NROTC Scholarship helped DS get into #1 school choice!!

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socalgal90

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OH my goodness! I cannot believe it, but we just found out that my DS got into his #1 school choice on appeal! He was not accepted initially, but he *was* blessed with an NROTC 4-year scholarship to USC at the end of April. Working with the NROTC folks on campus, he was able to submit a letter of appeal to admissions *after* the appeal deadline -- and they accepted him!

DS was *also* blessed with a Type 7 AFROTC scholarship -- and the plan was to do AFROTC at the University of Wisconsin at Madison -- which is ALSO an excellent choice! Now he has a tough choice to make. A nice problem to have for sure! We happen to be headed out to Southern Cal on vacation soon -- maybe this was fortuitous timing?

Big thanks to those in this forum that encouraged us to work with the NROTC unit and admissions to see if they would change their mind. It was certainly worth the effort! Now for DS to make the pros and cons list and finalize his decision within the next two weeks!
 
Congrats. After going to the effort of lodging an appeal I am surprised to hear that DS has not finalized his decision to go to USC. If he turns USC down after all that wouldn’t it leave “egg on the faces” of the NROTC folks who went to bat for him?
 
socalgal90 said:
OH my goodness! I cannot believe it, but we just found out that my DS got into his #1 school choice on appeal! He was not accepted initially, but he *was* blessed with an NROTC 4-year scholarship to USC at the end of April. Working with the NROTC folks on campus, he was able to submit a letter of appeal to admissions *after* the appeal deadline -- and they accepted him!

DS was *also* blessed with a Type 7 AFROTC scholarship -- and the plan was to do AFROTC at the University of Wisconsin at Madison -- which is ALSO an excellent choice! Now he has a tough choice to make. A nice problem to have for sure! We happen to be headed out to Southern Cal on vacation soon -- maybe this was fortuitous timing?

Big thanks to those in this forum that encouraged us to work with the NROTC unit and admissions to see if they would change their mind. It was certainly worth the effort! Now for DS to make the pros and cons list and finalize his decision within the next two weeks!
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It is great to hear that NROTC made this difference. Good luck with the decision. Go Navy and USC NROTC!
 
USC ROTC programs (all services) seems to have a great deal of leverage and impact on the admission selection process which I think is awesome!. I believe my DS selection to Army ROTC greatly assisted in his admission. Does anyone know of an unofficial list of schools out there that have similar selection impacts? I know that there are no guarantees but just wondering if there is such a list.. Probably not but thought I would ask this astute group for a gestalt.
 
NavyUMO said:
USC ROTC programs (all services) seems to have a great deal of leverage and impact on the admission selection process which I think is awesome!. I believe my DS selection to Army ROTC greatly assisted in his admission. Does anyone know of an unofficial list of schools out there that have similar selection impacts? I know that there are no guarantees but just wondering if there is such a list.. Probably not but thought I would ask this astute group for a gestalt.
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I would imagine that the private schools with high tuitions, that almost no one can afford, welcome the ROTC scholarship tuition money and so are inclined to listen to the ROTC cadre.

The young man who was battalion CO In NJROTC at my son’s high school, was awarded a NROTC scholarship by an October board. Jacksonville University, which he hadn’t even applied to (he was looking at Embry Riddle), contacted him, offered him a full ride and he ended going there. He just finished freshman year.
 
I was AFROTC at USC but my dad was retired Navy and DH is prior Navy and a retired AF OTS guy. I am torn and really want him to go to USC. He has visited the campus at Madison this month. Since we are headed to California for the next week or two, we will schedule a visit to USC and meet with the NROTC unit there. They have bent over backwards to help — and I want DS to see how much they want him!
 
socalgal90 said:
I was AFROTC at USC but my dad was retired Navy and DH is prior Navy and a retired AF OTS guy. I am torn and really want him to go to USC. He has visited the campus at Madison this month. Since we are headed to California for the next week or two, we will schedule a visit to USC and meet with the NROTC unit there. They have bent over backwards to help — and I want DS to see how much they want him!
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There are two things that matter here: 1) he chooses the Service he sees his best fit in, and has looked ahead to the career paths available and can see himself doing one of those, and 2) once he has done that, has he chosen a school that appeals to him and feels like he will be happy at, and thus thrive in the unit there.
Rhetorical comments.
 
