NROTC College Program As A Non-Traditional Transfer Student

[T-Rav]

Howdy! This is my first post, and I will try to keep it pertinent.

I registered a few days ago, and have done some searching with the forum search function, [as well as the web in general] and couldn't seem to find any accounts of a similar situation to the one I currently find myself in.

A little background info: I just turned 23, and have been working for the airlines for the past couple of years. I started out at Purdue University in Aviation Technology, and then transferred to Texas Tech after a semester. I did very poorly [2.07 cumulative GPA.] my first couple of semesters in college, and decided that I wasn't ready/mature enough to be there, and took a break. While away, I began working for a regional, and relocated to Atlanta, GA when the company finalized our merger last year. I have always had an interest in Naval Aviation, and didn't really think that was something that I could do due to choices I had made concerning school, and the way I wanted to live my life. Now that I have had some time to grow up, I realize that there is really nothing holding me back from those dreams, and am determined to make them a reality.

I took terminal leave from the company last month, and have been accepted for summer admission [2012] to Southern Polytechnic State University. This time around I know I am ready, and know that I can keep my grades high. Due to a change of degree objective/articulation, I have been am starting as a second semester Freshman. I am one credit hour away from being a Sophomore, so for all intents and purposes, let's just say I am a Sophomore.

NROTC is offered at SPSU via our cross-town affiliate, Georgia Tech. I am very interested in the College Program, [non-scholarship] but I think my low GPA will preclude me from NROTC all-together. I am looking for an informed opinion, and while obviously the best people to talk to about this would be the NROTC Dept. at Tech, I'd like to get one or two here as well.

Is there a minimum GPA required to begin the College Program? My cumulative SPSU is now 4.0, but when you factor in my previous college GPA, [PU, TTU, which does not carry over to SPSU ] my total cumulative won't be in the 3's until my senior year of college.

My question is this: Given my situation, would it even be possible for me to do the College Program? If so, should I wait until this winter, after I have established a good GPA at SPSU from Summer and Fall courses to even consider it? My goal is a path to a Commission, and I am wondering if it be better for me to just finish my degree, and then apply to OCS? [ie Make good grades and demonstrate that I have learned from my mistakes, and have grown as an individual]

This is probably my only big black mark on my "whole person" profile. I have done exceptionally well professionally. Physically I am in great shape. I row on the Atlanta Rowing Team, and have always been involved in volunteer work in some form or fashion. My grades were high in high school, and I did very well on the ACT.

I certainly am not trying to ask "well what are my chances?" I am simply asking if you were in my shoes, what would you consider doing? Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope to hear something back. If by chance there have been other in-depth threads on a situation similar to this, then please let me know, and I apologize for not seeing it!


Travis

 

[MIDNJAC]

You will never know unless you give it a shot. While your cumulative GPA might suck, I'd think a year or two of solid college grades will help fight your case. If that doesn't work, just keep trying man. OCS could be an option as well once you finish up, presumably with a respectable GPA. You are 23, so you have plenty of time, especially if you are already about to be a sophomore. I was a transfer student as well; did a 141 school during my first couple years out of HS, then applied to the NROTC program. Worked out well for me, though my transfer GPA was in the high 3.x range so I don't know how a lower cum gpa will affect you. That was also 10 years ago, so things may have changed a little bit. It always seemed like getting into the school itself was the bigger hurdle than just getting accepted as an NROTC college program stud, but that could have just been my perception. Anyway, good luck, and I think you can do it if you keep the good grades coming and keep trying.

 

[cameron172]

I also transferred to my ROTC unit as a sophomore on college program. They asked for my SAT/ACT scores but were more concerned with grades I made in my first year of college than high school. By your junior year, you'll either have to pick up a two-year scholarship or be selected for Advanced Standing (military ID, meager stipend, summer cruise like scholarship students but without the scholarship) to commission. Honestly, I found it tough to find enough opportunities to prove myself in under a year to look good for Advanced Standing. But I didn't feel College Program to be as competitive and neither was Advanced Standing (everyone in my unit who applied for it in 2010 got it).

and while obviously the best people to talk to about this would be the NROTC Dept. at Tech

This is what I'd do. The worst they could say in no.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Based on a conversation one of our new LT's had with the local NROTC unit I would plan on applying to OCS, we had sent the new LT over there to see if the guys not on scholarship wanted to apply for OCS/NUPOC, what we found out was they only had 2 in NROTC that were not on scholarship, the others had left the program as they were told on average only one scholarship per year was being given out for every NROTC unit.

