NROTC scholarship status issues: still

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emptynest2021

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
143
My son's NROTC scholarship status still has this message. His recruiter has stated that everything has been submitted and he SHOULD be board ready for this week.

Son tells me to trust the process, and doesn't want to email the help desk because he says the recruiter knows what he's doing.

Is an email or phone call in order? I'm on pins and needles more than he is. Thank you for any insight.
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Application has been submitted online Your electronic application has been received and is being processed ...
Your assigned recruiter is:​
Email:​
Phone:​
Items waiting to be processed:​
 Math Teacher Eval
Other Teacher/Coach Eval
Test Scores
Transcripts
Officer Interview
Debarment and Drug Statement
Statement of Understanding
 
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emptynest2021 said:
My son's NROTC scholarship status still has this message. His recruiter has stated that everything has been submitted and he SHOULD be board ready for this week.

Son tells me to trust the process, and doesn't want to email the help desk because he says the recruiter knows what he's doing.

Is an email or phone call in order? I'm on pins and needles more than he is. Thank you for any insight.
​
Application has been submitted online Your electronic application has been received and is being processed ...
Your assigned recruiter is:​
Email:​
Phone:​
Items waiting to be processed:​
 Math Teacher Eval
Other Teacher/Coach Eval
Test Scores
Transcripts
Officer Interview
Debarment and Drug Statement
Statement of Understanding
Click to expand...
If everything has been submitted by the recruiter, I wouldn’t think it would be a bad idea to email the NETC help desk just because even if the recruiter did his job, something could be wrong on their end. I’ve found that seeking for clarification has never hurt me.
 
I too think it time for the squeaky wheel at this point. It seems like it has all been submitted by his recruiter and that a nudge to the system might be helpful to move it along. You are already missing a board this week which leaves only 3 boards left (next on March 8th) and you definitely want to get to that one and the following final 2 in April.
 
Yes, IMO an email seeking to understand if any support is needed and to confirm your application is complete is in order. Politely point out that your recruiter has been terrific but you still see items submitted as pending. Ask if there is anything you can do to bring any concerns to a successful close. Good luck.
 
please have your son/daughter contact the recruiter by phone to ensure things are being sent where they need to be. my son almost didnt get his because the recruiter didnt mail the package to Pensacola because he claimed it was incomplete (missing school principal evaluation). his school principal called the FL office and demanded they accept his file since everything was submitted timely. thankfully it all worked out
 
mcfamilyof4 said:
please have your son/daughter contact the recruiter by phone to ensure things are being sent where they need to be. my son almost didnt get his because the recruiter didnt mail the package to Pensacola because he claimed it was incomplete (missing school principal evaluation). his school principal called the FL office and demanded they accept his file since everything was submitted timely. thankfully it all worked out
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My son spoke with the recruiter last week who verified everything had been sent (but to where, who knows at this point) He actually told him in December initially that it was sent. My son had been rather persistent about asking about his status. Even his counselor told me that the recruiter requested her recommendation 3 different times. She called the recruiter last week to verify his receipt. We work together, but the recruiter doesn’t know that.
My son did send an email this afternoon, so hopefully he hears something soon. It’s just so frustrating because my son had done everything he needed to do. The recruiter didn’t even let him know that it was up to him (son) to schedule an interview.
 
emptynest2021 said:
My son spoke with the recruiter last week who verified everything had been sent (but to where, who knows at this point) He actually told him in December initially that it was sent. My son had been rather persistent about asking about his status. Even his counselor told me that the recruiter requested her recommendation 3 different times. She called the recruiter last week to verify his receipt. We work together, but the recruiter doesn’t know that.
My son did send an email this afternoon, so hopefully he hears something soon. It’s just so frustrating because my son had done everything he needed to do. The recruiter didn’t even let him know that it was up to him (son) to schedule an interview.
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Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated story. I have heard familiar stories about other NROTC-MO candidates. The Recruiter has really dropped the ball several times. Tell your son to remain persistent. Best of luck.
 
emptynest2021 said:
My son's NROTC scholarship status still has this message. His recruiter has stated that everything has been submitted and he SHOULD be board ready for this week.

Son tells me to trust the process, and doesn't want to email the help desk because he says the recruiter knows what he's doing.

Is an email or phone call in order? I'm on pins and needles more than he is. Thank you for any insight.
​
Application has been submitted online Your electronic application has been received and is being processed ...
Your assigned recruiter is:​
Email:​
Phone:​
Items waiting to be processed:​
 Math Teacher Eval
Other Teacher/Coach Eval
Test Scores
Transcripts
Officer Interview
Debarment and Drug Statement
Statement of Understanding
Click to expand...
That's whay my DS' said before the recruiter submitted. As the recruiter checks off each missing item, they disappear. Once he forward it to Pensacola, the status will change. Try checking here: https://netfocus.netc.navy.mil/nrotc/candidate_app/status_scholarship.aspx, which provides more detail than the site you are likely checking.
 
emptynest2021 said:
My son did send an email this afternoon, so hopefully he hears something soon. It’s just so frustrating because my son had done everything he needed to do. The recruiter didn’t even let him know that it was up to him (son) to schedule an interview.
Click to expand...
I had a similar issue with my Navy application. I originally submitted all my documents by the first week of August but due to a recruiter change, and subsequent shuffling of papers, didn't actually get everything officially checked off my portal until December. The only method that produced any results for me was to email Pensacola directly. It sounds like your son has already done this- so just double check that the email was sent to pnsc_nrotc_applications@navy.mil. In my situation, the people at Pensacola then reached out to my recruiter and asked for the missing items which helped get the ball rolling.

