ROTC Application

I

IamtheFred

C/o2026 Applicant
Joined
Apr 26, 2021
Messages
75
Hey, I am looking to apply to a SA, but my plan B is an ROTC scholarship. I am kind of drowning in information. Could someone please explain to me the process for application for an ROTC scholarship? If you could include things like dates, deadlines, GPA, Test Scores, and any thing else I would need, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to all who help!
 
Welcome. Very broad question. Which ROTC scholarships are you planning on pursuing? Have you visited the AFROTC, AROTC, NROTC, NROTC-MO websites to review the submittal requirements and relevant deadlines? GPA, Test Scores and "anything else" is very subjective. Take a few days and use the search function at the top of this page and you will have access to a massive amount of historical knowledge into the process. Good luck and welcome!
 
IamtheFred said:
Hey, I am looking to apply to a SA, but my plan B is an ROTC scholarship. I am kind of drowning in information. Could someone please explain to me the process for application for an ROTC scholarship? If you could include things like dates, deadlines, GPA, Test Scores, and any thing else I would need, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to all who help!
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Army ROTC Application Window Opens 12 JUN 21 for School Year 2022. Potential applicants are encouraged to watch the Official ROTC YouTube video on how to fill out the 4 Year High School Scholarship Application:

 
IamtheFred said:
Hey, I am looking to apply to a SA, but my plan B is an ROTC scholarship. I am kind of drowning in information. Could someone please explain to me the process for application for an ROTC scholarship? If you could include things like dates, deadlines, GPA, Test Scores, and any thing else I would need, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to all who help!
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When you start the process of applying the SA, I recommend building a document file for the ROTC scholarship. Both require similar documents such as transcripts, letter of recommendation, a resume, personal essays, interviews. Of course, there will be some slight differences, depending on the application.

The year before my DD started the process, we visited an AROTC program at a local college, where she spoke to a cadre member, and it she shared that it was helpful to experience that meeting prior to her scholarship interviews and SA interview.
 
I helped my daughter create a spreadsheet for each ROTC option with all needed dates, minimums, and "ideal" stats. We had already done something similar to help her narrow down her college choices/options. It helped her see everything in a snapshot format in one central location...especially those deadlines!

After months of reading these boards and going through the process with my daughter, I don't think anyone can stress enough to do your best at school, in sports, and in your leadership opportunities. Submit your best scores. And prepare-prepare-prepare for that interview. Good luck!
 
ghostwritergirl said:
I helped my daughter create a spreadsheet for each ROTC option with all needed dates, minimums, and "ideal" stats. We had already done something similar to help her narrow down her college choices/options. It helped her see everything in a snapshot format in one central location...especially those deadlines!

After months of reading these boards and going through the process with my daughter, I don't think anyone can stress enough to do your best at school, in sports, and in your leadership opportunities. Submit your best scores. And prepare-prepare-prepare for that interview. Good luck!
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With my DS who applied for USNA and the NROTC scholarship, he created a spreadsheet for the nomination process and letters of recommendation - timelines, due dates, how they needed to be submitted, contact info for MOC/institution, confirmation they had been received., etc. He could print parts of that out to provide the letter writers as an addendum to his letter requesting the recommendation. His letter also described the categories of skills or attributes he hoped they would address. It made things clear for everyone. Give them plenty of time - he gave everyone at least a month or 2 or 3. He also included an essay describing his desire to attend the USNA as well as his resume. The LOR writers all thanked him for making the process so clear.

Since this was our first child to go through the process, something we have learned in the past couple of weeks is that the NROTC scholarship is not really a "backup" plan. It is highly competitive and you are able to request different levels of scholarship. We were so ignorant going into all of this. Spend lots of time talking with the various recruiters and units if you can. Start early!!! Submit early, and expect to wait, and wait, and wait. Pursue lots of other options. Lots of kids have this dream of the academies from when they were little - my son included. But when they expand their myopic view to at least entertain their other options, they might find another path that is their true calling. Regardless of how competitive your applicant is, there are no guarantees.

Even though DS is still waiting to hear from USNA (after a turndown yesterday from NROTC), he has become so excited to join the Corps at Norwich in Vermont (It will be a culture shock for this TX boy!) to study cybersecurity. He only applied to SMCs aside from the Academy and was accepted to Norwich and The Citadel. Both are VERY eager to have him, and Norwich gave him $100K right from the beginning without him even asking for financial aid. Even if he received an appointment to USNA, I'm not sure he would take it at this point because his other options are so enticing - and more importantly - they show true interest in having him versus this aloof "we will let you know in our own time if we see a place for you here." There is a lot to be said for feeling wanted unequivocably.

