<p>Hey, does anybody know the deal about doing Navy ROTC during your undergrad years and then being able to go to say medical or law school?? I've been told that you have to get permission to attend grad school (makes sense), but like only 25 ROTC graduates in the NATION get permission to go to medical school. I would appreciate any clarification anybody has to offer!</p>
<p>From what I understand, you must graduate at or near the top of your class to attend grad school immediately following NROTC. I'm hoping to do the same thing if I go to Harvard. The competition is extremely fierce! Of course, you may be able to go after serving, but if you're really looking to go to med school, I'm not sure you would want to even do NROTC. It's probably best to go to a military forum and ask that question.</p>
<p>I do not know about the ROTC and then med school route ... but many moons ago the NAVY had a program where they selected recent graduates and paid their way through med school in exchange for a few years service after med school (sort of med school ROTC)</p>
<p>A friend of my son's just joined the Navy (reserves) and is doing med school on their dime.</p>
<p>Two family friends did med school on the Navy dime as well, one after graduating from USNA, and the other from NROTC. I do not know if these programs still exist.
CM</p>
<p>question for candidate mom since your son is at the academy- my son just returned from CVS and mentioned one thing to us in passing that was a little troublesome to us. He said that the Navy has a glut of junior officers in surface warfare and is trying to weed out some of the midshipmen who might go into this area. He was cautioned that if you commit an offense in your last two years when you look like you might choose surface warfare, you could get kicked out when in years past you might have gotten away with some other punishment. Does this sound familiar or did he misunderstand what the mids were telling him?</p>
<p>doglover1585, my friend was telling me he heard the same thing from his unit at UNC. He also had some friends that were very disappointed to hear that if you don't maintain a 4.0 gpa, you can forget being a pilot. The Navy is definitely downsizing and I guess this is one way to do it.</p>
<p>rovee,
Daughter's dad was a Marine JAG. I believe JAG recruits out of law school.</p>
<p>We were also told not to do NROTC or the Academy if you want law school. Go to law school and then apply after your first year. You can then have some of your law school paid for if accepted as we understand it!</p>
<p>doglover 1585
I read a recent post from a newly commissioned USNA grad. The post indicated that the military plans and anticipates their manpower needs well into the future. (5 to seven years) According to this ensign, he has received communication that there is an anticipated surplus of junior Naval officers. </p>
<p>He related several proposals to align the numbers with the needs. One proposal, according to him, is to reduce the number of NROTC and OTS opportunities, with the thought that USNA is more thorough training. </p>
<p>Another proposal would be to forgive the military obligation for some USNA and NROTC graduates. In essence, "you're welcome for the free ($280,000 worth) education, see ya."</p>
<p>If, in fact, there is a true anticipated surplus of junior Naval officers, (this ensign's post did not indicate that the surplus was in a particular field, just a general surplus) then I would not be surprized to find that the requirements would be more stringent to be accepted into the junior Naval officer ranks. Raising the bar, so to speak.</p>
<p>This ensign's post indicated that the plan was <em>not</em> to reduce the enrollment at USNA. Nor was it to make staying there more difficult to achieve, as your son had been told at CVW. (It could be, however, that the information that the midshipmen had learned and shared with your son was completely different from what this ensign had been told)</p>
<p>It was my impression that the situation was still in the planning phase, and that no final determination or path of action had been identified.</p>
<p>I will try to find the original post and send it to you off the forum so that you can digest it yourself and give it serious thought. </p>
<p>If my son has heard anything at the Academy, he has not shared it with me. Nor have I shared this with him as it seems far too theoretical at this point to worry him.</p>
<p>CM</p>
<p>juniormom
We heard the same thing regarding law school.
CM</p>
<p>I also know that the Naval Academy increased the number of billets for the Marines this year and decreased the number of pilot spots. I think that this was as a result of more mids wanting to join the Marines- but it there is probably more of a need for officers in the Marines than the Navy.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that there are more pilot candidates awaiting training than there are planes. Some planes have been taken out of service earlier than anticipated, and replacements not finished being deisgned/produced. Also the hurricanes postponed training and so it is backlogged. The combination of the two resulted in a lower number of pilot billets for the 05 grads.
