My ROTC Dilemna

tonythetyger

5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
12
So, I was QQQ qualified for West Point but not appointed (maybe it was because I submitted my file in February!) :blowup:

At any rate, now I've been accepted to one of the top public schools in my state(with the exception of WP). At the same time, I'm also on the waitlist of a couple second tier private schools (which still outrank the public one.) My AROTC application is currently under review by the Mar 8th board.

My gut feeling is that I will get the scholarship and as well admission into at least one of my waitlist schools. The problem is that I have already set my mind (and paid $350) on the public school that was once my safety. My question is, if I were to go to said public school, accept the ROTC scholarship and decide to transfer to another school after a year, would I be able to transfer my scholarship as well?

Additionally, I have contacted the PMS at the public university that I intend to attend. Should I contact the battalions at my waitlist schools too or wait until my final admissions decisions come out first? :confused:

Thanks for reading.
 
Welcome,

Hang in there, the wait is almost over...
when you know what your options really are,
Then take a deep breath, and analyze your choices carefully.
You may be surprised but what you are offered.
This year is shaking out very odd... who knows what next.
BTW $350 vs scholarship = no contest

Transferring ROTC scholarships between schools is possible,
but don't rely on it. Pick a place you could stay at.

Some others will be chiming in here shortly,
it would be helpful to know your stats, schools and plans.
 
Transfer

The chances of you transferring your scholarship from a public to private school is very slim. Under the current budget constraints you will probably not be permitted to do this.
 
Actual Cost considered at all?

The chances of you transferring your scholarship from a public to private school is very slim. Under the current budget constraints you will probably not be permitted to do this.

Do you think the actual cost differential will be considered? Say the increase cost is only $6000 different opposed to $20,000. Guessing appreciated.
 
Do you think the actual cost differential will be considered? Say the increase cost is only $6000 different opposed to $20,000. Guessing appreciated.
Everything I have heard indicates that if the school you are transferring to is cheaper, you will have a better chance of the transfer being a success. And it goes the same for the other way
 
Would a transfer from NYU (Expensive, private) to UC Berkeley be more possible than a transfer from the University of Michigan (In-state for me, public) to UC Berkeley?

So basically what you guys are saying is that ROTC/college transfers after freshman year are not impossible, but the chances of bringing your scholarship with you are low?
 
Whether you are staying in the same brigade will have a factor too. MI to CA or NY will add another layer of challenge, as will cost. Tony...your gut feeling may tell you a scholarship is coming, but my gut feeling says no one should count on a scholarship this year. Find the school where you are going to be successful academically. See what they offer as a financial aid package, and start looking at things like the SMP program to help defray some of the cost.
 
Whether you are staying in the same brigade will have a factor too. MI to CA or NY will add another layer of challenge, as will cost. Tony...your gut feeling may tell you a scholarship is coming, but my gut feeling says no one should count on a scholarship this year. Find the school where you are going to be successful academically. See what they offer as a financial aid package, and start looking at things like the SMP program to help defray some of the cost.

Excellent advice. Tony, my own DS is still "in the hunt" and has alredy lined up a SMP plan with recruiters on his #1 schools campus(he wants to join there rather than home: weekend drill at school rather than 3 hours to home). Keep all options open you can and hope, like the rest of us, that the results release soon(like this week would be AMAZING).

Good luck with your decisions.
 
So, I was QQQ qualified for West Point but not appointed (maybe it was because I submitted my file in February!) :blowup:

At any rate, now I've been accepted to one of the top public schools in my state(with the exception of WP). At the same time, I'm also on the waitlist of a couple second tier private schools (which still outrank the public one.) My AROTC application is currently under review by the Mar 8th board.

My gut feeling is that I will get the scholarship and as well admission into at least one of my waitlist schools. The problem is that I have already set my mind (and paid $350) on the public school that was once my safety. My question is, if I were to go to said public school, accept the ROTC scholarship and decide to transfer to another school after a year, would I be able to transfer my scholarship as well?

Additionally, I have contacted the PMS at the public university that I intend to attend. Should I contact the battalions at my waitlist schools too or wait until my final admissions decisions come out first? :confused:

Thanks for reading.

tonythetyger,

In todays economy, all money counts. If the public university is a good school with a great ROTC program, then by all means go. Remember, this is an opportunity.

God Bless, Good luck,

RGK
 
If you are transferring from a higher cost school to a lower cost school, than the following guidelines apply:

Transferring within the battalion: very easy.
Transferring within the brigade: difficult but possible if you make a strong case.
Transferring between brigades: almost impossible. I have heard rumors that it has happened but I only have direct experience in denials in this situation. This probably requires congressional involvement or assistance from your aunt or uncle (GEN +).

If you are transferring from a lower cost school (even $1,000) to a higher cost school, than the following guidelines apply:

Transferring within the battalion: difficult but possible if you make a strong case and the funds are available
Transferring within the brigade: almost impossible. I only have direct experience in denials in this situation.
Transferring between brigades: I have never heard of this happening. You probably have a better chance of winning American Idol.
 
Thanks for the info, also

If you are transferring from a higher cost school to a lower cost school, than the following guidelines apply:

Transferring within the battalion: very easy.
Transferring within the brigade: difficult but possible if you make a strong case.
Transferring between brigades: almost impossible. I have heard rumors that it has happened but I only have direct experience in denials in this situation. This probably requires congressional involvement or assistance from your aunt or uncle (GEN +).

If you are transferring from a lower cost school (even $1,000) to a higher cost school, than the following guidelines apply:

Transferring within the battalion: difficult but possible if you make a strong case and the funds are available
Transferring within the brigade: almost impossible. I only have direct experience in denials in this situation.
Transferring between brigades: I have never heard of this happening. You probably have a better chance of winning American Idol.

