good rotc schools or to transfer to USNA?

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mdsu

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Would VMI, or The Citadel be good schools to go to for an NROTC scholarship? No disrespect, but if I wanted to re-apply to USNA after one year at one of these schools, is it a good chance? Or would a more civilian type college be better? Or does the college not matter, just as long as its NROTC?
VMI, or the Citadel are my top choice NROTC colleges right now. Good choice?

also i read online and it said the Citadel is like a prison and you have no life but i believe that "sissies" are saying this. Is it just like USNA in terms of "life"?
 
Given that USNA is your first choice and these schools are your backups, I would go with a school that would be easier to get a NROTC scholarship with so that you won't have to pay for college if USNA does not work out.

I don't know about VMI, but Citadel is extremely tough to get any type of ROTC scholarship to.

If you are serious about possibly reapplying to USNA, I would take the quality of life issues seriously. I personally would not want to deal with all of the strict BS of being a first-year student at a military institution twice.
 
Duder, do not punish yourself and go to the Citadel or VMI. USNA is bad enough, no need to pile on. If you can't make it into USNA, go to some sweet state school where they party and throw down. Although Charleston is an amazing city. Some people will tell you that I am being negative and giving bad advice, but you can still be a perfectly competent Naval Officer after going through NROTC at U of Florida or USC or U of Michigan(I have met these people, they do exist). VMI kids are too interested in shining their boots (who does that?). Best of luck. Service Selection preference?
 
Pick a school you'd be happy for four years at. Or VMI or Citadel, if you want to turn out even weirder than us Academy types. Don't pick a school based off how it will help you reapply the next year. Cause you know if you don't get in, you'll be at a school you might not like.

I dunno enough to compare Citadel to USNA, but I'm not sure what you mean by "sissies." Like their not hard enough to take it? Got called not hard once. It was 20 degrees out and I wore my reefer. Dumb person rolled in jacketless. Asked if I wasn't hard enough to take the cold. I said that no, I just recognized that I'd prefer to be warm. Do you catch my drift?
 
USNA does not care what college you attend as long as it's accredited and you take plebe courses (Calc, Chem, English, History) and do well in them. Even a junior college is ok -- USNA realizes not everyone can financially afford certain top tier schools.

If YOU want to go to Citadel or VMI, great. But attending one of those won't make a difference to USNA as compared to any other college. It's more important to take the right courses and do well in them, whatever college you attend. Can't say that enough.:smile:
 
Soylent said:
I don't know about VMI, but Citadel is extremely tough to get any type of ROTC scholarship to.
QUOTE]

Soylent: I'm curious about what you are basing that on? Compared to what? Almost 60% of the graduating class of 2009 at VMI were comissioned last year and well over 100 of the Rat class of 2012 were on 4 yr ROTC Scholarships last year. I know several of them who got the same offers from the Citadel and I suspect that their quotas are pretty comparable to VMI as well.
MDSU- Don't choose going to the Citadel or VMI because they are likely launch pads to reapply to USNA the following year. Go to them because you want to go those schools and are interested in the challenge and the lifestyle there (And it will be physically and emotionally challenging believe me). I believe that it would be a phenomenally tough call to go there and then decide to go to one of the service academies after having gone through your Rat/Knob year already. They are excellent launching pads for a career in any of the services - I have Brother Rats who are flag officers in 3 services- but you gotta wanna be there not go there and view it as a way station to somewhere else.
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thanks for all the replies everyone. I see what you guys mean, if i re-apply and dont make it again, i have to be happy to do all 4 years at that certain school correct. My non military colleges im putting for a choice to for NROTC is Vanderbilt, University of Michigan, Notre Dame. Anyone with knowledge on these schools?
 
bruno said:
Soylent said:
I don't know about VMI, but Citadel is extremely tough to get any type of ROTC scholarship to.
QUOTE]

Soylent: I'm curious about what you are basing that on? Compared to what? Almost 60% of the graduating class of 2009 at VMI were comissioned last year and well over 100 of the Rat class of 2012 were on 4 yr ROTC Scholarships last year. I know several of them who got the same offers from the Citadel and I suspect that their quotas are pretty comparable to VMI as well.
MDSU- Don't choose going to the Citadel or VMI because they are likely launch pads to reapply to USNA the following year. Go to them because you want to go those schools and are interested in the challenge and the lifestyle there (And it will be physically and emotionally challenging believe me). I believe that it would be a phenomenally tough call to go there and then decide to go to one of the service academies after having gone through your Rat/Knob year already. They are excellent launching pads for a career in any of the services - I have Brother Rats who are flag officers in 3 services- but you gotta wanna be there not go there and view it as a way station to somewhere else.
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My apologies.

I have no data to back it up, but I thought I read it somewhere on here during my process last year. It seemed logical to me so I figured I would repost it (with 100's of kids that have a desire to be commissioned and only so many ROTC scholarships to go out I would think it would be easier to get a ROTC scholarship to a state school).
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I grew up in VA, my brother attended the Citadel and I went to USNA so I'm fairly familiar with all three schools. I agree with the posts about going somewhere you would be happy with. As for VMI vs Citadel, in my opinion the citadel is a little tougher knob year than as a rat at VMI, however the living conditions are MUCH better at the Citadel. As for how they compare to the academy neither the Citadel or VMI are stellar academically and your lifestyle as a plebe is much better at the academy however your lifestyle as an upperclass is better at either the Citadel or VMI. Also Charleston is a way better location than VMI esspecially for the ladies (CofC anyone?).
 
CoC girls take the cake. If only there were an Air Station there. Why do the nukes get to have it?
 
also i read online and it said the Citadel is like a prison and you have no life but i believe that "sissies" are saying this
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This is coming from an Academy cadet. VMI and the Citadel are hard. "Sissies" don't go there.
 
mdsu said:
thanks for all the replies everyone. I see what you guys mean, if i re-apply and dont make it again, i have to be happy to do all 4 years at that certain school correct. My non military colleges im putting for a choice to for NROTC is Vanderbilt, University of Michigan, Notre Dame. Anyone with knowledge on these schools?
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Don't know about the NROTC programs at those schools, but my daughter received an NROTC Scholarship at Norwich University in Vermont. As a school, Norwich has a Corps of Cadets, so you get the academy atmosphere like VMI & Citadel. Additionally, Norwich waived all fees not covered by the ROTC scholarship (i.e. room & board). They also have a very intense summer session (albeit not as long as USMA or USNA) called Rook Orientation that ends with the Dog River Run. If you haven't heard of this school, you should certainly look it up.
 
Folks, this is the USNA forum. If you want to continue to discuss prep schools or VMI/Citadel, please take the conversation to the Service Academy Prep School forum or the Privately Funded Military Colleges forum. Thanks!:smile:

Your friendly mod.
 
Soylent said:
Given that USNA is your first choice and these schools are your backups, I would go with a school that would be easier to get a NROTC scholarship with so that you won't have to pay for college if USNA does not work out.
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What are some schools like this?
 
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