Usna Or Nrotc?

[Demento]

The Naval Academy

I'm torn right now trying to decide which way to go. I'm also waiting to see if I receive an appointment because obviously there would be no decision to make as far as the 2 are concerned. I was just wondering what you guys think and appreciate any input you can give. I do know a little about the USNA because I went to the summer seminar last year and really enjoyed it, but I guess I'm afraid I'll be missing out on those fun college years if I do go to the NA. There are a few of my friends that look forward to the partying, but I'm not concerned with that. It's really about dating and going to see a movie if I want to, etc.

Back in the day, we used to say that the USNA gave you a $200,000 dollar education, shoved up your arse a nickel at a time.

Four years of hard work, an awful lot of laughs, some outrageous road trips in pursuit of the ladies, all the sports you can handle (I rowed for a couple of years, played a lot of pick up hoops) and a superb education.

Like anything else, USNA is a case of "you get out of it as much as you put into it."

I'd recommend the Academy, but I am biased. Class of '80.

Demento

PS: Sports Trivia. Who won the first ever Holiday Bowl? Navy over Bigamy Young University, on a 65 yard pass from "Bullet" Bob Lesczynski to Phil McConkey. (Yes, the same Phil who showed up a few years later on the New York Giants in a Super Bowl against the Broncos).
Ah, those were the days, back before every college lineman was a steroid filled 300 lb Behemoth.

 

[cdb21]

Man, I can tell you if you got the chance GO TO THE ACADEMY. Everyone on this thread is right that both paths lead to the same gold bars, but I have to say the Academy is the better choice. I had an Appointment to USMMA, and then hurt my leg and had to be rolled back. I am at a large state university, and in ROTC, and it sucks. Don't get me wrong, there are some ROTC guys here that I would follow into hell, but there is a lot more who do not know what the hell they are doing and others that are a great examples of "5 and dives". When it comes to the college experiance, GO TO THE ACADEMY. If you want a Major in Coors and a Minor in Jack D, then go to a civilian univ. I tell you about the college life- drink till you get your stomach pumped in the first week, join a frat and buy your friends, and then take classes a rhemus monkey could do( at least at some schools). A lot of this is tounge and cheek, but there is some truth in it. If you go to any service academy, you will be different from 99% of other kids your age, but I think it is a difference for the better. You gotta give yourself a gut check- too many people go to an academy, take a spot from someone who really wanted it, and then drop out. ROTC is great for some, I personally believe it is not the absolute best path to being an officer( and I am a dumbass so I could be wrong), but you gotta ask yourself what path that leads to those magical gold bars is best for you.

 

[navyfan]

Bypass,

Our son is in the same boat--he's been accepted into a NROTC program and is waiting to hear from USNA. We are fortunate that we know 4 Academy grads, including our neighbor who graduated in '03. We started sending her care pacakges in Plebe Summer and kept in close contact the whole time she was there. She brought her friends home with her, including her boyfriend, so we heard hundreds of stories over the last few years. There are many, many frustrations with USNA. The Navy saying, "hurry up and wait," applies there, too. If you get in a bad company, life can be a *****, while another company will have it completely different. There are some slackers there, and if you draw one as a roommate, life is just that much harder. You really have to develop a thick skin to the seemingly stupid ways they do some things. Which I guess is good in the long run. There are tons of these stories. But there are also great ones about summer cruises, fleet week, army-navy game, so they balance out. I asked them a few weeks ago if they can look back on their experience objectively yet, and they said no, it was still too close. One bit of advice they gave--if the NROTC school you pick offers you something the Academy doesn't, like a sport you want to do or a subject you want to study, choose what suits you best--because that's what the Academy does. Being passed over by USNA just means they've gotten enough of the folks they need that offer them what you can. Apparently, if you've needed a vision waiver, the odds are a bit stacked against all of those folks, just because of the numbers. My son's B&G officer summed up what making it through USNA would mean to him: "You can always be proud you made it through." We're not sure that should be the sum total of your 4 year experience, but that's a decision our son will have to make if he gets in. Our guess is that if you are used to a very regimented life, have a very thick skin, and can "go with the flow," even though you know what's happening at the time would be ridiculous in the private sector, you'll do fine at USNA. NROTC exposes you to a little of this, and if you want to sit on your bed while you study, or listen to music, or sit on the grass on a nice afternoon, we'll, your first year might be a happier place at NROTC than USNA. Almost everyone we've spent time talking to says Mids at USNA go through a disheartening "cycnical" phase regarding the place in their 2nd year there; some get over it, and some don't. We've told our son we'll be proud whatever choice he makes, and your parents will, too. Look into your heart of hearts, decide what you want over the next four years, and you'll do fine. There are great Naval officers that come from both programs--it's what's inside you that makes the difference.

 

[American_Ace]

For curiousity's sake, what is your GPA, SAT, what sports do you play, etc?

 

[navyfan]

For curiousity's sake, what is your GPA, SAT, what sports do you play, etc?

