USMAPS, USNA or ROTC scholarship?

Commissioner, you bring up some very good points. It is very possible that since the end of the school year is near that things may be getting a little more relaxed. After all, I'm sure "prepsters" get something very close to "senioritis".

I was hesitant to express some of her/my concerns because I don't want to offend anybody or make the accomplishments of anybody seem anything less than fantastic. Face it, these kids have achieved levels of success that few of their peers will ever see.

I will keep you posted on our discussions we have after her return.:thumb:
 
oneandfive, I think it is very difficult to truly experience in a day and a half what the cadets, midshipmen, and "prepsters" go through on a day to day basis for weeks on end. This is a particularly difficult time with the semester's end looming and spring not there yet. Perhaps a day or two's discussion and reflection after your daughter returns will give her the perspective she needs to come to a decision. She has a wonderful future ahead of her whatever she decides. I am wishing her good luck and sending her best wishes!
 
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I can hook her up with another young lady who also has four sisters (& one completely spoiled baby brother) who is at USNA in her second year looking to go the Marine Option.

Marine selection is selective. My special friend told me that she had to be towards the top of her class to reach that goal.

'Marine Option' is a ROTC term which does not apply to USNA.

For the vast majority, as long as one is dedicated and shows interest, going Marine is not a problem. I think the 'special friend' was perhaps exaggerating a little.
 
I recall that she was deeply concerned about it going in. Maybe our resident BGOs can answer as to that?

I was quietly knocking on your door & ya finally answered. Where ya been! You know how hard it is to keep me on the straight & narrow. LOL So there isn't any certain criteria that she has to meet to go Marine? Just be good with her grades & become involved with the Marine aspect at the academy? She never brought it up again after she got there so I assume she learned about this & perhaps isn't just going on raw feelings anymore. I dunno where she came up with that. As always, thanks for your input!
 
\Marine selection is selective. My special friend told me that she had to be towards the top of her class to reach that goal.

(getting off topic)

this is a hilarious video about a day in the life of a marine made by some navy patrol squadron pilots:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V41X8rp4Cso

(that's humor, ok? i have only the greatest respect for marines myself! they're awesome! :biggrin: )

EDITED: P.S. I just noticed something! do you see that the guy near the end forgot to take his cover off when he came indoors? my NJROTC commander would have had me doing pushups for that! I'm surprised the navy pilots that made this video forgot about that! LOL. :yllol:

(back on topic)
 
Wow! What a great thread! oneand five, thanks for starting it a very robust and polite discussion that has relevance to many potential cadets/mids.

Here's my 2 cents:

My daughter is a cow (junior) at West Point. My son is a senior in high school who is staring at the mailbox as he is on the NWL for WP. He has an AROTC scholarship to one of his top schools. He'll jump at the chance for a civil prep or USMAPS opportunity because it will help him reach his real goal - to be an Army officer - and to get the most intense training available.

From my daughter's experience I have come to learn that the cadets are *mostly* an amazing group of young adults. However, just like any place with 4,000+ people, you'll find a few who will make you :bang:. You'll wonder what they are doing here, and why they chose an option when they show no commitment. It will be the same at USMAPS, USNA, USAFA, A&M, Harvard - you get the picture. They are normal people and shouldn't be idealized as perfect. And, yes, you'll encounter a couple jerks.

There is a long thread in the parents' forum on college confidential discussing the overnight visits. Some parents don't even want their kids to have the visits. Why not? Because they may shadow a great kid and the school won't be the best match. Alternatively, the school may be perfect, but the host wasn't a good match. And a decision is made based on a small peek into a small window.

My daughter decided not to visit WP for an overnight. At the time I was flabbergasted, thinking she'd be dying for any chance to visit. She explained to me that she was going there - no matter what. If it was a great visit, the visit wouldn't have an impact on her decision. If the visit was "horrible", it was a day and 1 bad day wouldn't make her change her mind about what she wanted to do with her life.

Every year we hear about cadet candidates visiting service academies for the all-important overnight visit. Cadets/mids "play" with them and tell them "don't come here", often with very colorful language. Some kids actually change their minds because of this behavior.

Your daughter sounds like a bright, motivated and dedicated young lady. It's great that she has you to support her decision and to help her come to the "best" decision. As it turns out, all her choices are fabulous. So, what should she do? (Finally, I'm getting to my 2 cents :wink:) I would advise anyone to make the most informed decision possible. By reading this thread she'll get some interesting perspectives. Because she is so bright, she'll figure out that the negatives she observed at USMAPS are likely only a small part of the experience she would have there. Will she meet a few people who aren't very dedicated? Of course. Will she meet a few people she can't stand? Of course. Will she have a faculty member she doesn't particularly like? Of course.

There isn't a lot of time between now and 4/19, but I will suggest getting more information. Perhaps some people here can help her connect with current cadets at WP who attend USMAPS. She can tell them what she observed and she will surely receive honest feedback. (Send me a pm if she wants and I'll find a few cadets for you. Current cadets reading this may also consider reaching out.)

It's hard for a teenager to look at a year as an investment. But that's just what the year at any service academy Prep School is. The big questions are:
What do I want to do?
What's the best way to get there?

Certainly, follow your heart. But use all the decision-making tools at your disposable to come to the most informed decision possible.

Best of luck to your daughter. Please keep us posted. (Sorry for the stream of consciousness writing - I'm sleepy.)

:tank:
 
'Marine Option' is a ROTC term which does not apply to USNA.

For the vast majority, as long as one is dedicated and shows interest, going Marine is not a problem. I think the 'special friend' was perhaps exaggerating a little.

This is what my daughter's admissions advisor said. She indicated that she has never heard of anybody who wanted Marines not getting Marines. Of course, she would need to be in good standing, show interest and be dedicated. Just like USNA69 said!:biggrin:
 
another option

Congrats to your daughter...while our son was at USAFA summer session he was told of cross commisioning to Army after graduation. This may be another consideration. Our son was turned down by USAFA, wait listed for USMA and has a AROTC scholarship for VMI. He would give his eye teeth for an AOG to NMMI. Does anyone have suggestions of how this could be accomplished or is it too late?
 
I received an AOG, and i think it was partly due to the fact I kept extremely close contact with my admissions officer. (There was a point he was probably sick of me calling) Have your son constantly update his file and explain to his admissions officer that he would like to be considered for an AOG scholarship. I informed him that if i didnt get in this year I was going to reapply the following. Also, just be aware they only give out around 60 AOG scholarships so its very selective. Best of luck to your son!
 
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