Junior in High School, Interested in Career as Fighter Pilot.

[raptor10]

For the NROTC scholarship its a two part process: Apply to a College and apply for the NROTC scholarship, which in my opinion is one of the sweetest deals that any college student can get. High school grades are a big factor but a balance for that is the SAT which is HUGE.

Average grades (3.0 - 3.33) combined with a great SAT score make you highly competitive for the NROTC scholarship.
Conversely a 4.0 with an average SAT will NOT get you in.

(My school recieves a list of turned down candidates to the Boat School, and then screens using the above process to decide whether to actively recruit an individual)

When recruiting for ROTC the biggest thing that our CO stresses is the SAT. Your 16 right now, about to finish your junior year, if you haven't at least signed up to take the SAT then you are behind the power curve... you can take it as often as you like, and your highest score counts. Right now there are three parts to that test, the navy only looks at two, the Verbal, and the Math, and depending on the college you are looking at they will decide what the want to look at. The College Board invested a lot of money into the new format so that is a major factor in college planning. Bottom line, before you study for the ASTB study for the SAT.

 

[MattWSU]

For the NROTC scholarship its a two part process: Apply to a College and apply for the NROTC scholarship, which in my opinion is one of the sweetest deals that any college student can get. High school grades are a big factor but a balance for that is the SAT which is HUGE.

Average grades (3.0 - 3.33) combined with a great SAT score make you highly competitive for the NROTC scholarship.
Conversely a 4.0 with an average SAT will NOT get you in.

(My school recieves a list of turned down candidates to the Boat School, and then screens using the above process to decide whether to actively recruit an individual)

When recruiting for ROTC the biggest thing that our CO stresses is the SAT. Your 16 right now, about to finish your junior year, if you haven't at least signed up to take the SAT then you are behind the power curve... you can take it as often as you like, and your highest score counts. Right now there are three parts to that test, the navy only looks at two, the Verbal, and the Math, and depending on the college you are looking at they will decide what the want to look at. The College Board invested a lot of money into the new format so that is a major factor in college planning. Bottom line, before you study for the ASTB study for the SAT.

At this point, my cumulative GPA cannot reach 3.0. If a superb SAT score but low GPA (2.0-2.5) will still keep me competitive for NROTC two-year scholarship, then I will work my balls off to get that. From your experience, will high SAT scores counter-act enough against my low GPA to keep me competitive? I took the PSAT's and scored very high on verbal but mediocre on math due to the fact I'm a year behind in math (complication in middle-school). My senior year I am set to take Alg. 2 W/ Trig. rather than Pre Cal.

Matt

 

[Schnugg]

At this point, my cumulative GPA cannot reach 3.0. If a superb SAT score but low GPA (2.0-2.5) will still keep me competitive for NROTC two-year scholarship, then I will work my balls off to get that. From your experience, will high SAT scores counter-act enough against my low GPA to keep me competitive? I took the PSAT's and scored very high on verbal but mediocre on math due to the fact I'm a year behind in math (complication in middle-school). My senior year I am set to take Alg. 2 W/ Trig. rather than Pre Cal.

Matt

Algebra 2 w/trig senior year is not competitive for NROTC.

Senior year in HS, I was taking AP college level calculus courses. Had taken SAT and done well, ACT in physics and spanish and did well. Graduated top ten 10%, NHS, club president, varsity track/rifle, etc.... Did not get the ROTC nod.

Got an academy nod instead.

 

[raptor10]

Algebra 2 w/trig senior year is not competitive for NROTC.

Senior year in HS, I was taking AP college level calculus courses. Had taken SAT and done well, ACT in physics and spanish and did well. Graduated top ten 10%, NHS, club president, varsity track/rifle, etc.... Did not get the ROTC nod.

Got an academy nod instead.

What he said. Great gouge. Finish out high school, work your butt off in college, remember there are four year, three year, and two year NROTC scholarships.

A buddy from my high school, two years ahead of me, got picked up for ROTC, got out, went enlisted, then got picked up to the boat school and will start his plebe year my 2/C year. If you're hungry for something dont let anything stop you... but right now you are lacking.

