Questionnaire for new students- aviation//flight school

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2020MM/ParentsMissouri

New Member
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Apr 30, 2016
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All- On the new student questionnaire, it ask what your principle reason for attending the academy. One of the answers is to eventually attend flight school or training. For those that attended the academy, does the academy look down upon students that are upfront about flight training in the future with the Air Force, Navy or Marines, etc?
 
If that is his principal reason, check that box. Grads have lots of options. Not everyone is a fan of all of them, and many incoming students have no idea what the maritime industry is when they report. If your son's choice is an approved option, other people's opinion doesn't matter really. I suspect that question has more to do with providing data to MARAD and determining how admissions can best market to qualified applicants then anything else. If history is an indicator, his actual chosen career path in four years may be very different from what brought him to the Academy.
 
KP Eng said:
If that is his principal reason, check that box. Grads have lots of options. Not everyone is a fan of all of them, and many incoming students have no idea what the maritime industry is when they report. If your son's choice is an approved option, other people's opinion doesn't matter really. I suspect that question has more to do with providing data to MARAD and determining how admissions can best market to qualified applicants then anything else. If history is an indicator, his actual chosen career path in four years may be very different from what brought him to the Academy.
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Thanks for the reply KP. He stated the other day that he is excited to experience sea duty and still not certain what he wants to do in the end.
 
Check the box that applies. DS has changed his mind at least 5 times since starting there and is currently out on his second sailing. They experience lots, are exposed to many options, and the AD slots each year change.
 
powderhorngreen said:
Check the box that applies. DS has changed his mind at least 5 times since starting there and is currently out on his second sailing. They experience lots, are exposed to many options, and the AD slots each year change.
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Powderhorngreen- From a older thread, it appeared about 1/3 or more of the students are offered AD with other services. Do they, other services, come on campus to actively recruit the kids? He is just interested in all of his options at the school. I believe it was stated that additional service options comes during their junior year. Is the other services recruitment done on a class ranking basis, or do the students just make the time to discuss options with the recruiters, out of interest only? Thanks
 
I agree with KP Eng 100%

In reality the school doesn't care one iota why you are there, only that you follow the rules and make every effort to graduate. Like KP Eng said, I can see several reasons why MARAD would be interested in it as a data point.
 
2020MM/ParentsMissouri said:
Powderhorngreen- From a older thread, it appeared about 1/3 or more of the students are offered AD with other services. Do they, other services, come on campus to actively recruit the kids? He is just interested in all of his options at the school. I believe it was stated that additional service options comes during their junior year. Is the other services recruitment done on a class ranking basis, or do the students just make the time to discuss options with the recruiters, out of interest only? Thanks
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The percentage changes every year. In all honesty, I am not very involved, my son is pursuing all his options and weighing his interests on his own. With that said, my understanding and "experience" says that active duty upon graduation is 100% student driven. There is no active recruitment, per se, on campus. Not all branches have representation on campus. While grades and such are part of the "application" for a possible AD slot, there is no set ranking or analysis as with other academies. I have seen students with higher GPA's rejected and those with lower GPA's given an AD slot. It all depends on the needs of each branch after their own Academy graduating class placements and often in conjunction with or after those graduating under NROTC/ROTC scholarships from colleges around the country have been placed.

The best advice I can give at this point is to not worry about what will be available at the time of graduation, but take each step as it comes. My son's philosophy has been to keep all his options open as long as possible, pick very specific types of vessels for his sea years to get diesel and steam experience, get container, tanker, tug, and MSC experience, and find an internship that filled-in education gaps in his chosen major. He is also participating in some military training during his VERY limited free time at USMMA. Upon his return from sea the second trip of his Junior year, he will need to start to narrow his options and decide if he wants to put a packet in for consideration for an AD slot. Until then, his focus is just one the next test, the next task, the next sports practice, the next muster. Has worked great for son so far.
 
KPEngineer said:
This is summarized in an old KP saying ... "if its not due tomorrow, then its not due."
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And very true words to live by. . . . I remember doing my research for an English term paper at the Great Neck Library on Saturday for a paper that was due on Monday. . . .just like the other saying. . . . "2.0 and go".
 
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