San Diego NROTC Preparatory Program Insight?

Meowspike13

C/O 2026 Applicant
Joined
Jan 18, 2021
Messages
85
Hello to all, I hope you guys are doing well.

As per the title, is there anyone on this forum that has insight into what life is like as a midshipman candidate or midshipman at the NROTC San Diego Unit (specifically SDSU)? I say at SDSU specifically since I was recently accepted there (yay!).

What is life like for y'all? Does the unit have the opportunity to interact and conduct activities at the bases in the San Diego area like at Coronado, Point Loma, etc.? How is the commute since the NROTC Unit is mainly held at USD? Any input from any current or former mids there from any of the participant schools would help. Thank you so much in advance.

On a side note, I truly thank all of you guys here at SA Forums. I truly wouldn't have imagined being able to interact with anyone going through the process, with current mids/cadets at the SAs or ROTC programs, or even just veterans/parents of mids/cadets. Thank you so so much, this process hasn't been the smoothest for me as I know with many other various candidates going through this process. I hope to keep up a positive attitude so that I may continue to pursue a commission into the Navy or Marine Corps.
 
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Congrats on your acceptance to SDSU - terrific school.

I just want to quickly recommend that you do the following:
1. Reach out to the unit, introduce yourself, ask if you might have a zoom call with a current midshipmen to discuss a list of questions and learn about the experience. A couple of years ago I would have recommended an on-site visit and shadowing a mid, but in today's pandemic world I just don't know how great of an idea that would be.
2. I would also recommend you search FB for the SDSU NROTC page - I won't post the link but it's easy to find. Lots of details there.
3. Confirm exactly how much you'll have to pay per semester for the prep program participation. A few other participants were caught off guard at their schools when it wasn't a 100% covered experience. I think it's a GREAT way to assimilate into NROTC and service.

Overall, there is a HUGE naval community in SD - within a couple of minutes I learned that there are specific NROTC exercises, activities that are on-base or on campus involving members of the community but it appears these are exception/ highlights for the 4 years, not a weekly occurrence. This summer, a few midshipmen were able to see the Seals train on Coronado beach, had activities on the base, etc. - they all had CAC cards and orders and had no issues walking about. I don't think you typically get your CAC card until at-least later in your freshman year, so it may not be as open to you initially. From what I can tell, most of your activities will be either at the host university campus, USD or your school. But that's a question I would ask when you make a connection at the unit. directly or via FB. I bet if you post a FB page note noting you'd love to connect with a current mid for questions that you might get some support. Just remember though that FB is less anonymous than this forum.

Network/ connect with members of that community and keep asking questions to arm yourself with as many details as you can. Please share a summary of what you find back on this thread to help others. Good luck to you.
 
Thank you for the information concerning me having to determine how much I will be paying. I didn’t know that expenses wouldn’t be fully covered. I will definitely try to find some type of meeting with current mids there and come back with a response on it.
 
I had the opportunity to speak over the phone with one of the LTs/Professors at USD for the NROTC program today. This is essentially what he stated to me:
  • Though you may apply for the National Scholarship, and Preparatory Program Scholarship, APPLY FOR THE COLLEGE PROGRAM AS WELL!! I didn't know that I had to apply for that program in the event that I'm not chosen for the scholarship. Even if you have confidence that you'll get the scholarship, do it anyway because at the end of the day the goal is to become a commissioned officer in the Navy or Marine Corps.
  • The MIDN Shadow Program is available to current candidates/applicants so that they may see what life is like at the NROTC Battalion. It works very similar to CVW for USNA (in terms of the goal of the program) and he stated that he will get me in contact with the recruiting officers to facilitate this opportunity (hopefully in person). I did ask to try to facilitate a zoom meeting of some kind but he only mentioned the in person program to shadow a mid. I will reply back to this thread with more information about this shadowing program once I get into contact with the recruiting officers.
Another question that I asked was related to how commissioning into a restricted line contract may work (due to personal medical reasons). From my understanding of the LTs explanation of how the commissioning process works, I cannot commission directly into a certain specialty within the RL community. For example I asked if I can become an AMDO after commissioning. He stated that I cannot become an AMDO straight off the bat due to the need of having to go through a more specialized type of training for this. Furthermore, I would need to have some experience within the Navy as well to get that job. May anyone elaborate more on this because I am confused on how the process works to go into a RL community while still a newly commissioned Ensign. I would truly appreciate it.