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Agreed!! It’s his choice and his career. We are just here to support him and give him the opportunity to truly understand both options.
 
socalgal90 said:
It’s his choice and his career.
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It’s indeed his choice and his career. But given the extraordinary efforts made by the USC ROTC leaders to help him get admitted, it would be a very awkward phone call to then make, telling them that he’s going elsewhere (he is making that phone call, should he not go there, right?). Also, it could have a deterrent effect the next time such a situation comes up, with the leaders deciding it’s just not worth the effort to use their leverage if there’s a chance that person will go elsewhere. Give that bigger picture some thought.
 
Agreeing with @MidCakePa and @NJROTC-CC here. Same reaction to OP’s posts. Why gunning so hard, having people go out of their way, spending time, energy and effort, going to go to bat for you if it’s not a given? Honestly, rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I missing something. Seems asking for this ‘favor’, at this stage in the game, would be from a last ditch effort to make something happen for certain. Vs just having ‘another option’, which is how op’s post reads to me.

Was NOT expecting the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs.... That NROTC person who went to bat for him, will also have ‘egg on their face’ with the schools admissions department.

Perhaps I’m missing something in the post 🤔
 
NavyUMO said:
Does anyone know of an unofficial list of schools out there that have similar selection impacts? I know that there are no guarantees but just wondering if there is such a list.. Probably not but thought I would ask this astute group for a gestalt.
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I would say Notre Dame fits the category.
 
justdoit19 said:
Agreeing with @MidCakePa and @NJROTC-CC here. Same reaction to OP’s posts. Why gunning so hard, having people go out of their way, spending time, energy and effort, going to go to bat for you if it’s not a given? Honestly, rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I missing something. Seems asking for this ‘favor’, at this stage in the game, would be from a last ditch effort to make something happen for certain. Vs just having ‘another option’, which is how op’s post reads to me.

Was NOT expecting the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs.... That NROTC person who went to bat for him, will also have ‘egg on their face’ with the schools admissions department.

Perhaps I’m missing something in the post 🤔
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I always cautioned my kids then they did ask for help or tell a detachment that they were the first choice, that it meant they were going with that school/detachment if it came through. That's integrity. And good point about Admissions who could end up putting less emphasis on future detachment requests because they aren't necessarily a given.
 
I may or may not have some firsthand experience with the program at one of those schools. Send me a private message if you've got any questions. Congrats to your DS!
socalgal90 said:
DS was *also* blessed with a Type 7 AFROTC scholarship -- and the plan was to do AFROTC at the University of Wisconsin at Madison -- which is ALSO an excellent choice! Now he has a tough choice to make. A nice problem to have for sure! We happen to be headed out to Southern Cal on vacation soon -- maybe this was fortuitous timing?
Click to expand...
 
NavyUMO said:
Does anyone know of an unofficial list of schools out there that have similar selection impacts? I know that there are no guarantees but just wondering if there is such a list.. Probably not but thought I would ask this astute group for a gestalt.
Click to expand...
Further to my answer above about this and Notre Dame, I just came across this nugget, which I think supports my original statement. For the Class of 2024, "The school admitted 125 ROTC applicants compared to 94 last year and 65 in 2019." https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/how-to-get-into-notre-dame/
 
We are visiting the campus in LA this week to give him the exact same exposure to both schools and both options so he can make his decision. If he was accepted to USC instead of initially rejected, he would be in a different place. And if he received a Type 1 AFROTC instead of a Type 7 AFROTC scholarship, it would be different as the choice would be USC, but AF vs. Navy. So either it's Navy at USC or AF or Navy at Madison. He's got a good head on his shoulders and understands the differences in culture and career paths between the two options. I know he will do well with either option and I trust that he will make the best decision for him (despite my desires!). I just hate that we are here so late in the commitment/housing cycle but it is what it is!!
 
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