Posted on Feb 5, 2018
Should I give up my 3 year scholarship and go the SMP route? Or SMP and BTC over the summer, then accepting my scholarship in the fall?
Suspended Profile
9.95K
5
16
I wanted to add more details. I currently have a three year scholarship with Army ROTC in my college. I'm not contracted yet, and I will when I accept the scholarship next fall. I've ben talking a lot with the NCO National Guard recruiter here. He's made some good points about the SMP program. Namely, the additional pay during college, the increase in pay grade by graduating with three years experience ( too late to join this year), and many other benefits.
We've also been talking about me becoming an SMP cadet for the spring semester, going to basic training over the summer, and then accepting my 3 year scholarship in the fall. I have talked to my cadre (Majors and Captains), and they think it is a good idea. However, people are always more honest on the internet.
Some things that bother me is the time commitment for SMP. I'm a chemistry major, and I don't have much free time before adding weekend drill to the mix. I am also concerned about basic. I have heard very mixed things about its benefits for a cadet, even though some of my cadre say its a good idea.
TL; DR
Should I give up my 3 year scholarship and go the SMP route? Should I do just do SMP for one semester and then BTC over the summer?
Thanks in advance for the advice.
We've also been talking about me becoming an SMP cadet for the spring semester, going to basic training over the summer, and then accepting my 3 year scholarship in the fall. I have talked to my cadre (Majors and Captains), and they think it is a good idea. However, people are always more honest on the internet.
Some things that bother me is the time commitment for SMP. I'm a chemistry major, and I don't have much free time before adding weekend drill to the mix. I am also concerned about basic. I have heard very mixed things about its benefits for a cadet, even though some of my cadre say its a good idea.
TL; DR
Should I give up my 3 year scholarship and go the SMP route? Should I do just do SMP for one semester and then BTC over the summer?
Thanks in advance for the advice.
ROTC
Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)
Scholarship
Edited 7 y ago
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 7
You have some great options here to think about. Just left an ROTC Battalion and here are my thoughts.
1st-you have a scholarship in hand; the only reasons you should think about going SMP instead are:
1. you don’t need the money for the next three years(highly unlikely-never Go Into debt for an SMP experience).
2. you need tactical experience to help you do better at Advanced Camp at the end of your Jr year which will make you more competitive for an Active Duty Accessions and earn one of your top 3 Branch requests you really want(but that is if you get an 11B assignment in the NG only, most others in Combat Arms are decent but it’s about the unit, how they treat there Cadets and what type of experience you will get-a lot of variables here; never accept a non combat arms SMP as it may help you later IF you get that branch but will not help you at Advanced Camp Tactically).
3. lastly if you go NG your school is paid for through the Guard (and this is not a GRFD scholarship but a state benefit for Soldiers) Giving you the benefit of paid schooling and the NG experience.
Overall, going NG has some advantages but it also has some disadvantages. Your NGbrexruiter has an agenda, and i am sure means well and wants you to be a great officer. What is the offer? If it’s sweet enough and doesn’t push you back in school consider it. If it isn’t more than the scholarship is offering, be smart.
Your ROTC Cadre’s insights are critical. They know where you stand academically, physically and personally in the program. Go straight to the SMI Senior NCO and get his thoughts...after, request to meet with the PMS and ask his/her advice. If all the Cadre say go...that is telling you something, you need it in their minds to fill a gap in your whole person assessment.
If you need any additional insights after the above PM me anytime and I will be available to assist in your development of a plan, you’re decision and future-no one else’s matters as long as you cross the finish line and pin on 2LT bars in a branch you want and a combo you desire.
Good Luck!
1st-you have a scholarship in hand; the only reasons you should think about going SMP instead are:
1. you don’t need the money for the next three years(highly unlikely-never Go Into debt for an SMP experience).
2. you need tactical experience to help you do better at Advanced Camp at the end of your Jr year which will make you more competitive for an Active Duty Accessions and earn one of your top 3 Branch requests you really want(but that is if you get an 11B assignment in the NG only, most others in Combat Arms are decent but it’s about the unit, how they treat there Cadets and what type of experience you will get-a lot of variables here; never accept a non combat arms SMP as it may help you later IF you get that branch but will not help you at Advanced Camp Tactically).