Please to anyone reading this that is familiar with the SD NROTC program, I would truly appreciate any and more input concerning this program. Thank you so much!
 
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I had the opportunity to speak over the phone with one of the LTs/Professors at USD for the NROTC program today. This is essentially what he stated to me:
  • Though you may apply for the National Scholarship, and Preparatory Program Scholarship, APPLY FOR THE COLLEGE PROGRAM AS WELL!! I didn't know that I had to apply for that program in the event that I'm not chosen for the scholarship. Even if you have confidence that you'll get the scholarship, do it anyway because at the end of the day the goal is to become a commissioned officer in the Navy or Marine Corps.
  • The MIDN Shadow Program is available to current candidates/applicants so that they may see what life is like at the NROTC Battalion. It works very similar to CVW for USNA (in terms of the goal of the program) and he stated that he will get me in contact with the recruiting officers to facilitate this opportunity (hopefully in person). I did ask to try to facilitate a zoom meeting of some kind but he only mentioned the in person program to shadow a mid. I will reply back to this thread with more information about this shadowing program once I get into contact with the recruiting officers.
Another question that I asked was related to how commissioning into a restricted line contract may work (due to personal medical reasons). From my understanding of the LTs explanation of how the commissioning process works, I cannot commission directly into a certain specialty within the RL community. For example I asked if I can become an AMDO after commissioning. He stated that I cannot become an AMDO straight off the bat due to the need of having to go through a more specialized type of training for this. Furthermore, I would need to have some experience within the Navy as well to get that job. May anyone elaborate more on this because I am confused on how the process works to go into a RL community while still a newly commissioned Ensign. I would truly appreciate it.

Please to anyone reading this that is familiar with the SD NROTC program, I would truly appreciate any and more input concerning this program. Thank you so much!
"Upon graduation, midshipmen are commissioned as officers in the unrestricted line Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve."

Source: https://www.netc.navy.mil/Commands/Naval-Service-Training-Command/NROTC/About/#:~:text=The mission of the Navy,technical Navy and Marine Corps.

If you have a medical condition that would keep you from being commissioned into the unrestricted line, NROTC is likely not the path you should pursue. If your condition would still allow you to commission as a restricted line officer, another commissioning source, such as OCS might be the better course to pursue.

There are certainly some exceptions where NROTC midn are able to commission into a restricted line, but this would not be because of a known medical condition prior to starting NROTC. Part of the scholarship process is a DODMERB medical examination to ensure you meet medical standards to serve in the unrestricted line.
 
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There are some Restricted Line Officer communities where the path lies through qualifying as a URL warfare officer, then applying for a lateral transfer and community redesignation change. An example is an engineering major who commissions via USNA, NROTC or Navy OCS, goes Surface Warfare, then shifts to EDO (Engineering Duty Officer), attends appropriate master’s program, and follows new career path.

USNA waivers just a handful of color-deficient midshipmen each year, and they know from the get-go they are headed to RL or in some few cases, Staff Corps.

Staff Corps are the doctors, dentists, nurses, medical administrators, lawyers, supply corps (logistics and business), CEC (construction engineer, think SeaBee) and a few others. The Navy gets most of those from “regular college,” and then OCS or ODS after they get the appropriate degree. A friend from OCS was a business major, worked as an accountant for 2 years, applied to OCS and went on to Supply Corps and then to a full career.

