NROTC--MC option sideload

Sampia

5-Year Member
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Mar 6, 2014
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275
My son is a sophomore and has just completed the process to apply for the sideload scholarship. I am brand-new here so forgive me if I am posting something that is old information. However, I have tried to search for information on the forums. He was told today that there are only 30 scholarship slots available nationwide, and 15 slots for advanced standing. Is it normally so few or is it having to do with military cutbacks? He did his freshman year in the Air Force ROTC and then decided his heart was not in that branch. So it is sink or swim now, at least as far as the ROTC goes.

All of his stats are competitive from what I've seen posted elsewhere. 286 pft, 27 ACT etc. his captain ranked him first among his peers. He has so much of himself into this program. But 30 isn't much at all. He will not ask how long it might take until he finds out, but from what I've read it may be until late summer. Is this likely?
 
My son is a sophomore and has just completed the process to apply for the sideload scholarship. I am brand-new here so forgive me if I am posting something that is old information. However, I have tried to search for information on the forums. He was told today that there are only 30 scholarship slots available nationwide, and 15 slots for advanced standing. Is it normally so few or is it having to do with military cutbacks? He did his freshman year in the Air Force ROTC and then decided his heart was not in that branch. So it is sink or swim now, at least as far as the ROTC goes.

All of his stats are competitive from what I've seen posted elsewhere. 286 pft, 27 ACT etc. his captain ranked him first among his peers. He has so much of himself into this program. But 30 isn't much at all. He will not ask how long it might take until he finds out, but from what I've read it may be until late summer. Is this likely?

First, welcome aboard!!!!

The numbers you cited match what I was told by my son. They are far better numbers than when he won his sideload a year ago this past December. At that it time was 9 scholarships. I don't know how that compares to past spring semesters but I suspect those are fairly good numbers, or at least my son's unit presented them that way. I certainly don't think they were ever much higher. It is the smallest of the services.

Your son's PFT and ACT scores are comparable to those of my DS. DS's PFT was higher but being above 285 is quite good. More importantly being ranked first among his peers will go very very far (my son was only #2 among peers). Based on that I think his chances of being selected are fairly good.

I know it took well into the summer for some of DS's Navy Option buddies to hear on Advanced Standing last year, so yes, it will quite probably take that long.

Good luck to your DS. Semper Fi!
 
Just got off the phone with my son where one of the topics was this thread. He agreed with my assessment and thought far more weight would be given to your son's ranking within his unit than anything else.

Of course, those two opinions and some $$$ will get you a cup of coffee. But there is reason to be hopeful. Keep a positive attitude and take deep breaths. Also, based on the stories I've heard from last year's Mt. Warfare school he will not miss much, if anything, there so he shouldn't worry about that aspect of it. And there will be plenty of time to pick it up elsewhere.
 
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Having gone through it yourself, I'm sure you can understand how nerve-racking it is.
 
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Having gone through it yourself, I'm sure you can understand how nerve-racking it is.

Trust me... I absolutely do understand!
 
The caliber of Young men and women wanting to serve our country

First, welcome aboard!!!!

The numbers you cited match what I was told by my son. They are far better numbers than when he won his sideload a year ago this past December. At that it time was 9 scholarships. I don't know how that compares to past spring semesters but I suspect those are fairly good numbers, or at least my son's unit presented them that way. I certainly don't think they were ever much higher. It is the smallest of the services.

Your son's PFT and ACT scores are comparable to those of my DS. DS's PFT was higher but being above 285 is quite good. More importantly being ranked first among his peers will go very very far (my son was only #2 among peers). Based on that I think his chances of being selected are fairly good.

I know it took well into the summer for some of DS's Navy Option buddies to hear on Advanced Standing last year, so yes, it will quite probably take that long.

Good luck to your DS. Semper Fi!

It truly amazes me when I read about the caliber of young men and women wanting to serve our country in the Marine Corps. DS is a freshman in a battalion at a BIG 10 school. There are 8 freshman in the unit and only one came in on a scholarship. Almost all are Eagle Scouts and a 285 PFT is at the low end of the scores. There are at least 3 college programmers with 299/300 PFTs competing for those scholarships and who made the Dean’s list 1st semester. DS was one of 2 boys in his high school class that were 4-year 3-season athletes. I could go on with listing more accomplishments, but the point is many of these dedicated young men and women are of such high caliber and wanting to dedicate their career to protect our country.

We too were told there are only 30 scholarships open nationwide for this Spring. If I heard correctly, the Fall board offered 8 –and were given to sophomores. If the 70 or so other ROTC units have numbers similar to my son’s, there are somewhere between 200 and 400 competitive college programmers who entered the NROTC-MO program this past year looking for one of those 30-38 slots.
 
There does indeed seem to be a high caliber of young people wanting to serve our country. He goes to the University of Michigan. I believe it is just him and one freshmen attempting to get this sideload scholarship.

As much as I would be sad to see my DS, my only child, go off to a foreign land, he has matured and grown so much through this experience and I support him in his choice. At 220 pounds, just the fact that he could run 3 miles at all has astounded me. LOL. Determination, not giving up, etc, these are values that will stay with these people throughout their lives. I know he will be devastated if he cannot stay in the program and become a Marine officer. But as his mother, I know that he will be a better man for having given it his best shot.
 
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