NROTC Marine Option Chances

@Cosmo1 I don't know if you read this article that was linked to earlier in this thread:
http://www.thesandgram.com/2011/01/18/nrotc-marine-option-scholarships/

You son certainly seems to have the academics and leadership, but it is a competition and thousands are competing for a only hundreds of slots. Best of luck to your DS. Mine was not awarded a scholarship but attended his #1 choice school and enrolled in NROTC MO without the scholarship. He was awarded a scholarship in the middle of his sophomore year. If your DS does not receive a scholarship this time around; he should enroll and hit the ball out of the park. There are other opportunities for NROTC scholarships.
 
@kinnem

Thanks! I have read the article (way to many times - lol).

Regardless of the scholarship DS will be enrolling in NROTC. He's known for quite a few years that he wants a military career and that he wants to enter as an officer!
 
@Cosmo1 DS wanted to enlist with some buddies so they could go to Parris Island together. Mom insisted on college first and going in as an officer, which is when we all started researching NROTC and USNA. He decided he wanted a "normal" college experience.
 
Flaps - I know you are still weighing options and won’t really know the route you end up taking until you get further down the path. But I’d like to help clear up some confusion around PLC specifically. My DS has went through several routs to becoming an office and has taken the PLC route as it turned out to be the best for him. Here was his path of the winding road:

1. Freshman year fall semester joined AFROTC as non scholarship cadet

2. Freshman year spring semester switched to non scholarship NROTC with intentions of MO route, same time speaking with PLC OSO to keep all options open

3. Summer between Freshman/Sophomore joined PLC - he is a full year ahead graduating with a current 3.8 and NROTC would not allow him to graduate early so his final year would be wasted courses for him and for us wasted cost. Spent his entire summer preparing to get boarded in Nov. for an aviation contract. PFT 290 and scored above minimum on the ASTB. Needed references, school records, test scores etc. same as applying for the national scholarship basically.

4. Fall of what is now his Junior year - boarded and selected in Nov for aviation contract

5. Spring Junior year- preparing for OCS this upcoming summer

As for the “everyone gets into PLC” comment, that is not entirely accurate. The OSO does have criteria for who they send before the board, yes most can participate in PLC but your OSO ultimately decides who they send and they are very picky from what he has seen. My DS OSO flat out refused several candidates due to not being “board ready”. DS PTs with the PLC group 3/week starting at 5:30 and does several leadership responsibilities as well. He now travels with his OSO to speak at events to promote PLC at other colleges. While it’s not “required”, he knows that the OSO is never going to pick someone to board that doesn’t show the want and desire to be a Marine Officer. He’s seen this first hand. Even now that he has his OCS slot, he still puts in 100% and has a very close relationship with his OSO. He is at a large state university and was the only one selected in Nov from his area to attend OCS. He had 5 in his group that went before the board.

Bottom line, you still have to be competitive and put forward the effort. PLC is not a shoe in or cake walk route. Not that you said that but it rather sounded implied.
 
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@Flaps wanted to tag you here so you would be sure to read the post directly above.
 
Flaps said:
kinnem said:
@Flaps wanted to tag you here so you would be sure to read the post directly above.
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I wanted to let everyone who has given me advice regarding the scholarship know, I was just called by my XO and notified I have been selected for the NROTC scholarship.
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Congratulations Flaps! Now the hard part begins! Hang in there!!! Nothing like being an NROTC MO midshipman. Post pictures in your summer whites because you'll never wear again after college and it is such a damn good looking uniform.
https://www.serviceacademyforums.co.../gamecock-nrotc-summer-whites-inspection.174/

Oh, and thank your mom! https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?gallery/photos/225/
 
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Flaps said:
kinnem said:
@Flaps wanted to tag you here so you would be sure to read the post directly above.
Click to expand...
I wanted to let everyone who has given me advice regarding the scholarship know, I was just called by my XO and notified I have been selected for the NROTC scholarship.
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Same here!! I was notified that i received the scholarship as well. So excited and grateful for the opportunity!!
 
abbyad01 said:
Flaps said:
kinnem said:
@Flaps wanted to tag you here so you would be sure to read the post directly above.
Click to expand...
I wanted to let everyone who has given me advice regarding the scholarship know, I was just called by my XO and notified I have been selected for the NROTC scholarship.
Click to expand...
Same here!! I was notified that i received the scholarship as well. So excited and grateful for the opportunity!!
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Congratulations, where are you going to school?
 
