Question about Tiers / Chances of getting NROTC Scholarship

[torpedo0126]

torpedo - I see that now. Study groups also helped this semester.

I'm still uneasy about the technical major choices. I've heard horror stories about first year chemistry, how they use that to weed out pre-med students. I hate the thought of taking 2 years of chemistry as a science major. I think some engineering programs also require 2 years chemistry too.

check out the specific engineering requirements. not all disciplines require a full year of chemistry. I know IE at my school (it was trimester) only required two quarters of chem.

Also, work on gaming the system! Depending on your school you could easily take some chem over the summer at a community college. If your making a 'switch' to engineering you can easily pick up 5th year NROTC benefits and probably take only 3 classes a quarter (based on trimester)

 

[darkchariot]

lol I'm definitely not lying about my stats if that is what you're implying
My heart was set on the USNA throughout middle school and up until the summer after sophomore year, but after reading the NA handbook by Smallwood I saw the section on NROTC and began investigating. So I read everything I could find (at the time) on NROTC and started looking into colleges (last summer).

I'd like USNA, but I'd like Stanford/Duke better
and like blackbear said, USNA doesn't really have the breadth of major choices that'd like.

 

[JTB7]

lol I'm definitely not lying about my stats if that is what you're implying
My heart was set on the USNA throughout middle school and up until the summer after sophomore year, but after reading the NA handbook by Smallwood I saw the section on NROTC and began investigating. So I read everything I could find (at the time) on NROTC and started looking into colleges (last summer).

I'd like USNA, but I'd like Stanford/Duke better
and like blackbear said, USNA doesn't really have the breadth of major choices that'd like.

I dont doubt you but a perfect 800 on CR is crazy dude. My mind wanders at the end and I honestly dont care about why the author discusses the fact that Chaplin's parents were vaudeville performers to explain where his comedy originated..

My brother is going through brain surgery at Stanford hospital so I make a stop to Stanford University every so often and it is a nice school. A lot of nerds:icon_tong, but a nice school. Funny thing is we have a lot of really smart people at our school(4.5GPAs) apply to Stanford, get rejected and a 3.0GPA soccer player from our school gets a full ride there, go figure.

You probably know this but USNA has economics and political science.
http://www.usna.edu/PoliSci/
http://www.usna.edu//EconDept/index.htm

And if you dont apply, less competition for me :icon_tong

 

[SetSail]

torpedo - Some mighty good insight you have there. I see one of the disciplines I can possibly major in is marine science with 1 year of chemistry. Does anyone have any experience with that major? Is it as dry and rigorous as biology? I'm still considering industrial engineering, but am put off with the prospects of 5 years of college.

 

[Excited Mid]

yeah i didn't want to go to USNA because i don't want to spend the next four years of my life in a prison

 

[HH-60H]

yeah i didn't want to go to USNA because i don't want to spend the next four years of my life in a prison

Way to add to the discussion

 

[Excited Mid]

i had posted earlier about my major and so someone asked

Originally Posted by JTB7
Have you applied/trying to apply to USNA? You will get in no doubt if you really have the credentials you say you do. Then you can get a "scholarship" to do any major you want.

So i was answering his question

 

[SetSail]

Hey ExcitedMid - Have you since considered any other technical majors? I'm milling over marine science/industrial engineering. But an engineer friend of mine says there are very few industrial engineering jobs on the west coast. That is, if I decide not to make Navy my life.

 

[darkchariot]

I dont doubt you but a perfect 800 on CR is crazy dude. My mind wanders at the end and I honestly dont care about why the author discusses the fact that Chaplin's parents were vaudeville performers to explain where his comedy originated..

My brother is going through brain surgery at Stanford hospital so I make a stop to Stanford University every so often and it is a nice school. A lot of nerds:icon_tong, but a nice school. Funny thing is we have a lot of really smart people at our school(4.5GPAs) apply to Stanford, get rejected and a 3.0GPA soccer player from our school gets a full ride there, go figure.

You probably know this but USNA has economics and political science.
http://www.usna.edu/PoliSci/
http://www.usna.edu//EconDept/index.htm

And if you dont apply, less competition for me :icon_tong

Wait is in the brain surgery program or is brain surgery being performed on him? because those are very different things XD
You lost me at my mind wanders, charlie chaplin?

Yeah stanford is kind of nerdy XD but those are more of the CS/Engineering/Bio majors

Yeah stanford is irritatingly random, I'd like to go, but I probably won't get in

Yes I did, but thank you.
less competition it is
good luck!

 

[Excited Mid]

Hey ExcitedMid - Have you since considered any other technical majors? I'm milling over marine science/industrial engineering. But an engineer friend of mine says there are very few industrial engineering jobs on the west coast. That is, if I decide not to make Navy my life.

