Norwich Review

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Recently I received the NROTC scholarship but well before this Norwich University had reached out to me and offered 120k in a non-ROTC based Presidential Scholarship, I've been looking all over their site as I am still deciding between AFROTC and NROTC in what branch I want to commission into. If anyone on here has two cents to put in about their experience/review of Norwich and its pro/cons against other ROTC programs as well with more specifically on its AFROTC and NROTC programs, it would be very appreciated and helpful in this decision making process.
 
Recently I received the NROTC scholarship but well before this Norwich University had reached out to me and offered 120k in a non-ROTC based Presidential Scholarship, I've been looking all over their site as I am still deciding between AFROTC and NROTC in what branch I want to commission into. If anyone on here has two cents to put in about their experience/review of Norwich and its pro/cons against other ROTC programs as well with more specifically on its AFROTC and NROTC programs, it would be very appreciated and helpful in this decision making process.
Congrats on earning the NROTC scholarship. I am familiar with the SMCs and would offer some general advice. All SMCs have established, well regarded ROTC programs, and with the exception of North Georgia (Army only) offer commissioning programs for all services. But realize ROTC instructors rotate out every 2 or 3 years, and the individual programs all provide the same ROTC course for their service. The benefits over regular college ROTC, if any, are that you will be in larger battalions with fellow cadets who are highly motivated, and the SMCs typically provide more opportunities and facilities for you to train. That said, you really need to focus on what academic major you want to study and what type of school best suits you. A regular school with a great academic program that best suits you is just as likely to provide you with an NROTC program that will allow you to commission into your desired branch as an SMC. As for the SMCs what experience do you want? SMCs come in all sizes. There are large diverse universities with numerous academic concentrations and social activities (TAMU and Va Tech) and small colleges, where the experience is more intimate, with typical liberal arts, engineering and business concentrations (Citadel, Norwich, VMI). VMI and Norwich are located in small towns. The Citadel is located in a medium size resort oriented city on the South Carolina coast. All these schools offer great military traditions - but the key is to pick a school for its academic programs that best suit you not it’s ROTC program. So many things can change over 4 years - your medical and physical condition, your future plans and ambitions - so focus mostly on the educational opportunity a school offers, as this will remain with you for a lifetime. Good luck.
 
Recently I received the NROTC scholarship but well before this Norwich University had reached out to me and offered 120k in a non-ROTC based Presidential Scholarship, I've been looking all over their site as I am still deciding between AFROTC and NROTC in what branch I want to commission into. If anyone on here has two cents to put in about their experience/review of Norwich and its pro/cons against other ROTC programs as well with more specifically on its AFROTC and NROTC programs, it would be very appreciated and helpful in this decision making process.
Glen made some excellent points. One more to consider is what "other" scholarships the schools are offering. For example, if you received a 4 year NROTC scholarship, I believe Norwich and TAMU will cover the rest (room, board, uniforms, fees, etc) making your education completely FREE. If you are okay with paying the non-tuition related fees, please just follow Glen's advice.
 
Recently I received the NROTC scholarship but well before this Norwich University had reached out to me and offered 120k in a non-ROTC based Presidential Scholarship, I've been looking all over their site as I am still deciding between AFROTC and NROTC in what branch I want to commission into. If anyone on here has two cents to put in about their experience/review of Norwich and its pro/cons against other ROTC programs as well with more specifically on its AFROTC and NROTC programs, it would be very appreciated and helpful in this decision making process.
Great advice here so far. My son opted for a SMC for his program. He was interested in the more immersive experience of a corp of cadets and so far is not disappointed. It's not easy by any stretch, but he's exactly where he wants to be. Our experience visiting schools with ROTC was underwhelming at best. At some schools with ROTC programs the ROTC seemed like an afterthought. Admissions and student tour guides knew nothing about ROTC at all beyond "I have a friend who does it and wears a uniform once a week." At a public school, the ROO was putting down the academies and SMC which I found to be unprofessional. When I asked about the retention rate in the ROTC program there it sounded like it was pretty low. Some reference to "you know, some kids make dumb decisions with drugs and alcohol." Made it pretty apparent to my son that this was not the environment he wanted.

If you might be interested in Norwich I would definitely visit and talk to some cadets about the experience. It's going to be more like a service academy experience in the corp of cadets. One observation about Norwich is if you change your mind you can switch to civilian and continue your academic program (not sure that's the case at all the SMCs). The corp of cadets is nothing remotely like a typical college experience so if you're interested in that you won't find it there.
 