Best of luck to your DS :)
 
After much persistence, DS confirmed with his recruiter that his package was NOT sent off last week like he was told in an email. So, another board missed. The most recent email said the recruiter’s chief has the package and will be overnighting it this weekend to ensure it being there for the March 8th board.

I’m hoping that before it is sent off that the status page will update.

What a frustrating experience.
 
emptynest2021 said:
After much persistence, DS confirmed with his recruiter that his package was NOT sent off last week like he was told in an email. So, another board missed. The most recent email said the recruiter’s chief has the package and will be overnighting it this weekend to ensure it being there for the March 8th board.

I’m hoping that before it is sent off that the status page will update.

What a frustrating experience.
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Just read your notes above. Sorry. Lesson learned for DS (after 30 years in the Army) is check and verify. In the military, many will say things with a smile; so smile back, and then verify.
 
emptynest2021 said:
After much persistence, DS confirmed with his recruiter that his package was NOT sent off last week like he was told in an email. So, another board missed. The most recent email said the recruiter’s chief has the package and will be overnighting it this weekend to ensure it being there for the March 8th board.

I’m hoping that before it is sent off that the status page will update.

What a frustrating experience.
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Appreciate you sharing your journey and the steps your DS is taking to resolve the roadblock. Sorry to hear he, like many others, have had such pain points in the process due to NROTC recruiter incompetence, empty assurances, inaccuracies. My DS lived this nightmare for a couple of months when he applied 2 years ago and is now living his dream, but might not have if he didn't ride his recruiter daily for a few weeks like a jockey rode sea biscuit to victory - a 17 year old kid, managing a Navy professional to do his job - very similar to your experience - a true embarrassment for the Navy - an empty uniform. I'm still pretty salty about it, but overall love the Navy.

Free advice - At this point you should put zero "trust" into any assurances from this recruiter that this will be taken care of. Too important. I would very briefly, politely request the tracking number of the overnight shipment, so you can confirm delivery receipt, and then daily track to ensure your application status changes. Because if the recruiter can't share a tracking number then it probably did not ship and you'll just keep running out of time. Good news is it's not too late to stop the madness of the groundhog day routine of asking questions, getting non-substantive assurances - not sure what the politically correct term is but this is just nonsense/ BS. I would once you have that tracking number complete any additional follow-ups with the email addresses others provided above. Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.

Good luck.
 
DS has had emails from December that he was getting ready to send it off. He kept asking “what else do I need to do” and the recruiter would say everything’s fine.
I thought that items were supposed to get off the list of items being processed as he received them.
All items are still listed as needing to be processed.
 
Unfortunately we also had difficulties or year with one son. These recruiters are sometimes people on TAD, or shut duty, between posts. And they can get reassigned. So they can just disappear. Especially the earlier you bring the process (as there is more time). Ours was changed 3 times over the spring to fall. Each time, stuff not processed was just lost (in the recruiter email, etc). Our school submitted the SAME stuff multiple times (I assume went to the recruiters inbox, and then vanished when they moved on). It WAS embarrassing!

I think the problems are amplified by the fact that many (most?) are also applying to USNA, where things are centralized and controlled by admissions (although this year has been a little wonky). So there are vested employees, or at least a process, in one place from the git-go. Students are advised to ‘trust the process, be patient’ for USNA. Understandably, one would assume this to be the case for NROTC, as well.

Not the case. At least until stuff gets to Pensacola. Until then, it’s up to individual recruiters assigned to this duty, often temporary. And as different as parenting styles are, so are the styles of these recruiters who may just be doing their time, temporarily. That was our 1st experience anyhow.

Our 2nd sons recruiter was just stepping in, I believe he must have been a ‘supervisor’ or something as he was bing trained. Lots of communication and communication, instructions, involvement. He was on top of DS’s process. A complexly different experience from the first one. Which was an absolutely confusing headache. I’m sure left a bad taste with our schools admin.

So, to readers, follow up. The above email addresses are the ones to check! And trust your spidy-senses, imo.

The good news, is there are lots of boards. I do t tho okay anyone skills through the cracks entirely. It gets Figured out. But NROTC and USNA are very, very different animals, for sure.
 

