Cornell and Michigan also have ROTC.

Mine went through the West Point application process. He obtained the Congressional Nomination as part of the process. He also separately applied for the 4 year ROTC scholarship, which he received. But since West Point doesn't take ED applications, he went ahead and applied ED to one of the highly selective schools that have on-campus ROTC cadres - Princeton, MIT, Vanderbilt, Duke, and Notre Dame all have significant ROTC programs. He was accepted ED to one of those schools. Whereupon he immediately reached out to West Point and withdrew his application.

There was never any question about how to game the system. The rules are very clear. For OP, I suspect that if West Point found out that this applicant violated an ED contract, they'd likely rescind the acceptance. Applying to WP and applying ED to a highly selective university is a very common thing. But the regulations are very clear about what to do with a binding ED acceptance. West Point isn't happening. As always, choose carefully where you apply ED. If it's not the first choice, don't.

By all means, ask the college counselor when school starts. I only regret we can’t overhear the conversation when you do.

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have experience or knowledge about this? I plan to ask DC's college counselor when school reopens, but just curious now.

DC has an ED1 choice, but the real preference is one of the service academies.

What happens if DC goes ahead with the first ED and then receives an appointment? We're thinking that's a reasonable reason to break the ED commitment.

Doubtful your DC will even get a nomination let alone an appointment, so no worries about your hypothetical query. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

My niece got a Letter of Assurance from her service academy in October. That should be your goal, certainly not an ED!

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have experience or knowledge about this? I plan to ask DC's college counselor when school reopens, but just curious now.

DC has an ED1 choice, but the real preference is one of the service academies.

What happens if DC goes ahead with the first ED and then receives an appointment? We're thinking that's a reasonable reason to break the ED commitment.

Wow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you are accepted ED, you agree to withdraw all other applications.

You can be released from the ED agreement only if the financial aid package is unaffordable. "I got a better offer" is not an ethical reason to break the agreement.

Unethical behavior is not a great way to start a military career.

OP here. I agree with that; however, the way the system is set up, there is really no other way.

Service Academy appointments are extremely hard to come by, in case you didn't know. They run on their own, parallel track with the general college application process, but are not executed in the same way.

Yes, "I got a better offer" is what it amounts to. But, as anyone pursuing the service academy route knows, you'd darn well better have a backup plan. Because the odds of getting in are very much not in your favor.

Then the “back-up plan” is a school your child can get into through EA or RD.
If your child only has a shot of going to said school through the ED route but is not willing to withdraw all other applications upon acceptance, then the answer is this is NOT the school for your DC because your child actually does not prefer the ED option to all other options.

I get that service academies are a longshot, but so is getting into HYPS, etc. And keeping one’s hat in the ring after an ED acceptance on the off chance that HYPS or a service academy comes calling is completely UNethical. A violation of the agreement. Poor integrity.
TBH, if your DC does get admitted into a service academy, I would hope your DC shows stronger character and sense of right than you have displayed here, OP.

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