My DS has received both AFROTC and NROTC scholarships but is still waiting on AFA and USNA. Like many on here, SA is plan A so the waiting is painful. Curious if there are any stats on how many ROTC scholarship recipients also receive SA appointments ( assuming they are 3q w/ noms). Seems to me that receiving these scholarship would be a good sign that the SA would also be interested in him. Also wondering if SA would be aware he has recieved ROTC scholarships and may pass him over for an appointment thinking..." already has a path provided to becoming an officer"
ROTC scholarship/ SA appointment chances
- Thread starter crair70
- Start date
The Air Force Academy (and I would assume other SA's) don't "talk" to the ROTC programs about candidates--they each make their own decisions about who gets offered an appointment/scholarship based on that candidate's file/WCS. So your son won't be at a disadvantage by having scholarships on the table.
In some ways, the ROTC scholarships are just as competitive if not more so than the academies, as there are 2 groups applying for an ROTC scholarship--all (or most) of the SA candidates who also apply to ROTC as a backup (and theoretically should be a strong group based on SA requirements), AND the candidates who want to end up as officers in the military but want a typical college experience so they didn't apply to SA's. To be competitive, this group has to have strong credentials also, especially since scholarship $ have been cut back.
Personally, (and I have no stats to back this up), I would think if your son has received 2 ROTC scholarships, especially this year, that is a good sign--he must have a strong file. I know last year, my son found out he received an AFROTC scholarship not long after Christmas. Pairing that with the $ he received from ERAU, he was in a good position. But he really wanted the AFA so the wait until March was hard! I know where you're coming from! It all worked out for my son, as he's a doolie at the AFA, hope it does for your son too!
In some ways, the ROTC scholarships are just as competitive if not more so than the academies, as there are 2 groups applying for an ROTC scholarship--all (or most) of the SA candidates who also apply to ROTC as a backup (and theoretically should be a strong group based on SA requirements), AND the candidates who want to end up as officers in the military but want a typical college experience so they didn't apply to SA's. To be competitive, this group has to have strong credentials also, especially since scholarship $ have been cut back.
Personally, (and I have no stats to back this up), I would think if your son has received 2 ROTC scholarships, especially this year, that is a good sign--he must have a strong file. I know last year, my son found out he received an AFROTC scholarship not long after Christmas. Pairing that with the $ he received from ERAU, he was in a good position. But he really wanted the AFA so the wait until March was hard! I know where you're coming from! It all worked out for my son, as he's a doolie at the AFA, hope it does for your son too!
Pima
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The AFA and AFROTC do not talk at all.
First place, their boards occur in different states. AFROTC is at Maxwell. The AFA holds weekly boards, and AFROTC holds monthly after Dec, if that. It would mean going back into all of the applicants files that applied and updating them. 95% of AFA candidates are like your DS, they apply for both, that would be updating 1000's of files. Everytime there is an update, that section of the WCS, and only that section is re-scored. A lot of work, but more importantly than the time constraint is converting the AFROTC WCS to the AFA, to determine how many points to award. Sim to converting an ACT to SAT.
The WCS system is at both, but the scholarships are awarded differently than the appointments.
Appointments are geocentric at first, scholarships are only national... always. In other words, the cadet from a competitive state may not get an appointment because they are coming from an area where there are too many applicants. Yet get the scholarship because nationally they are on the top across the country. Understand 900 scholarships go out, but the NWL is @ 1/2 that size, and theoretically, for any one candidate can only have 3 MOC noms. Yes, they can have Presidential and ROTC too, but we are talking about just the geographical area.
Also the WCS system is different. AFROTC takes the best sitting, not superscore. Thus, for some their superscore is close to their best, but for others it could be much higher. PAR is 60% and SAT is part of that PAR.
Scholarships are tied to the major, and although the AFA is known as the Little Engineering School in the Rockies, the major has no impact on the decision. @85% of AFROTC scholarship go to STEM majors. This can be a factor in the decision process also, since if the applicant is non-tech for AFROTC it plays into the decision. Hence from a national perspective they lose out, but from the AFA perspective they are on the same footing.
The last 2 points is what I mean they have to go back and figure a way to put the AFROTC WCS in terms with the AFA WCS system.
