Awarded ECP Scholarship after 1st AROTC board...Question

[Tenley71]

My DD was awarded the Ike Skelton ECP 2 year after the first board. She has researched the program and has decided that it is not for her and will be declining it. The paperwork from CC states to sign, put her intent and upload to her portal under "Letter of Intent and Acknowledgement." When we went into portal to complete this we noticed that in the drop down there was an option to upload file under "Decline scholarship", she wants to continue to compete on the other two boards for a national scholarship. Any guidance on this please? She has contacted CC about this as she wants to make sure it is put in proper place so it will allow her to remain on OML for other two boards. Appreciate any insight on the which way is the proper way to proceed.

 

[clarksonarmy]

Contacting CC is a good first step. Not sure how they process the declining an ECP offer. Bear in mind too that your daughter should look hard at her application and see if there is anything she can improve (SAT scores, activities, PFT). These ECP offers are made to applicants that are hovering around the projected cut line. Typically to get a regular offer an applicant will need to boost their application a little bit.

 

[Tenley71]

She can retake her PFT?
She is planning to retake ACT in Dec.
3.3 GPA unweighted.
ACT 24
Very active in JROTC, drill, PT, various awards, serving as XO in her battalion.
Coordinator/POC of JROTC service learning project
Varsity lacrosse
JV volleyball/ JV lacrosse
Key Club
Spanish Club
High honor roll
Scholar athlete
Chorus
volunteer hours with various clubs and Veterans organizations
Did very well apparently on her interview and did well on PFT but if she can, would be very willing to take again.

Has been accepted to Campbell and Brockport and has applied to Norwich, Clarkson, SUNY Canton, East Carolina and IUP. Just waiting to hear back from them. We have visits scheduled with Norwich, Campbell and ECU within the next three weeks and visits with ROOs / PMS at each school. She has visited Clarkson in the past with her JROTC unit as well, along with Brockport and Canton. Only school we won’t be able to visit is IUP. She is in routine contact with ROO from Campbell, Brockport and ECU and has spoken with you on occasion as well as started a conversation with Norwich since she decided to apply very recently.
We are working plan A, B and C... and to be honest I’m not sure what else we can be doing at this point. Working to put three in college next year at the same time and the stress is overwhelming.
Open to any suggestions.

 

[kinnem]

Not too much can be done at this point. Definitely try to update the ACT score and retake the PFT if allowed and one can improve. Sounds like she's already talking with the correct folks.

I'm scratching my head as to how ECU got into that mix of schools, although it's a great choice in many ways. She would have the opportunity to learn what real barbecue is like while attending my wife's alma mater. Me? I'm all about the fine schools of northern New York. Was just in Potsdam and Canton last week for a much needed visit.

 

[Dckc88]

If she does not receive an offer she can go to the school of her choice and compete for a campus based scholarship. A large number of the national offers are a 3 year offer, starting sophomore year, those start coming into play second and third board. So that would be similar to a campus based offer. Sounds like she is talking to the right people and she should continue to reach out and express her interest and keep them in the loop on her process, some schools have their own scholarship board in spring after all the national boards/offers are done. Other schools wait until freshman year.

If your daughter knows she wants national guard and is open to a Jr. Military college then she can investigate that. However, if she thinks at this point she wants active duty, then going the traditional route, even without a national scholarship and go on campus and try to get a campus based is what I would advise, if she were my daughter. It is possible to do the ECP route and go AD, but it is complicated and not something to be counted on. With a four year school, she can still request NG or Reserves if she later decides ad is not for her. I am sure you will help her figure it out and she will make the best decision for her. Please keep us posted on what she decides.

 

[PastorZack]

How complicated is going ECP, then transferring for Bachelors and going AD? What kind of hoops are involved?

 

[Tenley71]

She definitely wants to go the Active Duty route. She has decided to decline the ECP offer and has been in touch with ROO's from her schools since she started this process. We have visited several schools already and spoken with the ROTC ROOs/PMS at several schools and she is also in routine contact with most of them via email updating them on what she is doing in school, her JROTC activities, sports etc and continuing to show interest in their program and her desire to be in ROTC. We have an overnight with Norwich next weekend and then head to NC the following week to tour both Campbell and ECU and have meetings set up with ROO's at both schools. We have Plan A, B and C and while getting a scholarship would make life so much easier, as well all know, we are actively working Plan B and discussing Plan C options.

 

[Tenley71]

How complicated is going ECP, then transferring for Bachelors and going AD? What kind of hoops are involved?

We have been told by a couple ROO's from various schools she is interested in and also reading this forum that her options are limited to obtain AD status if going the ECP route.

I was told that when one accepts the ECP they are required to do SMP where they are assigned and drill with a guard or reserve unit (I believe paid as an E-5).
They go through MEPS and are assigned a Guarantee Reserve Forces Detail (GRFD) control number and this is the same number that will need to be revoked in order for them to compete for active duty. Then if you aren't able to get your number revoked you commission into the guard or reserves and must find a unit to drill with until you complete your Bachelors.

If any of this is wrong please jump in, just going off what we were told and hence the reason she is declining offer.