3. lastly if you go NG your school is paid for through the Guard (and this is not a GRFD scholarship but a state benefit for Soldiers) Giving you the benefit of paid schooling and the NG experience.
Overall, going NG has some advantages but it also has some disadvantages. Your NGbrexruiter has an agenda, and i am sure means well and wants you to be a great officer. What is the offer? If it’s sweet enough and doesn’t push you back in school consider it. If it isn’t more than the scholarship is offering, be smart.
Your ROTC Cadre’s insights are critical. They know where you stand academically, physically and personally in the program. Go straight to the SMI Senior NCO and get his thoughts...after, request to meet with the PMS and ask his/her advice. If all the Cadre say go...that is telling you something, you need it in their minds to fill a gap in your whole person assessment.
If you need any additional insights after the above PM me anytime and I will be available to assist in your development of a plan, you’re decision and future-no one else’s matters as long as you cross the finish line and pin on 2LT bars in a branch you want and a combo you desire.
Good Luck!
I had a 2 year scholarship with NG SMP and it was a MUCH better deal than a three year ROTC scholarship (I was already in the guard prior to ROTC)
Things may have changed but this is the pros I had for SMP:
You get paid for NG drills nice extra paycheck
Your time in the guard counts for pay so you will get paid more as long as you're in the service. This is big
You qualify for reserve GI Bill (may have changed)
Many states have tuition reimbursement
Con:
It may be harder to go active duty
Things may have changed but this is the pros I had for SMP:
You get paid for NG drills nice extra paycheck
Your time in the guard counts for pay so you will get paid more as long as you're in the service. This is big
You qualify for reserve GI Bill (may have changed)
Many states have tuition reimbursement
Con:
It may be harder to go active duty
No No No No No! Having been an SMP, I would say you get move value out of the scholarship. Being a member of the Guard could be fun - if they don’t treat you like dirt. Stick with tha scholarship!
Suspended Profile
Can you be more specific on what I would get out of the scholarship that I wouldn't get out of SMP sir?
MAJ Keith FitzPatrick, CPIM, CSCP
Not sure how LTs are assessed into active duty these days, but when i was a cadet, scholarship students were guaranteed to be selected for active duty. Plus, the scholarship paid for the cost of college whereas the combination of drill pay and Reserve Component GI Bill still left me with debt from college.
The next thing you need to think about is what you will get out of being an SMP cadet. I enlisted in the Guard in October and was just a PV1 until I went to basic in the summer. That was somewhat interesting, but since I didn’t know anything about artillery I didn’t get to do much at drill. I should point out that the guys in my Battery didn’t care too much for having a college boy in the unit. After basic I became an SMP and was pulled off of my gun crew. The leadership didn’t really know what to do with me so Drills got even more boring. We went to Fort McCoy for winter gunnery and all I did was walk around outside the FDC freezing my butt off with no duties. Basically, I didn’t learn anything of value in the Guard. I guess just didn’t get any value out of being in the Guard and wished I had a scholarship, instead.
The next thing you need to think about is what you will get out of being an SMP cadet. I enlisted in the Guard in October and was just a PV1 until I went to basic in the summer. That was somewhat interesting, but since I didn’t know anything about artillery I didn’t get to do much at drill. I should point out that the guys in my Battery didn’t care too much for having a college boy in the unit. After basic I became an SMP and was pulled off of my gun crew. The leadership didn’t really know what to do with me so Drills got even more boring. We went to Fort McCoy for winter gunnery and all I did was walk around outside the FDC freezing my butt off with no duties. Basically, I didn’t learn anything of value in the Guard. I guess just didn’t get any value out of being in the Guard and wished I had a scholarship, instead.
Suspended Profile
Sounds like you had an unfortunate assignment, sir. I have heard a lot of stories like this, about people who didn't really get anything out of the SMP program. However, I have also heard that a lot of people did get useful skills out of it. Im not sure what I will get, but I don't want to take the risk until Im sure its what I want to do.
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google
Im thinking about trying SMP this semester, going to basic over the summer, and then seeing where I stand.
However, Im not sure being an "SMP" for a couple months would be worth going to basic. I've heard that basic doesn't really do anything for a cadet, but I could be wrong.