Odds of receiving Marine NROTC scholarship

Patches2010

Patches2010

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Joined
Jan 5, 2020
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Hello all, I’m an aspiring USMC officer in high school. I know that I can’t get a definitive answer, but what would you say my odds of getting accepted into Marine option NROTC are. My credentials are the following:

-3.5 GPA Freshman year, 3.8 GPA Sophomore, and estimate 3.8 for my Junior and Senior years as well.

-65th percentile on SAT, haven’t taken the ACT

-Will receive a varsity letter for wrestling by March, and plan on doing wrestling again next year.

-Have been doing Red Cross and Key Club this year, plan on doing it next year as well

-50 hours community service

Those are what I’ve actually done. However, there are a few things that I plan to do. This includes starting my own club, maybe becoming an officer in a new club my friends starting. I also plan on doing soccer in the Spring and Fall. I also know I can definitely get to the 75th percentile on the SAT, I’ve been there before I just had a bad day when I got 65th. Thanks!!
 
The actual SAT score would be helpful as opposed to the percentile. I expect it needs vast improvement but you have time for that. You should try to get some leadership positions, perhaps captain on wrestling or President of key club. Ultimately it's all about leadership. You will need to get a good score on the PFT which you can find online. My son was a successful wrestler all thru high school, but he still had a lot of work to do to prepare for the PFT. Start now.
 
NROTC scholarships are not easy! They are a TRUE national competition from the get-go (Verses a SA being first a local competition). You have time, but you also have to realize it’s a tough competition.

One thing I recommend, is in the summer take an admissions tour of a college you are interested in, that has NROTC, and schedule an admissions meeting with them. It’s an informal time to ask questions and learn about their program. But REMEMBER you are always making an impression. Everything is an interview.

This informal admissions tour meeting is one that it’s fine to have parents attend with you, but you should be driving the session. They should be listening.

All three of my boys did this. By the third, they very much remembered the older ones and asked how they are doing (the captain, not the ones doing the briefing). Not everyone takes the time to actually visit the unit! Our college unit also has a program similar to a CVW, where one can spend the night with a MIDN and shadow them for a look at what it’s like to be in NROTC at XXX university.

Side note: this last visit with son #3 is the first time a Marine and Navy person both put it on. Very interesting. Even what they are looking for from the git go in an applicant. Both were very much trying to recruit him to select their option. Marine was very interested in his physical fitness (wrestling, football and track). Emphasized that ‘MO doesn’t care your major...take an easier one and get a good GPA. We will train you how we want’. VS Navy saying ‘we care about your major and expect the learning to occur in college. STEM AND do well’.

Very different VS the SA way of becoming a Marine as far as we were told from visits.

Get those ACT/SAT scores up! You will be competing against kids all over the nation! Yes, this isn’t the ONLY piece (DS had a low section score at the time his packet was submitted for the first boards -he since raised it by 7 points- but was still selected first round. It’s a whole person look. He obviously had other things they liked) but you must present your best self!!

You also don’t include what classes you are/will be taking. It’s important they be the tough ones and that you do well. An A in basket weaving and dodgeball isn’t going to get you a scholarship....

Good luck to you.
 
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Abbreviating *verses the Service (IE: the Naval Academy or Westpoint) Academy way...*
 
@Patches2010 Having read some of your other threads, keep in mind that Marines carry very heavy loads starting no later than The Basic School. My son started with a perfectly fine back and now has some compression and pain. Part of why he didn't go Infantry.
 
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