Highly Competitive University v. USNA

So I'm sure this question has been raised by plenty of people before, but I couldn't find any recent threads. Either responses, or suggestions for search keywords would be greatly appreciated.


Sooo, I've been accepted to USNA and a very strong engineering school. I've been offered an NROTC Scholarship. I want to be a career nuclear engineer in the Navy. In your opinion, do the pros/cons lean either way?

Of what I've gathered now, USNA will prepare me better for everything Navy, but I might get a better technical education and time-management skills through NROTC. What would be the better long-term option? And would being a USNA grad give some extra credibility down the road?

Finally, how does the service selection process compare between NROTC and USNA? I assume USNA gets 1st dibs, but I am I correct in assuming I'll still have a good chance of getting my 1st choice (Naval Reactor Engineer/Nuke Sub) esp. with a major in Nuclear Engineering?

It depends...do you want to live in a highly structured environment where your whole day is precisely planned out (USNA), or do you want the freedom of going to a civilian school? Don't get me wrong, not trying to put down academies in any way...it is what it is.

From what I've gathered, I think academies do get first dibs in most (but not all) cases. I think Nuclear Engineering is very popular though, so don't know your chances.

As discussed in another thread, an academy degree looks very good to employers, as attested to by past grads.

Highly Competitive

First, this is a big decision. That being said, You will be among the best and the brightest if you decide to go to USNA. While it is nice to get an NROTC scholarship and difficult tp get. Nothing will prepare you for your future like being at USNA. Remember, how hard you worked to EARN this appointment.
Best of luck,
Thank you serving our country and God Speed,
RGK

since you have the scholarship and will be going to college for free anyway, i think i would opt for the civilian school if i were you. (out of curiosity, which school is it?) in nrotc you would still have the military while also having a real college experience. i've talked to a few people from military academies who say they would rather have done rotc. of course, i'm also a little biased, since i will be in arotc next year...

My understanfding is that USNA was first an engeineering school - the quality of your education may be the best at either place.
There is great talk in this era that NROTC vs academy grads have equal advancement and opportunities.
As previous poster said, there is indeed a vast difference in college environments - you must have worked hard for the appointment - enjoy the experience.
Good luck

rotcdonde said:

while also having a real college experience. i've talked to a few people from military academies who say they would rather have done rotc. of course, i'm also a little biased, since i will be in arotc next year...

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hahahahha real college experience? I was at Northwestern Prep last semester, and now I'm at a state college. It's a joke. The people at an academy who say they wish they did civilian school probably haven't been to one. I am not at at top school, but still. Both options have their pros and cons, of course, but from having a taste of both, I am sure *I* would only want to be at an academy.

Deciding between NROTC or USNA

Does anyone know how the summer cruises work with NROTC? Do kids have some free time after the cruise (the rest of the summer after the 4 -6 training) to spend as they wish before going back to school and NROTC unit?

Thanks for the input!

And does anyone have any 1st hand, or somewhat direct insight to whether being an academy grad helps out inside the service?

And FWIW, the other school is MIT


Regarding summers, from the snippets I've heard, I believe ROTC guys get atleast part of the summer off. Particularly with NROTC they have the summer cruises, but I think it works along the same lines as the academies, where there usually are a few weeks to go home + decompress. Correct me if I'm wrong

Eighth lock,
i actually talked to an air force officer who was in the AFA and later transferred to MIT--she said she liked MIT much better and was glad she transferred.

In the service selection process, there are separate (and roughly equal) quotas for USNA and NROTC for each of the warfare communities, so there is no real advantage to one over the other. While nothing is ever guaranteed, I would say that the odds of an MIT grad getting a nuke slot is close to 100% - and the same is probably true for USNA engineering majors. In fact, the Academy is reportedly having a hard time getting enough volunteers for its sub slots this year.

As to whether it helps to be an academy grad, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence on both sides of the question. It is probably less of a factor (if at all) in the nuke field, where USNA and NROTC grads have a common year of intensive classroom and field training before they hit the fleet.

USNA and MIT are obviously schools with strong and unique cultures, and I think that is likely to be a more important consideration for you than any potential impact on your career.

MIT has an excellent NROTC program. It includes students from Harvard and Tufts, and is part of a consortium with the Boston University battalion, so it has the advantage of being a small unit within a larger one.

Finally, the Navy sponsors a graduate degree program at MIT, so even if you decide to attend USNA, you will have the opportunity to get a masters degree at MIT fairly early in your career.

The poster ahead - I too have heard for several years about subs as choice from usna.
As for NROTC summer - my son is currently a NROTC at VMI - the summer cruise for the first summer has been explained to me from VMI NROTC's unit as the following:
from east coast - midn goes to VA beach 4 weeks - from VMI travel (flight) will be arranged and midns will be met at airport - late may(27?) to late june(26?) . I was told that they make all the arrangements, no even tho we live in VA he wouldnt have to drive, that they fly all the midns in and the summer training unit gets them from airport, they will be assigned BOQ,BEQ, 2 to a room for the 4 weeks, but that while out on ship/sub, their computers, valuables are locked up in offices of program, tho they will retain the same room.
They spend 1 week OUT on a ship, 1 week OUT on a sub, 1 week bused to MC facility (NC I believe I heard him say), and 1 week with flight - there in VA Beach area.
I was told that there are only 2 NROTC sessions during the summer, 1 for eastern half of country, other San Diego, slightly different dates, for western half.
Therefore the student would have july and august to schedule themselves.
That is my understanding, my son hasnt received any paperwork yet.
I hope my understanding at least gives you a sense of this first summer cruise and timeframe.

Not sure if VMI may be different but as I am seeing and hearing the NROTC plan for the summer it does indeed include a four week period for East and an seperate one for West.

The example of the East Coast CORTRAMID as explained to me consisted of:

1. One week at NS Norfolk with the Surface Warfare folks including a quick overnight cruise of some sort.

2. One week at Oceana doing the same with the aviation side.

3. One week at King's Bay, GA for the sub community.

4. And a week at Camp LeJuene in Jacksonville, NC with the USMC.

Also, as stated in a post further down the board some of this years freshman (c/o '13) are being asked if some midshipman want to skip CORTRAMID to help save money. Budget cuts have reduced the amount of people that can go thru the program.