I agree with what bruno has to say (invariably always do) and only have a few other points to add.
1. Academics: My DS is looking to become a military doctor, and USMA has a better program than any SMC for that. If academics are important, look very hard at each of the opportunities and go with that option first. Most graduates separate from the service after their service obligation is over, and with the expected drawdown in the coming years, this will be especially important for job opportunities in the civilian sector.
2. When my DS did an overnight recently at USMA, I was very surprised to see the role of active duty military folks helping with mundane things such as drill and ceremony. USMA is clearly a federal institution in every sense of the word. At USMA, I recall seeing a group of about 6 majors and lieutenant colonels and 1 one-star GENERAL helping the cadets get prepared for a parade. You will never find this kind of close-level, active-duty involvement at an SMC, where it is pretty much the Corps that handles these things.
3. You also have to look very closely into seemingly little things like whether you are considered a vet once you enroll (at USMA you are, at SMC you are not), the cost of tuition, whether you qualify for military discounts at hotels while a cadet, etc. At USMA, you get to visit active-duty installations during the summers to follow an officer around, while this does not happen. Health insurance? Choice of branch upon commisssioning? Also, I think if you are at the bottom 10% of your class at USMA, you can still enjoy a solid, free education and obtain a commission. At the SMC, if you are on scholarship, you risk losing that scholarship. (I don't encourage you to expect poor performance, but it is something to consider).
4. As for Norwich, you will never hear me say it is better than any other SMC, because it isn't. I do know that I absolutely loved my time at Norwich, and for me it was the right thing. I do know that Norwich is very generous about scholarships (likely because it wants to equalize the cost of attendance to other SMCs to remain competitive, but I don't know this for sure). The one thing about alumni networks is that all of the SMCs have very strong networks. The Norwich network is much stronger in the Northeast, while the VMI and Citadel networks are stronger in the South. As for the snow, you should know that I was on the Mountain and Cold Weather Rescue Team at Norwich, so I LOVE snow -- never bothered me. Some folks, like bruno, are MUCH MORE SENSITIVE so that's why a warmer climate worked for them!
Tonk002 seems to be much tougher!!
5. As between USMA/SMC and regular ROTC, the HUGE HUGE HUGE benefit that you do not get at regular ROTC is basically
guaranteed active duty assigment after graduation, by law (provided you meet the requirements). For the past 10 years, this has not been an issue. It will likely be a MAJOR issue in the next 10 years.