College Preparation
The following are just some quick notes about what is required of a student who desires to go to college. This is not a complete and all inclusive note but it is based on all of the briefs and conversations that I’ve had with college recruiters, admissions officers and scholarship board members.
GENERAL: A student who wishes to attend college should first realize that their grades count from the first day of high school. This isn’t always the easiest concept for a 14 year old to grasp but what they do from day one will determine what they do for the rest of their life! In fact a student actually only has through the first semester of their senior year in order to prepare their “resume” for a college application. After this time their GPA is pretty much set and their immediate future determined. The colleges will still require a final transcript from high school so just “quitting” is not an option.
TIMING: All college bound students must take either the SAT or ACT standardized tests. Information on these exams (dates, registration, study prep, etc) can be obtained through their respective websites (SAT www.sat.collegeboard.com / ACT www.actstudent.org ). Students should register and take the PSAT as sophomores to expose them to these types of standardized tests. The actual tests should be taken as soon as possible after the beginning of the students’ junior year. This allows time for a retake should the student desire to do so. The goal is to have solid test scores before the end of your junior year at which time the student should begin his/her college application and have it to the school of their choice before August, the start of their senior year.
Colleges begin accepting applications in the fall of the student’s senior year. These applications can typically be updated should better SAT/ACT test scores become available or other situations change. One other thing to consider is that admission boards and some scholarship boards work on what’s called a “rolling basis”. This means that the boards meet on a regular basis and students who are not selected initially are again put before the board without any reapplication or paperwork on the student’s part. The biggest take away is that most selections occur during the first few boards so you want your application early! Check the website or call the desired college’s admissions office for specific deadlines or requirements.
NJROTC ADVANTAGES: As a NJROTC cadet the student earns some advantages over students not involved in the program when it comes time to apply for the Naval Academy or compete for ROTC scholarships. First, in terms of scholarships, a JROTC student will first compete against all other JROTC applicants. Scholarships are set aside specifically for cadets who have completed four years of the program. As an example, this means that instead of competing against 10,000 applicants for only 900 scholarships a NJROTC cadet competes against 600 other cadets for 100 scholarships (numbers are made up).
A cadet who wants to attend the Naval Academy must first apply and then be nominated to go before the admissions board. The application is online at www.usna.edu but the nomination can only be obtained through specific sources. Senators and Congressmen/women get set numbers of nominations and their numbers are capped based on how many midshipmen are attending the Academy at one time. For example, if Congressman “X” is allotted five nominations and he already has four midshipmen at the academy then everyone in his area is competing for only one single nomination. In contrast, as a NJROTC cadet the Senior Naval Science Instructor is allotted three nominations for cadets who have successfully complete the NJROTC program each year. While a person in Congress will carry greater weight the nomination essentially accomplishes only one goal – it gets the students’ record in front of the admissions board. The Academy admissions board will not even consider a student who applies but is not nominated.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE USNA/NROTC SCHOLARSHIPS: Both programs emphasize the need for a student/cadet to be “well rounded”. This means that they are not only a good student with good grades but are also involved in a variety of different things. This can include church groups, sports, volunteer work, holding a job or otherwise displaying some sort of responsibility. Serving in leadership positions within these groups is also a plus for the application. While not a hard and fast rule, the Academy considers participation in a varsity sport a plus. Also, don’t plan on going to the Academy or being awarded a NROTC scholarship if you do not plan on majoring in some sort of science or technical field. Again, this is not a hard and fast rule but it is the case more than not. A cadet’s best chance of being accepted is to have their application into the convening authorities before their first board which is typically in mid August.
A special note on NROTC scholarships, if applying, you must also apply to five different colleges with NROTC programs. For a list of these schools you can go to the NROTC scholarship site at www.nrotc.navy.mil . When a student is awarded a scholarship the board also assigns them to a school with a NROTC program. The applicant is required to list five schools, in order of desire that they would like to attend. As a matter of fiscal responsibility the board will typically assign the awardee to an in state participating school. In order for the awardee to utilize the scholarship that person must have applied AND BEEN ACCEPTED to the participating college. Being awarded a scholarship does NOT mean that the student is allowed to attend college only that they have money to do so. A student who has been awarded a scholarship can have that scholarship taken away simply because the student has not been accepted to a participating college. In short, apply to every college that you list on your NROTC scholarship application and ensure that you apply to a school to which you will be accepted. “If you’re not Harvard material, with Harvard grades, then don’t apply there; USC may be a better option” just do not set yourself up to lose free money.
