New Students

Table of Contents

• What is ROTC?
• An Individualized Experience
• Who We're Looking For
• Your Commitment
• Is ROTC right for me if I want to be a doctor, lawyer, or nurse? A competitive athlete?
• How to Enroll
• How to Register for Courses
• Eligibility
• As a high school student, I'm not sure if I want to do ROTC. Can I come visit?
• What is contracting? Who is competitive to contract?
• What courses do I need to take? What jobs are available to me after graduation?
• What scholarships are available to me?
• Do I need to join the National Guard or Army Reserve while I am in ROTC?
• Why should I be 100% certain before I sign any legal contract-binding paperwork?

What is ROTC?

Army ROTC is an elective curriculum you take along with your required college classes. The curriculum is designed in a manner where you can first try out ROTC for multiple years with no military obligation or interruption to your college life, then choose whether you want to serve as a Commissioned Officer after college graduation. ROTC gives you the tools, training and experiences that will help you succeed in any competitive environment. You will have a normal college student experience like everyone else on campus, but when you graduate, you can choose to be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. At that point, you will have a wide range of interest areas you can specialize in, called branches.

When you become a part of Army ROTC, you will have a college schedule like your fellow students, but you'll also receive additional physical training, classroom instruction, and command & staff simulations. The coursework comprises approximately 7.5 to 8 hours per week for first-years, sophomores, and juniors, and 8.5 to 9 hours per week for seniors. However, academics always comes first in ROTC, and our team will support you in every manner for academic success.

Some additional opportunities include a three-day field training exercise (FTX) in the fall, a four-day joint field training exercise (JFTX) in the spring working alongside all other ROTC programs in the Maryland area, professional development trips (staff rides) led by renowned historians to the National Museum of the United States Army (fall) and Gettysburg National Military Park (spring), formal evening bowtie/gown events that teach professional etiquette like Dining In (fall) and Military Ball (spring), and optional national physical competitions like Ranger Challenge and the Army Ten-Miler.

The purpose of ROTC is to provide an environment for positive leadership development and feedback. Instruction and training is used as a vehicle for leader development—quantitative and qualitative skills you can take into your professional life after college regardless of whether you join the military or not. Seniors have full control of the Greyhound Battalion, running all facets of operations, finances, student development programs, and etc.—an on-the-job training experience similar to running a corporation that is unmatched in higher education.

An Individualized Experience

At the Greyhound Battalion, our team's mantra is to not only prepare you for success in college, but for success 20-years+ down the road. Our program's unique capabilities and resources allow us to tailor faculty-student engagement in a manner that is unique amongst other ROTC programs.

You are not a roster number on an attendance sheet. You will receive one-on-one mentorship throughout your academic journey and beyond into your professional career from our world-class faculty that are selectively screened to qualify for their positions (0.5% faculty interview-to-selection rate). You will also receive access to support resources at a rate exceeding a normal ROTC program.

Who We're Looking For

Those who succeed in Army ROTC are students who excel and want something more out of the college experience. Generally, these students are scholars who keep their grades up, athletes who are physically strong, and leaders who have a great desire to learn.

Your Commitment

Because Army ROTC is an elective, you can participate during your first-year and sophomore year without any obligation to join the Army. However, Army ROTC students who receive an Army ROTC scholarship or enter the junior or senior year must agree to complete a period of service with the Army:

• Three years if you choose full-time Active Duty in the Army.
• Four years on full-time Active Duty if you accept an ROTC scholarship.
• Six years if you choose part-time status while pursuing a civilian career or graduate/postgraduate education with any National Guard or Army Reserve unit in the nation.
• Eight years on part-time status while pursuing a civilian career or graduate/postgraduate education with any National Guard or Army Reserve unit in the nation if you accept a Reserve Forces ROTC scholarship.

Is ROTC right for me if I want to be a doctor, lawyer, or nurse? A competitive athlete?

Yes! Students in the Greyhound Battalion come from all backgrounds, majors, and professional goals. Our students have been very successful pursuing paths such as Nursing School, Physician Assistant School, Medical School, Law School, Divinity School, MBAs, PhDs, and more—all professional paths that align with fulfilling military careers. We also produce a high number of professional pilots and have produced an astronaut. In ROTC, you will receive personalized one-on-one mentorship from professionals in U.S. Army Cadet Command to help with your MCAT, PA-CAT, NCLEX, LSAT, SIFT, etc. and the admissions process for these schools.

