re: A question for all Ags...

If you are in ROTC you do not go to OTS. You go to training after your Sophomore year in the Summer and if you pass then you continue on for 2 more years of ROTC and are commissioned upon graduation and then activated based on needs of the service (it's not uncommon to have a wait time of several months after commissioning until actually getting your first assignment). Also after "camp" you get a small monthly stipend for your remaining time in college.

At A&M all Corps members take ROTC their first 2 years and then have this option to apply for a commission path. Some pass and some do not. Certainly going to A&M gives you an excellent chance of acceptance and an even better chance of getting a more prime slot (for instance pilot slots). If you have spent 2 years living in dorms and in a military style environment you obviously have a huge leg up on others. Also the "Aggie Network" is very powerful in the military and is probably second only to the Academies. Networking counts in the military just like in civilian life.

Many cadets of course don't go in the service but finish out their last 2 years in the Corps. All your real dues are paid in the first 2 years, Jrs and Srs live a very fun life in the Corps that would take too long to discuss here. Also there is a very strong bond that develops with the group of guys you came in with and it is very satisfying to make it through all 4 years. I was a guy that didn't take a commission. Back when I graduated the services were downsizing and though I could have gotten commissioned my prospects weren't appealing (I likely would have sat in a silo in North Dakota or the like) and after a lot of thought decided not to go that route. I graduated with 10 buddies from my outfit in the same class out of the original 21 that started our Freshman year. Of that group 4 went in the service and all made it to Lt Colonel or higher, one is almost certain to make General in the next couple of years. Of the 6 of us that didn't go all have had very successful careers and that time in the Corps was very helpful for preparing us for the working world. The Corps is a tremendous leadership laboratory that was incredibly valuable to me.