A few questions regarding NROTC

[NATHAN4748]

I talked to the CO of a Navy Reserve center and he suggested I learn these few things as I am trying to decide a college to go to. He wasn't too sure because he graduated from the Academy.

1. Does a large NROTC unit have more or less people on scholarship? Do very small units get more scholarship money to give out?

2. I saw a thread on aw and a guy was graduating from Memphis in 03 and he said the unit was very small and almost everybody got the service selection they wanted. This is not because the unit was small but because of their performance right? And I know that was almost 10 years ago and do not know how relevant that still is.

3. I saw on another thread that the Hampton Roads unit is sponsored for a squadron in Norfolk. They mentioned getting some sim time. Would this help at all getting picked up for SNA?

4. If I started out at a college and was in the NROTC unit and the college did not fit me, could I transfer colleges if I'm already on scholarship? If I receive notification that I was awarded a scholarship to a school I don't necessarily want to go to would I want to decline the scholarship and go to a better school?

5. Last question. From reading here I believe I have this right, but the school and unit you attend do not affect who gets picked up for SNA, it's based solely on you as a whole person, I.e. GPA, performance, things of that nature and you compete against the units across the country, but do some units have a higher percentage or that the board just seems to like more?

Any help would be appreciated because I'm very confused about where to go and my best options.

 

[Carny]

Just a middie so take all of this with a grain o' salt.

1. I'm from Penn State and I think we're the largest NROTC unit right now so I can speak to the large unit aspect, the 4/c start off at about 50/50 scholarship/college program, by the time senior year rolls around as people have dropped and others have picked up scholarships there are much more scholarship folk than advanced standing. As far as small units getting more money that's a no, NSTC awards the scholarships not the units, there is a Professor of Naval Science scholarship that can be awarded by the CO of a unit but I haven't seen/heard of those being given out in a couple years.

2. Service selection is performance based, about 90% of our grads get their first choice so we can say almost all get it as well, either way the point is it doesn't or at least shouldn't have anything to do with your school.

3. The only way I can see getting sim time helping you get aviation is by familiarizing yourself with aviation and its concepts in general which could make the ASTB a little easier, saying you have sim time won't help you, but it can be fun!

4. Transferring scholarships from school to school once you're already in your respective unit is very very very difficult, I wouldn't recommend it at all. Yes you can certainly decline the scholarship they give you and you can even put in a request to transfer it to the school you'd like to go to BEFORE you start the NROTC program, however, there is absolutely no guarantee that it will transfer. I requested mine be transferred from Ohio State to Penn State before I started at PSU and it never happened, 4 years later I'm on advanced standing at PSU and couldn't be happier, if you're dead set on a school don't follow the money, just my opinion.

5. You seem like you provided your own answer to your 2nd question here but yes it is based on performance, there are a couple threads here that show how Order of Merit, ASTB and all that is weighted in service assignment, nowhere in that formula is what school you attended.

Cheers and best of luck to you!

 

[NATHAN4748]

So from what I understand of what you said, if you decline a scholarship then you are no longer eligible for the scholarship for the rest of your college career and must get advanced standing in order to stay in the program?

 

[Carny]

So from what I understand of what you said, if you decline a scholarship then you are no longer eligible for the scholarship for the rest of your college career and must get advanced standing in order to stay in the program?

Let me clarify a little, so if you decline your scholarship AND it doesn't transfer to your choice of school you will then be on college program, once you're there you can re-apply for a 4 year scholarship so you'll end up being at college for 5 years if you get it, if you do not get the 4 year scholarship you can put in for a 2 year scholarship during your sophomore year, that will be your last chance though and if you don't get the 2 year you will then need advanced standing to stay in the program.

 

[NATHAN4748]

Ok, thank you. That makes sense.

 

[C420sailor]

1. I don't know, but it shouldn't factor into your decision matrix. If you want to go NROTC, go college shopping and see which colleges and units are a good fit. Don't try to game the game.

2. I commissioned with ~20 others. I'd say that the vast majority of us got what we wanted, but in the end it all comes down to your performance and the needs of the Navy. One of my buddies had a rocking GPA and crushed the ASTB. NAMI found out that he had surgery when he was younger, and it was disqualifying for flight. It happens.

3. Absolutely not.

4. I don't know if you can transfer your scholarship after you've already started school. I received a NROTC scholarship to Cornell (my first choice), but my dumb ass couldn't get in. I was accepted to my second choice and had the scholarship transferred over to that school. I remember the number of slots being a factor---each school has a number of scholarship slots. This may be outdated gouge.

5. This is the last thing you should be thinking about. All of the NROTC schools are excellent universities, and all will prepare you well. Pick the one you like the most. Apply, get accepted, study hard, party hard, and wear a bag. It'll all work out in the end. Once again, don't try to game the game.