What are my chances of an NROTC scholarship based on these stats?

averageavocado

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Jul 30, 2018
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I was not planning to apply to ROTC until about a week ago, so wasn't conscious of my how my resume would look through high school, but here's what I got:

F, high school senior (does being a female applicant increase chances at all?)
SAT: 780 RW + 730 M = 1510. Plan on retaking this August in order to superscore.
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.2 weighted
4 AP's: three 4's and one 5
3 AP's and 4 college-level classes scheduled for senior year
Heavily science focused course load (plan on pursuing STEM major)

JV Cross country athlete 4 years (Large team and injury last year)
JV track 2 years
Lap swim, hot yoga, 5k's, + strength-training classes in off-season (idk if this means anything lol---but I am passionate about fitness)
6:30 mile time and can max out in sit-ups, working on push-ups currently

Mentor & teach kids in Filipino heritage club outside of school
Co-leader of high school hiking club
Taught group piano lessons in the past
Member of NHS
Member of Key Club
Selected to be apart of high school's constitution team, prestigious reputation and won Nationals last year

~100 hours of community service
Volunteer at cultural fairs with club forementioned
Work with a couple humane societies and environmental organizations

Scheduled to become a certified lifeguard this fall
Also working on becoming a therapy team with my dog to visit hospitals and schools

I think I come across strong academically, but recognize I lack varsity involvement in a sport or any significant leadership positions. How much does this hurt my chances? What can I do to improve them (could I talk about future roles I plan to step into?)

I will post my essay(s) if I get feedback. Thanks to all that read!
 
Last edited:
You already have a good grasp of where you stand. Your academics are strong. Might want to take SAT once more to see if you can do even better. Lack of varsity sports may hurt you. It’s not so much about fitness as it is about teamwork, leadership, persistence and resilience. A lot of participation and volunteering, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to leadership. Be able to show you made an impact on an organization or your community, beyond just showing up or holding a title. Your current activities could provide the impact platform you seek, rather than starting from scratch with other activities.

Beyond this feedback, no one can “chance” you. And don’t believe anyone who says they can. Look up the profiles of the latest classes to enter the service academies. Those statistics will look familiar for ROTC scholarship recipients.

Don’t count on your gender to give you an edge. There are a lot of other females out there with equal or better credentials. And I’d advise against posting your essays. The people on this forum don’t know you and your passions or motivations, so feedback will be generic. You’re best off getting feedback from people who know you well and can call BS if necessary (family, friends, teachers). Best wishes to you.
 
You already have a good grasp of where you stand. Your academics are strong. Might want to take SAT once more to see if you can do even better. Lack of varsity sports may hurt you. It’s not so much about fitness as it is about teamwork, leadership, persistence and resilience. A lot of participation and volunteering, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to leadership. Be able to show you made an impact on an organization or your community, beyond just showing up or holding a title. Your current activities could provide the impact platform you seek, rather than starting from scratch with other activities.

Beyond this feedback, no one can “chance” you. And don’t believe anyone who says they can. Look up the profiles of the latest classes to enter the service academies. Those statistics will look familiar for ROTC scholarship recipients.

Don’t count on your gender to give you an edge. There are a lot of other females out there with equal or better credentials. And I’d advise against posting your essays. The people on this forum don’t know you and your passions or motivations, so feedback will be generic. You’re best off getting feedback from people who know you well and can call BS if necessary (family, friends, teachers). Best wishes to you.
Thank you for your savvy and advice. You're right; I think I do know where I stand, it's just nice to hear it from an objective perspective. I just looked at the profile for last year's recipients---helpful recommendation. I am hesitant to even submit an application when I am aware of the areas in which I am lacking. I don't want to invest too much time and hope into an avenue that isn't likely to work out. Are the essays weighted heavily enough to convince be convincing of leadership and other characteristics that might not be outwardly obvious?
 
^^^^ It might depend on the essay to answer your last question.
I guarantee you the odds of receiving a scholarship are 0% if you do not apply.
You don't mention which ROTC program so I assume you're thinking of AROTC. AROTC and NROTC Marine option do not care what your major is. AFROTC and NROTC Navy Option do care about what your major is. Those programs lean heavily towards STEM majors. The point is your desired major can have some impact on your chances depending on the program.
 
