The importance of class selection

Depending on what types of programs you are applying to, class selection can play a major role. 

Which classes should you choose over the next three years to position yourself well in the eyes of service academy and ROTC selection boards? I’d like you to think about these decisions across 3 dimensions.

Dimension #1: How challenging are your classes (we refer to that as “rigor”);

Dimension #2: Do your “class choices” tell a story about you (we refer to that as “alignment”);

Dimension #3: The needs of the military (what does the military need at any given point in time).

Let’s walk through each one.

RIGOR

As we all know by now, academics are very important for service academies and ROTC programs. These programs (including traditional colleges) need to be convinced that you can handle the schoolwork on top of all of the other responsibilities and stresses of life.

One way to demonstrate that you are capable “academically” is to take challenging classes and do well in them. This could include AP, Honors, and community college classes, or an IB program. This is especially important for students who aspire to join an ROTC program at a highly-selective traditional college.

These types of rigorous classes are supposed to mimic college-level work. Presumably, if you can perform well in these classes in high school, you should be ready for college-level work. The only caveat I should add is to make sure that you don’t take so many advanced classes that your grades suffer.

You don’t want to cut off your nose to spite your face. Do your best to take challenging classes only if you think you can perform well in them.

Don’t feel pressured to take all advanced classes and get As in every single one, every semester. That would be nice, but you’re not expected to be perfect. There are a lot of variables that go into assessing your overall qualifications.

Let me add one more caveat here for those looking into ROTC programs. Depending on what college(s) you apply to, there may be a reason to increase the rigor of your classes even more than you would for service academies.

Remember, if you earn an ROTC scholarship, you also have to separately get admitted to a college with an ROTC unit that you can then apply an ROTC scholarship to.

The rigor of your classes should be consistent with the expectations of the colleges you hope to apply to, get admitted to, and attend.

For example, my sons wanted to attend some highly academic and selective colleges —places like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford.

To have a fighting chance, they had to do well in “a lot” of advanced and AP classes because those colleges hold their applicants (ROTC or not) to extremely high academic standards. If you want to go that route, then your workload will likely go up.

ALIGNMENT

Does your transcript tell a story consistent with your goals? In other words, do your classes tell admissions something about you?

For example, if you opted into a competitive “Biomedical track” at your high school (which meant you had to take a lot of extra science classes), that says something about what you’re interested in. On the other hand, if you only took AP classes in History, English, and Music – that says something, too.

Neither of these “stories” are necessarily good or bad, but they paint a picture about who you are and what you’re interested in.  Hopefully, your class selection will be consistent with your application.

For example, if you claim to be very interested in robotics and engineering, then presumably you’ve taken high level math, physics, and engineering classes. Try to align what you’re interested in with the classes you’re taking.

NEEDS OF THE MILITARY

What types of students are service academies and ROTC programs looking for?

What positions do they have to fill in their respective branches?

These “institutional needs” may change (slightly) over time, but there is one constant. Service academies and ROTC programs historically look for students interested in STEM. From a practical standpoint, there are simply more slots for students who claim they are interested in STEM.

So, what does that mean for you?

Well, if you happen to enjoy STEM, and perform well in STEM classes, then the opportunities are aplenty. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but at least you’re vying for a spot with a lot of openings. 

This doesn’t mean, however, that if you’re not Mr. or Miss STEM that you have no chance.  That’s not the case. But, it does mean that there may be fewer slots, and when there are fewer slots it can mean more competition.

So, what do you do?

If you love STEM, and perform well in STEM, then stick with STEM. Take STEM classes, do STEM stuff over the summer, go all-in on STEM.

 If you’re in between, and kind-of like STEM, but you also like Humanities (e.g. History and English), and you perform equally well in both, I would try to lean more toward the STEM side of things just so that you have the numbers on your side.

Lastly, if you’re not in love with STEM, and you prefer Humanities, and perform better in those classes, you should probably stick with those classes and not overdo the STEM classes.

You don’t want to fake that you love STEM if there’s no evidence that you even like STEM.

Remember, these programs also need some students to major in History, Political Science, and other non-STEM majors. Why not let that be you?

Remember, because there are fewer spots, sticking with Humanities can be a more competitive path and a riskier way to go, so make sure you have all your ducks in a row.

One of my sons was not particularly fond of STEM. He much preferred History classes. He decided that he would risk it and boldly say in his ROTC and USNA applications that he wanted to be a History major.

Thankfully, his bet paid off.

He wound up getting a Navy ROTC scholarship to Yale and is now double-majoring in History and Religious Studies.

It is possible.

Bottom line: be aware of what classes you take over the next three years.

Keep in mind that service academy and ROTC programs have an institutional preference (and mandate) for STEM students. This means that there are more opportunities. However, this does not mean that there is no hope if you don’t fall into this category. It may take a little more convincing with the admissions offices. 

Take the path where you will be most engaged and successful. 

If you'd like my opinion on your class selection and whether you're headed in the right direction, please contact me and we'll set up a consulting call.