Should I apply to multiple service academies and ROTC?

In today’s post, we’re discussing a question that I hear often from the ServeWell community:

“Should I consider applying to multiple service academies and/or ROTC?”

The short answer is, yes.

The longer answer is, it depends.

Let’s start with the “yes” answer.

YES

You should absolutely at least consider applying to multiple service academies as well as ROTC programs. 

The selectivity of service academies is so high (and often unpredictable) that unless you are an “officially recruited” athlete with an LOA (letter of assurance), you should not assume that you’ll get an appointment.

You should be confident and believe in yourself, but don’t assume that you’ll get in - even if you project to be THE perfect candidate.

I’m not trying to be pessimistic. I’m trying to be realistic. I also don’t want you to get bummed out by this reality. In fact, I hope it motivates you to prove me wrong.

And lest we forget, just because it’s difficult to get into a service academy, doesn’t mean that you are not worthy of an appointment, or that you couldn’t handle it, or that you are not highly-qualified, or that you wouldn’t be a great military officer.

Just as with schools like Harvard and Yale, it may just mean that they don’t have enough beds to accommodate the number of highly-qualified people who would make outstanding cadets or midshipmen. It’s a fact of life these days.

APPLY TO SEVERAL SERVICE ACADEMIES

The first case is for applying to more than one service academy (let’s say West Point and the Naval Academy).

One reason to do this is because it increases your overall options. You're not putting all of your eggs in the West Point basket, if you will, which could represent a single point of failure.

By applying to more than one service academy, it shows selection boards (and MOC, members of Congress) that you have a deep commitment to serve your country no matter the branch. This can be a plus.

I don’t want to get too far into the admissions weeds quite yet, but being open to more than one service academy gives your congressperson more options when doling out nominations - which is a prerequisite to getting an appointment.

We’ll discuss this dynamic at length down the road. Suffice it to say that it gives you more options.

APPLY TO ONLY ONE SERVICE ACADEMY

The case against applying to more than one service academy is the exact opposite.

Selection boards may actually like the idea that you are laser-focused on one of the branches because of your upbringing, or its mission, or because of your special talents. Sometimes, it’s better to have a strong opinion than a wavering one.

Normally, when my private students apply to only one service academy, they can pour their heart and soul into it because it’s their only one. When they have to apply to two or more, sometimes each application gets a little watered down.

The jury is still out on which strategy to take.

My feeling is that if you have a strong liking for one service academy, in particular, and you have an aversion to the others, then it’s probably better to stick with one.

If your ultimate goal is to attend any service academy and the branch of service isn’t a huge factor, then maybe you want to put the work into more than one application.

I’ve helped plenty of students who’ve applied to 4 out of 5 service academies, as well as my three sons who only applied to one.

You’ll have to figure out what works for you.

ROTC

What about ROTC?

If you’re applying to a service academy, like West Point, and you’re not sure about ROTC, I would strongly urge you to also apply for an Army ROTC scholarship.

You’ll be doing almost all of the work anyway, so why not create more options for yourself? You can always decline the scholarship if you don’t want it or need it.

But, if you don’t get into West Point, but you’re still very passionate about serving, then boy would it be nice to have an Army ROTC scholarship in hand.

It’s also the case that most service academies and ROTC selection boards will encourage (and almost expect) the best candidates to apply to service academies and ROTC programs.

Why?

Because they know how competitive the service academies are, and they don’t want to lose talented prospects who don’t ultimately get appointments to West Point or USAFA or USNA.

They want to keep that talent in the military.

Also, just because you apply for (and earn) an ROTC scholarship, doesn’t mean you have to use it. In fact, you can test-drive ROTC for your freshman year in college and then drop the scholarship and revert back to being a normal college student if you so choose (but you’d also have to drop the scholarship).

The other reason that ROTC is a smart idea is because you decide where to use your ROTC scholarship. You are in charge of deciding which colleges match with your overall profile. If you don’t quite have the SATs to get you into Harvard, that’s okay. You don’t have to apply to Harvard.

Maybe you’d prefer Syracuse, Northeastern, or Ohio State — all who might love to have you.

This gives you maximum flexibility.

Of course, maybe it goes without saying, but the colleges that you apply to must have an ROTC unit at the school if you wish to use the ROTC scholarship.

I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a student in my private mentoring program who did not apply for an ROTC scholarship along with their service academy applications.

BOTTOM LINE

For now, I just want you to keep an open mind when it comes to service academies and ROTC.

Try not to get too hyper-focused on any single program. Don’t close any door prematurely.

Maybe later you will, but for now, keep your mind open to everything.