I recommend researching the RL communities and Staff Corps, and the path to each, as well as Navy OCS. All have websites. There will be officers who are recruiters for Navy OCS who work out of a regional office, not the Armed Forces Recruiting Center in a strip mall near you. Those fine folks are focused on enlisted recruiting.

You can find the officer program recruiters at the link below. Pick up the phone and call, ask for one. Yes, it’s early days, but get a jump on the research and the path to what you want. Find out what is doable for you. Officer candidates still have to pass military physical accession standards; Navy OCS is very competitive; they want fit, healthy, academic succeeders too.

Navy Talent Acquisition Groups (NTAG) cover various regions.


 
Another question that I asked was related to how commissioning into a restricted line contract may work (due to personal medical reasons). From my understanding of the LTs explanation of how the commissioning process works, I cannot commission directly into a certain specialty within the RL community. For example I asked if I can become an AMDO after commissioning. He stated that I cannot become an AMDO straight off the bat due to the need of having to go through a more specialized type of training for this. Furthermore, I would need to have some experience within the Navy as well to get that job. May anyone elaborate more on this because I am confused on how the process works to go into a RL community while still a newly commissioned Ensign. I would truly appreciate it.

Please to anyone reading this that is familiar with the SD NROTC program, I would truly appreciate any and more input concerning this program. Thank you so much!
The most likely path is starting in an URL community and lateral transfer after the first URL tour (depends on the community). There is a board and selection process. https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Boards/Administrative/Transfer-Redesignation/.

If you end up not physically qualified, you may commission into an RL community based on a number of factors, including desired O1 manning for that community (some officer communities do not need or desire O1s), skills/undergraduate major or other qualifications (i.e. for engineers, a valid FE), and needs of the Navy (an aerospace engineer doesn't have to be an AEDO and can be a perfectly capable CW officer).

The training pipeline will be figured out eventually (you might end up stashed somewhere while you wait to class up because you were added to the back of the line at the last minute).

Unsatisfying answer, but there's a lot of factors to consider, many of them dependent on your unique personal circumstances.
 
Hello to all, I hope you guys are doing well.

As per the title, is there anyone on this forum that has insight into what life is like as a midshipman candidate or midshipman at the NROTC San Diego Unit (specifically SDSU)? I say at SDSU specifically since I was recently accepted there (yay!).

What is life like for y'all? Does the unit have the opportunity to interact and conduct activities at the bases in the San Diego area like at Coronado, Point Loma, etc.? How is the commute since the NROTC Unit is mainly held at USD? Any input from any current or former mids there from any of the participant schools would help. Thank you so much in advance.

On a side note, I truly thank all of you guys here at SA Forums. I truly wouldn't have imagined being able to interact with anyone going through the process, with current mids/cadets at the SAs or ROTC programs, or even just veterans/parents of mids/cadets. Thank you so so much, this process hasn't been the smoothest for me as I know with many other various candidates going through this process. I hope to keep up a positive attitude so that I may continue to pursue a commission into the Navy or Marine Corps.
First, congrats! Regarding some of your questions/comments in this thread:

- I was NROTC, prior-enlisted, but not San Diego. I've heard anecdotally that the cross-town experience can be a challenge, especially for those that are not co-located with the mothership. Stepping back, the cross-town idea was odd to me when I first heard of it (though it makes sense now for the purposes of execution) because my narrow experience at the time was a single school with a single unit -- the end. As such, I frequently asked "what was that like?" to individuals from there. The challenge lay in the logistics, commute time, etc, but also being a member of the "other" school. That is far from some insurmountable challenge, but it is a challenge. Still a great experience? Yes. Still set you up for tremendous success? Yes. A bit of a pain? Yes.

- The above complexity is mitigated by the sheer Navy access available in San Diego. You'll be afforded opportunities and connections that my Oregon State education simply didn't offer. Your summers will have structured periods of activity with the local bases, particularly the summer after your freshman year which serves as a sample-platter of the Navy. Some surface, some subs, some aviation, some SPECWAR, some USMC. The following summers may be San Diego based (likely due to cost savings), but not a guarantee.