Recently I received the NROTC scholarship but well before this Norwich University had reached out to me and offered 120k in a non-ROTC based Presidential Scholarship, I've been looking all over their site as I am still deciding between AFROTC and NROTC in what branch I want to commission into. If anyone on here has two cents to put in about their experience/review of Norwich and its pro/cons against other ROTC programs as well with more specifically on its AFROTC and NROTC programs, it would be very appreciated and helpful in this decision making process.
Congratulations on the NROTC scholarship!
I can't speak specifically to your question, but I have been very impressed with their general process and support they have been offering my daughter.

The catch with her is she ultimately wants to commission into the Coast Guard, so ROTC isn't an option. They do have a Coast Guard "track" there so to speak and have been super at providing guidance there. The good news is she also received the Presidential scholarship, plus about $12K per year in other random scholarships which really brings the net cost in line.

She's also a recruited athlete an the coach as well as other kids on the team who are in the Corp have been super supportive and communicative.

I guess my point is, Norwich is an impressive institution, and I can't imagine you could go wrong with either ROTC considering both are surrounded by the COC. Only question would be is do you want virtually free, or go out of pocket for AFROTC. One thought is, if you decide on AFROTC, could you apply for AFROTC scholarship next year and get at least 3 years worth?
 
Congratulations on the NROTC scholarship!
I can't speak specifically to your question, but I have been very impressed with their general process and support they have been offering my daughter.

The catch with her is she ultimately wants to commission into the Coast Guard, so ROTC isn't an option. They do have a Coast Guard "track" there so to speak and have been super at providing guidance there. The good news is she also received the Presidential scholarship, plus about $12K per year in other random scholarships which really brings the net cost in line.

She's also a recruited athlete an the coach as well as other kids on the team who are in the Corp have been super supportive and communicative.

I guess my point is, Norwich is an impressive institution, and I can't imagine you could go wrong with either ROTC considering both are surrounded by the COC. Only question would be is do you want virtually free, or go out of pocket for AFROTC. One thought is, if you decide on AFROTC, could you apply for AFROTC scholarship next year and get at least 3 years worth?
If DD is set on a Coast Guard commission, it appears this service is looking to recruit at least half of its officers from students outside The Coast Guard Academy. see: http://www.cgauxedu.us/

Most of the SMCs have tracks their cadets can take to commission in the CG. I am familiar with The Citadel which has a very active CG Auxiliary program that typically produces one or two direct commissions or acceptance to officer candidate school annually - https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=070-12-08&category=citadel-detachment
 
If DD is set on a Coast Guard commission, it appears this service is looking to recruit at least half of its officers from students outside The Coast Guard Academy. see: http://www.cgauxedu.us/

Most of the SMCs have tracks their cadets can take to commission in the CG. I am familiar with The Citadel which has a very active CG Auxiliary program that typically produces one or two direct commissions or acceptance to officer candidate school annually - https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=070-12-08&category=citadel-detachment
Yes! Thanks for sharing. We were pleasantly surprised to learn of this program upon visiting Norwich. The path to CG commission isn't nearly as clear cut as the other branches (especially with no ROTC), and the numbers are so low that even when talking to admissions folks at SMCs, they're like..."Coast Guard? Hmmm. Yeah there are ways to do that...we'll need to get someone to contact you about that" lol.

If the CGA doesn't pan out for her, she was thinking either DCSS or OCS at a SMC. Then, at Norwich, we had a briefing with one of the officers who works with admissions....he said I know the person who knows what you need to do. We hadn't even left campus and she received a call from a contact with this CGAUX University Program and filled her in on it. She said he seemed really excited to talk to someone interested in the program. She's already in the middle of joining our local CGAUX Flotilla since it's required for this program, plus it's something she just wanted to get involved with.
 
NROTC Norwich was DS's Plan B. They were superb with communication, I vaguely recall him getting a call on a Sunday from a personal cell. It was an admissions counselor offering the Presidential Scholarship. When he was awarded NROTC 4 Year, Norwich offered full room and board.

Their website has live cams of campus, we watched formations, parades, students passing between classes, icicles falling, snowstorms, etc. Kind of fun.

Plus side: if you medically are DQ'd at some point, their scholarship offer would kick in (if still eligible) and cover tuition. Not all ROTC schools have that benefit. Norwich is the birthplace of ROTC, a very strong and reputable program.

Over and over again on this forum, members are reminded to pick a school they can afford IN CASE the plan they have falls apart. Too many heartbreaking stories about the ROTC option going away and tens of thousands of dollars are needed to keep their education in play.

Negative: COLD, like the bone-chilling cold. But, they do have winter sports/activities that would rival any other school. And, it's not easy to travel to or from in terms of airline travel, at least not to those of us in AZ.
 
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