^^^^ It might depend on the essay to answer your last question.
I guarantee you the odds of receiving a scholarship are 0% if you do not apply.
You don't mention which ROTC program so I assume you're thinking of AROTC. AROTC and NROTC Marine option do not care what your major is. AFROTC and NROTC Navy Option do care about what your major is. Those programs lean heavily towards STEM majors. The point is your desired major can have some impact on your chances depending on the program.
Thank you for your feedback, I appreciate it. I should update my post, because I am interested in NROTC Navy Option and would pursue a STEM major.
 
The only thing better than being a Naval officer is to be a Marine Corps officer! :D Go for it!

Keep in mind you do not have to have a scholarship to enroll in a ROTC program, and there are opportunities to win a scholarship while participating in the program. That's the course my son took and he was awarded a scholarship during his sophomore year.
 
I was not planning to apply to ROTC until about a week ago, so wasn't conscious of my how my resume would look through high school, but here's what I got:

F, high school senior (does being a female applicant increase chances at all?)
SAT: 780 RW + 730 M = 1510. Plan on retaking this August in order to superscore.
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.2 weighted
4 AP's: three 4's and one 5
3 AP's and 4 college-level classes scheduled for senior year
Heavily science focused course load (plan on pursuing STEM major)

JV Cross country athlete 4 years (Large team and injury last year)
JV track 2 years
Lap swim, hot yoga, 5k's, + strength-training classes in off-season (idk if this means anything lol---but I am passionate about fitness)
6:30 mile time and can max out in sit-ups, working on push-ups currently

Mentor & teach kids in Filipino heritage club outside of school
Co-leader of high school hiking club
Taught group piano lessons in the past
Member of NHS
Member of Key Club
Selected to be apart of high school's constitution team, prestigious reputation and won Nationals last year

~100 hours of community service
Volunteer at cultural fairs with club forementioned
Work with a couple humane societies and environmental organizations

Scheduled to become a certified lifeguard this fall
Also working on becoming a therapy team with my dog to visit hospitals and schools

I think I come across strong academically, but recognize I lack varsity involvement in a sport or any significant leadership positions. How much does this hurt my chances? What can I do to improve them (could I talk about future roles I plan to step into?)

I will post my essay(s) if I get feedback. Thanks to all that read!

First of all, visit some schools, and their ROTC programs since you are new to this idea, you will get a lot of input and this is where having your essay read would be important, by those involved in the program to guide you more than we can. . You list NROTC in your headline, does the Army interest you at all? Just an idea, since this is new, it is good to look at different opportunities and what your career would look like after school is over. Varsity sports is where everyone is going to say you are lacking, don’t let that discourage you, you must apply to have a chance and there is little you can do about that now. My daughter for AROTC was lacking in this area as well. She only swam her first two years varsity and the rest of her sports were JV cross country. She also had a lot of volunteer work and working to show what she did with her time. This came up in her interview, and they discussed leadership a ton as it related to the things she did do. He also asked her why she did not swim her last two years. Her answer was it would not allowed her to work because practices were in the evening not after school and she needed to work. She also did JV cross country, this didn’t give her points towards varsity, but doing it multiple years shows perseverance and determination and that was discussed in her interview as well. The good news is, it is a “whole person score” so where you might get less points there, you are very strong academically. Good luck to you, and remember, the scholarship is just the beginning, it is the commissioning and serving that is the end game, as long as that is the motive for the scholarship and that comes through, you have a chance at it!
 
I was not planning to apply to ROTC until about a week ago, so wasn't conscious of my how my resume would look through high school, but here's what I got:

F, high school senior (does being a female applicant increase chances at all?)
SAT: 780 RW + 730 M = 1510. Plan on retaking this August in order to superscore.
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.2 weighted
4 AP's: three 4's and one 5
3 AP's and 4 college-level classes scheduled for senior year
Heavily science focused course load (plan on pursuing STEM major)

JV Cross country athlete 4 years (Large team and injury last year)
JV track 2 years
Lap swim, hot yoga, 5k's, + strength-training classes in off-season (idk if this means anything lol---but I am passionate about fitness)
6:30 mile time and can max out in sit-ups, working on push-ups currently

