Try and simplify your choice!
Yes, I am new here, but didn't know where else to turn for help. I am currently in a situation that has me quite torn. Three weeks ago, I received an appointment to USMMA. I was THRILLED! Especially considering that West Point and USAFA had already turned me down. But here is where my problem starts. I also received a 4-year AFROTC scholarship. This may seem like a no-brainer decision to many of you but here is my reasoning: 1) I come from an Air Force family (no they are not influencing my decision). I have grown up in it and have gotten the opportunity to see it from the inside out. I love the air force. It is what I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember. However, I have never really had the opportunity to be around alot of the maritime stuff and I dont know if I even would like it or not! But I do know that Kings Point is an excellent school and the opportunities there would still allow me to go into the AF. 2) I want to become a civil engineer. Kings Point= no civil engineering program. The closest things would be to become a marine systems engineer and I have heard of graduates switching into civil. But in order to get the most of my education to help me in a career in CE, is it worth it to go to KP, or should I got to a school where I can major in the career field that I actually want to go into. 3) SEA YEAR.... amazing opportunity that is very hard in my mind to turn down. 4) I live in Colorado. Kings Point is in New York. Pretty far away. 5) Kings Point is a SERVICE ACADEMY! my class mates would become an extended family and the education received there would be nearly second to none. It would prepare me to become a military officer as well as a leader.
So I guess my final question would be: is kings point the right path for a kid who has never been around the maritime industry ( and really doesn't know if he has interest in it) and wants to go into the air force, or should i stick to a program that is more centered around what i want to do, even if it means turning down an academy?
1) In your question, you state that you have grown up in an Air Force family and love the Air Force. You further state that you want to become a civil engineer. And finally you want to get a fantastic Academy education which is available only at the USMMA. There is a significant conflict between your three preferences. Many students when choosing a college, choose it based on what their parents did, a good friend did was somebody they respect did. This is your life that you are planning and you should choose what is best for you. Many students fail in college and dropped out because they are studying for a field that somebody else likes such as their parents or friends. It will be much easier viewing college to work hard and get good grades if you are studying something which you are really interested in. You have to ask yourself some important questions. Remember that you will spend four years in college and the rest of your life working so that you should concentrate more on the rest of your life and then plan your college to achieve your goal. First you must decide whether you want to go into the military as an officer or work as a civilian. That is a very important decision and there is no right or wrong answer but more like what is your best preference.
2) The USMMA is a fantastic school to study to become a ships officer as a civilian and also be a part of the United States Navy reserves. Your studies will be heavily concentrated on both leadership and ships in preparation to graduate and received the United States Coast Guard officers license either in the deck or engine division. You stand a slight chance of commissioning in the USAF but that is not guaranteed and will be solely controlled by your performance at the Academy and the availability of openings in the Air Force when you graduate.
3) You state that you have a USAF ROTC scholarship which is an excellent opportunity for a career in the Air Force and would like to study civil engineering. This would get you commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation but in no way would guarantee you an assignment in civil engineering in the Air Force. While in the Air Force you would receive assignments based on the air forces needs and while you may be assigned for some of your tours with civil engineering involvement, there is no guarantee of that. When you state that you are interested in civil engineering you must ask yourself what civil engineers do that makes you want to become a civil engineer and are those jobs actually available in the Air Force.
4) If you want to become a civil engineer such as a structural engineer, drainage engineer, soils engineer perhaps you should actually go to a civilian college and study that branch of engineering and eventually upon graduation obtained a license as a professional engineer.
5) You obviously are very bright to have obtained these two fantastic opportunities but are they what you want for the rest of your life. You will do well no matter which direction you go as long as you apply yourself. Most high school graduates haven't got much of an idea of what they want to do for the rest of their life and will head out in one direction and develop and strengthen their interests as they go through college. Others will change course midstream in college because they realize they are going the wrong direction. The choice is yours. The choices you have are fantastic but you must ask yourself which is the best fit for you. In all likelihood you will be doing something for different when you graduate then that has even entered your mind as a high school senior. My one son wanted to become a civil engineer like myself but at the last minute decided to go to SUNY maritime college and then decided to become a US Coast Guard licensed third assistant engineer on a ship after graduation. Prior to graduation he was offered such a job but was also offered a job where he would be paid to go to nuclear school for additional training and then work as a teacher(civilian shore job) teaching Navy officers how to operate nuclear power plants on submarines. He loves the job. His twin brother loves aviation and ships and will be graduating the USCGA with his first assignment being flight school at Pensacola Florida.
6) There are no wrong choices in your options and I'm sure you will do well no matter what direction you choose. It's more like what is most important to you for your future. The future success will be more a product of how hard you worked during college then which college you went to.
Congratulations on your achievements and good luck with your choice.