<p>My son has always wanted law enforcemnt/military career. Well he just recieved a ROTC four yeat scholarship and we will soon find out about the USNA and West Point. We should be happy right ? Well now as he gets closer he is having second thoughts and is saying and just wants to work in Law Enforcement in a metro area. I'm sick that he would bypass the opportunities offered him that he wanted until this week.</p>
<p>My son has always been reserved and when he was a freshmen he just stayed home and had few friends and I told him he had to play a sport because of his poor physical condition and lack of social interaction. I suggested cross country but he choose football. He went to off season weight training and came home after day one and said he was quitting. I made him go back and by the end of the week he loved weight training and ended up a starter on the football team. His senior year he was a captain on the team. I tell you this because I worry he is doing same type of thing with backing out of ROTC /service academy option. My wife and I think he may be backing out because of fear. I fear he will regret his choices in a few years. Any advice ?</p>
<p>Wow, Runnerguy, that is a tough situation. He doesn’t have to decide yet, right? I think senior year is really tough. My son who is really on top of things has been super stressed out this year and the idea of committing to anything for 4-5 years is hard for a teenager to imagine. It is probably good for him to have second thoughts. You want him to go into things feeling that he made the right choice. </p>
<p>I have 2 suggestions. One, don’t try to make the decision for him. Two, ask that he make a pro/con list and think of the reasons he wanted to do the USNA and West Point thing vs why he is leaning in another direction now. A lot of times this helps the kids and you to come up with concrete issues that can be discussed or resolved. </p>
<p>I think as the seniors see other students making decisions they begin to question whether they are making the right one. Be supportive and let us know how it works out.</p>
<p>The military academies are WAY too big a commitment to make unless you are 100% sure you want to attend. I would not recommend pushing those schools. ROTC may be the way to go.</p>
<p>Free advice. If your son isn’t fully committed to the military for ANY reason, please don’t force him into taking a scholarship that will force him into the military.</p>
<p>He may also want to look into any requirements the local police academies require. Many require a college degree. My daughter was asked to consider a ‘cadet’ program at our city’s police/sheriff/fire department. The cadets get their way paid to one of two universities in the city, plus they get a fairly high paying job ($15/hr) and rotate through the departments learning different skills (although I’m sure they become best at directing traffic). They are not guaranteed a position when they graduate but do have bonus points. I met several cadets and they love it.</p>
<p>USNA and WestPoint are 8 year commitments, I believe (4 years of school and 4 years of service). I would tell him that you are concerned that he is backing out because of fear and you don’t want him to regret the decision in the future…but also you don’t want him to enroll because of you either. Ask him what made him interested in the military? Can he talk to someone who has gone through either program (not a recruiter)?</p>
<p>I agree with the above posters that he shouldn’t go to a service academy unless he is truly committed. But I am also sympathetic to your feelings that he is a kid who gets cold feet initially, then comes through with time. Having him talk to people who went into law enforcement, finding out what is required there sounds great, as of course does having him further explore what it would mean to go to West Point. </p>
<p>Kids do start at West Point and then drop out, too.</p>
<p>He has some time before he has to make a decision. Get him to fully explore his options. And while I would offer my opinion as his mom, I would also make sure he understood that it was just one woman’s opinion, and that HE was the one who had to choose for himself. </p>
<p>fwiw i have a brother like that----at first he says “no, no,no” then he gradually comes around.</p>
<p>At West Point and the Naval Academy, you can quit anytime during the first two years with NO OBLIGATION. That said, no, he should not go unless he is enthusiastic. Forget the “pro and con” list. The academies are far too hard for anybody who is unsure.</p>
<p>ROTC is a different matter. He can quit after the first year with no obligation. ROTC at college is not much more demanding than college without doing ROTC. Basically it is just another class to take. Encourage him to give that a try. He might like it. The military and the police are not that different. In fact, military service is an excellent preparation for becoming a police officer. And, YES, many police departments require a college degree anyhow.</p>
<p>I am having a problem negotiating with my daughter about her college, and this is based on my past experiences with her bad decisions. Basically, in my daughter’s case, she likes to bite off more than she can chew, and then get angry and blame everyone else. Plus, she gets extremely anxiety ridden and home sick. Then she suddenly tells me she wants to attend a college on the other side of the country that she hated until 3 days ago? She wanted to send notice to the school to change her RD app to ED2-binding. I put my foot down and said no. She was angry at first, but then moved on. Also, she will say she must attend a school she had little interest in just a few days ago. How can that be? Oh yeah, kids at school told her she should want to go there! I have a hard time digging in to my pocket for more money, while she turns down scholarships for schools that were better fits. Really, it will all come together when she gets her financial aid package. Some places she just will not be able to afford. Other places, we will negotiate. But based on her past decision making, I am not really trusting her to make a good choice. We will see.</p>
<p>Couldn’t the jobs in the military and police be very different (unless one is in the military police), since there are lots of different jobs in the military?</p>
<p>If OP’s son should quite ROTC or service academy, wouldn’t he have to repay them back, even if he doesn’t need to serve in the military? He may miss out on potential FA from a regular 4 year college. </p>
<p>My nephew really wanted to do ROTC and my sister was very much against it. They compromised by my nephew agreeing not to take the scholarship until junior year. He is serving in the military now, but is looking to get out when his four years is up. </p>