 

[Dckc88]

She definitely wants to go the Active Duty route. She has decided to decline the ECP offer and has been in touch with ROO's from her schools since she started this process. We have visited several schools already and spoken with the ROTC ROOs/PMS at several schools and she is also in routine contact with most of them via email updating them on what she is doing in school, her JROTC activities, sports etc and continuing to show interest in their program and her desire to be in ROTC. We have an overnight with Norwich next weekend and then head to NC the following week to tour both Campbell and ECU and have meetings set up with ROO's at both schools. We have Plan A, B and C and while getting a scholarship would make life so much easier, as well all know, we are actively working Plan B and discussing Plan C options.

Its sounds like you are guiding her well! We went through the same process with our daughter in 2015/2016. She was awarded a 3 year AD on the 3rd board. She had her plan B and Plan C outlined as well. However, that did not make the waiting easier! They were not offering the ECP as part of the national process at that time, so we did not have to cross that bridge. She is now a junior and loves her school and her ROTC experience. She just got back last night from her fall FTX (field training exercise), and she was exhausted but had a blast! She also kept in contact with her schools and found great advice and support from that during her senior year.

For anecdotal purposes, my daughter had a 3.50 gpa for purposes of her Army application, 26 super score ACT, two varsity letters, lots of outside of school sports and activities, and JV sports, volunteer hours and work. She did not have the JROTC or any club or school related leadership experience. Most of her leadership experience came from church leadership positions and just the nature of her jobs. She was definitely a similar candidate to your daughter, and there are so many things that we never know. What was the recommendation like from the PMS interview? What were the survey results? These are questions none of us can answer! Good luck to her and continue to keep us posted! Those of us who hang around after our kids already received their scholarships years ago, and some who have already commissioned, really like hearing about the journeys these kids go through on their path to commissioning and serving our country!

 

[Tenley71]

She definitely wants to go the Active Duty route. She has decided to decline the ECP offer and has been in touch with ROO's from her schools since she started this process. We have visited several schools already and spoken with the ROTC ROOs/PMS at several schools and she is also in routine contact with most of them via email updating them on what she is doing in school, her JROTC activities, sports etc and continuing to show interest in their program and her desire to be in ROTC. We have an overnight with Norwich next weekend and then head to NC the following week to tour both Campbell and ECU and have meetings set up with ROO's at both schools. We have Plan A, B and C and while getting a scholarship would make life so much easier, as well all know, we are actively working Plan B and discussing Plan C options.

Its sounds like you are guiding her well! We went through the same process with our daughter in 2015/2016. She was awarded a 3 year AD on the 3rd board. She had her plan B and Plan C outlined as well. However, that did not make the waiting easier! They were not offering the ECP as part of the national process at that time, so we did not have to cross that bridge. She is now a junior and loves her school and her ROTC experience. She just got back last night from her fall FTX (field training exercise), and she was exhausted but had a blast! She also kept in contact with her schools and found great advice and support from that during her senior year.

For anecdotal purposes, my daughter had a 3.50 gpa for purposes of her Army application, 26 super score ACT, two varsity letters, lots of outside of school sports and activities, and JV sports, volunteer hours and work. She did not have the JROTC or any club or school related leadership experience. Most of her leadership experience came from church leadership positions and just the nature of her jobs. She was definitely a similar candidate to your daughter, and there are so many things that we never know. What was the recommendation like from the PMS interview? What were the survey results? These are questions none of us can answer! Good luck to her and continue to keep us posted! Those of us who hang around after our kids already received their scholarships years ago, and some who have already commissioned, really like hearing about the journeys these kids go through on their path to commissioning and serving our country!

Thank you so much for the support and encouragement. She apparently did very well at her PMS interview according to the person who interviewed her and from things her JROTC instructor told her after it was completed with PMS. She is taking her ACT again in Dec to hopefully pop her score again and did well on her PFT but is going to see if she can take it again if allowed to maybe raise the score even a little. It is a stressful process that's for sure and it is compounded for us as we are actually working with our THREE senior daughters to get them into college next year at various schools across the country.
If you don't mind me asking, where did your daughter end up going to college for ROTC?

 

[Dckc88]

Thank you so much for the support and encouragement. She apparently did very well at her PMS interview according to the person who interviewed her and from things her JROTC instructor told her after it was completed with PMS. She is taking her ACT again in Dec to hopefully pop her score again and did well on her PFT but is going to see if she can take it again if allowed to maybe raise the score even a little. It is a stressful process that's for sure and it is compounded for us as we are actually working with our THREE senior daughters to get them into college next year at various schools across the country.
If you don't mind me asking, where did your daughter end up going to college for ROTC?

Ummm - THREE??? Wow! I have multiples as well, but only twins! They are sophomores in college and my oldest is a junior. They are all 20 right at the moment, but my oldest will turn 21 on Veteran's day! My thoughts go out to your family - wow - it is stressful getting everyone figured out, and yes with 3 daughters all starting college at the same time, financial support through a scholarship takes on a whole new meaning! We have two athletes on scholarship and the ROTC daughter as well, so things have worked out and they each being driven in their own ways has helped out financially a lot.

We are on the West Coast. I will PM you her school info! Great school - small liberal arts university, and she loves it. She didn't her freshman year, though after getting there that she wished she had gone to a bigger school, but I now chalk that up to usual freshman transitioning - which you will know very well next year!