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NROTC Cades: Please help me out

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vegita1220

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OK I've wanted to be nothing but a fighter pilot since grade school. I've busted my ass through school all these years, read up everything I cud on aviation, then slammed into a brick wall. My parents aren't citizens, and I can't change my status until DECEMBER of my freshman year. That shot USNA/4 yr ROTC out of the water.

I got into Cornell University, and I e-mailed the detachment commander there asking if I could apply when I got there, even though I couldn't even apply to be a citizen for about 4 months after getting there. He said he thinks there's no problem.

So I was wondering if other people cud ask around, if ROTC cadets cud ask their det commanders, to find out if somebody like me is eligible for at least a 3 yr. scholarship. It would really be much appreciated.

I really wud like to go to this school(my 2nd choice after USNA) but my parents REALLY cannot afford to pay me, and I don't want to take loans since I WILL join up regardless of whether or not I get ROTC. Unfortunately, then I will become a naval officer who has 40K in loans to repay, and that is NOT something I want in the back of my mind while blasting off of a carrier. Thanks in advance people.
 
First off, Navy ROTC has midshipmen, Army and Air Force ROTC have cadets.

Why can't you get US citizenship until your freshman year of college? Also, what country are you currently a citizen of? Shouldn't be a problem but having parents who are Iraqi or Chinese citizens might make getting a security clearance difficult.

Anyway, I would double-check about when you can get US citizenship, but if it's definitely not until your freshman year of college you have a few options. First and foremost you can go to a civilian college and then apply for a USNA spot and/or NROTC scholarship after getting citizenship. You can sign up for NROTC without a scholarship but I'm not sure you'd be able to do this if you're not a US citizen (there are several dual citizens in my batallion, including one from Lebanon and another from Colombia, so you never know). If money is an issue, you can go to a state school for your freshman year (most cost about $6-7000/year, Cornell probably costs over 30 large), then try to transfer either to USNA or to an Ivy League-level school like Cornell with a scholarship. If your parents can afford to send you to Cornell for a year, you can just go there and hope to get a scholarship for your sophomore year.

You could also take a break for a year and either enlist or work at a civilian job for a year. Either way you'll get paid which you can help put towards college in the future if you don't get an NROTC scholarhsip or an Academy appointment. If you enlist you can also use the GI Bill to help you pay for college, plus you'll have a much better chance to get a scholarship/appointment, but you'll probably have to serve out the term of your enlistment (usually about 3 years) before going to college; if you work at a civilian job you can take just 1 year off and then re-apply for college. Either way, you'll be older and more mature, and better able to handle college.

Good luck and e-mail or IM me if you have any questions.

BC 14, Notre Dame 7
GO EAGLES!!
 
ah yes midshipmen. I keep forgetting about that(my family-cousins/brother went to military schools w/cadets not mids so that's a hard habit to break).
I'm currently a South Korean citizen. As far as I know, that's not a problem. My sister got her's in about 1.5 years, but she applied in NYC(lots of applicants). My brother got it quicker, in 4 months, but he was at the time enlisted in the USMC and he applied in Charleston(crackerville-j/k...but it has far less immigrants).
Well basically, the problem is that I was born in December of my first academic year, so I start college when I'm 17. Like I've said before, the NRTOC Lt. said it SHOULDNT be a problem. I don't know if I'm overanalyzing, but I don't want to commit unnecessarily. Cornell is actually about 40K, but after grants, it comes down to 15K per year. My parents CAN afford one year given 4 years to pay, but I'm not even completely sure if i can get a 3yr scholarship. I just don't want them to pay any money if it can be avoided. They're both social workers in Korea, so they are not exactly lighting up w/dollar bills.
 
vegita1220,
If you are concerned with paying out the wazoo for school, why did you pick Cornell? Talk about expensive!! Another route is to attend a less expensive college/university that has a NROTC program and try to pick up a 3 year scholarship after you attain citizenship. Double check with the NAVY's ROTC website ( https://www.nrotc.navy.mil ) to make sure you will be elgible. Good luck!
ea6bflyr
icon_smile.gif
 
Believe it's W-O-U-L-D and C-O-U-L-D. Never seen that shorthand way. HaHa.