Mentor & teach kids in Filipino heritage club outside of school
Co-leader of high school hiking club
Taught group piano lessons in the past
Member of NHS
Member of Key Club
Selected to be apart of high school's constitution team, prestigious reputation and won Nationals last year

~100 hours of community service
Volunteer at cultural fairs with club forementioned
Work with a couple humane societies and environmental organizations

Scheduled to become a certified lifeguard this fall
Also working on becoming a therapy team with my dog to visit hospitals and schools

I think I come across strong academically, but recognize I lack varsity involvement in a sport or any significant leadership positions. How much does this hurt my chances? What can I do to improve them (could I talk about future roles I plan to step into?)

I will post my essay(s) if I get feedback. Thanks to all that read!
I was not planning to apply to ROTC until about a week ago, so wasn't conscious of my how my resume would look through high school, but here's what I got:

F, high school senior (does being a female applicant increase chances at all?)
SAT: 780 RW + 730 M = 1510. Plan on retaking this August in order to superscore.
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.2 weighted
4 AP's: three 4's and one 5
3 AP's and 4 college-level classes scheduled for senior year
Heavily science focused course load (plan on pursuing STEM major)

JV Cross country athlete 4 years (Large team and injury last year)
JV track 2 years
Lap swim, hot yoga, 5k's, + strength-training classes in off-season (idk if this means anything lol---but I am passionate about fitness)
6:30 mile time and can max out in sit-ups, working on push-ups currently

Mentor & teach kids in Filipino heritage club outside of school
Co-leader of high school hiking club
Taught group piano lessons in the past
Member of NHS
Member of Key Club
Selected to be apart of high school's constitution team, prestigious reputation and won Nationals last year

~100 hours of community service
Volunteer at cultural fairs with club forementioned
Work with a couple humane societies and environmental organizations

Scheduled to become a certified lifeguard this fall
Also working on becoming a therapy team with my dog to visit hospitals and schools

I think I come across strong academically, but recognize I lack varsity involvement in a sport or any significant leadership positions. How much does this hurt my chances? What can I do to improve them (could I talk about future roles I plan to step into?)

I will post my essay(s) if I get feedback. Thanks to all that read!

First of all, visit some schools, and their ROTC programs since you are new to this idea, you will get a lot of input and this is where having your essay read would be important, by those involved in the program to guide you more than we can. . You list NROTC in your headline, does the Army interest you at all? Just an idea, since this is new, it is good to look at different opportunities and what your career would look like after school is over. Varsity sports is where everyone is going to say you are lacking, don’t let that discourage you, you must apply to have a chance and there is little you can do about that now. My daughter for AROTC was lacking in this area as well. She only swam her first two years varsity and the rest of her sports were JV cross country. She also had a lot of volunteer work and working to show what she did with her time. This came up in her interview, and they discussed leadership a ton as it related to the things she did do. He also asked her why she did not swim her last two years. Her answer was it would not allowed her to work because practices were in the evening not after school and she needed to work. She also did JV cross country, this didn’t give her points towards varsity, but doing it multiple years shows perseverance and determination and that was discussed in her interview as well. The good news is, it is a “whole person score” so where you might get less points there, you are very strong academically. Good luck to you, and remember, the scholarship is just the beginning, it is the commissioning and serving that is the end game, as long as that is the motive for the scholarship and that comes through, you have a chance at it!
Thank you!
I was not planning to apply to ROTC until about a week ago, so wasn't conscious of my how my resume would look through high school, but here's what I got:

F, high school senior (does being a female applicant increase chances at all?)
SAT: 780 RW + 730 M = 1510. Plan on retaking this August in order to superscore.
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 4.2 weighted
4 AP's: three 4's and one 5
3 AP's and 4 college-level classes scheduled for senior year
Heavily science focused course load (plan on pursuing STEM major)

JV Cross country athlete 4 years (Large team and injury last year)
JV track 2 years
Lap swim, hot yoga, 5k's, + strength-training classes in off-season (idk if this means anything lol---but I am passionate about fitness)
6:30 mile time and can max out in sit-ups, working on push-ups currently

Mentor & teach kids in Filipino heritage club outside of school
Co-leader of high school hiking club
Taught group piano lessons in the past
Member of NHS
Member of Key Club
Selected to be apart of high school's constitution team, prestigious reputation and won Nationals last year

~100 hours of community service
Volunteer at cultural fairs with club forementioned
Work with a couple humane societies and environmental organizations

Scheduled to become a certified lifeguard this fall
Also working on becoming a therapy team with my dog to visit hospitals and schools

I think I come across strong academically, but recognize I lack varsity involvement in a sport or any significant leadership positions. How much does this hurt my chances? What can I do to improve them (could I talk about future roles I plan to step into?)

