<p>I'm a rising senior and am currently finishing up my NROTC application. The application asks you to put down anywhere from 3 to 5 colleges you would like to attend. What happens if I am awarded the scholarship for my "first choice" college, but don't get in to the school? Would that put me at a disadvantage for getting the scholarship for my 2nd through 5th schools?</p>
<p>Next question: I heard that NROTC programs are underenrolled. (Not sure if this is true or not.) Let's say a certain school is currently underenrolled and you have that school down as your first choice on your NROTC application. Is there any possibility the NROTC officer of the school or your regional recruiter would help you get into that school, to fill up slots? Just a question I have pondered for a while.</p>
<p>I had a similar question for my recruiter: was I obligated to attend my first choice school? He told me that I wasn't, and to just put down my preferences in order and things can be changed. The problem is that each NROTC unit only has a certain number of scholarship slots available, so if you don't get into your first choice and have to go to another, there have to be available scholarship slots. Sometimes you have to wait a year if the unit has reached its max for scholarship students, but students transfer scholarships all the time when they don't get into certain schools. </p>
<p>(By ranking your schools, you are telling the Navy which unit you would MOST like to be considered for, and so if you are qualified they are going to try to give you this one first. Worst case scenario is that you don't get into your first choice school and can't transfer your scholarship...just join the unit as a College Program student and re-apply for the scholarship.)</p>
<p>As for your second question: I got a letter from the Northwestern NROTC unit asking me to apply to Northwestern, and that they'd "support me" in my application, but I seriously doubted that input from the NROTC unit would have really swayed admissions officers. I didn't apply to Northwestern, so I never found out. Maybe someone else has had an experience where they DID help though; that would be interesting to hear.</p>
<p>JH2007
First Question Answer: yes and no. By putting it as your first choice school, you are given a potential slot in that school's ROTC unit. Suppose it's full. You wouldn't get it anyway, even if it is your 1st choice school. If it's not full, you'll get it.</p>
<p>Now, suppose your first choice school turns you down. You will then be awarded the scholarship to your second choice school (or a school not in your choices if you email them).</p>
<p>Mind you, YOU DON'T HAVE 3 CHOICES TO PICK BETWEEN SCHOOLS. YOU CAN CHOSE ANY NROTC SCHOOL AND HAVE IT CHANGED CONSIDERING YOU DIDN'T ALREADY PASS THE ADMISSIONS DATE.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>I chose Harvard for NROTC.</p>
<p>My 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices are: Harvard, Cornell, and MIT. </p>
<p>If Harvard doesn't want me, and I get accepted into a school not on my top 3, say.....Tuft's, then I'll ask for a school change (based on availability) and it will get changed. Your top 3 don't dictate the school you are going to. So don't sweat it.</p>
<p>Question #2: If a school is underenrolled, then your chances of being put into that unit AS LONG AS YOU ARE ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY, are 100%.</p>
<p>Just because a school's NROTC unit is underenrolled doesn't mean they will break their back to let you in. A kid with a 500 sat math isn't getting in MIT NROTC even if they only have 5 midshipmen.</p>
<p>hope this helps. anymore questions, feel free to ask.</p>
<p>Thank you very much guys. Both of those posts helped clear things up for me.</p>
<p>I am still not quite sure which school I want to put as my first choice. I am positive I will get into Penn State, but the other schools are fairly big reaches (Texas, UNC, Michigan, Georgetown, UVA - all for business). I don't know if I want to play it safe and put PSU down as my first choice, knowing I will get in, or put down a reach school, like Texas, and jeopardize my chance for the four-year at PSU.</p>