NROTC vs. Academy

[war eagle]

I wanted to go to USNA when I was in high school... I was set on it. Then I didn't get in. I took my NROTC scholarship to Auburn and after 4 years here I wouldn't trade it for the world. I graduate in May and right now my last semester of college has been the best 4 months of my life. I'm an aerospace major, I've selected SNFO and I'm loving every minute of it. Ok the studying part sucks but doesn't it everywhere? Oh yeah and have you ever been to a bar full of girls from an SEC school?

Other people have said it too, but pick the school you want - not what you think will make your career better on down the road.

 

[xj220]

Yeah, especially the Academy. You have to want to be there, not because someone else thinks you should. If your intentions are different, you won't last very long. Personally, a lot of the Academy fun early on is stupid stuff you do when you're bored and no one is around, which to me can be the most fun because that's time spent with your friends. The tradition also adds a nice aspect and there is something cool about flying home for the first time in uniform and seeing your parents at the gate.

 

[a_m]

Oh yeah and have you ever been to a bar full of girls from an SEC school?

Yes.

 

[Fist Mollusk]

I went to NAPS in 96. I thought all the same things posted here: a whole YEAR... waste of time, etc. I will tell you though in hindsight, that year was the best thing that happened to me (along with my year of prior enlisted time before NAPS) to prepare and mature me for the Academy and my commision. I always chuckle at monkeys who talk about how USNA isn't a "real" college. I fondly look back on most of my time there, and realize that it prepared me very well for my career as a naval officer, and provided me with a fantastic education. USNA is academically challenging, and does what every college is really supposed to do...provide that education, and provide it a high level of proficiency.
I am attending a "real" college right now for my master's degree, and realize how great my education was at USNA (despite the fact how hard it was at the time).

Oh, by the way, I partied my a>> off when I was a Mid, it just takes a little skill and dedication

Not to ruffle any feathers, but there are some masters level thesis work out there exploring the success rates for naval aviators based on commission source, you can dig into this for actual facts.

Don't frown upon NAPS, it is a great program, you get to play on junior college sports teams, beef up your academics, and meet 200 hundred people you will progress through the fleet with, networking is great. If you are going to be a good naval officer, and you go the academy, you will graduate with experience, skills, and training that will give you all the tools you need for success. The academy can't put polish on a turd though, but it can make a person a great officer.

Fist Mollusk

 

[BlackBearHockey]

I don't know that comparing U Maine with respect to the Naval Academy is necessarily a valid comparison. U Maine has over 9,000 students and a doctoral program. USNA has 4,000 students and only undergrad. More Students + Tuition Payments = More Majors.

Right, that's the point. I understand it's kind of an apples/oranges scenario that I might not have explained well enough; but what I was more or less getting at was that the OP would have the ability to major in something that might not be offered at the Academy, if he were interested in doing something like that.

It's something I didn't really think of until I got to school and saw the breadth of majors, so I threw it out there.

 

[MrSaturn]

... However, in spending ten months as a plebe where everyone is put into leadership positions above you, it was great to see literally dozens of leadership styles ranging from great to abysmal, and then from that taking what you like while discarding the rest...

I remember as a senior in high school wanting nothing more than to go to the Academy, because I felt that somehow the Academy will transfer me into this amazing person capable of achieving any dream or any goal. ... I've also heard it said that the Academy never lives up to a mid's expectations. ...

kinda deep for my first post, but ehh, thought it needed to be said

Exactly, there is no magical 'transformation' in which you are suddenly infused with Leadership. Its hard work. The analogy I draw is that the Academy offers you a more diverse and bigger variety of tool set to get the job done than other sources. You still have to sweat, toil and bleed like everyone else. In my opinion, many mids just sit by watch this expensive varied set of precision instruments rust and wonder why they arent a better leader. Meanwhile the OCS kid with a hammer and worn screwdriver takes charge.

If you go to the academy expecting entitlement and a free pass in life you need to be ready for a rude wake up call.

The only thing I EVER got from the academy was a ring. Which I idly turn on my finger as I work my a$$ off.

 

[BackOrdered]

Exactly, there is no magical 'transformation' in which you are suddenly infused with Leadership. Its hard work. The analogy I draw is that the Academy offers you a more diverse and bigger variety of tool set to get the job done than other sources. You still have to sweat, toil and bleed like everyone else. In my opinion, many mids just sit by watch this expensive varied set of precision instruments rust and wonder why they arent a better leader. Meanwhile the OCS kid with a hammer and worn screwdriver takes charge.

