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Thinking about ROTC

Blogs > il0seonpurpose
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il0seonpurpose
Profile Blog Joined January 2007
Korea (South)5638 Posts
March 30 2010 00:41 GMT
#1
So, I didn't get accepted into the top two schools I wanted to go to, Emory and Rice. I got into University of Miami and Syracuse, but it's way too expensive, so the only option for me now is staying in-state, and here in Kentucky, let's just say they don't have the best schools. I've never really wanted to go to either University of Kentucky or University of Louisville, (the two schools that I applied to that are in the state) In short,I want to go out of state, to either the two other schools I got into. Since it's too expensive, I've been thinking about joining the ROTC to help me pay for the cost of the schools. I've done some research on ROTC and the army, but I just wanted some personal experience and feedback please! The pros and cons, the style of life, going to war (?), etc. Thanks!

TommyGG
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
United States142 Posts
March 30 2010 00:54 GMT
#2
I wouldn't suggest it, but if you are willing to do anything to pay for college and go out of state then I guess it is a possibility. I've heard from a military perspective it isn't really that beneficial because you aren't really considered much higher than a normal college graduate once you start your service after school. A lot of kids who know more about the ROTC and the military than I do consider the ROTC a joke. On my campus there are a few kids who are doing ROTC and I know that they need to devote some weekends to training which can make it really hard to manage your time for studies especially during freshman year.


Frankly I wouldn't do it just because of your commitment to service after graduation.

If you care about the social side of it at all, you do have to wear your uniform to class on certain days which looks pretty goofy lol.
CKSide
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States223 Posts
March 30 2010 01:06 GMT
#3
I did NJROTC in high school and it was great experience. I enjoyed it. But i suppose it really matters which branch and your location. certain areas get funded better and of course people are different.

you can do it for a year without commitment to the military and have them pay for schooling and see how you like it. afterwards, theres a commitment ranging from 2-4 years in the military. which isn't too bad, considering they just paid for your college. on top of paying for everything, save books and board, i believe rotc also provides like a monthly salary? you'll have to check on that.

overall, if you don't mind getting in touch with your militaristic side, i would recommend it. and wearing a uniform isn't as bad as some may think, wearing every thursday throughout high school was pretty fun. but of course, everything is subjected to opinion

only reason i didn't do ROTC in college was because the only branch offered at my school, university of houston, is Air Force. which i'm not interested in.

lastly, do lots of research before finalizing an decision. would've been cool if you got to Rice, we could've been CSL practice buddies =D
Check
Sprite
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
United States1015 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-30 02:50:14
March 30 2010 02:10 GMT
#4
Hey man Im in the same boat as you i think im definitely going to join it for sure though :D
Firebathero is still the best!
Jenbu
Profile Joined October 2009
United States115 Posts
March 30 2010 03:21 GMT
#5
Have you tried applying for grants and scholarships? Simply filling out the FAFSA could get you easy money(unless your family makes too much). If worse comes to worse, the government has guaranteed student loans.
il0seonpurpose
Profile Blog Joined January 2007
Korea (South)5638 Posts
March 30 2010 03:47 GMT
#6
On March 30 2010 12:21 Jenbu wrote:
Have you tried applying for grants and scholarships? Simply filling out the FAFSA could get you easy money(unless your family makes too much). If worse comes to worse, the government has guaranteed student loans.



Yeah, I filled it out and I was pretty disappointed with how much I received from the colleges. My dad is the only one that works, and he makes less than $30,000 a year...
LosingID8
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
CA10830 Posts
March 30 2010 04:08 GMT
#7
i know this is too late but maybe this might help someone else in your situation who is a year or two younger than you.

if you are a pretty strong applicant, i would highly suggest only applying to schools that are known for their generous finaid. this means not applying to places like NYU or OOS state schools like cal or ucla if you're not from california. almost all of the elite liberal arts, all the ivies, and almost all the top privates have great finaid.
ModeratorResident K-POP Elitist
leetchaos
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States395 Posts
March 30 2010 04:13 GMT
#8
On March 30 2010 12:47 il0seonpurpose wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 30 2010 12:21 Jenbu wrote:
Have you tried applying for grants and scholarships? Simply filling out the FAFSA could get you easy money(unless your family makes too much). If worse comes to worse, the government has guaranteed student loans.