I will post my essay(s) if I get feedback. Thanks to all that read!

First of all, visit some schools, and their ROTC programs since you are new to this idea, you will get a lot of input and this is where having your essay read would be important, by those involved in the program to guide you more than we can. . You list NROTC in your headline, does the Army interest you at all? Just an idea, since this is new, it is good to look at different opportunities and what your career would look like after school is over. Varsity sports is where everyone is going to say you are lacking, don’t let that discourage you, you must apply to have a chance and there is little you can do about that now. My daughter for AROTC was lacking in this area as well. She only swam her first two years varsity and the rest of her sports were JV cross country. She also had a lot of volunteer work and working to show what she did with her time. This came up in her interview, and they discussed leadership a ton as it related to the things she did do. He also asked her why she did not swim her last two years. Her answer was it would not allowed her to work because practices were in the evening not after school and she needed to work. She also did JV cross country, this didn’t give her points towards varsity, but doing it multiple years shows perseverance and determination and that was discussed in her interview as well. The good news is, it is a “whole person score” so where you might get less points there, you are very strong academically. Good luck to you, and remember, the scholarship is just the beginning, it is the commissioning and serving that is the end game, as long as that is the motive for the scholarship and that comes through, you have a chance at it!
Thank you for the optimism and firsthand info! :)
 
I am hesitant to even submit an application when I am aware of the areas in which I am lacking. I don't want to invest too much time and hope into an avenue that isn't likely to work out.

This may seem harsh, but your statement I quoted above seems a little wishy washy. You need to decide if you really want to be an officer in the Navy. If that is what you want then go for it. Don't spend time worrying about things you can't control or can't change. Getting a ROTC scholarship is very competitive, but if you don't get a 4yr scholarship as a senior in HS you can still join ROTC as a college programmer and possibly get a 2 or 3 yr scholarship.

Don't let fear of failure paralyze you. As kinnem stated, your chances are 0% if you don't apply. It is possible to earn a scholarship without varsity sports if you can demonstrate leadership and teamwork in other ways. Think about what you really want and go for it. You may or may not achieve your goal this time but you won't regret putting your best foot forward and trying.

Good luck.
 
@averageavocado there is no waste of time in submitting an application! Like others have said you can still enroll in ROTC at whatever school you attend and become an Officer, and might even earn a scholarship on campus. Only apply if you want to be an Officer, don’t do it for the scholarship, it is a nice perk, but won’t feel like something awesome if you do it just for the scholarship. Think of it more like a loan that you pay back with time served. Also, you might not be able to really know the answer to why you are doing this, so definitely apply, you don’t have to accept it even if you earn one.
 
I am hesitant to even submit an application when I am aware of the areas in which I am lacking. I don't want to invest too much time and hope into an avenue that isn't likely to work out.

This may seem harsh, but your statement I quoted above seems a little wishy washy. You need to decide if you really want to be an officer in the Navy. If that is what you want then go for it. Don't spend time worrying about things you can't control or can't change. Getting a ROTC scholarship is very competitive, but if you don't get a 4yr scholarship as a senior in HS you can still join ROTC as a college programmer and possibly get a 2 or 3 yr scholarship.

Don't let fear of failure paralyze you. As kinnem stated, your chances are 0% if you don't apply. It is possible to earn a scholarship without varsity sports if you can demonstrate leadership and teamwork in other ways. Think about what you really want and go for it. You may or may not achieve your goal this time but you won't regret putting your best foot forward and trying.

Good luck.
Not harsh, very constructive feedback & I needed to hear it. I will work hard on a genuine application and be content with doing my best, regardless of outcome.
 
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