Hello all - looking for encouragement and input from those that were denied outright, reapplied and then accepted. DS will be contacting Capt. Fredie at Admissions for input into application and how to strengthen for next year. For us (his parents) the denial stung more than a waitlist (and not getting off it) would have. He’s taking it in stride and moving forward with MMI self-prep plans. Thank you in advance.
As you've mentioned, discussing his plan with CG Admissions (your DS discussing it with them - not you) is a great plan.
I will put this to your son: if he decides to attend MMI, and is denied from USCGA for the Class of 2025, how will he move forward?
As others have mentioned, attending a military junior college as a self-prep is in no way a guarantee that a SA will accept that candidate the following year. MMI is an an institution with a focus on Army ROTC and cadets can apply for the Early Commissioning Program:
https://marionmilitary.edu/ecp/ to commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. Arguably, if your son was denied from the Class of 2025, but also had an interest in pursuing an Army career, then MMI sounds like it would be a great fit. However, you indicate your son has no desire to join any other branch of the military but the Coast Guard. So, would there be a point in staying at MMI for a second year or would your son then have to again work through the college admissions process to transfer to another institution? Military junior colleges are great institutions, but they are not a fit for every student seeking to join the military as an officer - this is why the other services have ROTC programs and the Coast Guard has programs like CSPI.
You are correct, ROTC scholarships are not applicable to the Coast Guard as it does not have a ROTC program. However, you can join ROTC at any college/university without contracting. Therefore, if there was a 4-year institution he was attracted to that has ROTC, he can contact them to learn how non-contracted cadets/midshipmen are integrated into the detachment.
You mention the need for SAT/ACT preparation - your DS does not need a military junior college for that either, there are plenty of alternative resources he can use to bring his scores up.
Another point, there is no need to "get ahead" on the military lifestyle by attending a military junior college. Whether you're entering USCGA out of high school or as a college reapplicant, USCGA will provide you with all of the military training you need to be successful as a CG cadet and future officer. The "military experience" is only useful for a very short time - primarily Swab Summer. After that, everyone is on equal footing as every institution has its own unique method of training.
I am in no way knocking MMI, it is a great school with a great reputation - but I'm not entirely sure that it is a good fit for your son based on his goals. It looks to me that he would be better off attending another institution, getting ahead on his college coursework, and working all he can towards earning an appointment to the Class of 2025 while simultaneously being aware that the path he is on may not include USCGA despite his desires. He is now in a position where he needs to work for what he wants, but also be realistic that it may not happen and be okay with making alternative plans.
I will put a plug in for junior colleges. I was never denied from USCGA in the traditional sense, but I was disenrolled at the end of my first swab summer for medical related issues and given a conditional appointment for the Class of 2014 if I met certain conditions. In mid-August, the only option I had was to attend a local community college near my hometown - and it was an experience I am so thankful for. It was such a dynamic experience with an extremely diverse student body - not just by gender or race, but by life experience. I was in classes with kids straight out of high school, single parents, elderly students who could finally pursue education and working their entire lives to support their families, active duty and reserve military (I lived by a military base). I learned so much from them and the perspective I gained has been incredibly useful throughout my life. Outside of school, I worked hard at a job to make some extra money, lived at home and helped my parents, worked out, and matured more as a young adult who ultimately needed the extra year in order to be successful. It was not the "typical" path, but it was mine and I am grateful for it.
So, your DS has some decisions to make - but any decision should be taking the hardest classes he can that mirrors USCGA's curriculum, knocking those classes out of the park, keeping up his physical fitness and smashing the PFE, taking the ACT/SAT again, communicating with Admissions regularly and, most importantly, finding joy in the path he embarks on - because all of our life experiences have good in them if we take the time to find it. It took me time to find it when I was stuck driving out the gates of USCGA while my former classmates of 2013 moved on with the path I thought I would also be on, but that's life and it's a good lesson to learn.
Best of luck to your DS! Also, as an Academy Admissions Partner, I'd like to offer my assistance in answering any questions your DS may have along the way. Admissions is the best resource for acceptance/application questions, but I'm happy to serve as a sounding board for any questions about USCGA or the USCG. He sounds like a determined and devoted young man, and the Coast Guard certainly needs determined people.