I guess I could say I had the "true college experience," whatever that means, since I went to a civvy college and commissioned through OCS. I can't speak on what you'll experience at VMI or the Academy; what I can say is that my time in college was a huge growing experience that I would not trade for anything. That encompasses many realms...being able to meet new people (particularly women), dealing with the responsibility of motivating yourself to succeed, and balancing that with nightlife on the weekends. Additionally, I got to spend time working in the corporate world, which helped motivate me through OCS since I hated sitting at a cubicle. A civilian college will be what you make of it, since it will be up to you to decide how you spend your free time. Are you going to study and get a part time job when you're only in class 15-20 hrs a week, or are you going to spend that free time drinking away your tuition?
My NNPS class had about 75-80% Academy graduates, 3 OCS graduates, and the rest were NROTC. From an outside perspective, I noticed in the beginning that yes, those who came from the Academy came in with very strong bonds between each other, due to having suffered through the same suck together. They also have the plus side of being able to relate instantly to a lot of the staff/mid level officers who also graduated from the Academy. I would compare it to being in class with a bunch of guys from the same big fraternity, complete with ridiculous hazing stories. On the negative side, I have noticed that many of them are acting the way I did when I was 18-19 years old re: drinking and partying. They've had such a structured life in college that they are now breaking out with their newfound "freedom." The thing is that they're now commissioned officers who are supposed to be setting an example.
I also strongly disagree with bubblehead's statements, particularly because anyone who gets a scholarship would fall into his category of having college paid for. I have seen a lot of people receive aid from their parents through college, and most of them were very appreciative for it. There is some merit to being careful when selecting a degree, but it is difficult as a 19-20 year old to look that far ahead. This problem is perpetuated by academic advisors who do not stress job markets when their students are looking to pick courses of studies, but rather tell them "pick anything you want" as if it doesn't matter. But this has very much to do with the maturity of a 19 year old sophomore and the "wisdom" of someone who's never worked outside of academia, and very little to do with whether or not someone is paying for their college, getting loans, on scholarship, or getting a free ride from mommy and daddy.
So as has been said: if you think you need the structure, a military university or college is probably right for you. As for my perspective, I think the freedom afforded to someone attending a non-military college helps one mature and grow independence in a way that military schools can't provide.