Just to give some insight into the Spring 2019 Sideload board for Marine Options, I am:

A sophomore Marine option at Penn State. I ran a 275 PFT, have a 3.2 GPA, have several leadership billets/volunteer experiences, and was ranked 1/4 for my applying class of College Programmers.

I was just notified that I was not picked up for the scholarship, but I was selected for Advanced Standing.

The national breakdown, from what I was told, was that 1 ground scholarship and 3 air scholarships were awarded for this sideload class. Only 12 Marine option MIDN total were selected for Advanced Standing nationally.

Hope this gives a good insight to anyone who is going to be applying for a sideload scholarship at any point. If anyone has any sideload related questions, I am happy to help.
 
@sideloadlad Thanks for the update. Good to know MO sideload decisions are coming out. Sorry to hear you didn't get a scholarship, but congratulations on advanced standing. Everyone will still call you Lt after you commission.

I assume you have no info on the number of applicants?

Just to be clear to lurkers, sideloadlad is talking only about Marine Options and not Navy Options. They are different boards.
 
sideloadlad said:
Just to give some insight into the Spring 2019 Sideload board for Marine Options, I am:

A sophomore Marine option at Penn State. I ran a 275 PFT, have a 3.2 GPA, have several leadership billets/volunteer experiences, and was ranked 1/4 for my applying class of College Programmers.

I was just notified that I was not picked up for the scholarship, but I was selected for Advanced Standing.

The national breakdown, from what I was told, was that 1 ground scholarship and 3 air scholarships were awarded for this sideload class. Only 12 Marine option MIDN total were selected for Advanced Standing nationally.

Hope this gives a good insight to anyone who is going to be applying for a sideload scholarship at any point. If anyone has any sideload related questions, I am happy to help.
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Thanks for the info. My question I have is: What is a solid GPA in college to have that would make one competitive for an air contract. You mentioned an “air scholarship,” I’m on the high school awarded 4 year scholarship so maybe you could give me some insight.
 
kinnem said:
@sideloadlad Thanks for the update. Good to know MO sideload decisions are coming out. Sorry to hear you didn't get a scholarship, but congratulations on advanced standing. Everyone will still call you Lt after you commission.

I assume you have no info on the number of applicants?

Just to be clear to lurkers, sideloadlad is talking only about Marine Options and not Navy Options. They are different boards.
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Agreed. A commission is a commission either way.

As far as number of applicants, I don’t know for sure. I’d spitball it at around 100, just based off how many NROTC universities there are and the average class percentage of college programmers.
 
Flaps said:
Thanks for the info. My question I have is: What is a solid GPA in college to have that would make one competitive for an air contract. You mentioned an “air scholarship,” I’m on the high school awarded 4 year scholarship so maybe you could give me some insight.
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A competitive GPA depends on how the rest of your package looks. A 3.2 was good for my class but I know the guys in the grade above me would consider it lower end, so it all depends. Best way to not have it matter is just have the rest of your package looking tight between PFT score and everything else.
 
sideloadlad said:
Flaps said:
Thanks for the info. My question I have is: What is a solid GPA in college to have that would make one competitive for an air contract. You mentioned an “air scholarship,” I’m on the high school awarded 4 year scholarship so maybe you could give me some insight.
Click to expand...

A competitive GPA depends on how the rest of your package looks. A 3.2 was good for my class but I know the guys in the grade above me would consider it lower end, so it all depends. Best way to not have it matter is just have the rest of your package looking tight between PFT score and everything else.
Click to expand...
Great, thank you for taking time out to provide info.
 
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