If you're asking NavyFan, our son is pretty lucky. He's ranked 1 of 151, 4.50 GPA, 1380 SAT, 31 ACT. Went to Summer Seminar. Not too many eca's, recycling club, Latin club, etc., but volunteers at retirement home. Four years varsity swimming, including state qualifier. But he still hasn't heard from USNA! He did get a full NROTC ride and an early decision entry into USCGA. So, he's not hurting, no matter what happens. He needed a vision waiver for USNA, and that puts him into a REALLY big applicant pool. And every student has as much or more going for them. As I said in another post, USNA is filling the class out with what THEY need. For instance, they need more students interested in engineering and chemistry than political science and English (see recent Trident article). So, no one should feel bad about not being selected--there are other ways of becoming a Naval officer, and some of them may be better for you than USNA. Even so, he's on pins and needles, as I'm sure everyone else is. GOOD LUCK.

 

[phrogdriver]

cdb21, I think you've been marked by a bad ROTC experience. The answer is probably, "Don't go to ROTC at the cdb's university," not "GO TO THE ACADEMY." When you do the college tour, stop by the NROTC unit as well as say hello. That is one thing about ROTC--it's not going to be 100% standardized. As far as class difficulty, I don't think any academy is any more rigorous academically than MIT, Duke, Penn, Cornell, etc, all of which have ROTCs. If you're comparing it with some state schools it's probably a different story.

At the Academy, each and every person will get the exact same $200,000 shoved in a nickel at a time. In NROTC, you get a say as to how much loose change is going in the orifaces. As is often the case in life, the minimum req'd to get by can be pretty low, but if you have a sense of initiative, the sky is the limit. NROTC can make you every bit the officer an academy grad is, for whatever THAT'S worth. You just have to let it.

Life experiences...well...you'll always get a chance to be yelled at or put on a big gray boat later. College is college, 'nuff said. It also takes a lot of self examination to defend the military in front of hippies, the student gay alliance, etc., that you won't get among a thousand shaved heads.

I have great respect for the academies. I just think that NROTC is equal overall in product. In some ways it's worse, some superior. Do a search on this and you'll find many, many, hits on the site.

 

[American_Ace]

If you're asking NavyFan, our son is pretty lucky. He's ranked 1 of 151, 4.50 GPA, 1380 SAT, 31 ACT. Went to Summer Seminar. Not too many eca's, recycling club, Latin club, etc., but volunteers at retirement home. Four years varsity swimming, including state qualifier. But he still hasn't heard from USNA! He did get a full NROTC ride and an early decision entry into USCGA. So, he's not hurting, no matter what happens. He needed a vision waiver for USNA, and that puts him into a REALLY big applicant pool. And every student has as much or more going for them. As I said in another post, USNA is filling the class out with what THEY need. For instance, they need more students interested in engineering and chemistry than political science and English (see recent Trident article). So, no one should feel bad about not being selected--there are other ways of becoming a Naval officer, and some of them may be better for you than USNA. Even so, he's on pins and needles, as I'm sure everyone else is. GOOD LUCK.

I was speaking to Bypass, but thanks for your input, it is making things clearer.

 

[BYPASS]

Ace-
3.5 GPA, 1230 SAT, Lacrosse, Track, soph. rep, junior class pres., student body pres.,
lots of community service

And yours?

 

[BYPASS]

Low SAT, I know

 

[BYPASS]

Sorry, forgot a few more: USNA Summer Seminar and HS clubs, rec. soccer, etc. etc.

 

[American_Ace]

3.65 weighted GPA, 1290 SAT, AP calc, AP Bio, and AP physics (w/ calc), soccer JV captain, track (three year letter winner) at a 5A school, top 17% (I think), school sends 98% of kids to 2 or 4 year college, Honor Society, Honor Roll, bunch of community service, civil air patrol, almost have PPL....ahhhh what else..... Congressional Nomination, church, couple clubs, couple jobs, couple awards, co-founder of Filmmakers' Club, school paper, fresh. class senator....and.... I think that about does it (I probably missed a few things). Both my parents were AF officers, but I think that does more harm than good (regardless of what they say, I could tell my BGO wasn't happy).

I also took the ASVAB as a joke, showed up late and sick, got a 95 AFQT. If it matters I have 5 math and 5 sci credits, but I got a 'C' in Precalc, which is where I screwed the pooch.

 

[American_Ace]

Oh yeah, I've played soccer for competitive travel teams since I was 12 and I've been flying since I was 14.

My app was complete by early Oct, and I was notified of my Nomination in Dec. DODMERB still has me pinned down for something stupid, but that shouldn't affect their decision unless I've been D-Qed, which I haven't been. I need a vision-waiver (hope to get a pilot slot with PRK) though.

 

[phrogdriver]

Is it High School resume time? The admissions board doesn't read this website, guys. Sounds like you'll be fine, but the academies are a crapshoot. You never know when they'll need a left-handed Mexican from Montana.

 

[Integer]

Personally, I'm interested in hearing that and interested in finding out who gets in!

 

[American_Ace]

I know it was long-winded, I was just answering BYPASS' question.