I think what i decided to do, is go in under a biology major, but my first year i'm basically going to take liberal arts classes. i think i am giong to take Calc 1, Biology 101, Naval Science 101, and either Poltical Science or English. Either way, i talked to the staff at my unit, and he said that i can change majors once i get there. I'm assuming it won't be a really big problem, because i don't think the Navy wants to lose an investment over a major in college. I once spoke to an ex-admiral who said that you major doesn't matter, he's flow with biblical translation majors, and with spanish majors. He jsyt said if you work hard and excel at what you do, you'll be sucessful. So i'm thinking i'm just going to try to switch as soon as i get there

 

[torpedo0126]

Hey ExcitedMid - Have you since considered any other technical majors? I'm milling over marine science/industrial engineering. But an engineer friend of mine says there are very few industrial engineering jobs on the west coast. That is, if I decide not to make Navy my life.

not many people get jobs in the field they majored in...at my school ~85% of engineers went on to hold non-engineering jobs (lots of consultants). Very few engineers overall go on to be design engineers.

IE is applicable on so many levels, I don't understand how your "friend" could say there aren't many positions available. If your looking for something specifically related to IE, there is anything from quality control to finance positions. If you want to look at things unrelated to to IE there are tons of opportunities.

I might be wrong on this, but I think during this recession demand for engineers did not go down (although I think that is a cumulative stat).

 

[Daisy]

Don't be afraid of the tier 3 major option (in my humble opinion.) You have excellent stats. I didn't have time to read the whole thread - sorry about that. But from recent experience - scholarships were awarded to students who selected tier 3 majors. The better your stats the better your chances to get the colleges you want and quicker turn around on your NROTC scholarship application.

Regarding your ranking of colleges - it's fine. Those units don't usually completely fill except for maybe UVA. All of the colleges on your list are very hard to get into and admission even with great stats is not a given. So if you are awarded a scholarship at Stanford but only get into Harvard icon_wink) you could easily switch your scholarship.

Penn is on campus. Duke is on campus. UVA? Harvard is at MIT. Stanford is cross-town with Berkeley. Is Georgetown cross-town with GWU?

I doubt if your scholarship will help with admissions at any of your schools except for UVA and Duke.

You should try to add athletics to your application but if you are applying this summer that may be moot.

Good luck!

 

[torpedo0126]

But from recent experience - scholarships were awarded to students who selected tier 3 majors.

This is a very dangerous thing to say to hopefulls...I also know people who were denied. That is anecdotal at best. You should speak directly with the NROTC unit your looking at.

So if you are awarded a scholarship at Stanford but only get into Harvard icon_wink) you could easily switch your scholarship.

Not necessarily true at all. There is process, yes (involving both CO's and the Navy) But expensive schools like Harvard have a cap on the number of scholarship students, whereas many public schools do not.

No guarantees.

I doubt if your scholarship will help with admissions at any of your schools except for UVA and Duke.

Again, unless you have direct evidence, be careful about the speculation.

I believe this post was aimed at the OP who had extremely strong statistics. But the the other applicants with questions, may not have applications as strong.

 

[Daisy]

@torpedo

Yes, because I don't sit on the scholarship board that decides the awards I would consider my input to be anecdotal. I did state that I was offering an opinion. And yes, it is always a good idea to speak directly to the units that interest you. It is astonishing to me how reluctant many high school students are to make personal contact.

The OP appears to me to be a very strong NROTC scholarship applicant so a tier 3 major is viable for him. Plus he doesn't want to mislead the scholarship board. Tier 3 scholarships are awarded and I know students who have gotten them. But again they were very strong candidates.

But expensive schools like Harvard have a cap on the number of scholarship students

Harvard is in no danger of approaching its cap. That would be great though.


There has been quite a bit of debate in other places about how much or if (N)ROTC scholarships help in admissions at elite universities...

The OP may want to apply to Vandy as a strong match and as an alternative to Duke for a somewhat similar college experience. I love the Blue Devils but Duke denied admission to about 20,000 this year. MIT for Economics might be an option, too. Cross-registration is available at Harvard.

The college admission process at all levels is challenging. The results can be frustrating and inexplicable. Options are good.

 

[SetSail]

I think what i decided to do, is go in under a biology major, but my first year i'm basically going to take liberal arts classes. i think i am giong to take Calc 1, Biology 101, Naval Science 101, and either Poltical Science or English. Either way, i talked to the staff at my unit, and he said that i can change majors once i get there. I'm assuming it won't be a really big problem, because i don't think the Navy wants to lose an investment over a major in college. I once spoke to an ex-admiral who said that you major doesn't matter, he's flow with biblical translation majors, and with spanish majors. He jsyt said if you work hard and excel at what you do, you'll be sucessful. So i'm thinking i'm just going to try to switch as soon as i get there

If you can change majors, then more power to you! Everything that I've heard and seen on the NROTC website is discouraging for tier 3. I would consider a backup plan, just in case you can't switch. Best of luck to you!