two of his co-workers (and being told that he was the one I must update; not them), I sent him an email and left a message on his office phone (no other contact info was given). I heard nothing in reply for a couple of weeks, and when I got in touch with someone manning his desk at one point and was given a specific time window in which to call, I did so. Still, no one ever picked up. Weeks passed with no response. Then, quite suddenly (last week, in fact), I got an email from him, addressed to "all NROTC candidates", asking us to specify which college we had applied to (Harvard, Tufts or MIT). I replied that same night, as I had heard that the Harvard admissions board was meeting that week, and figured that, if he had to say anything on my behalf, I would certainly not want to inhibit his doing so. But, again, I've heard nothing else. Tried calling his office yet again, at several different times during the day- nothing. I know I'm supposed to update him on my DODMERB status, but at this point, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do so.

I'm probably just being overly concerned about this (and certainly feeling the stress of awaiting a decision on the Harvard application next week!), but I am a bit worried that I'll be unable to confirm an acceptance if the lines of communication remain this unusable. Harvard is my first choice, and I want to commit to it as soon as possible if given the privilege of acceptance. Does anyone know how I might navigate this situation?
Thank you in advance!
 
I actually don't think you have an issue.

You already have the NROTC scholarship award, so the updating of the Harvard/Tufts/MIT Battalion is really just a courtesy.

However, what you can do on your own to possibly improve your chances in Admissions is to check out the press releases of Harvard's re-formalizing the relationship with NROTC. Then find the names of the Harvard people involved, reach out to them, and see if those Harvard officials might call admissions on your behalf. This is a VERY high profile new arrangment between DOD and Harvard (after the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy was removed), and it does no good to either side to have NROTC formally back on campus, scholarships for use at Harvard awarded, and the scholarship winners not able to get through Harvard admissions.
 
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If you are DODMERB qualified, NROTC will be able to see it so I wouldn't worry about having to keep them updated. NROTC has never had any say in Harvard admissions so I wouldn't stress about that timing either. Admissions is need blind and their endowment is so huge that if you get in, it will be affordable. You have until May 1 to accept so you have plenty of time to figure everything out.
Keep in mind that Harvard is in Reading Period right now and NROTC isn't meeting so you may not hear from them during this "off time". It doesn't start up again until after Intercession in late January so don't panic if nothing happens in the next month with that Unit.
Good luck with SCEA. Hope to hear some good news from you.
 
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