PREP

Row2020

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Joined
Dec 28, 2015
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264
Has anyone been offered one of the preps for USMMA? I have seen dribs and drabs of offers for other SAs.
 
I don't think it's worth prepping for a year. Just go to a state academy.

If you have a minute to elaborate, I am just curious to your reasoning on why you "don't think it's worth prepping for a year."

Mostly since, prepping is embraced by every other forum and seen as a "golden ticket" in the sense that the SA is investing in the candidate to succeed in future years.
 
If you have a minute to elaborate, I am just curious to your reasoning on why you "don't think it's worth prepping for a year."

Mostly since, prepping is embraced by every other forum and seen as a "golden ticket" in the sense that the SA is investing in the candidate to succeed in future years.

I agree, how do you define "worth?" Everyone's situation is different. DS would take prep even though HE doesn't think he needs it. If USMMA thinks he does he's going.
 
Maybe he means "don't waste a year, start your college and move forward." For some, this might be good advice. For others, USMMA is their dream. Everyone is different. My DD will take prep if she doesn't get an appointment this year, as long as prep is offered. Everyone has their opinion, but you have to make your own choices....and live with the consequences.
 
If you have a minute to elaborate, I am just curious to your reasoning on why you "don't think it's worth prepping for a year."

Mostly since, prepping is embraced by every other forum and seen as a "golden ticket" in the sense that the SA is investing in the candidate to succeed in future years.

Because the Merchant Marine Academy is a maritime academy. There are other maritime academies which you will be readily admitted to which will produce the end product, an unlimited tonnage 3rd Mate's or 3rd Assistant Engineer's license. That license is what does job, not the part about going to the merchant marine academy. If you want to be in the military, by all means go the ROTC route if you can't get into a specific service's academy.
 
Because the Merchant Marine Academy is a maritime academy. There are other maritime academies which you will be readily admitted to which will produce the end product, an unlimited tonnage 3rd Mate's or 3rd Assistant Engineer's license. That license is what does job, not the part about going to the merchant marine academy. If you want to be in the military, by all means go the ROTC route if you can't get into a specific service's academy.

This is pretty bad advice.. MMA 19'? It's not really so much about the license at the end but also the reputation being an alum from the instituion.
 
Agreed. Bad or maybe incomplete advice. There's no guarantee anyone will be "readily admitted" to any of the other Maritime institutions nor do said institutions have the same post-grad possibilities. USMMA is best of the bunch and there's clearly a reason why it's more difficult to be accepted.
 
nor do said institutions have the same post-grad possibilities
Do you have more information on this? The chair of the engineering department at our state maritime academy tacitly acknowledged as much, due to the school's "hands on" versus theory pedagogical approach, which is a concern for our son who may want to pursue graduate specialization but feels the state academy degree may be an impediment compared, say, to USMMA.
 
I don’t think that MMA19 has given “bad” advice here. He just stated a fact that there are other maritime academy opportunities out there to get a license and that you can get out a year earlier than attending a prep school. By the way, the prep school is not free—you must pay for that opportunity.

I am not trying to incite an argument here but if someone does not get into the USMMA don’t think that you have no other opportunities to sail.

FloaterOfsteel08 and shipmasterpete—as you both should already know this but, what to do they call a “third-mate” from any of the State Maritime academies---a “third-mate.” Guess what—it is called the same thing as the USMMA. You both should also know that it is what you do with your degree and not your pedigree—the Ship’s Captain will not care where you went to school—just that you can do the job. Be careful with the “best of the bunch” narrative--most state maritime graduates would strongly disagree with you.

Floater—this is what the USMMA is all about—getting a license—you cannot graduate without one.

Please don’t have your applicants look past the fact that they have to get their undergraduate degree satisfactorily finished before they pursue “graduate specialization.” Their main maritime “post-graduate” thought process should be to advance their “license” and they may change their mind several times before “figuring out” what they want to do with their life.

As far are advanced degrees—look at Texas A&M and see what kind of graduate degree you can get from there.
 
Do you have more information on this? The chair of the engineering department at our state maritime academy tacitly acknowledged as much, due to the school's "hands on" versus theory pedagogical approach, which is a concern for our son who may want to pursue graduate specialization but feels the state academy degree may be an impediment compared, say, to USMMA.

