My son has an appointment but is not sure he want to go to that kind of ridgid college. He has been to both NASS and CVW and enjoyed both, but he is having a difficut time picking bewteen ROTC and USNA. I have told him a opportunity like this only comes once in a lifetime, any advise on either side of the coin would be helpful, thanks a great deal.
There's a lot of good advice in this thread. Although a strong commitment to the Naval Academy is nice - it is not required. There are a surprising number of candidates who show up on I-Day who are apprehensive, not just about the impending trials & tribulations of Plebe year, but of their desire to be in the Navy or Marine Corps. Many do not know that much about the Navy. How can a kid from the corn fields of Nebraska really know whether he would enjoy being on a ship, or submarine, or flying through the air?
I think that's normal.
The academy experience is designed to educate the midshipmen, not only academics, but in the possibilities they have in military service. Nobody can FULLY be sure they are doing the right thing. But you can never know unless you give it a try.
I was one of those. I grew up in St. Louis and my dad was an insurance salesman. It was not a long time dream of mine to go to a service academy. I ran across a Naval Academy catalog early in my Junior year of high school, paged through it, and was more entranced with the application process than I was with the notion of serving my country and being in the Navy. To me, it was an application game. Writing my senators? Cool! I'm gonna do that!
I did everything that was required of me. The next thing I know is that I received a nomination, quickly followed by an appointment to the Class of 1979.
Oh.
What do I do now? I really hadn't considered that this would happen. Oh well - what the heck - off I go to the United States Naval Academy.
During Plebe Summer, pretty quickly, I discovered I really was not very interested in any of that "nautical stuff." I hated seamanship. I hated being on YPs (Yard Patrol craft). I REALLY hated Youngster cruise and that solidified my desire NOT to go SWO (Surface Warfare Officer).
On many occasions, I thought to myself, "Man, am *I* ever at the wrong school."
But slowly ... ever so slowly ... I started feeling more comfortable at the academy. I majored in Aerospace Engineering, mostly because it seemed the farthest removed from all that "nautical stuff." I ended up graduating, going to flight school, and LOVING it!
Today, I am a pilot with a major airline (for the past 24 yrs) and am very happy with the life I have stumbled into.
Now I have TWO sons attending the Naval Academy. They didn't go there all that gung-ho, either. They are off to a flying start and are seriously considering pursuing the Medical Corps.
Just remember this: NOBODY has ever regretted graduating from the Naval Academy.
Tell your son - "If you want to be in the Navy - don't you want to go to the Navy's premiere officer training program?"
I don't think he has to be 100% committed. And I wouldn't be concerned that he's not. It can still work out. I think it's commendable that he's able to articulate his concerns instead of burying them.
If he goes to the Naval Academy - I'll bet he'll do GREAT and even surprise himself.