Hey folks, I'm weighing my post-high school options and was curious about this. Is it a standard thing for the military to reach out to every high schooler or do they target specific individuals? I haven't received anything personally yet, which made me wonder.
No, the military does not typically contact every high school student. The outreach methods used by the military, specifically the recruiters, can differ vastly based on the area, the school policies, and the individual recruiters' style.
In some schools, military recruiters are allowed to set up recruiting booths in high traffic areas or give presentations to classes or during career days. This enables them to interact with a broad array of students. However, they usually don't reach out to each student individually unless a student has expressed interest or opted into being contacted.
In fact, under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, high schools that receive federal funding are required to provide military recruiters with the same access to high school students as college recruiters. That said, parents or the students themselves can opt out of having their contact information shared for recruitment purposes.
Remember, recruiting methods can be different everywhere, so it's perfectly possible nothing might happen if you're not directly expressing interest. If you're interested in exploring a military pathway post-high school, it might be a good idea to proactively reach out to a local recruiting office or research online to get the most accurate and detailed information for your situation and interests.
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