Why is ROTC info so difficult to find?

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lipton_hot_tea

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I called the closest Air Force ROTC school when ds was in high school. The person made it sound like there was so rhyme or reason to who gets picked. I pressed him about majors like STEM vs non STEM and again no rhyme or reason to it. It was basically like show up and if the gods favor you after the summer in Alabama you may be selected. He had seen History majors be selected over STEM majors, the students had no control over it, and it changed from year to year.

On the detachment or school websites there are a lot of nice pictures but they always link to the main ROTC page for more information which doesn't have a lot of info students who have already graduated. Is it something you apply as a senior or it is basically too late?
 
Have your SON, NOT YOU, contact me: lawrence.e.mullen.civ@mail.mil; provide complete name and last 4; have him paste your posting to his email and what are the top three schools he's interested in:wiggle:
 
lipton_hot_tea said:
I called the closest Air Force ROTC school when ds was in high school. The person made it sound like there was so rhyme or reason to who gets picked. I pressed him about majors like STEM vs non STEM and again no rhyme or reason to it. It was basically like show up and if the gods favor you after the summer in Alabama you may be selected. He had seen History majors be selected over STEM majors, the students had no control over it, and it changed from year to year.

On the detachment or school websites there are a lot of nice pictures but they always link to the main ROTC page for more information which doesn't have a lot of info students who have already graduated. Is it something you apply as a senior or it is basically too late?
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Senior in college or HS?
 
Google “high school rotc scholarship” to get a more targeted look at what you are asking about. ROTC is the broader picture. Not everyone in an ROTC program, is on scholarship. I recall my guys found lots of information about applying for the NROTC/AFROTC scholarships, but it wasn’t through the main ROTC site.
 
lipton_hot_tea said:
HS but he is at a community college now.
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Ok that helps. If I understand your question, Is it too late to apply for the ROTC Scholarship for this year (2021-2022) - I think the AFROTC scholarship application deadline was mid January. As far as joining an ROTC detachment as a freshman without a scholarship - yes, it happens all the time. The AFROTC scholarship is definitely geared more towards STEM majors, but I don't think the same standard applies for joining the detachment without a scholarship.

As far as a campus based scholarship, I am not sure how the AF works, but many on this board are and can hopefully provide some guidance.

This board is a great source for general information, but each school is going to handle things differently.

Best of luck!
 
lipton_hot_tea said:
I called the closest Air Force ROTC school when ds was in high school. The person made it sound like there was so rhyme or reason to who gets picked. I pressed him about majors like STEM vs non STEM and again no rhyme or reason to it. It was basically like show up and if the gods favor you after the summer in Alabama you may be selected. He had seen History majors be selected over STEM majors, the students had no control over it, and it changed from year to year.

On the detachment or school websites there are a lot of nice pictures but they always link to the main ROTC page for more information which doesn't have a lot of info students who have already graduated. Is it something you apply as a senior or it is basically too late?
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Regardless whether a student is applying for an ROTC scholarship in college or in high school, the scholarships are highly competitive.

My advice is to have your DS contact a few Detachments near where he currently attends school. Each Detachment will be slightly different and may offer more insight.
 
One thing my 3 guys did that was so helpful, was attend a briefing with the local unit (that they weren’t interested in, but one could attend any unit). They provide these for prospective people. My guys had this scheduled as part of their admissions tour with that college. It was actually an option on their interest survey for setting up the school tour. Not sure how it’s being done now via covid...I suspect virtually.

But, your son could call the unit and inquire if they offer such an option? SO much info garnered through that. It was a ‘formal’ slide presentation, that answered many of your questions, and then a Q&A. For my youngest’s NROTC visit, there was the main Marine and Navy person there. So informative! And they also got a sense of the culture of the units.