I would still talk to them, and ask them how many applied for scholarships from the unit and how many were awarded, and what the average GPA was.

 

[T-Rav]

Thanks y'all for the responses!

I plan on touching base with the NROTC office this coming week. I have a placement test tomorrow, and then pre-registration for classes after that. At this point, I have not limited myself to just the Navy. I have two brothers who are currently serving enlistments with the USMC, and while a part of me wants to do something different, I would be just as happy in that side of the house. So far, they have been the quickest to respond, but advised me to get back in touch with them once I was accepted [which I now am] back into school. The person at the OSO whom I spoke with seemed to indicate that the demand for upperclassmen was considerably lower than those who were in their first year or two of college.

I will be sure to keep you all updated as stuff turns up.

 

[cameron172]

The person at the OSO whom I spoke with seemed to indicate that the demand for upperclassmen was considerably lower than those who were in their first year or two of college.

NavyOffRec, do you know why this is? Paying a Junior's tuition for two years and sending them on one cruise is cheaper than paying for a Freshman's four years of tuition and three cruises.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

NavyOffRec, do you know why this is? Paying a Junior's tuition for two years and sending them on one cruise is cheaper than paying for a Freshman's four years of tuition and three cruises.

true, but just eliminating a billet saves more, from what the NROTC unit had passed on to us when the number of 2 year scholarships went way down was it was just a numbers thing, the overall numbers of NROTC have dropped, just as the overall numbers of OCS have dropped even though the percentages remain about the same.

 

[TJ33]

I'm in the same situation, I had a bad first semester of college almost three years ago (had to deal with my parents going through a divorce, which didn't turn out to well for an eighteen year old kid on his own for the first time, luckily it didn't finalize and they are still together but I came home after that one semester). I'm applying to Georgia State which is a crosstown affiliate to Georgia Tech and since I don't have 30 attempted semester hours I'm considered a transfer Freshman and get to use my high school GPA which is just underneath 3.0 and my SAT which is a 1580. I've tried contacting Georgia Techs NROTC unit by email four times but haven't heard anything back yet so I decided to post here and see if I could get some information on if there's a hard deck on minimum GPA for NROTC Programmers (non-scholarship) and if I even had a shot because of a possible hard deck on GPA. For what it's worth I played Varsity Football 3 years and Varsity Golf my Senior year and still work out almost every day.

 

[T-Rav]

I'm in the same situation, I had a bad first semester of college almost three years ago (had to deal with my parents going through a divorce, which didn't turn out to well for an eighteen year old kid on his own for the first time, luckily it didn't finalize and they are still together but I came home after that one semester). I'm applying to Georgia State which is a crosstown affiliate to Georgia Tech and since I don't have 30 attempted semester hours I'm considered a transfer Freshman and get to use my high school GPA which is just underneath 3.0 and my SAT which is a 1580. I've tried contacting Georgia Techs NROTC unit by email four times but haven't heard anything back yet so I decided to post here and see if I could get some information on if there's a hard deck on minimum GPA for NROTC Programmers (non-scholarship) and if I even had a shot because of a possible hard deck on GPA. For what it's worth I played Varsity Football 3 years and Varsity Golf my Senior year and still work out almost every day.

NROTC at Tech didn't reply to my emails either, but is no reason to give up. They have a website, and I know their phone number is online somewhere. If worst comes to worst, just go in and talk to them. Show them that you want it bad enough.

I ended up changing around my plans a little bit as far as trying to do ROTC. I relocated to Ft. Worth, TX, and am just finishing out my degree in Technical Management and Engineering Sciences. I am banging out 24-hour semesters, and will be done within a year from now. In the mean time it's just study-study-study, for both school and for the ASTB. I am making awesome grades so far, and will continue that trend throughout the rest of what I have left. I work part time at FedEx, am rowing and swimming, and have started helping out at the American Red Cross, and a local place called Christian Community Action. Also, I am starting to get my reference letters together. At this point, I am planning on the OCS route. I don't think I would be competitive for BDCP, and I am unsure if they are even offering it anymore. Everything I read online would suggest not.

Let me know if you have any luck!