Hockey playing DS tells me his linemate is coming your way. Wants to enroll in ROTC (I think DS has been a bit of an influence). They are in PE together and one of the requirements is to take 5 ARMY PT tests over the course of this semester. DS tells me that they ran with the PE teacher and can all talk and run a 13 minute 2 mile together. :biggrin:
 
Transfer

The chances of you transferring your scholarship from a public to private school is very slim. Under the current budget constraints you will probably not be permitted to do this.
What about swapped? Going form a private school (Embry Riddle) to a public one (Virginia Tech)
 
Thanks for the info, also

If you are transferring from a higher cost school to a lower cost school, than the following guidelines apply:

Transferring within the battalion: very easy.
Transferring within the brigade: difficult but possible if you make a strong case.
Transferring between brigades: almost impossible. I have heard rumors that it has happened but I only have direct experience in denials in this situation. This probably requires congressional involvement or assistance from your aunt or uncle (GEN +).

If you are transferring from a lower cost school (even $1,000) to a higher cost school, than the following guidelines apply:

Transferring within the battalion: difficult but possible if you make a strong case and the funds are available
Transferring within the brigade: almost impossible. I only have direct experience in denials in this situation.
Transferring between brigades: I have never heard of this happening. You probably have a better chance of winning American Idol.

Hockey playing DS tells me his linemate is coming your way. Wants to enroll in ROTC (I think DS has been a bit of an influence). They are in PE together and one of the requirements is to take 5 ARMY PT tests over the course of this semester. DS tells me that they ran with the PE teacher and can all talk and run a 13 minute 2 mile together. :biggrin:
What if my scholarship doesn't start until fall of 2016? I'm not a 4 year winner, but a three year one. Would it be easier to transfer out of Brigade then?
 
All the parameters on this thread apply. You won't find it any easier I don't think, unless you perhaps are a Virginia resident? Out of state tuition at VT will run about 30,000 per year. They also have legal limits on how many out of state students they can accept. All the financial aspects that apply to a 4 year scholarship will also apply to a three year. They already budgeted x dollars for you for 3 years. I suppose you might have a chance since the costs are about the same... I just need to emphasize you shouldn't count on it. Talk to your cadre. They can give you a much better outlook..
 
I agree with kinnem, VT by law does have a limitation on the amount of OOS students they take, it can be no higher than 30%, but try to keep it at 25%. I am also just guessing, but from what I know there is a limitation regarding the numbers awarded to each unit and VT being an SMC I would think that they are at their limit. Thus, you have 2 hurdles to clear. My DD attended VT (not ROTC), and the one thing they take pride in is how many actually matriculate. Traditionally, nobody comes off their waitlist. Additionally, VT retention rate is 91%. That means they are also going to have very few openings for incoming transfer students from OOS. Plus, VA has a program where if you go to a CC for 2 years and carry a 3.0 you have automatic acceptance to any state college. VT would need to leave room in their role books for those kids to be admitted too. Thus, just looking at all of those factors it maybe harder than you think just to gain admittance.

The positive is that you would be in Corps, and they do give admittance preference for those students.

OBTW, you do know what the T stands for right? If you are looking for LAC in VA with AROTC why are you not looking at JMU? Their campus is very similar, including the stone buildings, rolling hills and small town outside of the campus. The big difference is VT of course is an SMC and JMU is not.
 
Can a battalion use the funds from a national scholarship and turn it into a campus based scholarship? If I'm a PMS and I've got a three year national who doesn't want to be there, and seven cadets committed to my battalion that I could award with a campus based, why would I let those funds go to another school, let alone another brigade?
 
Interesting question. I am sure Clarkson or Bama could answer that.

I am just guessing, but let's assume they have 10 scholarships available for their unit with 20 cadets in that year group. 1 decides to leave, that means they have 1 opening for that year group. I would think that the remaining 10 not on scholarship have a higher chance of now getting the ICSP (in college Scholarship) assigned to that school. Thus, since they are at the college already, they could get the national ICSP and not use the campus based scholarship.

I also think it comes from a different pot of money for an accounting aspect. The HSSP is the national pot. The unit scholarship is the college pot. It would be like getting a refund from your federal taxes and telling them to pay your state taxes directly with that money they owe you, or vise a verse tell the state to take your refund and pay your federal. They are both taxes, but 2 different pots. They are separate entities for accounting purposes.

I know for AFROTC it is also a year group aspect. There have been years that there was no ICSP selection board. The reason why is they know statistically some will not accept the scholarship, but they truly do not know how many until they show up at school. If you think about it, it is like college admissions or SA appointments. They give out more acceptances than their class size goal, knowing X% typically will not matriculate. Now if more show up than the historical % they will honor it, but it now can impact the ICSP boards. It could be they offered 10, hoping for 8, got 9. That means, losing that 1, places them on target and there really is no scholarship funds available for that year group even if they wanted to hand it back to the college.
~ Caveat I am an AFROTC Mom, and that is how I understand their program, so take my opinion with a grain of salt....or sugar.

Just me, but I think there is a lot of finesse that goes on with the ROTC pot of gold.
 
pfri6251,

Quick questions, last year when you applied not only for the AROTC scholarship, but college admissions, did you have VT on your lists? Did VT accept you? Did AROTC offer you a scholarship to VT? Did you do an overnight to VT? Have you contacted the CoC at VT to see if they even have scholarships available from a transfer perspective?
 
Can a battalion use the funds from a national scholarship and turn it into a campus based scholarship? If I'm a PMS and I've got a three year national who doesn't want to be there, and seven cadets committed to my battalion that I could award with a campus based, why would I let those funds go to another school, let alone another brigade?
No...left over from the national process for a year group is reallocated down to the Brigades. The days of retaining and reoffering scholarships on campus are long gone.
 
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