VMI Matriculation for Rat Mass 2019+3 August 18th 2018

Falcon A

Falcon A

Just a Proud Dad
5-Year Member
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Nov 2, 2014
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A wish and a prayer for safe travels for all those making their way to Lexington, Virginia today, tomorrow and Friday for VMI Matriculation on Saturday 18 August.

Parents, as you know, your sons and daughters have chosen a college path more difficult than most . . . Saturday will be a day full of many emotions, but it will be a great day . . . I'm sure you are proud . . .

Appointees . . . stay focused on your goals . . . remember why you chose this path . . . take on the challenges put before you . . .

Again, congratulations and welcome to an extraordinary family!

VMI Appointment Thread for Rat Mass 2019+3

1. Mw8997, DS, TN, AROTC, Mechanical Engineering.
2. sad16480, DS, PA, AROTC, Mechanical Engineering
3. GoArmy2022, Self, IN, (AROTC?), Psychology -- USMA
4. parentofhopeful, DS, CT, NROTC- MO, Mechanical Engineering
5. Pargo2022, Self, TX, Undecided ROTC, Mechanical Engineering
6. tr3y_w, Self, VA, AFROTC,International Studies
7. Hpaki836 DS, VA, AROTC, Civil Engineering,
8.jessjackjoey,DS,CA,AROTC,International Studies
9. C76706340, Self, MI, AROTC,Biology, Undecided but most likely cycling
10. Vmi2022!, Self, Beijing China, AROTC, International studies&History
11. Class_of_2022 , Self, Kentucky, NROTC, International Studies&Cyber Security, Women's Swimming &Diving (recruit)
12. RahVaMilWopo, Self, California, AFROTC, International Studies, Women’s Water Polo (recruit)
13. Phantom, DS , Virginia, NROTC, Mechanical Engineering
14. OCS93C, DS, Texas, NROTC -MO, Economics/Business, NationalSecurity
15. MCFP0665, Self, Georgia, NROTC-MO, Electrical and Computer Engineering
16. letsgoservetheserviceboys, Self,North Carolina, AROTC,International Studies
17. vpardew, Self, AL, AROTC,Physics, Power-lifting
18. Sargon, DS, PA, AROTC, Civil and Environmental Engineering
19. Army2022Hopeful, Self, MD,AROTC, International Studies
20. RGW051, DD, Va, AROTC, IntlStudies
21. Raunpro, Self, NY, AROTC,Biology, Baseball (probable)
22. VMI2022, Self, VA, NROTC-MO, Foreign Languages
23. alusna22, Self, AL,NROTC,Economics/Business
24. VMI Swimming, DS, PA, AROTC, Civil of Mechanical Engineering, Swimming
25. marinemom114, DS, CA, NROTC-MO, History, Swimming
26. PtoudVMIPar, DS, VA, AFROTC, History
27. VA-VMI, DS, VA, AROTC, CivilEngineering, Rugby/Combat Shooting
28. VaNavyMom, DS, VA, NROTC,Mechanical Engineering -- USAFA
29. clvmi, Self, Virginia, AROTC, International studies, soccer
30. Azvmi, self, Arizona, NROTC Marineoption, international studies, NCAA Soccer.
31. Canes2022, DS, Oklahoma, AFROTC, sports science, track
32. Jenniferolee, DS, TX, AFROTC, Mechanical Engineering, NCAA Soccer
33. Big Macs, self, VA, AROTC, Modern Languages
34. momneverquits, DS, NJ, NROTC, Mechanical Engineering
 
For parents and incoming Rats, I recommend attending the Parent Council Welcome Reception. The following can be found on the VMI website:
Parent Council Welcome Reception
Institute / Events

Friday, August 17, 2018
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
CLE

The VMI Parents Council hosts a pre-matriculation reception for parents of new cadets. Information about this reception will be mailed directly to parents of new cadets in early July. Col. Jeff Boobar, Superintendent’s liaison to the Parents Council, is the coordinator for this event and he can be contacted for additional information at (540) 464-7072 or BoobarJR@vmi.edu.
​
Parent Council members are parents of current 3rd, 2nd and 1st class cadets in good standing, so they are a valuable source of information from people who have "been there; done that". There will be many parent council members scattered around the reception just waiting to answer your questions and help you transition to the VMI family. Parent Council members are easily identified by their name tag with red ribbon. You'll also find Parent Council members around post on Saturday to help guide parents and incoming Rats.
 
Hell Week began 18 August and ended yesterday 26 August with the Rat Crucible . . .

