I’m currently going to senior year in high school and was thinking about doing Electronics Engineering with ROTC. I’m still deciding on AROTC or NROTC. What type of work do you usually get when you’re done with college? Do you get an engineering related position? I’m hoping that doing ROTC will help increase my chances of an R&D position. If not how are people usually qualified?
Unless they’ve changed how the system works, there will be a slate of positions available, and the top students will get to choose first. There will be some restrictions, in terms of qualifications, but not many. Your MOS might or might not be directly related to you major.
ROTC is not likely to be an efficient route to an R&D position. A graduate degree (especially a PhD) is much more relevant.
Military officers do very little engineering, as practiced in the civilian world. Even engineering officers. And they do essentially zero R&D. It isn’t even good prep for R&D, since you’ll mostly be managing people and operating and/or repairing equipment.
Not trying to dissuade you from ROTC, but you need to be realistic about what your service will be like. You can follow your service with a graduate degree and be well positioned then for an R&D position, especially with a defense contractor.