Anonymous wrote:OP, you are deranged.
As insane as DCUM is, I don't think I ever seen anyone post on the college board about an 8th grader. Ever.
You are going to ruin your child forever if you don't step back.
Now.
Having been there myself, I am going to extend grace to OP, who may not completely understand how her post came off.
Don't worry about what your DC is doing right now - sounds like he has gotten back on track and has some keen interests. He should keep at it as there will come a moment when he will have less time for them.
Read some books on college admissions - ones that are more general in nature, not ones targeting kids for Ivy admissions, in order for you to get a sense of the process.
IDK anything about JROTC, but I am sure there are sites where you can read about it. I am less aware of ROTC programs at SLACS and more likely at larger schools. Know a few folks who went to college that way - allowed them to attend an Ivy when their parents' HHI covered instate flagship tuition. Or course it is has been a lot different over the last 20 years with the US fighting two wars. The ROTC of the 70s/80s/90s is not the one of the past two decades where commissioned officers were in war zones. Sadly the Bush admin effectively gutted interest in ROTC by mismanaging one war and needlessly getting us into another - the officer corps is not as diverse as it once was, something our allies find troubling.
OP, take deep breaths, do some general reading, and GL to your DC!