Remember Walt Disney wasn't fit for Naval Service!

 

[MattWSU]

Algebra 2 w/trig senior year is not competitive for NROTC.

Senior year in HS, I was taking AP college level calculus courses. Had taken SAT and done well, ACT in physics and spanish and did well. Graduated top ten 10%, NHS, club president, varsity track/rifle, etc.... Did not get the ROTC nod.

Got an academy nod instead.

At least now I have an idea of whats expected. Gonna give the ORO in Seattle a call today and talk to him about colleges, classes, BDCP, etc. At this point my optimism is fading.

 

[Thisguy]

Keep in mind, college is your chance to wipe the slate clean. No one will give a sh!t what your grades were like in HS if you do well in college.

 

[Godspeed]

Hey, keep your hopes up man. There are people here on this forum that are, as they put it,"living proof that anybody can get accepted." As long as you work hard and so everyone that you won't quit and are not one to stop at the first no, then you have a good chance. But if/when you are told no, continue pushing as respectfully as possible, don't just blow by as if they never said it. Just stay optimistic and keep your dreams and goals in your sights.

Amen.

 

[MattWSU]

This community on this forum has given me more information than I could have hoped for and I really thank you guys for that. I'll stay optimistic, theres just so many questions I have but I'll save some for the ORO (was away earlier) . Godspeed, I'm assuming you live up north of me (I'm in south Everett) because of your area code. Did you just contact the Seattle ORO for information on the BDCP and other Navy stuff?

 

[Godspeed]

Godspeed, I'm assuming you live up north of me (I'm in south Everett) because of your area code. Did you just contact the Seattle ORO for information on the BDCP and other Navy stuff?

Negative, i'm from Olympia, Washington; it's about an hour and a half drive south of Seattle. It is the closest Naval Recruiting District to me. I'm assuming it is the closest one to you as well. Yeah, find their number and call them up. You want the officer programs department. Ask for the officer programs officer (OPO). He is your official 'go to' guy for direct OCS, BDCP and all those other programs. If you are looking in to ROTC, I believe you want to contact the unit at the school you are looking to attend. As I said, contact me if you have any questions at all.

 

[MattWSU]

Aha, I've been through Olympia several times. I called the officer recruitment phone # but the ORO doesn't seem to be in right now.

 

[MattWSU]

Just got in touch with the OPO. He was talking to me about medical issues, the ASTB, as well as scholarships with NROTC and BDCP. He said unless my GPA goes way up, I will not be competitive for the BDCP. However, he says if I study well for the SAT's and score high, then I could possibly be competitive for an NROTC scholarship. I can only imagine people in my position who actually have a good GPA as well as high SAT scores will be much much more competitive for the scholarship. I wonder if the scholarship is completely necesarry. As I mentioned earlier, my dad was in the military for a significant amount of time and he Department of Veteran Affairs will pay for all of my schooling as they did and are still doing for my brother. I believe its GI Bill Chapter 35 but I can't find the policy on out of state colleges.

 

[Gatordev]

Matt:

It's not so much the scholarship that's important, but the acceptance into some kind of program that commissions you. I went through ROTC w/ a guy who never picked up a scholarship, but was part of the College Program. He was commissioned, but only received a stipend his last two years.

As others have said, if you don't pick up one of these programs out of high school, all is not lost. If you're still interested, go to a college with a NROTC unit and and ask to participate. They'll let you be a part of the program through your sophmore year. If you're not accepted into either CP or scholarship, then you have to walk. BUT, you're still not done, as you can try for a BDCP slot. And if you don't get that, you can still try for an OCS slot after you graduate.

That all said, once you get the first semester of college behind you, your high school grades don't really matter anymore.

 

[MattWSU]

Does which college I go to have a huge effect on if I will be accepted to OCS or ulitmately what my flight options are?

 

[Ex Rigger]

Does which college I go to have a huge effect on if I will be accepted to OCS or ulitmately what my flight options are?

None at all.......

 

[MattWSU]

sarcasm? Big Lewbowski is the greatest.