<p>Hey all,
I have been reading your boards for the past few months, and appreciate all the information I have learned. After all the months reading the forums, I now have a question for myself. I am currently a highschool senior. A couple days ago I received the 4-year Marine rotc scholarship. The civilian college I wish to attend if I do not get into usna is Virginia Tech. I will now expound on what my situation is with usna. A couple weeks ago I sent in my final medical package to dobmerb based on the request of usna. I realize there is the chance that I will not get the waiver, but my docs reassured the board that there is nothing to worry about so let's just say for now that I am medically sound(fingers crossed). Furthermore, because I am the plan ahead kindaguy, lets also say I receive an appointment to attend usna. Well, now you can see my dilemma-Mrotc scholarship, usna, civilian schools, and deadlines to meet. I have heard horror stories of students who decline their scholarship, decline their civilian schools, and when they get to the academy on Iday, they are medically disqualified or not able to attend usna for some reason and are left out in the cold with nothing to fall back on. With the deadlines to accept an offer to a civilian college falling on May 1st, need the need(i hear, but could be wrong) to accept the scholarship asap, and Iday around July 1st, if this situation were to arise, what do i do? I can't be the only one in this situation! Any help from you all would be tremendously appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,
sirmikeix</p>
<p>I can completely sympathize with your situation sirmikeix. My daughter is in a nearly identical dilemma. I have the thread about USNA medical waivers. She has already lost over 40K in potential scholarships due to timing/delays. </p>
<p>Right now we are in contact with several "back-up" schools letting them know we are still very interested. A couple we have even told of the waiting game with the Academy.</p>
<p>My daughter sweats blue and gold, so she has mentally made the decsion to "wait it out" and keep praying the Academy comes around. She says she'll take what's still available for a year if USNA falls through and retry next year.</p>
<p>She plans on going 28-June regardless of status on hope she may be one of the "lucky" ones that gets a last minute slot do to attrition.</p>
<p>That definitelly isn't the answer for all but, it's her future and she seems determined. </p>
<p>Have you been in contact with your Regional Director? Be sure to maintain lines of communication. This is critical.</p>
<p>Good luck & keep us informed of status. Prayers are with you.</p>
<p>
<p>Right now we are in contact with several "back-up" schools letting them know we are still very interested. A couple we have even told of the waiting game with the Academy.</p>
<p>My daughter sweats blue and gold, so she has mentally made the decsion to "wait it out" and keep praying the Academy comes around. She says she'll take what's still available for a year if USNA falls through and retry next year.</p>
<p>She plans on going 28-June regardless of status on hope she may be one of the "lucky" ones that gets a last minute slot do to attrition.</p>
<p>That definitelly isn't the answer for all but, it's her future and she seems determined. </p>
<p>Have you been in contact with your Regional Director? Be sure to maintain lines of communication. This is critical.</p>
<p>Good luck & keep us informed of status. Prayers are with you.
</p>
<p>Wvdad, All the luck in the world to your daughter. I have asked my Regional Director a couple questions, but besides that, I have pretty much kept the ball in my court. If I get in to usna, however, I will most certainly talk to him about my situation.
I thought about reapplying next year if I do not get in this year, but that would force me to give up my 4-year Marine scholarship-which in itself is hard to regain, much less receive. My buddy who is now a usna mid broke his arm asleep at the wheel after he had given up all his college acceptances. He obviously couldn't go to usna that year after getting accepted and had to pay his way through for one year. Has anyone else received the 4-year scholarship, and if so, what is your plan?
Regards,
sirmikeix</p>
<p>sirmikeix - I also have received the 4-year NROTC/Marine option scholarship. I just haven't decided yet between USNA (to which I have an Appointment), and the NROTC school. Tough choice....believe me, I know...</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision; whatever you decide will work out for the best! :-)</p>
<p>shawna</p>
<p>If you are want a comission you need to go where you feel you will be most fully prepared to lead men and women into combat. For some people that is NROTC, for other the academy. Sure you can go to either place for their academics and for that degree, but no matter where your degree is from, you will be a comissioned officer in the US Marine Corps or Navy. Wanting a comission, that should be your primary focus since the work you put in is not for yourself, but for the enlisted MArines and sailors you will be leading.</p>
<p>wvdad:</p>
<p>Do I understand you correctly in that you plan to show up with your daughter on I-day even if she does not receive an appointment?</p>
<p>Unless things have drastically changed, those who received late appointments were not merely picked from a crowd on I-day. They were contacted by admissions via phone first, and asked if they were still interested in an appointment. There was official notification via overnight mail the following day. I suggest you contact someone who knows the process to avoid the embarassment of showing up when you were not "invited".
