Requesting Guidance

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Hello Everyone,

I am very conflicted. I have been accepted to my top two Maritime schools -USMMA and Mass Maritime Academy- and I really do not know which to choose. Any thoughts, suggestions, or advice for an uncertain candidate?

A little bit more about my situation:
I have been offered an LOA to USMMA conditional on DoDMERB waivers. I have turned in all requested papers and I await the results. I would frankly be surprised if I didn't get the waivers given the nature of the DQs, but I won't get into those details. For safety's sake, my parents have already put the deposit down for Mass Maritime Academy, fully understanding that I may choose USMMA instead. In a funny way, I sometimes wish I won't get the waivers as that would make the decision for me!
I want to major in Marine Transportation, get my Deck License, and sail commercially. Both schools, of course, offer this. While USMMA's tuition is "free," my parents have made it abundantly clear to me that I should not let that sway me towards USMMA or away from Mass Maritime Academy because they've been putting away money for a traditional college. I will fully welcome USMMA's service commitment.
Some other thoughts I want to type down: Mass is getting a (really nice) new ship and has some nicer infrastructure. USMMA on the other hand has a smaller student body, has an active Catholic community, has more commercial sea time, is close to NYC, and is closer to home.
I also did an overnight visit to USMMA in September and then a day visit a week ago. The overnight in September left a good impression on me because my Plebe host was great. My Plebe then really seemed to love the school. However, at my day visit a week ago, my new Plebe host (a different student) seemed kind of miserable. Also, I spoke to another touring candidate, and he said he was unimpressed by his Plebe's treatment of the Honor Code. I think the most recent visit shook my confidence in Kings Point, but I am trying to not let it get to my head.
Finally, I am visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy for their open house on the 29th. That will be my last academy visit before I make my final decision.

Any suggestions, personal anecdotes, or things I hadn't thought of?
Is there a way you can say one school is objectively better than the other?
Any anything?

Signed,
Quinn
 
Hello Everyone,

I am very conflicted. I have been accepted to my top two Maritime schools -USMMA and Mass Maritime Academy- and I really do not know which to choose. Any thoughts, suggestions, or advice for an uncertain candidate?

A little bit more about my situation:
I have been offered an LOA to USMMA conditional on DoDMERB waivers. I have turned in all requested papers and I await the results. I would frankly be surprised if I didn't get the waivers given the nature of the DQs, but I won't get into those details. For safety's sake, my parents have already put the deposit down for Mass Maritime Academy, fully understanding that I may choose USMMA instead. In a funny way, I sometimes wish I won't get the waivers as that would make the decision for me!
I want to major in Marine Transportation, get my Deck License, and sail commercially. Both schools, of course, offer this. While USMMA's tuition is "free," my parents have made it abundantly clear to me that I should not let that sway me towards USMMA or away from Mass Maritime Academy because they've been putting away money for a traditional college. I will fully welcome USMMA's service commitment.
Some other thoughts I want to type down: Mass is getting a (really nice) new ship and has some nicer infrastructure. USMMA on the other hand has a smaller student body, has an active Catholic community, has more commercial sea time, is close to NYC, and is closer to home.
I also did an overnight visit to USMMA in September and then a day visit a week ago. The overnight in September left a good impression on me because my Plebe host was great. My Plebe then really seemed to love the school. However, at my day visit a week ago, my new Plebe host (a different student) seemed kind of miserable. Also, I spoke to another touring candidate, and he said he was unimpressed by his Plebe's treatment of the Honor Code. I think the most recent visit shook my confidence in Kings Point, but I am trying to not let it get to my head.
Finally, I am visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy for their open house on the 29th. That will be my last academy visit before I make my final decision.

Any suggestions, personal anecdotes, or things I hadn't thought of?
Is there a way you can say one school is objectively better than the other?
Any anything?

