I'm planning on applying for the NROTC scholarship this summer. I have contacted my local recruiter and he wants to meet with me in May after I finish this year (11th) so we can talk. He wants to give me the ASVAB test and knows I want to be commissioned as an officer. I told him I was wanting to try to get into the PLC program and he brought up the scholarship I can apply for. I think I will do very well on my PFT which I've heard a lot of people on here say is one of the most important qualifications. I would like to get some tips on how to run long distance. I am more of a 1 mile fast runner that endurance. Also my dad is a retired colonel. He was in the marine corp for 28 years and I was wondering if this would help in my application at all and if I should tell my recruiter this when I go to talk to him in May.
Hopefully I can provide some helpful insight.
This year, I received the MO NROTC scholarship. My small school of 340 students actually got a total of 3 Marine Option and 1 Navy Scholarship. My school, year after year, has produced multiple scholarship recipients as well as service academy appointments. The guidance I was given 110% contributed to receiving the scholarship. It was very beneficial to know and be friends with the other applicants. I would try to see if anyone at your high school is also applying. Running PFTs and working on our application packages, in general, was so much easier when you were being pushed by a peer who is aiming for the same goal.
My father has also been in the Marines for over 20 years. This is a big plus for your application. Somebody above mentioned their DS having family that was prior military. This is an excellent opportunity to write about in your essays or discuss in your interview.
As for the PFT, the Corps is real big on the physical aspect of your application. I can relate with you, being a 1 miler rather than long distance. I took my PFT twice (officially) and ran many mock ones, but I couldn't seem to improve on my run time. As long as you can run a sub 22 min, while maxing out (or coming close to) your pullups and crunches, you will still be in the competitive range as far as your score is concerned. I will drop my final package stats at the end.
Your essays are another big part of the application. Since the selection board is not able to actually see you or talk to you, your essays will do that for you. Go in-depth about the question but don't ramble on and swing off-topic. Hit the word limit. My essays were way over and I had to condense them to fit before submitting them.
Understand that standardized tests aren't everything, and the Marine Option only requires a min. of 1000 on the SAT, but are still important. GOOD scores on multiple tests will look good. Take the ASVAB, it cannot possibly hurt to take, and if you aren't happy with your score, don't report it. I would provide AT LEAST an SAT score though.
In the end, a well-rounded package will be more appealing to the board than a rockstar who might only shine in a few categories. Do good in every aspect of leadership, physical fitness, academics, and you will be fine. Your local recruiter will be a great mentor through this process. That is where I ran my PFTs, updated my package, got advice, etc. However, there is only so much they can do for you as a Scholarship applicant. Another thing- Do not think anything is too small to include on your application! Record every award, ECA, and anything else you can think of. It all contributes to a bigger image of yourself as a person. Best of luck to you, from one military brat to another! You got this.
For reference, these are some of my final stats. I'm sure I'm missing some things. I was not accepted on the early board but received the scholarship on the normal board this past month.
PFT: 278
SAT: 1210
GPA: 3.55 unweighted
Class standing: 12/78
Academics: 7 AP Classes,
Sports: 4yrs of V Baseball, V Football, V Wrestling (Captain on all)
ECA: Band (4yrs), Boy Scouts, Church Groups, 400+ hours of community service, Naval Academy Summer Seminar
JROTC: Marine Corps unit, 4 years, Cadet Batallion SgtMaj, Drill team, Orienteering team, Raider Team, PT Team
Other: Bilingual (German), Part-time job
Please PM me with any questions and I'll help you out as much as I can. If you need me over the summer I'll be here!