To attend college as a Marine-Option Midshipman, which is a future Marine officer who attends the Navy's ROTC college program, you must meet several requirements. If you are a U.S. citizen with no criminal record who is at least 17 and has a high school diploma or GED, your next requirement is to meet Marine Corps physical standards. You must have an SAT combined score of 1000 or better or an ACT composite score of at least 22. Finally, you have to apply to a college or university approved by the NROTC.
Because Marine Corps ROTC students attend the Naval ROTC program, they are eligible for the NROTC Scholarship Program. Recipients of the scholarship enjoy free tuition and additional financial benefits, including a monthly stipend. More than 65 colleges, in all states except Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, West Virginia and Wyoming, are approved for the NROTC program. All approved schools, listed at CollegeProfiles.com (see Resources), are four-year colleges or universities.
As you attend school to earn your bachelor's degree, Marine Corps ROTC students also participate in military training and courses. The summer after your freshman year, you will attend four weeks of training; three of the weeks are Navy training, and the final week --- which takes place at either Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, or Camp Pendleton, California --- is specific to the Marine Corps. After your sophomore year of college, you have the option --- and are encouraged --- to attend a summer cruise during which you learn more about the Marine Corps, such as cold-weather and high-altitude survival techniques. During your third summer in NRTOC, you will attend Marine Officer Candidates School in preparation for becoming a commissioned officer upon graduation from college.
If you attended college on an NROTC scholarship, once you earn a bachelor's degree, you are commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Your commitment to the U.S. Marines is eight years, at least four on active duty. If you are attending school on a scholarship and leave the program for reasons within your own control, you may have to serve at least two years or pay back the money you received.