NROTC Scholarship

Paying for College
1

<p>I'm considering applying for a full-ride NROTC scholarship, please let me know what you think of my stats:</p>

<p>SAT: 2000 (690 M, 640 R, 670 W)
ACT: 30 (32 Science)
AP: Chemistry 2 (horrible instructor, not to give any excuses) AP Calculus AB 4, AP Environmental Science 3, AP US History 4, AP Composition 3. I will also be taking tests for AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, and AP Literature in May of 2012.</p>

<p>Total: A total of 5 Honors Classes, 8 AP Classes, and an Independent study in comparative religions. My school only offers 5 AP Classes regularly (not online), AP Calculus AB is the highest math ever taken by any student at my small rural high school.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.80 (unweighted)
Class rank: Top 20% (Taking almost all online courses this year, so bound to go up)</p>

<p>EC's: V Tennis, V Cross Country, V Track, JV Basketball, Academic Decathlon (State finalist), Academic Super Bowl, Show Choir, Character in Action Organization.</p>

<p>Awards: Honorable-mention All-Conference Tennis, Tennis team captain. Science team captain (Academic Super Bowl), Senior of the Month. Academic Decathlon Regional Gold Medalist in Science, Speech, and Music; silver or bronze medalist in all other categories in the regional competition. </p>

<p>Volunteer work: Tennis camp assistant, recycling center volunteer, local hospital volunteer, elementary school volunteer.</p>

<p>I have had no interview as of yet, I haven't even begun the application process.</p>

<p>Let me know what you think!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>I’d say you have a decent shot but it depends on your major. 85% of the scholarships are required to go Tier 1 and Tier 2 majors. See the NROTC site for details. Basically 85% of the scholarships go to math/science related majors. The other 15% go to liberal arts. Note that the 15% is max percentage for Tier 3 majors. It can be less. This is a very difficult scholarship to get these days. And no, you can’t apply showing a Tier 1 or 2 major and then change to Tier 3. You will lose the scholarship. </p>

<p>The big question I always ask is why do you want the scholarship? If it is to pay for school you need to re-think. Kids that join to pay for school inevitably drop out of the program or are weeded out. Then they have no way to pay for school. I’ve seen
It happen many times. In my DS 4C year there were 22. 4 graduated and received their commission. </p>

<p>If your #1 goal in life is to serve your country as a Navy officer then apply. If not, please be honest with yourself and find another way to pay for school.</p>

3

<p>BTW, if you are a rising Sr you are late in the application process. In order to maximize your chances the app needs to be completed and submitted and the interview completed by the start of school. The fact that you are “thinking about it” and have not done this makes me wonder if being a Navy officer is your life goal.</p>

4

<p>Give it a shot. Get cracking on the process because you are running late, though my son was also late in the process and still got accepted. </p>

<p>I know the conventional wisdom is to only do this if being a Navy officer is ones life goal, but I know many who have gone this route not as committed. Sometimes doing it is how one knows whether this is what one should do. My cousin’s son is in the Marine option of the NROTC and he is thoroughly psyched and committed though he had some serious doubts while applying and thought hard about whether he would quit after the first year, an option he did have. He decided to stay and is now gung ho. My close friend’s son was thoroughly committed until he was commissioned and could not wait to be riffed as he hated the actual service when it came time to serve. Fortunately he was. But you know, my brother was a career soldier, and he will tell you that there are many in there that have their doubts or hate it but are stuck at various times of their lives, but will re up or make the decision to stick double for the yearit out when it comes time to for that choice. Alot of his peers hate their civilian work and life just as much after they left the military too.</p>

<p>So my advice is to give it a whirl and see where it goes. You have a number of set points where you can step out if it feels like it is not the right thing for you.</p>