Setting up Plan B

J

jrwork

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2018
Messages
215
At what point should we go ahead and accpet choice #1 that isn't an academy? DS has accepted AROTC 4-year scholarship and sent that and his medical qualification to his ROO but we haven't actually done anything as far as telling the school he will attend. Do people go ahead and apply for housing, register for classes, etc. and still pull if they get an appointment? I think that is what he should do but he thinks he shouldn't yet. Opinions or advice?
 
what's the schools deadline? does waiting affect housing or classes or something?

Is there any down side to telling the #2 choice , sorry we're not coming in May I suspect it happens all the time
 
So, given that you do not know if your child will be accepted, then with a clean heart you can make a deposit to his other choice with the Army ROTC scholarship.
IF in the future, your child receives an appointment, you simply request the return of your deposit. Most schools have a deadline of 1 May for requesting returns of deposits.
The security of that other great pathway to a university degree and a commission as an Army officer is not worth leaving to the last minute!
 
Also, try not to think of it as Plan B. It sounds like a great plan. Congratulations on the Army ROTC scholarship! <3
Go Army! is never a back up plan.
 
Our DD went ahead put down the housing deposit and took care of any paperwork in the event she doesn't get an appointment. Somewhere in the forums, someone gave the advice to move forward with whatever your alternative plan would be. We also have made the decision that if she gets an appointment, we are going to continue to hold her place with her alternative plan even past May 1. Losing a housing deposit or application fee is a small price for the piece of mind of a future plan.
 
Some will hold onto the dream of the academy and reapply from their college ROTC. Most kids take 4.5-5 years to finish school, so adding another year is no big deal. My son is one of those ROTC reapplicants. He has had a great ride at WP and will graduate in 101 more days!
 
While it is true that you have until the May 1 (or whenever it is) to accept a college, the dorm situation can run on a different timetable. For example, my sister's son got off the waiting list maybe 2 weeks after the due date but there was no avaialble dorm for him. So depending on the school, you have till the last day to accept the college, but you may not have a dorm as people have have been putting deposits on dorms and that is first come first serve type of deal.
 
Thank you all for your responses!

DS has told his ROO that he has an application in with USMA. He hasn't said definitely which he will do were he to get an appointment, at least not to the ROO. I am going to talk to DS when he gets home from practice today about this and have him move forward with securing everything with the school. This school provides basic room and board to national scholarship winners but doesn't say they will hold him a spot so even if we have to pay a deposit, I will do it, absolutely. The ROO says they need to go ahead and register for classes to make sure they get in what they need. I don't know if they truly fill up that fast or if he's doing his job of recruiting cadets (and let me tell you, he's good at his job! :p
 
DrMom said:
Also, try not to think of it as Plan B. It sounds like a great plan. Congratulations on the Army ROTC scholarship! <3
Go Army! is never a back up plan.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, you are right!! His true "back up plan" was USAFA but his heart is with the Army, which makes his Army vet dad extremely proud!
 
I suspect that the ROO has had other students leave at the last minute to accept a spot at a Service Academy. This person shouldn't be too shocked if your student does this.

Many if not most who apply for a ROTC scholarship also apply to a Service Academy.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top