Nrotc?

[Hawkins]

I saw many different viewpoints about the Naval Academy in my last thread, and the idea of appyling for an NROTC scholarship has crept its way up my list of possibilities after high school. I just have a few questions about NROTC:

1. How competitive are NROTC scholarships (4 years)?

2. Would not being involved in any Varsity sports at my high school greatly hurt my chances of getting a scholarship?

3. Do you need perfect 20/20 vision to be a Naval Pilot? (mine is a little off)

4. How competitive are pilot slots upon graduation from NROTC?

Thanks a lot,
Hawkins

 

[Huggyu2]

My info is somewhat dated, but here it is anyways. I applied for BOTH the USAF and Navy ROTC scholarships (I can't remember if it was one application or two separate ones). Anyways, they gave me a physical, and my eyesight was around 20/30. The Navy offered me a navigator slot, and said I was disqualified for a pilot slot. The USAF left the door open. I took the USAF scholarship, and figured I'd worry about the eyesight when the time came. The USAF offers waivers, but there are ways to improve your eyesight for the short term. In any case, I finally passed with 20/20 a couple of years later, but was out of limits for the diopters (some sort of eye measurement). I got a waiver for it, and ended up in pilot training.
Varsity sports will help, but so will lots of other things. I played soccer, but my school didn't have a varsity program. My grades were real good, and I got recommendations from my teachers. One big thing: I took private pilot ground school my senior year in high school. I never actually flew, but when I took the AFOQT, I got 99th percentile in the pilot/nav category, and scored very high in the other areas. I recommend that if they still have you take the AFOQT, you be smart on basic aircraft stuff (reading an ADI, compass, etc...).
When I went through, most of us were offered pilot slots at the end of our sophomore year. At the time, if you took the slot (which we all did), you lost your scholarship. "Pilot scholarships" were very rare. I don't know about now days.
It's impossible to say whether slots will be easy to obtain or not. But, the USAF is going to probably have a shortage pretty soon (due to the small # of 1995 UPT grads reaching their 10 year commitment), so that could be a good sign for you.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

1. As compared to what?

2. It won't help, but isn't a show-stopper.

3. No.

4. You compete with everyone else nationwide, academy dorks included. Some have suggested it's better to graduate from a NROTC gig in the fall semester, that way you only compete against ROTC folks. I always thought that sounded like a plan that could easily backfire. To me, more slots with more people competing gives you a better chance to rise to where you should be in the mix.

 

[Hawkins]

It's good to hear that a little background in general aviation will help your chances. I'm working on my private pilots license right now.

Hugh, what's the competition like in comparison to the Naval Academy? Ivy League Schools? Universities?

Thanks,
Hawkins

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Hugh, what's the competition like in comparison to the Naval Academy? Ivy League Schools? Universities?

Hawk,
My impression is that a NROTC scholarship would be the least competetive of all that you mention above, except just general admission into a Univeristy. Although in some cases, I think a NROTC scholarship might get your foot into the door of a University that for some reason, you may be otherwise denied admission. I have no fact to base any of this on, just my impression.

 

[HoursHore]

4 yr NROTC scholarships are pretty competitve, with the the same criteria as the academy. I do know the intention to major in some kind of engineering or science degree will give you an edge, but the navy doesn't hold you to your intended major when you start. GA background, unlike the AF, wil not help for service selection to pilot. (this may have changed) other than you may score better than other applicants on the AQT/FAR test. Service selection is based on academics, Commanders ranking, and Major. If you want aviation, these factors were then shrunk to 60% of your overall score and what used to be called the AQT/FAR test was factored in as the last 40% of your aviation score. This was your aviation selection score and was up against all the other Aviation applicants.

One thing about Navy Rotc is unlike the AF, not everyone wants to be, nor is even physically qualified to be a pilot. So there is a little less competition for a slot. However, if you are under scholarship, and do not get a pilot slot, you could be haze gray and underway, so make sure you want to be a Naval Officer and can live with that. Also the Navy has a lot of Helicopters, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Depending on the year, they split up the Pilot slots evenly among Academy and Rotc, so you really only compete against other Rotc guys. Overall, I'd recommend it, but I didn't sign the contract knowing I wanted to go aviation. If I was dead set on being a pilot, I'd go Air Force. If I didn't know what I wanted to do, but needed to pay for school, I 'd go Navy, as there are many more options as a commisioned officer.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Depending on the year, they split up the Pilot slots evenly among Academy and Rotc, so you really only compete against other Rotc guys.

This was untrue when I was commissioned. In fact, I wasn't ROTC or academy and I was lumped in with all of them as an ECP puke. Has it changed?

 

[HoursHore]

That was my information 10+ years ago. I thought ECP competed with the ROTC guys, But I really don't know. I just know my year 100 slots went to the academy, 100 to ROTC.