We routinely have a mix of students in ROTC ranging from the undergraduate, graduate, to postgraduate-level. Our team also is experienced working with student-athletes who require modifications to their academic timeline due to Division 1, 2, or 3 NCAA competition requirements. Our athletes have successfully competed at the highest level and graduated.

Our student population is extremely tight-knit and supportive, and you will most likely also receive mentorship and advice from our seniors to accomplish your academic and professional goals. Many of our students graduate as Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude.

How to Enroll

Enrollment into ROTC is as easy as registering for an elective course, and there is no legal commitment to the military when you enroll in a course.

Our team is extremely committed to individual student success and will sit down with you during enrollment and throughout your time in ROTC to help you reach your goals. Every member of our faculty are qualified instructors, trainers, lecturers, and academic advisors. Even if you try out ROTC and don't like it, our team will dedicate time to ensure that you are successful, and that you do not experience negative academic impact.

Our doors are always open if you have questions. We routinely sit down with high school students and parents, guardians, and key adult figures on scholarship and admissions opportunities. For high school students, your junior year (11th grade) is the ideal time to start considering applications for national ROTC scholarships.

How to Register for Courses

New undergraduate students can enter ROTC at multiple points all the way up to their junior year, so long as they have four remaining fall/spring semesters on their academic timeline. New graduate and postgraduate students can enter as long as they have four fall/spring semesters remaining on their academic timeline.

Each of our courses are 3 credits. Before enrolling into a course, you'll need to speak to our Recruiting Operations Officer to determine your eligibility and academic alignment into the correct course.

Feel free to contact any member of our team using the Contact Us bar that is located on every page. You can contact us via email, phone, or drop by either of our offices during business hours. Our program is popular and easily exceeds annual recruiting quotas, so you will never feel pressure from our team for you to join.

Loyola students enroll for ROTC class directly through the Loyola Self-Service > Student Planning page just like any other class.

Towson University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, and Goucher College students will need to send in an enrollment form (the Baltimore Student Exchange Program (BSEP) form) to our Recruiting Operations Officer. This form is forwarded to each university's Registrar Office. Add/drop/withdrawal is also processed in the same manner through email correspondence with each university's Registrar Office. Our preferred BSEP form submission time is April 1st for fall ROTC courses and November 1st for spring ROTC courses to allow maximum time for processing, but this is a soft deadline and exceptions are possible.

Eligibility 

• Registered for and attending college full time (12 credits for undergraduates and 9 credits for graduates) as a degree seeking student at Loyola University Maryland, Towson University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, or Goucher College.
• Graduate and postgraduate students do not have to be degree seeking students.
• Four fall/spring semesters (2 academic years) remaining at the start of ROTC.
• Student is not a conscientious objector.
• Student shows good moral character, has no domestic violence, drug, or other convictions.
• Student is a US Citizen or will be able to naturalize as a US Citizen by the end of their junior year.
• Student is physically able participate. Students will need a DA Form 3425 signed by a medical physician verifying that they "find no medical condition or physical impairment that precludes their participation in ROTC, a program no more physically strenuous than a normal college physical education program."
• Towson University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, and Goucher College students need to get a Loyola Evergreen ID card at Maryland Hall 140 once they register for ROTC and ensure they can login using their @loyola.edu email.

As a high school student, I'm not sure if I want to do ROTC. Can I come visit?

Yes. You and your family can participate in any of our classroom lectures, physical training labs, leadership labs, or command and staff simulation labs, provided that you coordinate with our team ahead of time (classroom sears may be limited). We take great pride in our Greyhound faculty as world-class lecturers, and we always welcome guest participants. We regularly host high school student guests, our doors are always open, and we will coordinate for free parking for you.

Please contact our team in advance and get approval from your high school teachers prior to participating.

For university and ROTC legal liability reasons, if you wish to participate in any of our workouts or leadership labs, you must have a completed Medical Fitness Statement for Enrollment (DA Form 3425-R) signed by your medical physical, verifying that they "find no medical condition or physical impairment that precludes your participation in ROTC, a program no more physically strenuous than a normal college physical education program."