Navy COOL Summary - NCR-Navy Counselor (Recruiter)

Navy Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL) - NCR-Navy Counselor (Recruiter)
www.cool.navy.mil www.cool.navy.mil

Just for context purposes, and for readers who aren’t quite sure who all these recruiters are, the link above is the rating (job) description for the enlisted Navy recruiters who are the “professional” recruiters who focus full-time on bringing in quality recruits to the enlisted ranks. Some pre-comm candidates may encounter them at their HS and other venues. Note the word “aggressive.” It’s a pressure-cooker environment driven by monthly quotas, with 101 things to do to successfully shepherd an enlisted recruit from first contact to orders to boot camp. They may or may not know anything about officer commissioning programs, or what they know is incomplete. It is also not their primary duty. They may also secretly hope to snag a quality enlisted recruit if the SA or NROTC process proves too daunting. There are also regular Fleet sailors who rotate into recruiting duty as a shore duty assignment. As with any group, most are fine people, dedicated to their job, but some will not follow through, likely because their priorities are elsewhere (meeting quotas).

I was assigned temp duty at a Navy Recruiting District (they have new names now), the regional staff office which runs all those field offices
, not to do recruiting, but to do some work for the SECNAV IG to complete investigations into complaints lodged about recruiting practices. It was eye-opening. The pressure-cooker environment chasing after warm bodies made me secretly promise myself to avoid orders to recruiting duty if I could. I met many principled people, officer and enlisted, committed to doing their jobs well. Unfortunately, the pressure drives others to overlook the rule book or promises made that don’t directly contribute to quota work.

It’s always been a bit mysterious to me how NROTC recruiters work, who they are, how to find them. I miss one of our past posters who was at a NROTC unit who always knew the right answer.

The key is to do as much as possible on your own through the NROTC website, use the contact info there to find the right recruiters to work with for those action items that require one.
 
Capt MJ said:

Navy COOL Summary - NCR-Navy Counselor (Recruiter)

Navy Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL) - NCR-Navy Counselor (Recruiter)
www.cool.navy.mil www.cool.navy.mil

Just for context purposes, and for readers who aren’t quite sure who all these recruiters are, the link above is the rating (job) description for the enlisted Navy recruiters who are the “professional” recruiters who focus full-time on bringing in quality recruits to the enlisted ranks. Some pre-comm candidates may encounter them at their HS and other venues. Note the word “aggressive.” It’s a pressure-cooker environment driven by monthly quotas, with 101 things to do to successfully shepherd an enlisted recruit from first contact to orders to boot camp. They may or may not know anything about officer commissioning programs, or what they know is incomplete. It is also not their primary duty. They may also secretly hope to snag a quality enlisted recruit if the SA or NROTC process proves too daunting. There are also regular Fleet sailors who rotate into recruiting duty as a shore duty assignment. As with any group, most are fine people, dedicated to their job, but some will not follow through, likely because their priorities are elsewhere (meeting quotas).

I was assigned temp duty at a Navy Recruiting District (they have new names now), the regional staff office which runs all those field offices
, not to do recruiting, but to do some work for the SECNAV IG to complete investigations into complaints lodged about recruiting practices. It was eye-opening. The pressure-cooker environment chasing after warm bodies made me secretly promise myself to avoid orders to recruiting duty if I could. I met many principled people, officer and enlisted, committed to doing their jobs well. Unfortunately, the pressure drives others to overlook the rule book or promises made that don’t directly contribute to quota work.

It’s always been a bit mysterious to me how NROTC recruiters work, who they are, how to find them. I miss one of our past posters who was at a NROTC unit who always knew the right answer.

The key is to do as much as possible on your own through the NROTC website, use the contact info there to find the right recruiters to work with for those action items that require one.
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Yep, we had two completely different experiences. Everyone was kind and respectful.

Forums were a lot of help, especially with #1. I believe NavyNOLA (?) was someone who seemed knowledgeable and helpful with DS #1 process. I remember the day they left. Reassigned and “outta here”. And poof *gone*. Advice is still available through the search function, however.

I recall thinking UNSA and NROTC would all be one large thing...having no exposure to anything remotely Navy. Same thought that DODMERB/waivers, etc would be the same for both. They aren’t.
 
My family and I are so grateful for Captain MJ, ProudDad, Kinnem, Mr Mullens (the DODMERB guru w/ specialty for wit & the greatest emoji replies:director:) and SO MANY other regulars (and novices) who selflessly put out information and personal experiences on this forum, answer questions, provide email contacts (like Pensacola's / pnsc_nrotc_applications@navy.mil).

I am absolutely a novice... but our family has benefited greatly due to you all !!!
 
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@emptynest2021 - your frustration is completely justified and glad you have current information on the status of your son's application. @Herman_Snerd recommendation of asking for the tracking number is spot on.

I've pointed out in other posts that the 'recruiters/scholarship coordinators' belong to a separate chain of command than the NSTC folks. Unfortunately, experiences like this reflect poorly on both sides (NSTC/NRC).

Strongly recommend you provide feedback at the conclusion of this board season. I would send an email to both the CO of the NRD/NTAG (should be able to find through the 'Locate a Coordinator' tab on the NROTC site) and to the email address I provided above. It's important to get experiences like yours back to appropriate leadership to both hold individuals accountable for their performance and to assist NRC/NSTC in finding a way to improve this process.
 
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