CGAS - from a Parent's Perspective
I'd be happy to share info on it, from a parent's perspective, of course.
My daughter is currently at Marion Military Institute. I believe there are 15 CGAS there; the other 45 went to New Mexico Military Institute. She did not have a choice on which school she went to - the people at the academy match the students to the schools. There were approximately 60 CGAS last year. They start with a 9 day orientation (Jul 27 -Aug 5 last year) at the Academy. Since we live on the East Coast, we drove up the day before. If they need to fly in, the Coast Guard pays for that (we had them fly our D home). The students report to Chase Hall, get issued their clothes, get changed and start their orientation. In the afternoon, there was a question and answer session for the parents followed by the “Swearing In Ceremony” – ceremony, because my D told me they had already done it earlier that day “officially”. They are now members of the Coast Guard! During their week there, they will go through a mini-version of Swab summer, get yelled at, take swimming tests and other tests, and learn more about what is expected of them during their upcoming school year. They also get to know their cadre, some of whom have been through the prep school program themselves. They fill out all the forms so they can get paid and set up their Navy Federal Accounts. At the end of the Orientation, the NMMI students went directly to NMMI. Since MMI didn’t start until a week later, MMI students went home and then to MMI. Once again, the Coast Guard pays for their travel expenses – they are told how to arrange everything. I made my flight arrangements right after my D made hers so we were on the same flights. MMI had a special day for Prep School Cadets to register (a day or two before the regular students – it is a 2-year college in addition to being a Service Academy Prep school. They have prep school students for most all the SA there). After they got through registration, they had uniform fittings, picked up their footlockers and got settled in their rooms. Once again, question and answer sessions for parents, Open House at one of the Dean's houses and some free time before they needed to be back in their barracks.
At MMI (& I assume, NMMI) they have prescribed classes: Chemistry, Physics, Math, English, and Military Science. They have an advisor from the Coast Guard Academy who they are supposed to keep in regular e-mail correspondence with. I’ve seen copies of a couple of my D’s e-mails and she tells how she is doing in all her classes and any problems she encounters and the advisor makes recommendations or offers congratulations on work well done. They also have an advisor at the school - LCDR Meisenheimer, her Physics prof & he helps to keep them on track down there. And, they start the waiting game again - they are hoping to soon hear about their appointments (maybe next week since they were away for Spring Break this past week??)
I guess I could go on forever (or did I already??), but maybe, if you have any particular things you want to know, ask away & I’ll try to answer them. Bottom line, my D thought she was ready last year for the Academy, but now, I think she is so much more mature and ready & I'm so glad she was given this opportunity!