CM</p>
<p>If you can get into med school-the navy will pay for it. They have tons of programs for that (law school is a bit different and much more competetive...I think you generally have to wait a few years before they will pay for law school)</p>
<p>I'm not sure about waiting a few years before they pay for law school. That's something I'm definitely going to check out. I know it's extremely competitive and you do have to graduate at the top of your class. </p>
<p>wstcoastmom, what else can you tell me about JAG? I'm going to do some research on my own, but I'd love any info you can give me. I was told that if I keep my grades up, I should be very competitive, but I know there are only still a select few chosen.</p>
<p>Navgirl,</p>
<p>I believe we went to the JAG website and there was somthing written about paths to JAG. It was a while ago but we were told by several people that it takes a very long time to become a JAG lawyer through NROTC or the Academy. All the advice was to go to school, do well, get into a top law school and then apply for JAG in the end of your first year. I'll try and see if I can find the post later...JM</p>
<p>when i was at summer seminar my squad leader said if you were looking to go to law school or med school then the naval academy is not for you. the academy is in the business of training military officers not lawyers. if you were not interested in becoming a career military officer and would rather just get your law school payed for then you should do nrotc, its alot less competitve for those slots.</p>
<p>Juniormom:
You are correct about Navy JAG opportunities. It is much easier to apply if you are already in law school. Much more difficult road to get there through either USNA or NROTC. Check this website for further info: <a href="http://www.jag.navy.mil/Careers/Careers3.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.jag.navy.mil/Careers/Careers3.htm</a>. It pretty much spells it out on this site and the various routes to a JAG career.</p>
<p>As nyminute states there is much on that web site...here is something of interest...especially the NROTC statement!!!</p>
<ol>
<li>DOES THE NAVY JAG CORPS HAVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS TO EARN A JURIS DOCTORATE?
No, the monetary benefits from naval service begin with active duty and are specifically described in subsequent answers. Please note however, that the Navy does provide a three phase retention bonus program totaling $60,000. These bonuses are aimed at assisting officers pay off their student debt. </li>
</ol>
<p>The Navys ROTC program does not have an option leading to commission as a JAG Corps officer.</p>
<ol>
<li>WHEN SHOULD I APPLY FOR THE STUDENT PROGRAM?
The best advice is to apply as soon as you are eligible. Law students are eligible once they have a full year of law school grades. Commissioning as soon as possible during law school yields four advantages:
(1) Avoids the possibility of the program being filled for the students year of graduation;
(2) Provides ample time for a subsequent application attempt or resolution of essential prerequisites for commissioning if required;
(3) Creates the advantage of seniority in commissioning date for initial duty assignment (See discussion in paragraph #17 above);
(4) Increases longevity for pay, as discussed below.</li>
</ol>
<p>There is a distinct financial advantage to commissioning in the Student Program prior to or during your second year of law school. JAG Corps Student Program participants are commissioned as Ensigns in the Naval Reserve and will be in an inactive duty status while pursuing their law studies. They will be assigned under the 1955 designator, which is reserved for line officers under instruction in the JAG Corps Student Program. They accrue longevity (time in service) for pay purposes from the date that they accept their commissions as Ensigns. As a result, an individual who participates in the JAG Corps Student Program for the entire period that s/he attends law school can, upon reporting for extended active duty, receive almost 20% more in basic pay than an individual reporting for extended active duty directly from civilian life. JAG Corps Student Program members may further participate in the Naval Reserve Program while on inactive duty by associating with a drilling JAG Corps Reserve Unit and by completing correspondence courses.</p>
<p>I know students who applied to JAG during law school and were accepted. It appears that if law is your passion, you have a much better chance of getting there through the civilian route, no NROTC scholarship or USNA, enterring law school and then applying to the JAG corps. I think that it is important for all students that enter USNA or that accept a NROTC scholarship to realize that there are many wonderful career options available while they fulfill their committment BUT that they do not have total control over what that path may look like. Service selection, assignments, the possibility of graduate school, will all be decided by the Navy and their needs at the time of your commissioning.</p>
<p>Last month I ran into someone who I went to high school with and known since middle school in the galley. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and now is at the Naval Justice School. I think that's pretty impressive</p>