- Regarding the staff corps question. NROTC exists to produce URL officers, the end. However, in rare circumstances I saw individuals entering their final year get hit with medical restrictions for URL. Behind the scenes, the pool of individuals like that are sent to the various community managers who are aggregating their needs for Ensigns to maintain active community health for the various categories. This is a huge assignment problem to manage our manpower. Certain RL communities require previous experience in URL communities, others do not, as your conversation about AMDO reveals. This isn't the place to address the intricacies of them all, but the short and sweet is what you're eligible for is balanced against what you want, what others want, and the all-important "needs of the Navy." Maybe you commission into a RL community, maybe you're told enjoy the free education and have fun as a civilian. No guarantee here.

NOTE: If your medical situation is such that you're seriously worried about being only-RL eligible, you may be at risk for the scholarship period. If you want to commission and serve, graduating and applying for OCS/ODS commission straight into RL might be the best bet. I can speak to this as well if you'd like (see my other recent post).

- To some extent the previous bullet is analogous to the process the various communities go through when selecting applicants for OCS/ODS commissioning. A bunch of folk apply, all of the openings are lined up with the applicants, the best get picked predicated on talent, need, and what they applied for.

I hope this helps. Good luck and thanks to CAPT MJ for putting this on my radar.
 
Thank you all so much for the input. I truly do appreciate it, especially going through this rough time. I did speak to my Navy Chief earlier who did elaborate on some questions I had concerning my issue. He did mention OCS as a way for commissioning if it does funnel to that option down the road. I will keep praying that my medical issue will be resolved in some way or form so that I may still have all options on the table for me. God bless. 🙂
 
Hello to all, today I made the visit to SDSU and toured campus with a great MECEP Gunny who is going through the NROTC program there. Here are some of my takeaways from SDSU "visit" and from Gunny.
  • Since the NROTC unit is mainly held at USD, most midshipman in the unit attend USD. This means that commuting for morning workouts on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays at USD is not too bad. They start morning workouts at around 05:30 (figure leaving at around 5 to get parking though between SDSU and USD is only about 10 minutes drive). If you fail a PT test, you have to go to 2 morning workouts (one on Tuesday and another on Thursday), otherwise you can PT on your own for the rest of the weeks.
  • Another thing about doing NROTC at SDSU is that you don't have to deal with various military life things that midshipman at USD have to do (e.g. flag raising, duty, etc.). Gunny and I looked at it as a positive thing to do as you're not as burned out doing military things 24/7 unlike the SAs where it's a military environment always.
  • The NROTC Unit has its own intramural sports where the all compete for a trophy for morale purposes and what not. There are 3 companies that all compete for the trophy. Alpha Company are the Marine Selects MIDN while Bravo and Charlie are the Navy Selects MIDN.
  • The unit also has various clubs for the warfare specialties. These include Submarine Warfare Club, Special Warfare Club, and Surface Warfare Club. These clubs all have some sort of preparation into that warfare field. For example, Gunny told me that there's a current MIDN that was former enlisted and a SEAL, so they help coordinate activities that will prepare them in environments like BUDS.
  • SDSU has a great school for engineering, as many of the professors are very willing to help you on a math problem that you are stuck with. They record meetings and provide their notes to the class. Class sizes vary depending on the course, though many of them are in auditorium style classroom settings (at least in Little Theater Building, class size was ~140 people). HOWEVER as you go further into your study, you class size can be drastically reduced to even 7 students per class (that's amazing).
  • Much of the NROTC Program is done at USD.
  • Marine and Navy select midshipmen had the opportunities to visit a ship and experience a little bit of what life was like on it. In Gunny's experiences, he was able to spend some time last April at Camp Pendleton going through a mini FTX with the other mids.
  • Volunteer hours are required per semester through volunteering on your own. On top of that, you must attend at least 1 event/activity that's held by one of the NROTC Clubs. In the case that Gunny told me, MCRD San Diego reached out to the unit and asked if they wanted to clean some of their rifles at the armory. Sure enough some of the mids and them went and that counted as their event for that semester.
  • At the NROTC Program, what you make out of it is what you get out of it. Coordinate, contact, and inquire your professors about what industries they work in so that you can apply that to a job either in or out of the military.
  • Don't worry so much about what your job will be in the military, focus on getting the commission FIRST. You'll figure out what you want to do while in the program or even in your classes.
DISCLAIMER: Please do not berate me if there is any information that I may have mistaken on here. This was all from my memory earlier today and feel free to correct me on any information that could be added or adjusted. I'm open for even more information that can help other applicants or future applicants with this process.

