Great question and I’m sure this is of great interest to many. Yes each campus has different degree of relationship with the military. Some are very strong and some just have presence and participate via cross town. I can only share from our experience interacting with these schools. My DS looked into them but did not apply to all. Instead, he applied to just a handful in the end that which he would only attend if he did not get Appointment at an Academy. Obviosuly others’ experience may be different. Here’s our experience and my perspective:
Yale: by far was my DS top choice ROTC Program. Reasons are simple. The school is rich in tradition, very well connected with all world governments and the military. It has worked with the military and governments for a very long time. It is the school that excels in pursuit of intellectual research and service to country as the highest calling. It is world class. However, although it began ROTC cooperation with the Army, ROTC is the strongest with the Navy and Air Force. Army is cross town and complicates student travels even though school shuttle is provided. Yale accepts 10-15 candidates into each ROTC Programs. Admissions has close relationship with the ROTC Commands. It you receive excellent review by ROTC your chance actually improves.
Harvard/MIT - excellent but Harvard selects very few. About 3 to each Programs. Harvard is still not at the level its peers are expanding the ROTC Program on campus. Students are not familiar with ROTC like it is at Yale. Harvard is cross town through MIT. All 3 branches are excellent and offered via MIT. MIT selects more to these programs. Very well funded
BOSTON University. Has excellent ROTC Program and very well funded. Offers additional funds for Room and Board if you are ROTC Scholarship recipient with high ACT/SAT.
University of San Francisco. Offers Room and Board to all AROTC Cadets.
Norwich University. Excellent Senior Military College option path. Excellent funding options available to all cadets. Offers full academic scholarship to Academically and leadership talented students.
Cornell. Has excellent ROTC Programs for all services. It is rich with history and tradition. I would rank this school close to Yale. Cornell offers Cadets their own Barracks - Dorm
University of Virginia. Strong supporter of ROTC
Duke. Strong NROTC Program on campus.
Princeton. Army offering is good. Not sure I like the school student culture. It is very Clubbish and the school seems to suffer from unnecessary complex to Yale and Harvard. At least the Alumni we met spent too much time trying to convince that Princeton is just as great as Yale and Harvard or even better. Don’t think this defense is necessary for Princeton. I wouldn’t recommend anything outside Army for Princeton.
Brown. Cadets are all smart and great guys and girls. They are motivated. However, all units are cross town so have to travel to Programs.
Things to keep in mind that most or all of these schools host ROTC on their academic campus that are home to mostly non military bound students. Most schools are liberal and their students openly use drugs and marijuana. Although we think and hope that drug users are the minority. Nevertheless, students smoke pot in school dorm bathrooms and on and off campus. Cadets are part of that campus and cannot avoid running away from this environment. Clearly this was a big turn off for us.
Exception of Senior Military Colleges, at most of these campus ROTC is a student interest activity or treated like an official school club. Mandatory military training is set in the summer after competing Junior Year in college. So if you are seeking a military experience all 4 years you are not going to get it in ROTC.
However, at civilian colleges you will have more academic study time, more options to choose non military activities, more option to choose summer jobs/internships that is non military and around your Academic major or civilian jobs. ROTC is what it is meant to be Reserve and Part Time soldiering with a bigger focus to normal college life style.
If you are serious about getting a military experience in college, there is no substitute to SAs. However, SAs demand more time away from non academic as much as 40-50% if your time is spent on non academic duties and activities. This is where you need to decide if such environment is right for you in addition to the rigorous engineering academics required despite your majors, leadership demand, athletic intramural or varsity participation, and other Brigade/Battalion/Company duties.
Thus Yale, Harvard, Brown, Princeton, MIT lose 3-6 of their Cadets and MIDNs to SAs each year who are seeking the military experience and to follow their family legacy at these Academies as Re-applicants. Likewise, you will find many who also turned down these schools to attend the Naval Academy and West Point bit less seem to turn down to attend the Air Force, Coast Guard, and USMMA.