While the information in this is a great starting point it is not a substitute for picking up the phone and calling a college admissions office for specifics.
GENERAL: A student who wishes to attend college should first realize that their grades count from the first day of high school. This isn’t always the easiest concept for a 14 year old to grasp but what they do from day one will determine what they do for the rest of their life! In fact a student actually only has through the first semester of their senior year in order to prepare their “resume” for a college application. After this time their GPA is pretty much set and their immediate future determined. The colleges will still require a final transcript from high school so just “quitting” is not an option.
TIMING: All college bound students must take either the SAT or ACT standardized tests. Information on these exams (dates, registration, study prep, etc) can be obtained through their respective websites (SAT www.sat.collegeboard.com / ACT www.actstudent.org ). Students should register and take the PSAT as sophomores to expose them to these types of standardized tests. The actual tests should be taken as soon as possible after the beginning of the students’ junior year. This allows time for a retake should the student desire to do so. The goal is to have solid test scores before the end of your junior year at which time the student should begin his/her college application and have it to the school of their choice before August, the start of their senior year.
Colleges begin accepting applications in the fall of the student’s senior year. These applications can typically be updated should better SAT/ACT test scores become available or other situations change. One other thing to consider is that admission boards and some scholarship boards work on what’s called a “rolling basis”. This means that the boards meet on a regular basis and students who are not selected initially are again put before the board without any reapplication or paperwork on the student’s part. The biggest take away is that most selections occur during the first few boards so you want your application early! Check the website or call the desired college’s admissions office for specific deadlines or requirements.
NJROTC ADVANTAGES: As a NJROTC cadet the student earns some advantages over students not involved in the program when it comes time to apply for the Naval Academy or compete for ROTC scholarships. First, in terms of scholarships, a JROTC student will first compete against all other JROTC applicants. Scholarships are set aside specifically for cadets who have completed four years of the program. As an example, this means that instead of competing against 10,000 applicants for only 900 scholarships a NJROTC cadet competes against 600 other cadets for 100 scholarships (numbers are made up).
A cadet who wants to attend the Naval Academy must first apply and then be nominated to go before the admissions board. The application is online at www.usna.edu but the nomination can only be obtained through specific sources. Senators and Congressmen/women get set numbers of nominations and their numbers are capped based on how many midshipmen are attending the Academy at one time. For example, if Congressman “X” is allotted five nominations and he already has four midshipmen at the academy then everyone in his area is competing for only one single nomination. In contrast, as a NJROTC cadet the Senior Naval Science Instructor is allotted three nominations for cadets who have successfully complete the NJROTC program each year. While a person in Congress will carry greater weight the nomination essentially accomplishes only one goal – it gets the students’ record in front of the admissions board. The Academy admissions board will not even consider a student who applies but is not nominated.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE USNA/NROTC SCHOLARSHIPS: Both programs emphasize the need for a student/cadet to be “well rounded”. This means that they are not only a good student with good grades but are also involved in a variety of different things. This can include church groups, sports, volunteer work, holding a job or otherwise displaying some sort of responsibility. Serving in leadership positions within these groups is also a plus for the application. While not a hard and fast rule, the Academy considers participation in a varsity sport a plus. Also, don’t plan on going to the Academy or being awarded a NROTC scholarship if you do not plan on majoring in some sort of science or technical field. Again, this is not a hard and fast rule but it is the case more than not. A cadet’s best chance of being accepted is to have their application into the convening authorities before their first board which is typically in mid August.
A special note on NROTC scholarships, if applying, you must also apply to five different colleges with NROTC programs. For a list of these schools you can go to the NROTC scholarship site at www.nrotc.navy.mil . When a student is awarded a scholarship the board also assigns them to a school with a NROTC program. The applicant is required to list five schools, in order of desire that they would like to attend. As a matter of fiscal responsibility the board will typically assign the awardee to an in state participating school. In order for the awardee to utilize the scholarship that person must have applied AND BEEN ACCEPTED to the participating college. Being awarded a scholarship does NOT mean that the student is allowed to attend college only that they have money to do so. A student who has been awarded a scholarship can have that scholarship taken away simply because the student has not been accepted to a participating college. In short, apply to every college that you list on your NROTC scholarship application and ensure that you apply to a school to which you will be accepted. “If you’re not Harvard material, with Harvard grades, then don’t apply there; USC may be a better option” just do not set yourself up to lose free money.
While the information in this is a great starting point it is not a substitute for picking up the phone and calling a college admissions office for specifics.