Waiver Question?

[Impulsive]

My DS is waiting for a Waiver that was submitted last week for a knee issue that really isn't a knee issue but the wrong buzzword by the doc triggered a DQ. He is hoping for USMA. does anyone have any ideas of the current waiver timeframe? He has a 4 yr ROTC Scholarship that is good to go (no medical issues) but the college wants to have his decision by the end of April. Is this time frame possible? We have heard of applicants waiting 6-9 months for a waiver and waivers being granted a week before R-Day. Should he be optimistic or is he better taking the ROTC guaranteed?

 

[USMA 1994]

A couple of things with your post.
#1. Accession standards are the same for USMA and ROTC. If he is disqualified by DoDMERB, then he will have the same issue with ROTC. Does the DoDMERB website say something different?
#2 Has he been issued a LOA pending waiver approval. If not, he may be granted a waiver and still not have an appointment to USMA, they will typically not hold a slot until R-Day waiting on a waiver.
#3 Waiver authorities are different for USMA and ROTC. He may get denied one and granted another. ROTC waivers can generally take a bit longer because there is no hard set deadline. He can start college in the fall without the waiver. He just cannot contract until it is approved.
#4 . There are many candidates that accept ROTC while waiting for a SA notification. There is no hard accepting and then turning down because of a SA appointment.

 

[Impulsive]

Thanks for the info. He does not have a LOA and that has us a little worried. DodMERB has him "Pending Waiver Submission/Review? for both, but his ROTC Battalion Commander has looked at his medical, knows him, and has assured him he will get him the waiver before classes start. USMA has given no assurances at all. His RC has spoken with him, told him he sent in the waiver and they want him at WP. Sounds like if he has no LOA by April 15th that he should take the ROTC offer and maybe apply to USMA again next year? As parents we do not want to see him wait on WP only to end up being QNS and then not having the ROTC option because it was given to someone else. I think we will suggest to him that if he wants WP and WP wants him to talk to his RC about that LOA when we get close to April 15th. Do the RC's issue the LOA's or does the admissions office issue them?

 

[USMA 1994]

You technically do not have to decide until the day before R-Day which one you will take. You DS accepting the scholarship today is perfectly acceptable and happens to many candidates each year. I would also not put all my eggs in the PMS's assurance. While he means well and may have seen a few cases before, he has very little input into the waiver process. Their are medical professionals that evaluate and approve waiver request. The "operations" folks have very little say in the process.

With that said, your DS has two very outstanding options. He should accept the ROTC scholarship and keep working towards USMA if that is what he wants. He needs to get the ROTC waiver process started. The sooner the better. My DD got a USMA waiver in about two weeks and her ROTC waiver took 9 months. Accepting the scholarship is not "taking" it from someone else. Extra funds are distributed to the ROTC battalions for others to use.

Many kids eventually turn down ROTC when they get an appointment.

 

[Impulsive]

Thanks USMA....Great info. My DS already accepted the ROTC Scholarship (contingent on not getting an appointment to WP), and if the waiver does not happen the same school has offered him a total academic scholarship with everything paid for. The only issue is the University Scholarship must be accepted and committed to by May 1st, so if he has neither waiver by that date he will have to decide if he wants the full ride scholarship or if his PMS does not have the waiver by then if he wants to accept the scholarship and do ROTC without contracting, pending the waiver. I have no doubt if he is denied both waivers and does ROTC voluntarily he will pass the DoDMERB next year and can get an on campus 3 yr ROTC scholarship if he wants. We just cannot afford to pay for a year at the particular University he wants, and rather than lose the University Scholarship he may have to not contract with ROTC.

The problem is he really wants WP, and we need to impress upon him the problem with being in limbo as of May 2nd.