Reapplying from another school

So I'm currently applying for USNA and am determined that it is my dream school. That said, I am very worried that I will not get in, even though my chances are fairly good. So I am also trying to figure out which other schools I will apply to if I do not get in in which I will have a good chance at being able to get into the academy the 2nd time around. I want to go somewhere that offers NROTC (hopefully that will also look good when reapplying). Right now I am thinking hard about VMI, the Citadel, the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, or the Graystone Prep Academy in Texas. So can somebody help me figure out a few schools that offer the best chance at admission to USNA?

The most important thing is do you want to be a naval officer. It shouldn't matter if NROTC will look good or not. If you go NROTC and don't get into USNA on the second try you'll still be on track to becoming a naval officer. Think about that before doing anything.
That being said, I would take a look at all the colleges listed on the NROTC website if you are looking for more colleges. Personally, I applied to UPenn, RIT (NROTC at University of Rochester), RPI, Fordham (NROTC at SUNY Maritime), and Penn State. If you're on the east coast you may want to check some of those out.
Good luck!

NROTC isnt only for me to look good, I will do that anyway, I just meant that it will also look better. I'm going for the NROTC scholarship and then I want to attend OCS. all of this is only if I don't get into the Academy so hopefully I won't have to worry about it! Thanks!

It matters little what college/university you attend other than it should be a 4-year school (unless you can only afford community college) and should be a brick-and-mortar institution (i.e., not on-line). The key is taking the plebe courses (calc, chem, English with writing, and history -- physics also works) and getting As. Whether you go to VA Tech or the University of Iowa . . . not going to matter to USNA. It's much better to choose a college where you will be happy to spend four years in the event reapplying to USNA doesn't work out.

Many people do ROTC but it isn't required and I've known more than a few folks who reapplied without ROTC and were appointed.

usna1985 said:

It matters little what college/university you attend other than it should be a 4-year school (unless you can only afford community college) and should be a brick-and-mortar institution (i.e., not on-line). The key is taking the plebe courses (calc, chem, English with writing, and history -- physics also works) and getting As. Whether you go to VA Tech or the University of Iowa . . . not going to matter to USNA. It's much better to choose a college where you will be happy to spend four years in the event reapplying to USNA doesn't work out.

Many people do ROTC but it isn't required and I've known more than a few folks who reapplied without ROTC and were appointed.

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Hello usna1985/Super Moderator,
My son is doing a post grad year. He didn't get into USNA this past round and he will be reapplying for 2020. Although he got in to several very good engineering colleges, my husband's family is big on "the PG year" and he decided after much discussion that it made sense. My husband and his 5 brothers all attended prep school so that is their thing! Will the PG year hurt his chances for USNA [or any other military academy], or will he simply be looked at as 'coming out of high school with a PG year'? He had exceptional grades in high school and all the other items expected of a person applying to USNA. The prep school definitely offers some very good college level math and science courses that were not offered at his high school so that seems like a positive. I just want to make sure my husband's family's hard core outlook on a PG year won't hurt his chances. I would say his reason for going is family tradition over anything else. Again, just asking your opinion in terms of how a PG year will be viewed by admissions. Thank you very much for your opinion and time.

First, every person's situation is unique so one-size-fits-all advice is difficult. Your DS will be what is colloquially referred to as a "self-Prepster." IOW, he is not sponsored by USNA (as Foundation students are and which virtually guarantees them an appointment if they successfully complete plebe year).

A couple of thoughts. IMHO, prep school is best for those students (and candidates who received turndowns) who need one or more of the following: (1) maturing/seasoning; stronger academic prep (often because they went to a terrible h.s. and thus need a higher level of coursework); improved study skills. If someone is truly ready (personally and academically) for a first-rate college, he/she is better off going to college -- at least in my view.

Second, quality of prep program counts. I honestly don't know one from another -- but USNA probably does. The ones they use for Foundation are obviously highly regarded. That, however, doesn't mean there aren't other great prep schools in the country and also doesn't mean that if you self-prep at one of the Foundation schools you are more likely to receive an appointment than someone who self preps elsewhere -- provided it is a good school.

Will a PG year hurt your son? I would hope not. Some prep schools pride themselves on getting quite a few self-prepsters into SAs (however, check this statistic carefully as some include sponsored prepsters in their tallies). Every year, there are self-prep candidates who obtain appointments. However, the advice USNA gives reapplicants is to attend a civilian college/university, not a prep school.

You might have your DS contact his RD and ask about the PG school he is considering vs. a college, based on his entire packet -- which USNA has seen and I haven't. The RD can't really recommend one over the other but might say something along the lines of, "Either is perfectly fine" or "We recommended a four year college." Each of those remarks would be telling.

Finally, I suggest you consider the ultimate goal. If the goal is to attend USNA and your DS doesn't "need" a prep school, then he is probably better off at a university. If your family is considering life in general for your DS and there is a strong history of success in college/life with a prep year, then do it for that reason. And let USNA fall where it may.

Wow, thank you kindly for that long explanation. That all makes sense and I really appreciate the time you took on your response. I will have my DS call his RD and be very aware of his telling remarks. Thank you again.

Going back to the original poster: I would be very reluctant to go through TWO plebe years. You would not believe how long that would be. While garden variety NROTC at GoodCivU is fine, I would not go to a SMC like the Citadel, VMI, etc. or if you do, make that your career choice and kiss USNA goodbye.

Actually, your question was "what are the schools that would give me the best chance of admission to USNA?" The answer is: None. What (among other factors) determines your chance of appointment is your college grades, not the 4-year school.

Thanks for the explanations. The only other thing I have to say is that im willing to go through 2 plebe years if it means getting to the academy. Like they say, what doesnt kill you makes stronger

usna1985 said:

Many people do ROTC but it isn't required and I've known more than a few folks who reapplied without ROTC and were appointed.

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My DD did not do ROTC, went to UMBC, a very good state school (in-state to us), and she received her appointment this year.

taymcg12 said:

So can somebody help me figure out a few schools that offer the best chance at admission to USNA?

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I went to a community college, did not attend any type of ROTC, and recieved an appointment this year. From my experience, the academies focus was more on what classes you take, grades you receive, and leadership roles you filled rather than the college you attend. I would choose based on what college you feel you will most benefit from. Sure the Citadel could get you used to the atmosphere of USNA, but will the intense first year there hurt your GPA? Will you be unable to be in a leadership position because of the work load? These are the types of questions to keep in mind. If you are not selected your first/second/etc year and USNA remains your dream, keep pushing towards your goal. The dedication you show by reapplying is impressive and will be looked upon favorably by the admissions board. I applied three times before I recieved an appointment. I believe one of the main reasons I went from "not yet" to "congratulations" was the fact I kept applying.

With that said, if I understand your original post correctly, you are applying for your first time to C/o 2020. It is important to apply to second options but do not spend your time worrying that you will not get in until you receive the TWE. You should apply to backup schools, but instead of worrying, do everything you can to make your application stand out. I honestly believe if you really want the Academy, and you don't have a major disqualification, you will get in. It just might not be the first or second year. But with this assurance, you can spend your time doing leadership activities, standing out in your school/community and having some real fun like getting SCUBA certified or receiving flight hours. I went through high school also knowing USNA was my dream choice. After receiving my first TWE, a current plebe told me the same advice I just wrote. He was right. It took me three tries, but I am now in.

Congrats on getting in! That is really motivating because from what I have been reading, as long as you keep trying and dont drop grades then you will get in eventually! So congratulations and thank you for the advice!

Best of luck!