Yeah, I filled it out and I was pretty disappointed with how much I received from the colleges. My dad is the only one that works, and he makes less than $30,000 a year...


You probably don't want to hear this but... go to community college for your low level classes, once you have taken all the transferable credits that would normally cost you tens of thousands of dollars you can go and take the classes that matter that a University.

I know several people with degrees who wish they knew to do this, they are in debt and they could be in a lot less debt. There is no good reason not to do this really, all of the transferable credits at a community college are non-major-specific.

I know people think they are "too good" to go to a community college, but LOTS of smart people do it for cheap general ed. credits. When you take the classes that really matter you go to a Uni.

Just my two cents.
deth
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Australia1757 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-30 05:11:55
March 30 2010 04:48 GMT
#9
If you can make it happen, you might come study overseas, for example in australia, uni fees for Monash (one of Aus's G8 uni's) are $2.1k AUD (up front payment) for a semester (about $1.8k USD).

I heard about how expensive american universities are and my mouth hit the floor, a top uni there costs at the very least as much as my whole Journalism degree will cost, every semester o.o
Mickey
Profile Blog Joined July 2005
United States2606 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-30 04:55:36
March 30 2010 04:54 GMT
#10
On March 30 2010 12:47 il0seonpurpose wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 30 2010 12:21 Jenbu wrote:
Have you tried applying for grants and scholarships? Simply filling out the FAFSA could get you easy money(unless your family makes too much). If worse comes to worse, the government has guaranteed student loans.



Yeah, I filled it out and I was pretty disappointed with how much I received from the colleges. My dad is the only one that works, and he makes less than $30,000 a year...

Were you disappointed by how much you were entitled? or disappointed that the government didn't give you a complete free ride?

Life isn't a charity man and out of state tuition is extremely expensive. I'd suggest staying in Kentucky, or doing what someone previously mentioned by doing your first 2 years at a community college and then heading off to your preferred university.
Fallen33
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States596 Posts
March 30 2010 05:00 GMT
#11
I've been to afghanistan and its not somewhere you want to be just cuz u wanted college paid for. War is not a joke, anyone who sayd otherwise is a fuckin tool.
"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." - Napoleon Bonaparte ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
il0seonpurpose
Profile Blog Joined January 2007
Korea (South)5638 Posts
March 30 2010 05:24 GMT
#12
Ok, thanks guys. I just asked a friend that's in the ROTC army right now, he told me it's hell and told me that the Air Force is a lot better and easier. Is this true at all?
CKSide
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States223 Posts
March 30 2010 06:21 GMT
#13
On March 30 2010 14:24 il0seonpurpose wrote:
Ok, thanks guys. I just asked a friend that's in the ROTC army right now, he told me it's hell and told me that the Air Force is a lot better and easier. Is this true at all?


ya it is. Different branches go through different things.
Generally ROTC programs difficulty goes like this. roughly.
Marine corps
Army
Navy
Air Force

It's hell for those that've never seen a hard day's work in their life...
Check
phyre112
Profile Joined August 2009
United States3090 Posts
April 20 2010 23:01 GMT
#14
I PM'd you a while ago about visiting SU. 'Member me?

I have a few friends who are in the ROTC program here at Syracuse, mostly the army program.

First, besides the aid from the government, what kind of package did SU actually give you? I know my family makes about three times that, with both parents working and I'm basically here paying only room and board. I'm in-state though.

That said, the ROTC program here is... tolerable. Yeah, if you're not used to hard work it's going to be ridiculously difficult for you. Also, it's quite difficult to actually get the military to pay up. A few of the guys I know were working through a bureaucratic mess every night of the first semester in order to actually GET their money. Before you sign up, make sure you're actually going to get what they're offering you, because they'll take any opportunity not to pay.

The program does take you away from the school for some weekends to do training (some of which is apparently paid), there is a fitness component, a GPA requirement, and some other hoops to jump through. That said, if you're dedicated to your studies you'll have plenty of time for them. It may cut into your ability to say, join a fraternity (for which dues are crazy and you probably wouldn't be interested in anyway) or go out to parties, but you'll also live in a group with the other members of ROTC and have an easy time socializing with them due to your shared experiences in the program. It's really a different way of going through college, and it's going to require more discipline, but you can still have plenty of friends both inside and outside the program. Just make sure that the commitment to service is right for you before you join up.

Also, SU is awesome.
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