<p>“No obligation” means both no financial obligation as well as no obligation to serve in the military. However there is a potential financial hazard at the academies because you can take out loans for those very elaborate uniforms. If you took such a loan, then you would still need to pay it back. But otherwise, you can just walk away. Remember: two years at the Academy, one year for the ROTC scholarship. No obligation.</p>
<p>Regarding police and military jobs. Well, yes, the jobs might be different, but I would think that a young man who is trying to decide between the two just might choose to go into the Military Police. He would have a significant say in the matter. Also, I am assuming the army (not navy or air force), where everybody learns to shoot rifles and pistols. Sure there are differences in activities, but the attitudes are very very similar. In general, a good soldier will make a good police officer and vice versa. </p>
<p>Final thought: very few 18 year olds know what they want to do. See daughter Imkh70 above, and RunnerGuy’s son is fairly obviously just as unsure. Unlikely that he knows any more about being a police officer than being in the military. Maybe he would make a great surgeon, or school teacher. But he applied for the academies and for the ROTC scholarship. He must have liked something about the military. ROTC is a low risk way to try it out.</p>
<p>Except for the very best merit scholarships, financial aid is widely available and easy to obtain (some say too easy). If a young person can get a merit scholarship which is better than the ROTC sholarship, then they should take that instead of ROTC scholarship. They still could go into the military after college.</p>
@NROTCgrad, I’m wondering what FA you are referring to? The vast majority of schools don’t meet need and federal aid is limited to ~$6K grant and $5.5K loan. That doesn’t take a student far unless they attend a CC.</p>
<p>“oldfort” asked if quitting from one of the military academies, or quitting ROTC, would result in lost opportunities for financial aid at a regular college. My intended point was that, unless the student would have gotten a merit scholarship, very few opportunities would be lost. In other words, financial aid might be modest, but you can get it anytime (assuming that you are eligible). Getting it anytime is what I meant by “widely available and easy to obtain.” It is not generous, just easy to obtain. The ROTC scholarship (full tuition, plus at least $3,000 per year) is a much larger opportunity, and once passed up is hard to get second chance.</p>
<p>Sorry, for the confusion. No… FA is not large. Which is half the reason why it is not much of a lost opportunity. The other half is that FA is always there (meager though it may be).</p>
<p>I talked to a good friend who has put five kids through school and he gave me good advice. My son can go to whatever school he wants and I can fund whatever school I want. </p>
<p>Actually, the majority of FA at private colleges is institutional and need-based (institutional grants) not jsut merit-based, so the student would likely forego a private college education by going to a service academy then transferring unless the parents have $60,000 laying around for his education. The State’s public universities would still offer that basic federal package and depending on the state’s conditions state grants.
Make him do a pro/con list for the service academies. Then look at it: if there’s anything (or more than 1 thing) in the con list, he shouldn’t be going. Of course, don’t tell him that ahead of time so as not to skew the result. Let him list everything pro/con first. </p>
<p>Parent Plus loans are not FA! They’re LOANS that PARENTS are obligated to pay back. </p>
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<p>Until he’s 24, the typical kid can’t go to “whatever school he wants” unless it’s extremely low cost and can be covered by Stafford loans and/or savings and earnings OR the parent is willing to help pay for it. That’s the Catch-22 a lot of kids find themselves in.</p>
<p>I would think ROTC is the way to go for the OP’s son. Very little risk involved and potentially a high reward, both financially and career-wise. Aside from potentially passing on some merit money from a private college as an incoming freshman (and is that even an option for this particular student?), he should be okay even if he decides the military is not for him. The key is choosing a college that would be affordable and have a suitable major for him if he decides to walk away from the scholarship.</p>
<p>Has he received any info on his appointments? Did he receive his MOC’s nomination for the respective academies? </p>
<p>USNA graduates Naval officers and Marine Corps officers, and both are required to be qualified in weapons training. In fact the mission of USNA has changed recently and heavily focus on urban commando assault training for all midshipmen.</p>
<p>Having had 2 sons receive 3 appointments each to West Point, USNA and the Air Force academy I know first hand what went into your son’s application and the ensuing, complicated and difficult process. Did he receive a “likely” letter from one of them or perhaps an Early appointment? Middle son also received NROTC, AROTC and AFROTC scholie’s to his designated schools. Of course he had to be admitted to his designated schools for the respective ROTC awards, and he was. His NROTC was to MIT but as an EA applicant he received his decision early in the process, his other 2 schools were Yale and Princeton.</p>
<p>He did his visits after his acceptances. To the academies, and to his ROTC schools. And then he decided. Other son only wanted to attend the academies and also choose after his visits AND acceptances.</p>
<p>Has your son visited the point or USNA yet? If so what were his feelings then? They are 2 VERY different experiences and 2 very different branches of service with very different opportunities. What was he thinking of for a major at the academies? What did he put on his application and what is his choice of school and major for his ROTC scholie?</p>
<p>Service commitment for the academies is 8 years, 5 active and 3 reserve unless determined differently by the needs of the service. And what your “job” will be can also be determined by the needs of the service. Your overall standing at the academy, GPA, peer ranking, physical attributes and PFT scores, eye sight all contribute to the overall ranking and your ability to choose your speciality or warfare assignment, ie subs vs, aviation, or nuclear, SEALS vs intelligence…the list is actually very long. USNA is looking for more Marines than they used to since the nature of combat has changed.</p>
<p>What made your son apply and why is he re-thinking it and if he does change what are his other options? What can you afford?</p>
<p>Of course he would need to receive his appointments before this becomes a reality.</p>