Regular College and ROTC vs. Prep School

This is a very interesting thread. First off, LTC Lewis has a very good program at MMI ( I just imagined a Chevy dealer saying, "Ford builds some good trucks." If you catch the analogy).

Things about any of the Military Junior Colleges (MJC's) with an ECP are pretty much the same:

If you don't contract with ROTC, you take normal college courses that should be transferrable to a four-year university. You also take MS1 and MS2 courses that blend into any university's MS3/MS4 program (the contract courses).

It you do get into ECP you can still "self prep" for WP. Cadet Command will release you from your contract to accept the appointment.

MJC's are smaller than large universities so they are less impersonal. They give you a "taste" of what you can expect in the military, and (generally) have structured PT programs. I don't see a "down" side here.

The tough part is trying to predict the future of military manning based on politics and economics. I was on active duty from 1972-1996. We had a build up under Pres. Nixon. A drawdown under Pres. Carter. Up under Pres.s Reagan and Bush "Sr". Down under Pres. Clinton. Up under Pres. Bush "Jr". Down under Pres. Obama. With elections coming up....... who knows what's next? When the military is building up there are more opportunities available.
 
Thank you all for the responses. It has made me think about my options from new angles and this will be valuable in my final decision. For the sake of discussion and debate, I also want to add another option to the table. I have recently been accepted to VMI. My final goal, as of right now (my opinion could change after attending a normal college or VMI), is still West Point. However, VMI also sounds enticing. It offers pretty much everything WP does minus the cost and prestige. I also think VMI offers a good fall back like UK if not offered my appointment to WP next year. However, I feel like applying to WP while at VMI would be seen as a break in faith and my tarnish my standings. This could be an issue especially if I don't get in to WP and then continue at VMI. Any opinions or input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.
 
surgicalghost13 said:
However, I feel like applying to WP while at VMI would be seen as a break in faith and my tarnish my standings. This could be an issue especially if I don't get in to WP and then continue at VMI. Any opinions or input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.
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I don't think I would call it a "break in faith" - I know that a couple of kids from my son's VMI class went to USNA & USMA after Rat year- every year there will be one or two who do what you have outlined so I wouldn't actually worry too much about what your Brother Rats think they will understand this plan. But I do think that you might consider how likely you are to want to be a Plebe after going thru Rat year- I think repeating that again would be a tough pill to swallow, and it's pretty hard to actually leave your BRs after all of the bs that you have gone thru. More than anything else- your Rat year bonds you to your classmates, and it's more difficult to walk away from them then you might appreciate now and doubly so if your are not walking into a place that is significantly more laid back than the year you have gone thru (and despite the jobes a VMI alum or cadet would throw at USMA about having gone soft:rolleyes: the truth is it will be an all consuming environment compared to peers life at Kentucky- so you will be jumping from one frying pan to another without even the consolation of a great improvement in your social whirl!).

I hope you get into West Point, but you have some good options as backup. Look at the options on their own merits and decide if they seem to be something that you can live with and thrive in for the next 4 years and then rank them accordingly. (And if you are a Kentucky resident, make sure that you include cost unless you & your parents really don't have to worry about money. As an out of state Cadet without an ROTC scholarship- VMI is not a cheap proposition- so make sure that you consider that in your personal analysis with the weight that it deserves). I'm not sure that anyone can tell you what you should do here- you have to weigh this out on your own.
 
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