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VMI, The Citadel, or VTCC?

haramitsu2112

Registered User
I feel I should start by telling you that I went to another military college (North Georgia) but I grew up and lived in Charleston after college. The corps is very respectable, and Charleston night life is second to none. As a South Carolinian and having known several employees of the Citadel, I can tell you if you want to be networked into the Good 'Ol Boy system in South Carolina, its where you go to school.
However, the academics at the Citadel are not the best. For example, my brother (like many other CofC students) tried to get around taking P-chem at College of Charleston by taking it at the Citadel (many CofC students take courses there over the sumer because they are easier), only to find out that the credits weren't recognized by the college. I don't know how technical of a degree you want, but if its just esprit de corps, then the Citadel will be A. OK.
 

BOMBSonHAWKEYES

Registered User
pilot
I'd be willing to bet most MOH winners didn't go to college prior to the military. West Point has got to be tops there.

Saying VMI is "Top Public Liberal Arts College" is like the line in Mr. Baseball where Tom Selleck claims to have led the team in extra inning RBI doubles during night road games in the month of August. There are only six schools that meet the criteria in the US!
 

Navyfan06

Registered User
pilot
I'm not too sure where the lousy academic reputation came from (its false)...most cadets end up taking summer classes at Trident Tech or CofC over the summer... All in all I know I have received a great education and I am so ready to graduate in 18 days! YEA.. but lets compare something really quickly...Lexington, VA... Nothing around it... Charleston, SC...Everything around it... enough said! Go Dogs!
 

BigRed389

Registered User
None
GDGarrick said:
The corps is very respectable, and Charleston night life is second to none. As a South Carolinian and having known several employees of the Citadel, I can tell you if you want to be networked into the Good 'Ol Boy system in South Carolina, its where you go to school.

My brother got out of a speeding ticket because he got pulled over by a Citadel grad while wearing his graduation ring. Good Ol Boy system at work.
 

AllAmerican75

FUBIJAR
None
Contributor
I've Made My Decision

This August, I will be matriculating into the Class of 2007+3 at the Virginia Military Institute. It was a tough decision, but I think I made the right one, only time will tell.

If you want to know why I chose VMI, go HERE
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
AllAmerican75 said:
This August, I will be matriculating into the Class of 2007+3 at the Virginia Military Institute. It was a tough decision, but I think I made the right one, only time will tell.

If you want to know why I chose VMI, go HERE

I am sorry your experience at the Citadel was so bad, a hit against my school for such a poor performance.....:confused: Ironically, your visit to the Citadel mirrored mine at VMI when I visited there. The faculty I visited could hardly be bothered to talk to me and what clinched it was the 4th class cadet who was more worried about getting out of parade than giving a good tour.

I would like to have a few moments alone with the cadet who gave you the tour at the Citadel, I would 'educate' him on why there is a fourth-class system in place at the school, and it is not for his private amusement. I hated guys like that at school and still do, what a moron.

I do want to give you a little reality check though. There are guys like that at all military schools, you just had a tour guide as one at the Citadel and not VMI. You run into it a lot less in the real military but I have still seen it occasionally, though it is usually quickly corrected. Believe me when I say that you will run into idiots like that at VMI.

Another thing, unless they have drastically changed their program, VMI usually 'recognizes' their rats around Feburary to March, not right after the first semester. So in reality the fourth class system at VMI is only about 6-8 weeks shorter than the one at the Citadel, not that big of a difference. The spring was not that bad knob year anyways, you were used to it by then. In reality, it did not make that much of a difference.

Of all the military schools still availible in this country, VMI and the Citadel are probably the most similar in many different ways. When I first went to flight school none of my classmates from the Citadel went down with me so I ended up hanging out with 4 VMI guys all summer. We remain good friends to this day and muse often abotu how similar our experinces were. Both schools had their good and bad points, but we generally agreed that they were equal in most respects.

Sorry again for your bad experience at the Citadel. Best of luck at VMI, just don't come crying to the forum when the Citadel schools you on how to play football........:D
 

SpiderUSMC

Registered User
You'll love Coach Reid. He was the head coach at Richmond my four years there and I was friends with his daughter, who was two years behind me.
 