If you go to the academy expecting entitlement and a free pass in life you need to be ready for a rude wake up call.

The only thing I EVER got from the academy was a ring. Which I idly turn on my finger as I work my a$$ off.

I agree 100%. I've probably said it a million times, but you have to take your leadership abilities into your own hands, no matter where you get your commission from.

 

[DangerousDan]

DangerousDan, it seems as if your Co. Officer/SEL experience was terrible.

Its not that I was a "bad midshipman" most of the problems I had was because I between classes and the PRT I was pretty marginal.
Of the three company officers I had all of them pretty much hid in their office and I didn't really get to interact with them. The best of the three was the Marine Capt who was a SC grad from since I had did a year of NROTC there. He kinda pushed me hard because i was from there and at the time I wanted go marine (I came to my senses later). However I still say none of them hold a candle to my MOI from USC, who was personable and more interested in making leaders
My first SEL I met like once, and the other one who I had for 3 years was a drunken seabee on his tailgate tour. The only SEL I had ever really go and look out for my wellfare was the of the summer school ones.
Overall I got better leadership training my year in rotc than at the academy.

 

[Scoob]

One thing's for sure, being a USNA grad can be the "universal remote" of ass-kissing douchebaggery - if you're the kind of chode that's just looking for more ways to stick your head up your leadership's ass.

Seen it. Hate it.

 

[phrogpilot73]

One thing's for sure, being a USNA grad can be the "universal remote" of ass-kissing douchebaggery - if you're the kind of chode that's just looking for more ways to stick your head up your leadership's ass.

Seen it. Hate it.

At first, I was hurt. Then I realized you weren't making a blanket statement - just that the possibility exists. Hence the "can".

I know you weren't talking about me

 

[Scoob]

At first, I was hurt. Then I realized you weren't making a blanket statement - just that the possibility exists. Hence the "can".

I know you weren't talking about me

One thing's for sure, being a USNA grad can be the "universal remote" of ass-kissing douchebaggery - if you're the kind of chode that's just looking for more ways to stick your head up your leadership's ass.

I think you're clear.

 

[eddie]

and i think you're naive if you think that this statistic on O-10's doesn't reflect a deeper bias in the navy towards USNA grads.

(i can't believe that a highschooler is having to wake you older guys up. we don't live in a makebelieve land. the us navy is biased towards USNA grads. who can doubt this? or maybe it's just that because USNA grads are so dug in there at the top that USNA grads are biased towards other USNA grads. but either way, it's true. just look at the statistics.)

Wow. You aren't waking anyone up...

Haven't finished the thread, but you don't have anything but your own, limited, myopic, and anecdotal support for these statments. Yes, there is correlation, but correlation does not equal causation.

Did you ever think that just MAYBE people who wanted to be in the Navy bad enough, early enough, and were locked-on enough to get into the boat school would also be the most likely to make a more-than-20 career out of the whole thing?

Who went to ROTC? Academy rejects (well or unqualified, whatever be the case), people who also wanted to party and copulate, or people who heard about the college money but didn't want to do the boat school thing.

Who goes to OCS? People whose first priority was picking their designator and weren't hurting so much for college cash, or people who were not well exposed, or informed enough to even concieve of the other options. IE people not necessarily as likely to be in it for the long haul.

NOTE:

I get the impression that today, more people want to go to the Academies because of the resume and networking potential. Their time in service seems a worthwhile price, but if not going to the Academy, they probably would not have served.

Don't most folks take more than 4 years to graduate from your typical civilian school? Probably averaging 4.5 to 5 years?

Certainly not most, although it is a growing trend. I think it is more common for people to take longer, because they "haven't figured themselves out, man," or they go to a school where they cannot get all of their classes schedualed in four years because of overenrollment. I suppose there are five year techincal programs, but those are not so common or often dovetail into a Masters.

But what is the "college" experience? I'm wondering if people have been watching too much Animal House.

There are days I wonder if my little school actually IS Faber College. Four (even five) days a week partying is normal for some of my friends, and they are surviving academically... If you are dedicated, you can make it happen.