Place that all together and you can see why some get the scholarship, but not the apptmt, and some get the apptmt, but not the scholarship.
I hope that explains to you the system of why it works the way it does and why they don't talk.
First place, their boards occur in different states. AFROTC is at Maxwell. The AFA holds weekly boards, and AFROTC holds monthly after Dec, if that. It would mean going back into all of the applicants files that applied and updating them. 95% of AFA candidates are like your DS, they apply for both, that would be updating 1000's of files. Everytime there is an update, that section of the WCS, and only that section is re-scored. A lot of work, but more importantly than the time constraint is converting the AFROTC WCS to the AFA, to determine how many points to award. Sim to converting an ACT to SAT.
The WCS system is at both, but the scholarships are awarded differently than the appointments.
Appointments are geocentric at first, scholarships are only national... always. In other words, the cadet from a competitive state may not get an appointment because they are coming from an area where there are too many applicants. Yet get the scholarship because nationally they are on the top across the country. Understand 900 scholarships go out, but the NWL is @ 1/2 that size, and theoretically, for any one candidate can only have 3 MOC noms. Yes, they can have Presidential and ROTC too, but we are talking about just the geographical area.
Also the WCS system is different. AFROTC takes the best sitting, not superscore. Thus, for some their superscore is close to their best, but for others it could be much higher. PAR is 60% and SAT is part of that PAR.
Scholarships are tied to the major, and although the AFA is known as the Little Engineering School in the Rockies, the major has no impact on the decision. @85% of AFROTC scholarship go to STEM majors. This can be a factor in the decision process also, since if the applicant is non-tech for AFROTC it plays into the decision. Hence from a national perspective they lose out, but from the AFA perspective they are on the same footing.
The last 2 points is what I mean they have to go back and figure a way to put the AFROTC WCS in terms with the AFA WCS system.
Place that all together and you can see why some get the scholarship, but not the apptmt, and some get the apptmt, but not the scholarship.
I hope that explains to you the system of why it works the way it does and why they don't talk.
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Thank you Pima and AFAYahoo for the informative reply! DS biggest concern was that by receiving these ROTC scholarships it could affect his chances of an appointment. Seems that is not the case.
Pima, you mentioned that nationally 900 afrotc scholarships are awarded? Curious if these is any data on how many applicants they typically get for those 900 scholarships?
Also I assume that many of those 900 awarded will also receive an appointment. Being that my DS has accepted his ROTC scholarships already, if he did get an appointment he would be declining his ROTC scholarship which would open it up to another applicant. Do many ROTC scholarship go out in April when SA appointments have gone out? Thinking there will be kids who have accepted ROTC and get an appointment to SA and ultimately decline ROTC, opening up a scholarship spot.
Thanks for the reply... Just trying to get a grasp on the big picture.
Pima, you mentioned that nationally 900 afrotc scholarships are awarded? Curious if these is any data on how many applicants they typically get for those 900 scholarships?
Also I assume that many of those 900 awarded will also receive an appointment. Being that my DS has accepted his ROTC scholarships already, if he did get an appointment he would be declining his ROTC scholarship which would open it up to another applicant. Do many ROTC scholarship go out in April when SA appointments have gone out? Thinking there will be kids who have accepted ROTC and get an appointment to SA and ultimately decline ROTC, opening up a scholarship spot.
Thanks for the reply... Just trying to get a grasp on the big picture.
Pima
10-Year Member
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Approx 5K AFROTC applicants are reviewed by the boards.
The bulk of scholarships from what I have seen over the yrs go out Jan/Feb way before the mass mailing of the SAs. There will always be AFA appointees that through the scholarship back in the pool, but the problem is boards have lag times, and if that money is not in by their close date, they will not place that into the equation. Instead, they may opt to use it next yr for IS scholarships.
It is not uncommon for an AFA appointee to hold that scholarship up to I day.
The bulk of scholarships from what I have seen over the yrs go out Jan/Feb way before the mass mailing of the SAs. There will always be AFA appointees that through the scholarship back in the pool, but the problem is boards have lag times, and if that money is not in by their close date, they will not place that into the equation. Instead, they may opt to use it next yr for IS scholarships.
It is not uncommon for an AFA appointee to hold that scholarship up to I day.