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177142151711/rat-line-begins-aug-18-2018new-cadets-were

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177280664886/rat-training-continues-aug-22-2018to-supplement

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177312648926/house-mountain-hike-aug-23-2018each-companys

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177447153511/rat-crucible-aug-27-2018matriculation-week

. . . and another school year starts today 27 August with Registration Day -- Rat Mass 2019+3 entered on Matriculation Day with 519, and begins the school year with 501 . . . Congrats to those who made it through Hell Week . . . best wishes for academics and the Rat Line until Breakout!
 
Falcon A said:
Hell Week began 18 August and ended yesterday 26 August with the Rat Crucible . . .

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177142151711/rat-line-begins-aug-18-2018new-cadets-were

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177280664886/rat-training-continues-aug-22-2018to-supplement

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177312648926/house-mountain-hike-aug-23-2018each-companys

http://vminews.tumblr.com/post/177447153511/rat-crucible-aug-27-2018matriculation-week

. . . and another school year starts today 27 August with Registration Day -- Rat Mass 2019+3 entered on Matriculation Day with 519, and begins the school year with 501 . . . Congrats to those who made it through Hell Week . . . best wishes for academics and the Rat Line until Breakout!
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Sir...thanks for the links.

Wow. Only 18 dropped out. The kids these days are growing up sturdier and sturdier.
 
GoCubbies said:
Falcon A said:
Hell Week began 18 August and ended yesterday 26 August with the Rat Crucible . . .

--snip--

Wow. Only 18 dropped out. The kids these days are growing up sturdier and sturdier.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

[old corps]Back in the OLD CORPSE, why we lost 18 by lunch time ... [/old corps]

I think there are a lot of factors but biggest is the cadre of today are more trained and better leaders than we were back in the day. I was favorably with the cadre at a slightly larger school to your north ...

Also the meat coming into the system is more fit and more knowledgeable of what was coming up than was the case back in the stone ages
 
GoCubbies said:
Wow. Only 18 dropped out. The kids these days are growing up sturdier and sturdier.
Click to expand...

I think that has been about the attrition rate for the past few years for "Hell Week" (first 10 days) . . . I would think with You Tube most folks know what they are signing up for when they report to VMI . . .

. . . attrition still runs between 30-35% over 4 years. About 500 enter and between 300-350 graduate 4 years later
 
I think that there are a lot of reasons - mostly positive .
As CitadelN88 says - I am certain that the Cadre is much better trained than in my day. I’m also sure that as FalconA points out- you can see an awful lot on line before you ever get there so nothing should be a total surprise. Also the new Rats who go to STP get a pretty good orientation and PT program before they show up and the PE department sends a pretty good recommended physical training program which if followed puts them in good shape before they ever show up. I certainly don’t remember any of those things when I was getting ready to show up (over 42 years ago[emoji33]). Finally- I think that the Ratline is not what it was then. It is still pretty demanding physically and mentally- but truthfully, when I was a Rat (and all the way through to First Class year when I was on the Cadre and a member of the RDC) the Ratline was pretty uncontrolled. I described it to someone not long ago as having been “random acts of stupid “ and the point often seemed to just break them with whatever physical means a 21 year old guy could devise. The Ratline now is a lot more controlled , directed and professional and the point is to challenge them not wreck them. It is better now!
 
bruno said:
I think that there are a lot of reasons - mostly positive .
As CitadelN88 says - I am certain that the Cadre is much better trained than in my day. I’m also sure that as FalconA points out- you can see an awful lot on line before you ever get there so nothing should be a total surprise. Also the new Rats who go to STP get a pretty good orientation and PT program before they show up and the PE department sends a pretty good recommended physical training program which if followed puts them in good shape before they ever show up. I certainly don’t remember any of those things when I was getting ready to show up (over 42 years ago[emoji33]). Finally- I think that the Ratline is not what it was then. It is still pretty demanding physically and mentally- but truthfully, when I was a Rat (and all the way through to First Class year when I was on the Cadre and a member of the RDC) the Ratline was pretty uncontrolled. I described it to someone not long ago as having been “random acts of stupid “ and the point often seemed to just break them with whatever physical means a 21 year old guy could devise. The Ratline now is a lot more controlled , directed and professional and the point is to challenge them not wreck them. It is better now!
Click to expand...


It's a good thing YouTube wasn't around when I was applying. If I had known what they would do to me, then I would not have gone. I went to VMI sight unseen. All I knew was everyone wore the same clothes everyday and ate at the same time. I spent my first 20 minutes (once my parents went away and I filled out some paperwork) with either my nose to the wall or on my face doing push-ups. By the time I decided that stuff wasn't for me, they had shaved all my hair off so I looked like a tennis ball. At that point, I figured I couldn't go out in public looking like that so I decided to stay... o_O

I agree. There were plenty random acts of stupid which caused many BRs to leave unnecessarily. Glad things have changed.
 
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