Most of the info you are seeking is on the USMMA website. Now, make no mistake, there's nothing "wrong" with any of the other Maritime Academies they're just a bit different. Texas A&M (Galveston), Maine, SUNY - they're great, but don't have the same depth of education. Probably the biggest plus to USMMA is the Sea Year where your son or daughter spends a year (300 days total) at sea while working on a wide variety of vessels. You have 3 options upon graduation: (1) Commission as an officer in the Armed Service of your choice; (2) Serve as a reservist in your chosen Armed Service AND work in the maritime industry or for a governmental agency like the Dept. of Transportation or NOAA; (3) Be employed in the maritime industry with an exception to the military req. (rare)
 
FinFan - point taken, my wording could have been better. And you actually can walk across the stage and graduate without your license, but you will be back at school taking the exams again if you failed the first time a few months down the line (seen 2 or 3 instances of this - not that it is proactively encouraged).

I do disagree (opinion-wise) about the ship's captain caring about where you went to school. Have a quite a few stories and experiences of my own where the Capt had his preference and favorites based on WHERE the mate or asst/eng went to school. But that can be any school[/QUOTE]
 
You can not graduate until you pass license. I don't think that has ever been the case, and for the last 5 years you aren't allowed to attend graduation until you pass license and meet all of the academic requirements. No more "empty tubes"

While he might have been a bit brash in how he said it, I agree with MMA19 that self prep at NMMI or MMI isn't the best play. Let's say you self prep in Rosewell and re-apply and don't get in to KP. You've wasted a year of time and money(...some of the NMMI/MMI credits probably transfer but who know how many). Let's say instead you self prep at SUNY, you re-apply and don't get in. You're now three years away from a license, you can re-apply again, or go on cruise and finish out at SUNY (...or mass or Maine or Great Lakes or A&M or whatever).

Self prep at a maritime academy makes sense. If you're a sponsored prep that changes the equation perhaps but I'd say go to a maritime academy... You'll be in a better environment and moving in the right direction.


Agreed. Bad or maybe incomplete advice. There's no guarantee anyone will be "readily admitted" to any of the other Maritime institutions nor do said institutions have the same post-grad possibilities. USMMA is best of the bunch and there's clearly a reason why it's more difficult to be accepted.

Be honest with the numbers. If you're competitive to get in to KP then you should have no problem getting into a state school. It's not a knock on the state schools, it's just the facts. You don't need to be a rocket surgeon to get in.

Also for whatever reason the NMMI folks in my class were far more likely to fail out than your average midshipman. I suspect that admissions sent them to NMMI because they were at higher risk, but NMMI folks got booted from my class for grades at a higher rate than most other demographics. It is what it is.
 
Also for whatever reason the NMMI folks in my class were far more likely to fail out than your average midshipman. I suspect that admissions sent them to NMMI because they were at higher risk, but NMMI folks got booted from my class for grades at a higher rate than most other demographics. It is what it is.
I suspected grad rates for preps would be low so I'm not surprised at your observation. Is the actual number published? If I had to pay for prep credit that I couldn't transfer with no guarantee of admission, only to have a long shot at graduating from the Academy even if I made it in......SUNY Maritime would start looking really attractive.
 
Lots to comment about regarding the above comments. . . yeah, to me, at that time the license was the nut. I didn't even get my diploma for months later since they misspelled my name on the original. . . . As far as which school is better? I think that all depends on the student, more so than the school. I DO believe that the Sea Year program offers a greater opportunity to learn than a school ship, however I also believe that the cadet that is sailing in Sea Year needs to be self motivated to learn. There will be no teachers or support to assist the learning efforts onboard ship. The engineers and mates (Captains, too) may or may not be motivated to take the personal time to make sure that the cadet GETS decent training. In my experience, I was treated like one of the engineers so I acted like one, taking on different jobs as I felt I could handle, and even some that were challenging. Not sure one gets that on a school ship, however there are instructors for support.

When I sailed, I worked with grads from all of the state schools. Some were good, some were bad (one assistant engineer was so bad I was happy when he walked off in Port Everglades. . . good riddance). As a Chief Engineer, I worked with Captains from Maine, Mass, Cal. . . and hawsepipers. Never had a problem with any, but of course the relationship is different between Captains and mates. I only had one assistant that was from KP and the only reason I was friendlier to him than the other engineers is that he was a classmate and we had known each other for years. Out in the industry, I found that people were measured more by how good of a worker and shipmate they were and less by how and where they got a license.

Back to the question. . . if one has to pay for Prep, I would certainly rather do it at a maritime school. . . . as mentioned above, the credits may not transfer but the knowledge will. . . .
 
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