Moral Delimma and when to Give up Scholarship AROTC v NROTC

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militarymomcpg

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My DS received 4 year scholarships for both AROTC and NROTC. He thinks his first choice would still be an appointment to West Point (which he has not received but he is 3Qd with a nom) and he thinks he prefers the Army branch in general to Navy. As it stands, if he does not get an appointment there are three schools he is considering, two of which he has already been accepted to and one where he is currently deferred but has been told he has a very good chance of getting into in late March. The NROTC scholarship is placed at one of the schools where he has been accepted and the AROTC scholarship is placed at the school where he is deferred. He received a call (or a message rather because he did not take the call at the time)from the Navy officer at the school where he was accepted welcoming him and congratulating him. His instinct is to call the guy back and tell him that he will be giving up the scholarship even though he may ultimately choose to attend that school. His father and I have told him that he should not give anything up until he knows all his options. Even though he seems very sure he prefers Army (as a branch) to Navy, we have no idea how easy it would be to transfer his AROTC scholarship and, he does not want to consider moving it until he finds out if he will be accepted to the school where that scholarship is currently placed. Understandably, he feels like it is wrong to hold on to both when he cannot use them both but until he knows exactly what all his options are it seems like the smart thing to do. We advised him just to be honest and explain that he has not made up his mind yet because he is still waiting to hear from a couple of schools. Is that wrong? He worked hard to earn these scholarships and it just seems like he has the right to hold on to them until he can properly weigh all options with full information.
 
There is no moral dilemma or rush. Each program gives the recipients until a certain date to decide. That time is his, as he has earned these opportunities and the right to take whatever time is allotted to make the decision. Many, many students are in this position this time of year. It is great to have options!
 
Absolutely wait. One thing you could do is search this thread and actually show him all the results and advice to wait. I understand his thought process, that it seems wrong. It isnt. ROTC/academy appointments all have these contingencies built into their offerings formula. They have YEARS of statistical analysis gathered and are pretty darn good at this. They know about how many will decline, etc. this is not something new or unique. These wonderfully qualified kids often receive the amazing opportunity to make this choice. Think about it like a DR’s office appointment. They over book because of a certain amount of no-shows. Or airline bookings.

Additionally, ROTC knows what to do with those scholarships turned down. They aren’t wasted. Some deserving person will ultimately benefit. And yes it makes sense for an Officer to reach out as they are still recruiting him to come.

DS was in the exact situation with AFROTC, NROTC, and also appointments. He also had the same thoughts as your son. For a minute. Until he looked at it from the point that it’s not wasted. And they are his to decide what to do with. Once DS decided for sure his choice (USNA), he still waited to decline ROTC. The thought behind that was that something can happen and you end up not making it to taking the oath on IDay. And until your hand is raised, and you say I DO, it’s not a done deal. DS’s roommate ended up being turned away during day one Bc an old (reported and cleared) injury hadn’t healed to the satisfaction of medical on IDay. So it does happen (my guess in this situation, the person would clear ROTC). There is no need at all to decline now and it’s actually not strategically smart to do so. You are correct, IMO, to advise him against declining now.

Congrats to your son!
 
And actually, regarding academies, you have until I Day to decide. You can accept ROTC scholarships and then they are automatically null once you report to an academy.
 
militarymomcpg said:
My DS received 4 year scholarships for both AROTC and NROTC. He thinks his first choice would still be an appointment to West Point (which he has not received but he is 3Qd with a nom) and he thinks he prefers the Army branch in general to Navy. As it stands, if he does not get an appointment there are three schools he is considering, two of which he has already been accepted to and one where he is currently deferred but has been told he has a very good chance of getting into in late March. The NROTC scholarship is placed at one of the schools where he has been accepted and the AROTC scholarship is placed at the school where he is deferred. He received a call (or a message rather because he did not take the call at the time)from the Navy officer at the school where he was accepted welcoming him and congratulating him. His instinct is to call the guy back and tell him that he will be giving up the scholarship even though he may ultimately choose to attend that school. His father and I have told him that he should not give anything up until he knows all his options. Even though he seems very sure he prefers Army (as a branch) to Navy, we have no idea how easy it would be to transfer his AROTC scholarship and, he does not want to consider moving it until he finds out if he will be accepted to the school where that scholarship is currently placed. Understandably, he feels like it is wrong to hold on to both when he cannot use them both but until he knows exactly what all his options are it seems like the smart thing to do. We advised him just to be honest and explain that he has not made up his mind yet because he is still waiting to hear from a couple of schools. Is that wrong? He worked hard to earn these scholarships and it just seems like he has the right to hold on to them until he can properly weigh all options with full information.
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First, congrats to your son and family! We are in a similar boat, but not identical. I will share our approach. Narrow it down to the top 3, and get boots on ground in the next 3 weeks, in order to make a decision within the AROTC timeframe. We had visited the schools, but now we intend to go back on-site, spend a shadow day/ night with each Battalion /school, on a day they have a full battalion meeting, work out with them/ hang out with them, and then hopefully see which group he feels the most "home" at, then make a decision. I'm also hoping at least 1 or 2 of the schools elevate or eliminate themselves for whatever reason. While DS is with the battalion/ shadow cadet, I intend to meet with the academic advisor/ department to confirm things like which AP courses he'll get credit for, review the course curriculum, and meet them, too - maybe we can sit in on a couple of classes.