DS has been fortunate that he knows he will commission as a Navy officer - regardless of the path he takes. We are hopeful that he will eventually receive the NROTC scholarship. As a parent, I want the Navy to pick up the cost of his schooling since he is committed to serving, but I feel confident that will come in time.

Best of luck to all who are still waiting and who will be applying in the future!
 
Two things for you to do—

First, spend time reading previous posts on this ROTC forum and take notes. I think you will get a lot of answers just from doing that.

Second, decide which service(s) you would like to apply to. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Navy-Marine Option are your choices. Once you decide which service(s) you are applying for, then you will be able to ask more focused types of questions.
 
IamtheFred said:
Hey, I am looking to apply to a SA, but my plan B is an ROTC scholarship. I am kind of drowning in information. Could someone please explain to me the process for application for an ROTC scholarship? If you could include things like dates, deadlines, GPA, Test Scores, and any thing else I would need, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to all who help!
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Hey there! I'm glad you're trying to become an officer in the United States military. And yes I perfectly understand where you're coming from in terms of drowning in info. As a 4 year AROTC and NROTC-MO scholarship winner myself, I'll try to help you in any way I can.
So first off, ROTC scholarship application will all be different depending on what military branch you're trying to gain the scholarship from. For example, NROTC application already opened while AROTC scholarship application typically opens around mid June and AFROTC is scheduled to open its application in early July this year.
Speaking of deadlines, AROTC has its first board around mid October. Which means it will have its deadline for the 1st board in early October (at least that's what it was like last year) and its second board in late January which has a deadline in early January. The 3rd board occurs in mid March with its deadline being early March. I finished all my application for AROTC before October and I heard back in late October that I won a 4 year scholarship.
For NROTC, I remember having my deadline for 1st board in late October or early November but I finished all my application during October. I heard back from them in mid December that I had won a 4 year NROTC-MO scholarship.
For GPA and Test scores, to be honest it really depends on how your overall package looks like but generally I would say you need an unweighted GPA of AT LEAST 3.5 or 3.6 and ACT of 29 or SAT of 1300 at the minimum to be seen competitive. If you really want ROTC departments of schools to start reaching out to you based on your stats, you probably want a solid 31 or plus on the ACT, 1400 on the SAT and 3.8 plus GPA. (I had 32 ACT, 3.95 unweighted GPA and a perfect PT score)

You will also need to be eventually DODMERB qualified but if you're just starting your application, don't worry about it. My advice is to start as EARLY as possible since there are more opportunities if you do so. Think about all the boards that will review your files. You could be a non-select for 1st board but could get selected the 2nd board. So definitely take actions first and start writing essays as soon as you have access to the prompts.

If you have any more questions regarding ROTC or even Service Academies, feel free to reach out. I'll even leave my personal email if you really want more info- foxtailsean@gmail.com

Best of luck to you
 
IamtheFred said:
Hey, I am looking to apply to a SA, but my plan B is an ROTC scholarship. I am kind of drowning in information. Could someone please explain to me the process for application for an ROTC scholarship? If you could include things like dates, deadlines, GPA, Test Scores, and any thing else I would need, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to all who help!
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This is a copy/paste of one of my posts from a few days ago regarding AROTC and timing. Whatever you do, if you are applying for the AROTC scholarship - don't rush your packet to get on the 1st Board. @foxtailsean is a stud and had great stats and was ready for the 1st Board. My DS was in a similar spot a few years ago and got a 4-YR on the 1st Board..

POST COPY BELOW

There are hundreds of threads that cover this. Take a few hours and read thru them all. Pay special attention to the posts by @Montana State Army ROTC. The biggest mistake that candidates make with the AROTC process is rushing to get on the 1st Board. There are 3 Boards and your packet is only reviewed 1 time and given a score. There is very little you can do to push the needle after you are Boarded. So, make sure your standardized test scores are where they need to be and you have maxed out the PFT. Take time and write thoughtful essays put thought into the CBEF. Prepare for the interview and read about interview prep. If the packet is not the absolute best it can be - defer to the next Board.

DON'T RUSH TO GET ON THE 1ST BOARD. - Just wanted to make sure this point was emphasized......Time is on your side with the AROTC process and you get to control the pace, unlike the other branches.

