Hello,
I was recently accepted to Cornell University ED. It has always been a goal of mine to join the military after college, West Point being my second option, however, I am a bit curious on how hard it is to receive a national ROTC scholarship. My interview with the PMS is coming up and they make it sound extremely competitive, however, I do know people who were awarded ROTC scholarships with scores around the minimum requirement (19-24 ACT). Is being awarded an ROTC scholarship just as hard as getting into Cornell? Thanks!
Did any of your sons or daughters compete for any type of ROTC scholarship, and how competitive was the process?
It is EXTREMELY competitive. Academics are only part of the criteria that are considered. Your interview will be very important - you need to make a good impression. My son was not awarded a national scholarship but the local battalions usually have scholarships of their own and he was awarded one of those. Note that doing ROTC with difficult majors can be brutal.
Agree that it’s extremely competitive. But having been accepted to Cornell you should be in the running.
It is extremely competitive, but I agree, if you are in Cornell, it should be easy. A couple of caveats though, the military may figure that since you are already committed to a school, it would be cheaper for them if you did OCS. Also, it may depend on which college you are in, one of the private or state schools. Lastly, I suspect it will depend on which branch of the service you choose and your intended major.
Extremely competitive. I assume since you are interested in West Point, you are focusing on Army ROTC. Each branch is very different.
There is a great book, the Insider’s Guide to Army ROTC Scholarships by Robert Kirkland. It is the BEST resource IMHO. Very concise. Explains the point breakdown for the whole person score. There are 3 rounds of scholarship review “boards.” If your interview is coming up, then you already missed the first board.
There is also a ServiceAcademies forum that has an ROTC section with some very experienced parents.
The 4 year scholarship is very difficult. Easier to get the 3 year or even the 2 year scholarship.
If your plan is to become an officer, you don’t need the scholarship.
Alright thanks so much. The interview today went great. I am hoping I will be awarded at least a 3 year scholarship, boosted by my 4 years in Army JROTC. Thanks for the responses.
How do you figure that? Some college students…including possibly the OP could use the ROTC scholarship to defray most/all college costs. Not every student has the financial security/means to say “I don’t need the scholarship” even if they plan on becoming career military officers*.
- Something which isn't guaranteed due to the "up or out" promotion system for officers in which if one fails to be promoted after 2 promotion board cycles, with few exceptions you are effectively forced out. Also, officers could have their careers cut short due to reductions in force for budgetary considerations....this happened to a Naval aviator cousin(NROTC graduate & scholarship recipient) along with many officers in the '90s due to the end of the Cold War.
I think that what was meant is that you can enroll in ROTC without receiving a scholarship.
ROTC scholarships are very competitive. I’m curious if you also applies to West Point along with Cornell. And if WP is your goal, why apply to Cornell ED?
Good luck with the scholarship.Even if you don’t get it, you need to be enrolled in ROTC if your goal is to become an officer. So, plan to work it into your schedule.
West point was just another of my top choices. I was deciding between West point and Cornell, however, after attending West point’s SLE program last summer I decided it wasn’t the best fit for me. I still want to be an officer after college though, I just want a normal college experience. I’ve attended an all-boys military high school for 4 years, so I thought if I wasn’t going to get a normal High School experience at least I could get a normal College experience.
I was awarded the 4 year scholarship today to Cornell! Thanks for all the responses.
Awesome!!! Congratulations and hope you have a great 4 years at Cornell and ROTC!
Just out of curiosity, what branches are you hoping to join when you commission even though it’s all due to OML and needs of the military service?
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations.
ROTC scholarships are very competitive. My middle sons had two friends who were applying. Both are Eagle Scouts. One is simply brilliant, particularly in STEM issues, while the other is a bright kid, but not brilliant. The second boy earned the ROTC scholarship. The first one turned out to have a previously undetected mild color blindness that put him out of contention. Prior to his learning that, he was a shoo in, according to the people who dealt with him.
Interesting that color-blindness is a show-stopper for an ROTC scholarship but not for admittance to West Point. Air Force maybe?
Congrats @Hixons!
Color-blindness can also be a show-stopper for some MOSes within the military branches…such as Aviation or working as an electronics technician* or I would think EOD*.
- Being able to differentiate color-coded wires in electronic/explosive devices is critical in those fields.
Degree of color-blindness would definitely affect some very specific job choices once in the military. I was just surprised that is a non-waiverable DQ for an ROTC scholarship when I know for certain it is not a show-stopper for admittance to the naval and military academies.
The young man in question was applying to the Air Force ROTC; actually, both of the boys I mentioned were. He wasn’t interested in any other branches. Apparently, from what his mom told me, whatever the test result was, it was completely disqualifying. Since the young man in question is adopted, the parents had no clue that such a finding was even an issue.
As for color blindness in general, my oldest 2 sons are both color blind. I had to pay for an extra eye test for the oldest one before he was allowed to proceed to the next level in the court officer hiring process. He passed but opted to work for USPS instead.