KPMUM2012: Congrats to your Dear Daughter - while graduation week had to be exceptionally difficult for her, the lesson in persistence she has now learned will no doubt serve her exceptionally well the rest of her life. She's a USMMA Alumni now and like her classmates has the world ahead of her and if what we've been seeing so far continues to be true - at her feet. Awesome, Awesome accomplishment. She now has her license, her degree and her commission - the same as every one on the rest of we alumni. The only reason to ever talk about the adversity she had to deal with to obtain them is because and if she wants to - no other reason at all. Personally, I can attest that as the years go by between graduation and the rest of our lives the bad/hard times and issues fade and the good memories and great foundation for life "the Zoo" gives us become clearer and clearer - at least that's been the case for me over the past thirty years. And even if they don't it's absolutely true - "Kings Point is a great place to be from..."
Bill1899: You just validated what I always say - the best time to do your overnight visit is after Acceptance Day and before Mid-February - that's when life in the Regiment is "as bad as it gets." Were those that told you "don't come here we all hate it" kidding - sure some were ... some weren't; but ask yourself this - why do they stay then if they aren't kidding? There are thousands of reasons folks quit or fail out of USMMA or any other service academy. They aren't easy to get through. In fact many believe that in multiple ways USMMA is the hardest to get through. But why do people persevere and work so hard to do just that, especially if "KPS"...
That's a great question and the reason is simply and best stated in two short answers: a) Options & Opportunities ... and b) they really didn't/don't just want to go to a good college - they want to go somewhere that they will be tested and that makes them part of something bigger than just themselves so they can serve a bigger purpose when they graduate. Don't worry, few if any will openly state "b)" while they are at USMMA or any other Academy or shortly after they graduate - it's just too "corny" or whatever and that's also not what they are about.
In direct answer to your question: "What percentage of your DD's class made it to graduation, what caused the most departures? Academics? Regiment? Sea Time?" I don't have exact numbers - they should be available from your Admissions Officer - but in general my understanding is ~2/3 - 3/4 of those that report in an incoming class make it to graduation. Basically 2/3rds in 4 years and the remaining 9-11% to the 3/4 number do in more than 4 years. Further my understanding is the biggest reason that people do not make it to graduation, by far, is academics. Number 2 would be Regimental issues but that's a distant second. Sea Time issues would generally result in deferred graduation such as was mentioned here... I emphasize i do not have current exact data the last numbers I saw are now a couple years old but based on what I saw anecdotally with my DS' Class of 2012 I believe the data hasn't skewed all that much from the historical norms I cite here.
Good Luck! and don't let the gallows humor scare you away if you want something go get it.
That is is a stupid saying in our family that seems applicable here!