- Quote on being selected for an OCS spot -
"If you are chosen, you will have been chosen by Men 'who have been there and done that' and have decided that they wished to have you in Their company, there is no such medal worth as much."
 
I picked Cornell b/c
a)it's a good school
b)I live in NY-that's 5K in grants right there
c)Cornell is rich and I'm stinking poor so they're giving me 20K in grants. That 25K right there. Of course, 40-25=15 so thats 15K left for me to deal with.
 
Are you sure you can't get US citizenship until you're 18? A friend of mine was born in Canada to 2 Polish parents and has been a US citizen since he was 6 or 7.

Anyway, Cornell is a great school (except for their bastard hockey team ;)) but it's also expensive as hell. You should also apply to a few cheaper schools next year while you're applying for USNA and the NROTC scholarship--just applying doesn't mean you have to go there, and it keeps your options open. Plus it is easier to get a scholarship to a state school since it's less money the Navy has to pay. I don't know if any of the SUNY schools have NROTC, but there are a few state schools out there that are academically competitive with schools like Cornell (Virginia, Michigan, Cal-Berkeley, UNC), plus I know Penn State and Maryland both have very good Honors programs that you could likely get into if you could get into Cornell. Just something to think about.

BC 14, Notre Dame 7
GO EAGLES!!
 
Here's a list of all the NROTC host Universities.

Cornell University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Cross-Town Affiliate:
- Russell Sage College (N)
- Union College

State University of New York Maritime College
Cross-Town Affiliate:
- Fordham University
- Molloy College (N)

University of Rochester
Cross-Town Affiliate:
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- ST John Fisher College (N)
- State University of New York at Brockport (N)

ea6bflyr
icon_smile.gif
 
alex that's pretty much what I had in mind as a plan. :)
Anyway, has anybody talked to their NROTC det commanders lately? I guess I just want a second opinion or something...Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it seems kinda weird especially since the people at AFROTC told me that I wudn't be able to get a scholarship. I really do hope that recruiter is not BSing me, as I really do want to do NROTC.
 
Veg:

I guess everyone got swept up w/ the citizenship thing and the real question didn't get answered. Let's assume worse case, and you can't get the citizenship thing taken care of and you have now scholarship for your freshmen year. What you can do is exactly like you said. Go to the NROTC unit and ask to join the College program. That allows you to participate in unit activities (which requires you to enroll in ROTC classes) and in the meantime, you will be submitted for a scholarship at the appropriate time (provided you're physically qualified). What's the appropriate time? No later than in time for your sophmore year.

So, you're in college, and enjoying all of life's freedoms, and guess what? You're grades aren't as high as they should be (or had hoped). Are you out? No, because you can still continue up to your junior year. If you're not accepted by then, it's pretty much over for NROTC.

How do you find out that all this is true? YOU call the freshmen adviser for the unit at Cornell, or visit him. Explain the circumstances and see what he can do. It can help to have someone attacking the problem from both sides, especially when he has no quota and has a direct line to CNET (or whatever it's called now). Lastly, just a bit of professional training...

Don't try to contact the "Det Commander." First of all, he's the commanding officer. He's not the one to help you right now, though, go through the freshman adviser, usually a LT who also is responsible for all the incoming students. If he's doing his job, he should be able to help.

Hope that helps.
 
Vegi,

I would wait and do the BDCP program. Especially if you need the $$. BDCP will guarantee you a slot in whatever field before you sign the dotted line. Plus the benefits are top of the line. You get base pay, housing, medical etc. Find an Officer Recruiter in your area and talk with them. BDCP will pay for up to 36 months of college. If that didnt work out, you could still apply for a two year ROTC slot. ROTC and the USNA are not the only choices! Look at all of your options.

Dave
 
I think Dave makes a great point about how there are a whole lot (more now) options available. Explore everyone you can. But...
icon_smile_wink.gif


Just want to make a pitch for NROTC. Not only do you get the college experience, but you also get great exposure to the Navy before you are expected what the hell is going on. For example: summer cruises show you different communities, ECP/MECEPs who give you their take on the fleet, and the instructors. These are just a few of the resources available, just putting them out there.

Now, if I hadn't gotten a scholarship, and they had had BDCP...man, I would jumped on that!
 
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