USCGA v NROTC

I have received an NROTC scholarship to BU and an appointment to USCGA but I am conflicted in my choice, I keep going over the pros and cons of each but they are both excellent opportunities. I want to eventually attend Med school and I was thinking that I could do this via a naval route but I don't know if thinking about joining the medical corps is prudent to my choice for the next four years. Also the years after college when completing my service the Coast Guard seems like it would give me the best opportunities and higher leadership positions but they might be just as good if I go NROTC. I want to make the most informed decision so any comments and information would be helpful.

Well, my own thinking is that your decision should be based on which one you want to serve in for 4, 5, or more years after college. The other thing you might consider is which school is going to offer the better major for your future plans, but keep in mind that in all likelihood it will be a while before you can execute those plans.

I think you'd get more (and better) opportunities in the Coast Guard, and that would of course come from the Coast Guard Academy, but if you want to go to medical school, I don't think the Coast Guard Academy is the way you'd want to go.

You have to decide if you'd rather be in the Coast Guard or the Navy. If medical school has a huge part of this decision…. I'm thinking NROTC is a better
(but not the best) path.

There are CGA grads who are now M.D.s, but that's not from their Coast Guard time. The Coast Guard primarily uses the U.S. Public Health Service commissioned corps.

Congratulations! You are in a great position to be in. One that many this time of year wish they had. I will echo what the others have said. But the decision has to be yours to make. You are doing the right thing by weighing out the pros/cons on paper so you can see them up close and personal. I would agree with your statement that you will likely get more leadership opportunity going the CGA route over NROTC.

Also ask yourself what kind of "college experience" you would like. The two are very different, especially in the beginning. Going the NROTC route will give you a more "normal" college life experience with the added military piece whereas CGA your life will be mostly (all in the beginning) military.

Good luck with your decision. Not much time left make it.

grevar said:

\whereas CGA your life will be mostly (all in the beginning) military.

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Well, pretty much throughout, not just the beginning, but the beginning is much less pleasant. In you later years at CGA it's closer to your military experience, the first year is just closer to boot camp. Either way, it's all military, all the time…. just less formal at times.

NROTC won't be like that.

These are two VERY different experiences (unless you're at a senior military college with your NROTC scholarship).