I dont think that your son can apply for the high school scholarship anymore, as a community college student. I think he would be joining a unit, and applying for a campus based scholarship. Maybe there isn’t a ton of info about that, bc those are awarded at a local campus level. Perhaps this is the ‘no rhym or reason’ attitude. The individual unit decides. With their own guidelines (within parameters, I’m sure). Your son is competing against others in his unit for this. VS the high school direct scholarship, which is a very competitive national competition, with set guidelines. But, visiting the unit, he could inquire. Additionally, joining a unit, he will have a freshman advisor within the unit that can help him meet his goals.

*posted at the same time as @airborne1030 * similar thoughts!
 
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lipton_hot_tea said:
I called the closest Air Force ROTC school when ds was in high school. The person made it sound like there was so rhyme or reason to who gets picked. I pressed him about majors like STEM vs non STEM and again no rhyme or reason to it. It was basically like show up and if the gods favor you after the summer in Alabama you may be selected. He had seen History majors be selected over STEM majors, the students had no control over it, and it changed from year to year.

On the detachment or school websites there are a lot of nice pictures but they always link to the main ROTC page for more information which doesn't have a lot of info students who have already graduated. Is it something you apply as a senior or it is basically too late?
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Getting your bearings for a young adult/ teen can be daunting in all of this - how can we help? Also, yes, you will encounter brick walls when reaching out to some people who almost seem like they are trying not to help/ have no data. But don't be too discouraged - there are alternate paths to get what you need when you hit these. Nice guidance already shared above in posts and following those steps should get you on your way. If you have additional specific questions, please post them. I'd encourage your son to explore each branch of service to understand options to participate and their mission - not just air force, to see which might be a good fit and which might be at his perspective schools- there are other branches that have less of a focus on STEM majors than AF (Army and Marines come to mind). Good luck/ hang in there - let us know what you need- will try to help.
 
My son will be graduating from HS this May. I was not even aware of the ROTC scholarship until late Dec. Ultimately, he chose to only apply to the Academy and recently learned he was not accepted. Is this a scholarship that could be made available to him if he is an FT College Student? We are hoping to have him participate in ROTC at University that allows for late admissions. He will also be reapplying to the Academy and submitting to the AF and UN Academies.
 
C-On said:
My son will be graduating from HS this May. I was not even aware of the ROTC scholarship until late Dec. Ultimately, he chose to only apply to the Academy and recently learned he was not accepted. Is this a scholarship that could be made available to him if he is an FT College Student? We are hoping to have him participate in ROTC at University that allows for late admissions. He will also be reapplying to the Academy and submitting to the AF and UN Academies.
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Yes, you can walk onto a college ROTC program as a college programmer and then apply for a scholarship from that point. I was a college programmer when I first started in college and was awarded the national Navy ROTC scholarship when I reapplied for it my freshman year.
 
“My son will be graduating from HS this May. I was not even aware of the ROTC scholarship until late Dec. Ultimately, he chose to only apply to the Academy and recently learned he was not accepted. Is this a scholarship that could be made available to him if he is an FT College Student? We are hoping to have him participate in ROTC at University that allows for late admissions. He will also be reapplying to the Academy and submitting to the AF and UN Academies.”


If your son re-focuses his research using a Google master search string such as “how to become an Army (or other service) officer,” which is presumably his main goal, he will discover info at primary sources with various links to details on not only service academy, but ROTC, OCS/OTC and other commissioning programs such as the Navy’s NUPOC (nuclear power officer) and CEC (civil engineering), and direct commissioning programs for professions such as lawyers, healthcare professionals, etc.

In general, freshmen can join ROTC programs and be considered for 3-year scholarships if they perform well. Your son can go to a school’s unit web page, read the FAQs and other good info, contact a POC to express interest, discuss scholarship opportunities, etc.

ROTC is also a nom source for USMA, USNA, USAFA, who accept noms from their sister programs.

Many HS students focus their research on the service academy as a goal, when it is a way station to the primary goal, an officer commission. The SA can be a preferred way station, but there are other paths.
 
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