NROTC Scholarship Marine Option Essay

bt18

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Nov 20, 2019
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Hello community,
I am currently applying for the Marine Option NROTC scholarship, and I would GREATLY appreciate brutally honest feedback on my first draft of the essay, also could this be incorporated into the second prompt ( How might your background and experiences enhance the U.S. Marine Corps?).
1. Discuss your reasons for wanting to become a Marine Officer. Specifically comment on leadership positions you've held, the challenges you have faced and the lessons you have learned. (Limit 2500 characters)
When I think of a leader, I think of someone who is a role model to others. I think of someone who has the respect of not only his peers, but his superiors. I think of someone who sets an example. I think of someone who puts others before himself. I think of a Marine. I want to be an officer in the Marine Corps for these reasons, but perhaps the most valuable reason of all, is to lead other marines. Furthermore, I want to use the opportunity of being an officer to forward myself into the medical field, and eventually trauma surgery for the military to help other soldiers.
I’ve held the leadership position of captain on my wrestling team last year, and I helped motivate my team into the section dual finals. I did this by taking the initiative to tell my team to focus on what the group as a whole could do, not get pinned. Most of my team did not think we could beat the team we had to wrestle in the dual to make it to the finals, and I knew that I would have to set an example of what I had just said to them if we were going to succeed, not only with the current dual, but in the finals. Once it was my match, I knew if I got pinned we would have probably lost. I had to wrestle up a weight class and I was 15 pounds underweight compared to the guy I wrestled, I didn’t think I was going to win, but I knew I wasn’t going to get pinned despite what my team was thinking. I was put on my back for about 2 minutes in a painful arm bar, but I didn’t give up the pin. I was choked out for about 15 straight seconds almost passing out, but I didn’t give up the pin. When the match was over we beat the team by only a few team points. When I was in that match I knew that it was going to be a challenge to not get pinned. I knew almost everybody thought I was going to get pinned, and I knew I wasn’t going to give up and take the easy way out, letting my team down in the end. We made it into the finals, and even though we lost to a better team, I could see that every single one of my teammates gave everything they had to stay off his back, just like I did. At the end of the day, my coaches came to me and told me how much they respected what I told the team, and the example I set for them in my match. Ultimately, I learned that taking the initiative to be a leader can have a great outcome in the end.
I believe that I am more than capable to be a great leader in the finest military branch in the world, serving my country, and perhaps the most important of all, helping others.
 
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I don't usually read these essays but I enjoyed reading this one. I have no idea if this is what they are looking for but I think you successfully conveyed you don't give up.

I have one concern. NROTC is preparing officers to lead Marines. All medical personnel come from the Navy. If your long term objective is to go into the medical field it will be at least 4 years of active duty after college before you get a chance to apply to a medical school. You will almost certainly not do that as a Marine although you may find a way to stay in the military and do that. Are you really OK with that path?

In any case I don't think your discussion of your objectives in the medical field really adds anything to your essay.

Just one man's two cents, and a fairly obtuse one at that. Hope all your dreams come true.
 
I don't usually read these essays but I enjoyed reading this one. I have no idea if this is what they are looking for but I think you successfully conveyed you don't give up.

I have one concern. NROTC is preparing officers to lead Marines. All medical personnel come from the Navy. If your long term objective is to go into the medical field it will be at least 4 years of active duty after college before you get a chance to apply to a medical school. You will almost certainly not do that as a Marine although you may find a way to stay in the military and do that. Are you really OK with that path?

In any case I don't think your discussion of your objectives in the medical field really adds anything to your essay.

Just one man's two cents, and a fairly obtuse one at that. Hope all your dreams come true.
Thanks I really appreciate the feedback. I’m curious though, so there is no way to become anything in medical personnel field while in the Corps, or go to medical school while in the marine corps? Is there nothing that can be worked out?
Thanks
 
Thanks I really appreciate the feedback. I’m curious though, so there is no way to become anything in medical personnel field while in the Corps, or go to medical school while in the marine corps? Is there nothing that can be worked out?
Thanks
I'm not going to claim to be an expert as to whether you can work it out. I do know that all medical personnel in the Corps are Navy. It's up to you to do the research. It may be possible to transfer to Navy to accomplish this. Perhaps someone on here cam say with certainty, as I just don't know. You could always do your time, exit and go to medical school, and then sign back up. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of this issue and had given it some thought. I certainly don't think mentioning it as a goal is going to be helpful to a Marine Corps application but that's only my opinion and it's worth what you paid for it.

You might try starting another thread with something like "Can I go to medical school while in the Marine Corps?" or something like that. I expect that would get more attention and perhaps might provide an answer to your question from someone more expert than I.
 
Thanks I really appreciate the feedback. I’m curious though, so there is no way to become anything in medical personnel field while in the Corps, or go to medical school while in the marine corps? Is there nothing that can be worked out?
Thanks

Time to fine-tune your research.

The Navy provides medical officer and enlisted personnel to the Marine Corps as part of the joint Navy Marine Corps team. Marine Officers produced by NROTC are expected to be warriors in the usual MOS fields. Your time in those areas is what your obligated service is all about.

You could do your obligated Marine service plus the additional time (36 months) required to earn your full post-9/11 GI Bill Educational benefit, and use those funds to go to civilian medical school (assuming you had the undergraduate grades, courses and MCAT scores to be admitted). You could apply to USUHS, the military medical school, after your obligation, and start again as a Navy/Army/Air Force officer med student on active duty pay and allowances. Ditto admission criteria.

In the Navy, after the warfare pin is earned, and during a short window of a few years’ time, officers can apply for a lateral transfer to other communities. This will be successful if the officer brings the right kind of performance evaluations and background, and if and only if the losing community can afford the loss and the gaining community has the room.

I don’t know if the Marine Corps allows its officers to apply for transfer out of the service to enter the Medical Corps of another service. Navy, Army and Air Force have their own Medical Corps. One thing is certain, the Services generally like to get their money’s worth out of new officers in terms of obligated service in the warfare specialties. The phrase “needs of the (fill in Service name) govern everything; “working something out” that benefits you over the Service is unlikely.

Some links of interest:




 
And the good Captain comes through again.
 
I wouldn’t put this in an essay looking to get into a program that produces Marine officers. “Furthermore, I want to use the opportunity of being an officer to forward myself into the medical field,”

I don’t think the Marines have a program you could apply for that would lead to med school. Law school yes.

I agree with the above advice to do your time and then apply for civilian medical school or USU.

But, I’m not a doctor-just played one in the Navy. The resident physicians here will I’m sure provide a more educated response.
 
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