We ask that parents do not participate in our physical workouts, as we cannot legally cover this participation. However, parents can observe these events.

Medical Fitness Statement for Enrollment in ROTC, DA Form 3425-R, April 2023

What is contracting? Who is competitive to contract?

Any student may join ROTC to try it out with no obligations for military service. Once you reach your junior year, you will choose whether you want to sign your "contract", legal contract-binding documentation obligating you to commission into the Army as a Commissioned Officer upon graduation. Most students typically choose to contract by the end of their sophomore year spring semester.

We are generally looking for the following qualifications to officially "contract" you into a commissioning pipeline. These are very achievable and we will continue to guide you through your ROTC journey to meet these qualifications. Special academic support is offered to all ROTC student-athlete-leaders in the same manner as D1 athletes.

• 3.33+ Cumulative GPA (ROTC grades count as part of your overall college Cumulative GPA)
• A pattern of scoring over 400 Points on your Army Fitness Test, with 80+ points in each of the five events.
• A pattern of passing the Army Body Fat Composition Program (Height & Weight and/or One-Site Tape Test).
• Officer Potential: The student must possess qualifications for becoming an effective Army Officer. Leadership potential will be emphasized as an important factor in selection for contracting. Applicants must possess Officer-like qualifications as evidenced by their appearance, record, interpersonal skills, scholarship, extracurricular activities, and aptitude for military training.

What courses do I need to take? What jobs are available to me after graduation?

For detailed information about the Army ROTC course structure, and Army Components and Branches, please see our About ROTC page.

What scholarships are available to me?

For detailed information about Army ROTC scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.

Do I need to join the National Guard or Army Reserve while I am in ROTC?

No. Joining the National Guard or Army Reserve is not a necessary part of ROTC. You do not need to join either the National Guard or Army Reserve to commission as a Commissioned Officer upon graduation.

The National Guard and Army Reserve offer an optional choice called the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP). The SMP program enlists ROTC college students into the National Guard and Army Reserve in a part-time Soldier status while they continue to pursue ROTC. The program allows students to serve part-time in a National Guard or Army Reserve unit (one weekend "drill" a month, and one consecutive two-week "drill" period a year) while continuing college and ROTC. During "drill" weekends, SMP students are paid for their part-time service. Additionally, SMP Cadets may receive various other incentive payments such as monthly "SMP kicker" payments ($350 per month for specific jobs).

As an SMP Cadet, at the end of your junior year, you can still choose to commission onto Active Duty, into the National Guard, or into the Army Reserve. The SMP program does not restrict you into an Army Component. Only National Guard and Army Reserve scholarship acceptances will lock you into these components.

The SMP program is a great way to gain leadership experience at real military units while serving as a Soldier, college student, and ROTC Cadet. SMP Cadets are still guaranteed to commission out of ROTC as a Commissioned Officer just like their peers.

Please talk to one of our team members in the Greyhound Battalion before you sign any legal contract-binding documentation. Our team works with incredible recruiters representing both the National Guard and Army Reserve, and we will all work together to make sure you receive the best guidance possible.

Why should I be 100% certain before I sign any legal contract-binding paperwork?

The U.S. Army Cadet Command and the U.S. Army Recruiting Command function off recruitment quotas. In very rare circumstances, bad actors may convince a student to sign legal contract-binding paperwork that may be detrimental to a student's long-term academic and professional goals. In very extreme cases, signing disadvantageous contracts may force a student to drop out of college (without their initial understanding or awareness).

In the Greyhound Battalion, we value full transparency, candor, and respect in everything we do with students and want to ensure that all of our students are successful in their futures, whether that future ultimately involves military service or not. We care not only about your success as an ROTC student, but your success 20-years+ down the road. Our motto is Strong Truths Well Lived, and the Greyhound family lives that motto each day.

We believe deeply that our model of transparency works: the Greyhound family exceeds its commissioning mission each year. The Army recruiters who work closely with the Greyhound Battalion also exceed their quotas each year while remaining focused on student success. The Greyhound Battalion graduates Army Officers of character each semester that continue to reach back out, remain in contact with the Battalion, and mentor rising high school and college Greyhound prospects.