CM</p>
<p>boston usmc-decisions decisions. I better get used to it because that is the corps.
navy07-Isn't that the truth.
candidatemom-I have actually heard stories of a candidate who showed up on Iday and someone didn't show or what not, and well, because of the dedication he displayed by having been there empty handed, usna filled his hand with an appointment that day. It could be a rumor or just a great short story, but I have heard that.</p>
<p>"We must remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school."
-Thucydides</p>
<p>sirmikeix:
I believe that what you heard is urban legend. find me a real person who received an appointment this way, and then I will believe it.</p>
<p>In my son's class some 6-9 were appointed after plebe summer started. The were not picked from the crowd. There is a waiting list generated as part of the application process, and as declines are returned, waitlisted candidates are selected. There is much paperwork to be completed prior to reporting, whether on I-day or afterward.<br>
CM</p>
<p>Sirmikeix,
PM me and I can give you some insight into VTech policies re: Corps of Cadets and scholarships.</p>
<p>Candidatemom,
To my knowledge as a BGO you are 100% correct. There is a "waiting" list of "fully" qualified candidates to fill those positions that are turned down. Phone calls are made to those being offered slots at the last minute.</p>
<p>DMeix: i heart Thucydides. so fun to translate, haha.</p>
<p>As an NROTC mid who was also accepted to the Naval Academy, I can provide some insight. </p>
<p>I was pretty set on USNA for a while. I went to USNASS and loved it. Around the time I received my appointment letter, the idea of being in the military was fading on me for some reasons. I enrolled at my school, not on NROTC scholarship and decided I needed something different after fall term at my civ. school. I enrolled in NROTC one term late and I like it. I am not yet on scholarship, but I should be picked up in the coming months.</p>
<p>About ROTC
You all must realize that once you get into the fleet, there is no distinction between an NROTC officer and USNA officer. I've talked to many OCs (previously enlisted who are training to become officers in the STA-21 program) and MECEPs who previously served in active-duty enlisted situations and they say nobody cares where you came from. It's how you lead that counts. There are many idiots who come from the Academy and many excellent leaders. It's the same with ROTC. It's what you do with your education and training that counts. Yes, USNA is going to look better on your resume in the civilian world, but the military doesn't care. They want to know how you perform.</p>
<p>In terms of time management, ROTC is rough. At USNA, your schedule is set for you. You have set study times, etc. In ROTC, I have 20 credits per term plus PT at 0600 three times a week, drill at 0600 twice a week, briefings one day per week, and naval science classes twice a week plus battalion activities (I'm QDS for a committee). Try balancing that with all of my engineering studies and sleep is not something that happens often. I get to bed around midnight every night and wake up at 0500. That is not by choice. I've always been a good time manager, but there's just not enough time in the day to study, prep your uniforms, hit the gym, etc. Not to mention, we still have inspections twice a term in ROTC and we also have to take the PFA. There is summer training, almost the same as the Academy. We participate in military competitions twice a year and one of our rivals is USNA (we beat them last term in a drill competition hoo-yah! :) ). Many USNA people will say what they do is harder. In all honesty, I'm not sure. I just know the main argument it that your schedule is laid out for you at USNA and you have to manage your own time in ROTC.</p>
<p>It's a rough decision. With all of that said, I still have that blue and gold in my blood and will be reapplying to USNA after this year. :)</p>
<p>Midnjelf,
Good luck when you reapply!</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the responses, but perhaps I should have titled the thread differently. To provide clarity, in the straight-up Marine form, for one who has both a rotc scholarship and appointment, does the matriculation decision need to be made by May 1st? Thanks!
Regards,
Sirmikeix</p>
<p>The decision to your college might have to be made by then.....in our kiddo's case, when she got her MCROTC postcard...it says that if she accepts an Appointment, she holds the scholarship until the day she enters the Academy. And then, even if she is only there 1 hour, she forfeits the scholarship on the spot.</p>
<p>So the issue is more the college choice...where you would consider holding a spot open by paying some upfront acceptance fee, rather than the ROTC issue, which comes later for those with Academy appointments.</p>
<p>Sorry, I just love "listening" to you folks. With all the "common sense folks" that seem to permeate this site, how in the devil is this country so screwed up?!</p>
<p>I am so impressed with the vast majority of the "kids" posting on this site. Hats off to all!</p>
<p>
[quote]
With all the "common sense folks" that seem to permeate this site, how in the devil is this country so screwed up?!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Because the good ones always go out and make a difference, while the rest go into politics.</p>