AllAmerican75

FUBIJAR
None
Contributor
Flash said:
Sorry again for your bad experience at the Citadel. Best of luck at VMI, just don't come crying to the forum when the Citadel schools you on how to play football........:D

I fully expect that there will douchebags who like to abuse their cadets at VMI, but the big difference that I saw was that VMI put more restraints on the Cadre so that it discouraged that behavior. I have no idea what changes Genral Rosa is planning down in Charleston, but the culture at the Citadel from what I saw was that many of the cadets and faculty don't really care that much. But hey, that just might be because I'm on the outside looking in. Also, El Cid doesn't offer the major I want to study. And getting a degree in physics would have meant no football, even if I made the team. But to each his own.:)

And if I have anything to say about it, that silver shako is going to have a pleasant stay in Lexington for the four years that I'm there.:D
 

ELCID05

Registered User
I understand and respect your choice to attend VMI but I disagree with your comment on more constraints being placed on VMI cadre to discourage hazing or mistreatment. I have numerous friends from VMI and in comparing notes there is virtually no difference in what is and is not considered appropriate. I am intimately familiar with the regulations because I was a company commander at The Citadel last year and the majority of our cadre training centered around constraints and regs (as well as the punishment that goes along with failing to meet these standards). I think it is great that you have chosen VMI but don't try to paint The Citadel as a school that promotes or tolerates hazing.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Tweek05 said:
I understand and respect your choice to attend VMI but I disagree with your comment on more constraints being placed on VMI cadre to discourage hazing or mistreatment. I have numerous friends from VMI and in comparing notes there is virtually no difference in what is and is not considered appropriate. I am intimately familiar with the regulations because I was a company commander at The Citadel last year and the majority of our cadre training centered around constraints and regs (as well as the punishment that goes along with failing to meet these standards). I think it is great that you have chosen VMI but don't try to paint The Citadel as a school that promotes or tolerates hazing.

I could not have said it better. I think VMI just put on a better show, I guess they have gotten better on doing on that since I last visited....
 

AllAmerican75

FUBIJAR
None
Contributor
Tweek05 said:
I understand and respect your choice to attend VMI but I disagree with your comment on more constraints being placed on VMI cadre to discourage hazing or mistreatment. I have numerous friends from VMI and in comparing notes there is virtually no difference in what is and is not considered appropriate. I am intimately familiar with the regulations because I was a company commander at The Citadel last year and the majority of our cadre training centered around constraints and regs (as well as the punishment that goes along with failing to meet these standards). I think it is great that you have chosen VMI but don't try to paint The Citadel as a school that promotes or tolerates hazing.

I don't mean to paint The Citadel as being intolerant to hazing, I'm just stating my opinion. I don't doubt that it is a good school, it's just not my cup of tea that's all. Maybe I met and listened to the wrong people, I don't know. I rather not get anyone angry over this.:) :) :) :)

AW :) Lamp is on.
 

ELCID05

Registered User
No worries man. I just wanted to clarify the fact that the professionalism of the cadre at The Citadel is of the utmost importance to the cadets and staff and that hazing is not tolerated. I don't want people to use this thread as a resource for making a decision about their education later thinking that the cadets at The Citadel are in the habit of hazing knobs. Good Luck at VMI and maybe we'll see you in the fleet someday.


I would like to extend my condolences in advance over your upcoming loss to EL CID this football season.
 

BOMBSonHAWKEYES

Registered User
pilot
Good choice - cant' go wrong either way - just make sure to take that flowery explination off your site before you find it taped to all the stoops and bathroom stalls. Otherwise you'll have it read back to you at the most inoppertune time!
 

AllAmerican75

FUBIJAR
None
Contributor
BOMBSonHAWKEYES said:
Good choice - cant' go wrong either way - just make sure to take that flowery explination off your site before you find it taped to all the stoops and bathroom stalls. Otherwise you'll have it read back to you at the most inoppertune time!

Good Advice, will do.
 
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