Again thank you so much to you all. I absolutely loved the opportunity to see how NROTC life is compared to the SAs. Makes me do more self reflection upon what works for me on a pathway to commissioning. :)
 
I have to say that I am impressed with a guy who makes GySgt and is still young enough to go into the NROTC program.
That guy's name must be A.J. Squared Away.
 
I have to say that I am impressed with a guy who makes GySgt and is still young enough to go into the NROTC program.
That guy's name must be A.J. Squared Away.
NCOs in the MECEP program are exceptional individuals. If a NROTC unit is fortunate to have one or more on board, they have proven to be great mentors to college students In the Program.
 
I have to say that I am impressed with a guy who makes GySgt and is still young enough to go into the NROTC program.
That guy's name must be A.J. Squared Away.
Oddly enough, me and Gunny have the same name. So when my dad came along, he had to take a second to process that haha. But indeed, Gunny is a squared away guy and I’d love to be able to be with any great NCO in any unit.
 
Hello to all, I hope you guys are doing well.

As per the title, is there anyone on this forum that has insight into what life is like as a midshipman candidate or midshipman at the NROTC San Diego Unit (specifically SDSU)? I say at SDSU specifically since I was recently accepted there (yay!).

What is life like for y'all? Does the unit have the opportunity to interact and conduct activities at the bases in the San Diego area like at Coronado, Point Loma, etc.? How is the commute since the NROTC Unit is mainly held at USD? Any input from any current or former mids there from any of the participant schools would help. Thank you so much in advance.

On a side note, I truly thank all of you guys here at SA Forums. I truly wouldn't have imagined being able to interact with anyone going through the process, with current mids/cadets at the SAs or ROTC programs, or even just veterans/parents of mids/cadets. Thank you so so much, this process hasn't been the smoothest for me as I know with many other various candidates going through this process. I hope to keep up a positive attitude so that I may continue to pursue a commission into the Navy or Marine Corps.
Hey, I actually currently go to the NROTC SD unit, and have some friends in the Prep Program system. The gunny you spoke to is very correct. Going to state over USD will make life easier for you, the commute does get tiring after a while (at least from what my friends have told me) but overall nothing that would be a huge deterrence. There is a solid amount of MIDN and Meceps that go to both schools, so you’d have no trouble finding others to either hitch rides with or just hangout outside of ROTC with. State also has a huge Army and Air Force ROTC. As far as interaction, it is quite literally the best you could ever have. Every opportunity you want is presented to you, all you have to do is go after it. We have Pretty much weekly tours of different communities. That includes visits to aviation squadrons, sub tours, on Friday we just visited the USS Makin Island and talked to both a current aviation and Marine Corps officer. We had the triad of the USS Hampton come in and give us a brief on what it’s like to be a Submariner less than 10 days ago. This unit genuinely is all you could want as far as interaction. Plus, as a 4/C you’re put into classes where you’ll build comraderie and all that good stuff with your fellow 4/C. Best wishes on your future endeavors, hope to see you come Monday mornings
 
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