SAT/ACT Scores for Military Students: How Crucial Are They?

I'm in a JROTC program and aiming for a military career post-college, but I'm wondering how much my SAT/ACT scores will impact my college and ROTC applications. Does anyone have experience with this?

From my experience with my own child who also pursued a military pathway through college, SAT/ACT scores still play an important role in your college admissions, even for military students. While your participation in JROTC is fantastic and showcases your commitment to a military career, competitive colleges still look for strong test scores as part of their holistic review process. For ROTC scholarships and programs, scores can be quite significant too as they often have minimum score requirements.

My advice would be to aim for a balance: continue demonstrating your dedication through your JROTC involvement, but also work towards achieving the best SAT/ACT score you can. If you’re targeting a particular college or ROTC scholarship, research their typical score ranges or minimum requirements to set a clear goal for yourself. Additionally, don’t forget to shine a light on your leadership experiences in JROTC, as those are invaluable and can sometimes help balance out scores that may be slightly below average for a particular institution. Best of luck in your ROTC and college journey!