I would beg to differ. KP is above all a maritime school but it is a military academy non the less (even if quasi military) everyone who graduates is by default a Naval Officer and if you cut that link to military the school no longer has a reason to get federal funding to give you that free education. The need for officers to man ships in case of emergency is the reason for our existence. That being said...
It is unwise to switch academies while you are here. You will be taking a spot from someone who quite possibly wanted to go to USMMA. Also if your heart is not in it to go here then you will not survive KP. You need to go in with the mentality that this is the place you want to be, otherwise you will never survive the classes. Just my $0.03.
Sorry KP2010 but you are wrong and KP Engineer is correct. Just because you are a midshipman in the USNR and are required to accept a commission if it is offered upon graduation does NOT make USMMA a military academy. It is indeed one of the five Federal Service Academies and it is a Maritime Academy not a Military Academy.
Several ROTC programs have 24/7 Regiments/Corps and virtually all their members also receive commissions upon graduation, however they also are NOT military academies.
Further your statement "if you cut that link to military the school no longer has a reason to get federal funding to give you that free education." also displays clear lack of understanding of why the USMMA was founded and made permanent. I personally strongly believe and think that if you reflect closely on the realities of the Federal Funding Process, etc. starting with the fact that the USMMA and the Maritime Administration have never been part of the DoD or it's predecessors and rather trace their roots to the Department of Commerce and then the Department of Transportation you will likely conclude as I, that, if the primary purpose and intent was to produce approximately 200 -250 more O-1s every year, USMMA would be closed A LOT faster and the authorized funding of the numerous other federally funded commissioning sources increased. I suggest you consider reviewing the original public laws and Congressional actions as well as the attendant testimony that resulted in the creation of the Academy in the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 (and the events and testimony/actions leading up to it from the
Morro Castle disaster in 1934 through it's actual passage) H.R.9434 as amended and pass on July 30, 1954 and the corresponding Senate passage of H.R. 6043 which passed the House on May 17. 1955 and subsequently passed the Senate, unanimously on 2/7/1956 and made the USMMA a permanent institution.
In these bills and subsequent Public Law it is clear the intent is clearly that the Federal Government maintain Kings Point first and foremost as a Maritime Academy/Training institution in recognition of the importance of a strong Merchant Marine to the national economy as well as our ability to project power throughout the world. To be fair it also makes clear that all graduates of the school should also be required to serve in the naval reserve. However I believe if you read the actual bills, testimony and public law, vice the abbreviated/abridged version of the story which is part and parcel to the copy of "In Peace and War: A History of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point", you will revise your thinking and agree with KPEngineer that the USMMA is first and foremost a Maritime Academy and that is what it is meant to be.
That being said .. like you I cannot believe that without some very unusual circumstance that I couldn't begin to fathom, it would ever be wise to switch to another academy once you start a different one. If that's your goal, I'd suggest enrolling in a good state university/institution with a solid ROTC program in the branch of the service whose academy you wish to attend. Here in Northern VA for example, I have over the past 3 years seen two individuals leave the NROTC program at UVA to accept appointments at USNA and one individual leave the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech to attend USMA.
Just my $0.04...