ROTC
Officer
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Good grades, passing your apft, good moral compass, attending rotc , volunteering for things in rotc. Be a leader and not be a show off. Work well with others , take initiative. The real question is what is the branch you want to go in?
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CPT Enrique M.
James M - No, but my brother did. He is in the Airforce as a pilot. the only reason why I know the program inside and out is that for young adults wanting to be officer in the US military , I have been working with local AF and Army ROTC units when I am trying to help Civil air Patrol cadets make decisions to attend ROTC. Also it helped getting insider info from my fellow officers as I give advise to those pursuing a career as a military officer in any branch when looking at OTS/OCS or ROTC as commissioning sources.
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When I was pursing entry into a commissioning source, ROTC (the scholarship, not the elective) was looking for the following:
1. Academic excellence in high school: Most applicants are top 10% of graduating class, 3.8+GPA, high SAT/ACT scores.
2. Physical fitness: Be prepared to not only "pass", but exceed current PFT standards for the service branch to which ROTC you are applying. In "my day", it was competitive, because only so many slots were available, so you had to beat out at least everyone beyond the last available slot.
3. Extracurricular Activity: You had to prove community involvement, volunteer activity, etc. They're looking for people who like to be challenged and willingly accept responsibility without reward.
4. Clean Record: Subjective at best, but it goes without saying that priors and other "marks" won't help your application. I assume some (if not most) convictions would be immediately disqualifying.
5. Medical Clearance: They are sourcing future officers for the Armed Forces. Know which branch and designator you're pursuing, and know what conditions would impede you. Less is always more.
6. Interviews: If you don't do well under pressure, practice...a lot. My Army ROTC interview was very intense.
At the end of the day, lots of information is published on this subject. Start by learning all you can on official websites, and don't be afraid to contact a liaison officer who can answer questions.
https://www.goarmy.com/rotc.html
Bear in mind that you're embarking on a long road...it can take several years from start to finish to get your "butter bars". Be patient, focused, and above all...diligent.
Best wishes, and good luck.
1. Academic excellence in high school: Most applicants are top 10% of graduating class, 3.8+GPA, high SAT/ACT scores.
2. Physical fitness: Be prepared to not only "pass", but exceed current PFT standards for the service branch to which ROTC you are applying. In "my day", it was competitive, because only so many slots were available, so you had to beat out at least everyone beyond the last available slot.
3. Extracurricular Activity: You had to prove community involvement, volunteer activity, etc. They're looking for people who like to be challenged and willingly accept responsibility without reward.
4. Clean Record: Subjective at best, but it goes without saying that priors and other "marks" won't help your application. I assume some (if not most) convictions would be immediately disqualifying.
5. Medical Clearance: They are sourcing future officers for the Armed Forces. Know which branch and designator you're pursuing, and know what conditions would impede you. Less is always more.
6. Interviews: If you don't do well under pressure, practice...a lot. My Army ROTC interview was very intense.
At the end of the day, lots of information is published on this subject. Start by learning all you can on official websites, and don't be afraid to contact a liaison officer who can answer questions.
https://www.goarmy.com/rotc.html
Bear in mind that you're embarking on a long road...it can take several years from start to finish to get your "butter bars". Be patient, focused, and above all...diligent.
Best wishes, and good luck.
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James M
Thank you for the advice, I’m doing the elective instead of the scholarship! How did you practice under stress interviews?
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LCDR (Join to see)
James-With the elective, you'll have some flexibility, and since I was pursuing the (and ultimately did win, but selected USNA instead) Army ROTC scholarship, there will be differences in the process I detailed above. That said, some things are pretty constant. I prepared for the interviews in three ways:
a. Seek out former and active duty officers in the branch you are pursuing and ask them questions (which you are already doing, Bravo Zulu!). You'll learn about what they consider to be the "important" issues you should be prepared to respond to.
b. Do your homework: Look for any lists of possible interview questions online and from other resources; there's likely an officer near you who is tasked with this for the scholarship variety who may be able to provide this information.
c. Once you have an idea of what may be asked, find a mentor (such as educators, guidance counselor, etc) who can give you "practice" interviews. Ideally, this is someone who can do it face to face, in person.
Finally, take every opportunity you can to practice in front of the mirror, while you're in the car, working out, etc. When you go to practice interviews...come prepared, dress the part (tie, sport coat, shined shoes, etc.).
Best of luck, and if I can be of any further assistance, do not hesitate to ask.
a. Seek out former and active duty officers in the branch you are pursuing and ask them questions (which you are already doing, Bravo Zulu!). You'll learn about what they consider to be the "important" issues you should be prepared to respond to.
b. Do your homework: Look for any lists of possible interview questions online and from other resources; there's likely an officer near you who is tasked with this for the scholarship variety who may be able to provide this information.
c. Once you have an idea of what may be asked, find a mentor (such as educators, guidance counselor, etc) who can give you "practice" interviews. Ideally, this is someone who can do it face to face, in person.
Finally, take every opportunity you can to practice in front of the mirror, while you're in the car, working out, etc. When you go to practice interviews...come prepared, dress the part (tie, sport coat, shined shoes, etc.).
Best of luck, and if I can be of any further assistance, do not hesitate to ask.
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James M
Thank you so much for the encouragement. I joining ROTC the fall semester and I want to be contracted! I’m just nervous and don’t know what to expect
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