Agree with the above. Spend your time researching the process and reading historical posts and perspectives rather than comparing stats. Good Luck!
 
I think NROTC- Marine Option only has two boards, while the other branches have three boards.
 
The rest of the responses hit the nail on the head so I won't say much but I'll give you one big tip from my personal experience: DON'T WAIT ON THE ESSAYS. I submitted my application on the last day and waited to complete the essays, and let's just say it was one of the most stressful situations I've been in.
 
IamtheFred said:
Could someone please explain to me the process for application for an ROTC scholarship? If you could include things like dates, deadlines, GPA, Test Scores, and any thing else I would need, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks to all who help!
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In general, without knowing which branch(es) you're applying to, your rough order of priorities over the next 4 months should be as follows: SAT, Physical Fitness prep, LORs, medical records, and stories about project management and diversity.

1. First priority: boost your SAT score by signing up NOW for one of the summer sittings

2. Also immediate priority: start preparing for the Physical Fitness test. Lots of excellent threads here on how to prepare effectively & efficiently

3. Next priority -- before end of May: go to your favorite high school teacher(s) and ask him or her or them for letters of recommendation (LORs). Reach them while school is still in session ie before they head out for the summer and while they're still checking their school email account. Remind them of why you liked the class so much / what topics most engaged or fascinated you.

4. Get your medical records in order. ID any medical issues and if necessary, reach out to Mr. Larry Mullen here if necessary -- and please, FOLLOW MR. MULLEN'S ADVICE TO THE LETTER

5. After you've done the above, start thinking about your essays -- three main themes for you to start organizing your thoughts around:
​
- why I want to serve AS AN OFFICER (nb. ROTC programs build officers)​
​
- examples of projects I've managed or groups I've organized that show how I can assess a situation, define a desired outcome, and then influence and lead others to achieve that desired outcome (look up the S-T-A-R format for concise storytelling)​
​
- an example of how I've dealt with issues related to diversity, broadly defined -- people of very different backgrounds, etc from mine​
​
​
 
my 2 cents. develop a backup plan as well. If I apply for one of the National ROTC programs or SA and don't get in. What's next? What is Plan A, B, C, - Z? “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Mike Tyson
 
Also do your homework not only on the ROTC programs/scholarship but see which schools cover room and board and how much they actually cover. They are all very different.
 
If not already mentioned, which schools offer in-state tuition to scholarship winners.
 
Capt MJ said:
If not already mentioned, which schools offer in-state tuition to scholarship winners.
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The following are the links for AROTC and NROTC/NROTC-MO additional benefits by school:

1. AROTC - Follow link and look in left margin for "Find Schools". Search the school you are interested in and it will detail any additional scholarship benefits - https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/scholarships.html

2. NROTC/NROTC-MO - The following link provides all of the additional benefits by school. - https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/NROTC/Additional-Benefits/

I apologize, I am not familiar with AFROTC additional benefits. Best of luck to you!
 
thibaud said:
In general, without knowing which branch(es) you're applying to, your rough order of priorities over the next 4 months should be as follows: SAT, Physical Fitness prep, LORs, medical records, and stories about project management and diversity.

1. First priority: boost your SAT score by signing up NOW for one of the summer sittings

2. Also immediate priority: start preparing for the Physical Fitness test. Lots of excellent threads here on how to prepare effectively & efficiently

3. Next priority -- before end of May: go to your favorite high school teacher(s) and ask him or her or them for letters of recommendation (LORs). Reach them while school is still in session ie before they head out for the summer and while they're still checking their school email account. Remind them of why you liked the class so much / what topics most engaged or fascinated you.

4. Get your medical records in order. ID any medical issues and if necessary, reach out to Mr. Larry Mullen here if necessary -- and please, FOLLOW MR. MULLEN'S ADVICE TO THE LETTER

5. After you've done the above, start thinking about your essays -- three main themes for you to start organizing your thoughts around:
​
- why I want to serve AS AN OFFICER (nb. ROTC programs build officers)​
​
- examples of projects I've managed or groups I've organized that show how I can assess a situation, define a desired outcome, and then influence and lead others to achieve that desired outcome (look up the S-T-A-R format for concise storytelling)​
​
- an example of how I've dealt with issues related to diversity, broadly defined -- people of very different backgrounds, etc from mine​
​
​
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To whom do you address the ROTC letters of recommendation to?
 
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