Is ROTC at a top college a path to set wealthy kids up for politics?

[Anonymous]

I noticed a few well off families we know have kids in ROTC at top colleges. The kids are studying government, public policy, economics. I know at least one or two of them want to go to law school. What's the angle here? Setting up a late 20s congressional run? Or does ROTC pay for undergrad and law school? Or maybe ROTC helps you get into top law schools.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know if this is true. But it’s hearening to hear that children of wealthy parents and who go to elite schools are joining the military. They never really stopped, but the prevailing culture had a view that the military was full of knuckleheads. It’s good to see this turn where serving in the nation’s armed forces is a form of noblesse oblige.

[Anonymous]

So because they are wealthy, they must not be interested in serving? Interesting mentality for someone who is literally surrounded by people who have served.

[Anonymous]

ROTC no... in less you are going to military, I'm assuming its just bragging rights which most people who actually serve would ignore. Most people who are active duty have never done ROTC. If college is paid for, you owe specific years of service.

[Anonymous]

I think the famous Tiger Mom woman's daughter was ROTC at Harvard and is at Yale Law School now? Can you defer serving the 3-4 years to go to law school - Jag program? Does the Navy/Jag pay for law school too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So because they are wealthy, they must not be interested in serving? Interesting mentality for someone who is literally surrounded by people who have served.

No. But clever teens interested in high politics and elite law schools may have some ulterior motives, is all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So because they are wealthy, they must not be interested in serving? Interesting mentality for someone who is literally surrounded by people who have served.

No. But clever teens interested in high politics and elite law schools may have some ulterior motives, is all.

I think this says a lot more about you than it does about the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the famous Tiger Mom woman's daughter was ROTC at Harvard and is at Yale Law School now? Can you defer serving the 3-4 years to go to law school - Jag program? Does the Navy/Jag pay for law school too?

Yes you can request an Education Delay to go to law school after ROTC. If you want the military to pay for law school, and the military agrees to pay, there would be an additional service commitment incurred in addition to the original ROTC commitment.

And participating in ROTC will not help you get into elite law schools if you don't also have the necessary grades and LSAT score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So because they are wealthy, they must not be interested in serving? Interesting mentality for someone who is literally surrounded by people who have served.

No. But clever teens interested in high politics and elite law schools may have some ulterior motives, is all.

They are doing the service. If their motive is public service after military service, what would be wrong with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So because they are wealthy, they must not be interested in serving? Interesting mentality for someone who is literally surrounded by people who have served.

No. But clever teens interested in high politics and elite law schools may have some ulterior motives, is all.

They are doing the service. If their motive is public service after military service, what would be wrong with that?

ROTC is not military service. Two different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So because they are wealthy, they must not be interested in serving? Interesting mentality for someone who is literally surrounded by people who have served.

No. But clever teens interested in high politics and elite law schools may have some ulterior motives, is all.

They are doing the service. If their motive is public service after military service, what would be wrong with that?

ROTC is not military service. Two different things.

ROTC is training for military service and most in the program are awarded commissions at graduation and they then serve for at least four or five years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the famous Tiger Mom woman's daughter was ROTC at Harvard and is at Yale Law School now? Can you defer serving the 3-4 years to go to law school - Jag program? Does the Navy/Jag pay for law school too?

Yes you can request an Education Delay to go to law school after ROTC. If you want the military to pay for law school, and the military agrees to pay, there would be an additional service commitment incurred in addition to the original ROTC commitment.

And participating in ROTC will not help you get into elite law schools if you don't also have the necessary grades and LSAT score.

It is extremely rare for the military to pay for law school.

Usually if someone is in the military and wants to go to law school, they have to get out, go to law school on their own dime, and then apply to be a JAG officer (if that is what they want to do).

[Anonymous]

yep. Amy Chua's daughter is following this path.

[Anonymous]

ROTC commitment is eight years of service after graduation as an officer. Many graduates are selected for Active Duty for 4 years, and then are committed to Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) after their 4 years, if they choose to separate after four years. There are not enough slots for everyone who has an ROTC scholarship to go Active Duty upon graduation. Those not chosen Active Duty are commissioned as Army Reserve offices.

As for the law school question- if ROTC cadets want to go to law school, they can apply for an Education Delay, as a previous poster noted. Individuals do not "get out" of the military; they have a delay to entry and will start Active Duty as a JAG. The Ed Delays are very competitive.

As for why rich kids do ROTC? Maybe their families have a military service history that you don't know about. ROTC is not just for kids who can't afford school. However, you will find plenty of kids who cannot afford tuition at the elite schools in ROTC programs.

None of my classmates, that I know of, from ROTC at an elite school have gone into politics. However, most of them are tremendously successful in their chosen career fields.

[Anonymous]

I think undergrad ROTC was sort of a 2&2. You could go the first two years without a commitment but after that you had to sign up for the long haul post-graduation. Some people would use this to reduce the cost for Freshman and Sophomore years.

Most of the JAG attorneys from my law school ended up in litigation or criminal defense, as most of the work they did in the service was dealing with soldiers who fouled up.