After all that, and the DODMERB results are in, I think would be a good time to let folks know which options he will not take.

We are having similar conversations in our house, as we've developed relationships with ROOs at schools and he wants to treat them with respect, not jerk them around, and be able to look them in the eye if he say chooses Army but the AFROTC ROO was awesome to him, when they pass each other in the next four years - he like your DS wants to be respectful. It's great your DS is that conscientious.

I'm thinking this approach will clarify the options, and until crystal clear on choice, I would not give up the scholarships yet.

Hope that helps.
 
There is no moral dilemma here. While those who havent received scholarships yet would love for all the scholarships that are going to be declined to be declined immediately, you have earned these scholarhsips fair and square and you have the right to take your time and decide what you want to do. This isnt like deciding if you want to go to Fishing Summer Camp or Golf Summer camp. Your decision will dictate the direction your life will go for the next 20 years. For those waiting for Academy decisions, holding on is even more important although honestly, i would accept the scholarship and then notify Rotc that you are going to attend the academy when and if that happens.
 
Humey said:
honestly, i would accept the scholarship and then notify Rotc that you are going to attend the academy when and if that happens.
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After getting info from a PMS, this is the recommended way to go about making a decision. The ROTC scholarship has a shorter time period and should be accepted just in case something goes wrong with the academies. You can then make your rejection of the scholarship known later. If you decide to go to an academy, they won’t hold this against you. This is a great honor.
 
Good Morning, and I agree with all the advice you have received already. The advice that I offer when asked is that you absolutely TAKE the scholarship, as you can change your mind later on that decision. Failure to claim the scholarship now eliminates a choice later. (I also make it a point to tell prospects to choose schools where they would be willing to take the scholarship from the beginning, and then like you are doing, keep refining the choices. I highlight the school-offered options for Study Abroad as a way to differentiate the choices, as well as the quality of majors, environment, food, dorms, etc.) In recent years, timely requests to transfer Army ROTC Scholarships to other schools have been largely granted, though I always encourage offering a compelling reason to ask - such as how much better an Officer would come out of that amazing program over there. Just to restate something mentioned above, once a Cadet signs in on Induction day, the scholarship is rescinded. That is a profound choice to make. The Academies are Awesome Places to graduate from, but less Awesome to walk away from. Have him do some soul-searching about "his" reasons to attend an Academy, and he is less susceptible to doubts and eroding ambition. Good Luck, Great Set of Choices, and Thanks for a Family that Serves!
 
We are in a very similar position. DS is 3Q with nomination to USMA and USAFA (not 3Q there, but potential pilot qualified, I know officially 3Q is a USMA thing). He was awarded 4 year AROTC to his top choice non-SA school. Since he hasn't been appointed to an academy yet, he is hanging onto the scholarship until he knows if he receives an appointment. I think, but could be wrong, but I think his order of choice is USMA, ROTC, USAFA. He hasn't pulled his USAFA application, though, because he's keeping his options open for now. I think I am more impatient with the whole process than he is and wish we could just make a decision and move on to enjoying senior year! :D
 
kinnem said:
militarymomcpg said:
Thank you all for your wonderful advice. I will have him read all of this. Sometimes it is easier to hear it from someone other than your parents:)
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Ain't that the truth! And I agree with others.... there is no rush.
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Following these forums for some time. Have a quick question, as I'm unsure re: the acceptance time frame. DS received 3 year scholarship through AROTC. Very proud. Deadline for acceptance is 2/24/19. He received scholarship to his #1 school (Univ South Carolina). As most, he's also waiting on NROTC/MO results. Contacted by NROTC ROO, telling him he will be recommended very favorably during next Board review. Made it clear he can't release results until authorized. Question: can he accept the AROTC scholarship, as directed...AND, wait for the NROTC results, if they fall outside the timeframe of that window? Clearly, he can't risk the sure-thing in favor of a possible outcome. Does accepting the AROTC scholarship eliminate him from the NROTC/MO process?
 
Accept the AROTC scholarship now. AROTC and NROTC/MO do not talk. In other words it does not eliminate him for the NROTC/MO
 
I understand the competitive nature between branches. The NROTC/MO ROO appeared to suggest acceptance would eliminate him from the NROTC process. Asked him to hold off on acceptance until the deadline approaches. Clearly, I can't and won't speculate on the motivation for that suggestion. All sides of this process have been fantastic. We'd be proud and humbled, no matter which branch DS chooses, if given the option.
 
CTROTC said:
I understand the competitive nature between branches. The NROTC/MO ROO appeared to suggest acceptance would eliminate him from the NROTC process. Asked him to hold off on acceptance until the deadline approaches. Clearly, I can't and won't speculate on the motivation for that suggestion. All sides of this process have been fantastic. We'd be proud and humbled, no matter which branch DS chooses, if given the option.
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I expect the officer was mistaken or miscommunicated something. I've certainly heard of folks getting offers from both programs in the past.
 
DS received both. Accepted both. Ultimately let both know he chose USNA. But yes, one doesn’t preclude the other. Lots of people have had both. Or more.
 
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