NROTC 3-year

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Wcyeung123

5-Year Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2015
Messages
164
Hello all,

I am going for a 3-year and hoping I’ll get one. I have been told that they are giving out more 3-years and was hoping that someone here can confirm that? Also, I do not think my GPA (2.98 Cum.) is not competitive, does the board look at anything else? That’s my anxiety right now, not being good enough. Any advice or help is much welcomed, thank you.
 
Calc 2 really got me with a D but retook it for a B. I got B’s for both physics. I don’t know what I did wrong or what happened during the year, keep asking myself the same question but can’t come up with an answer. Did I dig a hole I can’t get out of?
 
Wcyeung123 said:
Calc 2 really got me with a D but retook it for a B. I got B’s for both physics. I don’t know what I did wrong or what happened during the year, keep asking myself the same question but can’t come up with an answer. Did I dig a hole I can’t get out of?
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Once you get to a college with an NROTC detachment - enroll and bust your butt - both academically and in the unit and on the PFT. All services are going to more 3 and 2 year scholarships. The Army I know has offered 3.5 year scholarships to first year college students that did not receive national awards, but made great impressions their first semester academically and in the unit. Once you are in school, it is your college academic performance that matters.
 
glen said:
The Army I know has offered 3.5 year scholarships to first year college students that did not receive national awards, but made great impressions their first semester academically and in the unit
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This is exactly what happened with my DS. He commissions next May.
 
If you don’t get the 3 year, set your sights on the 2 year. If you don’t get that aim for College Program advance standing. Keep striving. Everything that goes into that, getting good grades, improving your mind, demonstrating responsibility and leadership, staying fit, will serve you well in pursuit of any goal you have.
 
This is all great advice. I just got to be motivated, I’m still getting over from first year. I just don’t know I screwed up with grades like that. Would the board consider my grades competitive? Or is this something that depends and would have to wait?
 
3 year side load scholarships are competitive. Last year the average GPA for selected students was 3.55.
Other factors is if you completed 2 semesters of calculus and the grades in calc 1&2. Physics complete was a factor (it has been reported that physics complete is no longer used). Also your NROTC aptitude along with your major (tier 1 or 2 being preferred).

2017 Side Load Board Stats posted Sept 7, 2017
3-Year Scholarships
Nominations: 369
Selects: 65
Non-selects: 304

Averages for Selected Students:
Aptitude: 3.86
Cumulative GPA: 3.55
Calculus Complete: 58/65
Physics Complete: 32/65
Both Complete: 31/65
Technical Majors: 58/65 for 3 year side load scholarships is competitive. From last year:
 
I don’t mean to be a critique, but would it not make sense to nominate midshipmen with a 3.5 gpa or at least a 3.0 to choose from? I think I’m giving myself false hope by putting in my application in like this and hoping to get it. I’m just really curious.
 
Well, what do you have to lose but some time?

They look at so much stuff including SAT/ACT scores, athletics, physical fitness, community service, leadership, etc. They look at the whole person, not just GPA. That being said my DS did not win a scholarship. Like AROTC-dad's son, he enrolled in NROTC MO anyway, worked his butt off, excelled in academics, volunteered every chance he got, had good leadership evaluations, etc. He won a 2.5 year scholarship in the middle of his sophomore year. Even if you do not win a scholarship while in college, it's not out of the question that you could go on to commission (see college programmer info on the NROTC web site).

I would suggest in your case, if you do not win a scholarship, to knock Calculus out of the park as soon as possible when in college. If I were on the board I would really like to see that you have mastered it at the college level.
 
I completed my Calculus, but it is not A+. How about the essay? How much would that play in?
 
It all plays in. We poor slobs out here don't know how much attention is paid to a particular piece or activity. A great essay may not put you over the top but a poor one could probably sink you.
 
Does anyone know how to locate the figures 5day is presenting above? I've asked him directly via PM. I would like to refresh these for more recent periods as available. But not finding much to work with.
 
Torero_dad said:
Does anyone know how to locate the figures 5day is presenting above? I've asked him directly via PM. I would like to refresh these for more recent periods as available. But not finding much to work with.
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These numbers are not made public. They are usually found as part of a brief to the upper echelons. We mere peons will not have access to them. I would assume recent numbers would be similar.
 
That data is available to the staff at any of the NROTC units. Shortly after the sideload boards, that data is compiled and released to all the units via an Official Mail Message (OMM). Unfortunately my access to these OMMs dried up when I left command last summer.

I am struggling to recall when we moved to Precision Loading (less 4-year national scholarships and more sideloads). I think it may have been for the 2017-2018 AY.

Like @kinnem said, numbers are likely similar with perhaps a slight increase in opportunity as a result of the move to precision loading.
 
@Torero_dad - I'm back with some numbers for the 2019 sideload boards. And completely wrong about a slight increase in sideload selects. It was a significant increase from the numbers posted above for 2017.

2019 3-year sideload:
285 apps / 157 selects
Avg GPA for the apps 3.20 / Avg GPA for the selects 3.38

117 apps had Calc complete / 30 apps had Physics complete / 27 apps had both complete
90 selects had Calc complete / 22 selects had physics complete / 20 selects had both complete

199 of the apps were tech major / 115 of the selects were tech major

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2019 2-year sideload:
170 apps / 150 selects
Avg GPA for the apps 3.16 / Avg GPA for the selects 3.18

125 apps had Calc complete / 75 apps had Physics complete / 69 apps had both complete
116 selects had Calc complete / 71 selects had physics complete / 65 selects had both complete

113 of apps were tech major / 104 of the selects were tech major
 
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@Go Dores! I believe you are correct on the timing of the move to precision loading. My DS was awarded his 4 year in 2016, for the 2017-18 AY. At the time there was a member on here that was on NROTC staff at Tulane who posted about this move to less 4 year scholarships and more sideloads.
 
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