Signed,
Quinn
I'll say this, I bet Mass takes transfer credits from KP but we know KP really doesn't take any transfer credits (maybe 1 or 2 but virtually unheard of). So you can go to KP for a year and transfer if it's not for you, but you can't go the other way and still finish in a total of 4 years. Not that I advocate going to any SA with a plan of leaving, but we know it's not for everybody. My son is a plebe at KP, anxiously awaiting recognition, and he loves the "place." He doesn't care for the watch system and has other issues with the place, but he loves the people and the experience. As to the miserable plebe recently, the year wears on you, the light is at the end of the tunnel for them. Call that plebe after recognition and see how they feel. My 2nd son is currently awaiting DoDMERB for KP and has full tuition to SUNY Maritime. In a similar situation to you decision wise if DoDMERB comes through. He doesn't want to make a decision until there is a decision to be made. We put money down for SUNY, which isn't much.
 
There is a great deal of respect and some ribbing in industry among the various maritime academy graduates. While the USMMA doesn’t have a new training vessel, their sea year training is intended to be on commercial and military ships. Working along side those in industry is an amazing opportunity as mids sail the world. My DS’s classmates are sailing on cargo ships, tankers, Coast Guard ships, military sealift command, Navy and more literally all over the world! I imagine your plebe hosts are struggling with the wait to be recognized- but when it comes likely in the coming month, things will be better, they will nearly have plebe year in the rear view mirror. Good luck with your waiver and decision!
 
Tough choice indeed. Both great institutions that will set you up for your now future goals. I would think about what kind of student you really are. Do you thrive on course overloading? The academics at KP can be brutal, just due to the pace of classes, finishing your academics requirements in 3 years rather than 4. Mids end up being setback or dis-enrolled who can't handle this type of rigor. Obviously, many do get through it but something to think about if you typically are the type of student who is a grinder and needs more time to master subject matter. If you decide you don't really like commercial sailing in a few years you can always go shore side from Mass but you don't have that option to still meet your 5 year obligation out of KP.

Good luck!
 
Hey,

I recently sailed on the Mass. Maritime training ship for their seaterm this year and got to interact with a lot of cadets as well as their policy/culture/campus. I can confidently say that Mass. Maritime has a much newer/nicer campus. Food is phenomenal. Their plebe year is like one to two months versus the nine to ten month plebe year that you get at KP. Another pro for Mass. is that you have a little more academic leeway than you do here at KP. If you fail a class or two at Mass it is generally understood that you will be provided an opportunity to make those classes up. I will say I was extremely impressed with the cadets that I met at Mass and the experience I had was relatively positive. They also have an SSO ROTC program so that you may commission as an SSO upon graduation, just like at KP.

The cons are most certainly their cadet shipping. They get to ship commercially for about 30-40 days their junior year. Seaterm was fun, but it is nothing compared to the freedom and exploration you are granted at KP. Another--smaller-- con is the location. You are about an hour/hour and a half drive to Boston whereas you're about a 20-25 minute train ride to Manhattan at KP. Additionally, most of the people who go to Mass live locally so campus is pretty dead on the weekends, or so I was told. Also, don't discount the fact that Kings Point is free. The largest complaint I heard from Mass Students was that "Out Of State" tuition is ridiculously expensive. I didn't apply to Mass but after seaterm I am still glad that I chose KP.
 
Hey,

I recently sailed on the Mass. Maritime training ship for their seaterm this year and got to interact with a lot of cadets as well as their policy/culture/campus. I can confidently say that Mass. Maritime has a much newer/nicer campus. Food is phenomenal. Their plebe year is like one to two months versus the nine to ten month plebe year that you get at KP. Another pro for Mass. is that you have a little more academic leeway than you do here at KP. If you fail a class or two at Mass it is generally understood that you will be provided an opportunity to make those classes up. I will say I was extremely impressed with the cadets that I met at Mass and the experience I had was relatively positive. They also have an SSO ROTC program so that you may commission as an SSO upon graduation, just like at KP.

The cons are most certainly their cadet shipping. They get to ship commercially for about 30-40 days their junior year. Seaterm was fun, but it is nothing compared to the freedom and exploration you are granted at KP. Another--smaller-- con is the location. You are about an hour/hour and a half drive to Boston whereas you're about a 20-25 minute train ride to Manhattan at KP. Additionally, most of the people who go to Mass live locally so campus is pretty dead on the weekends, or so I was told. Also, don't discount the fact that Kings Point is free. The largest complaint I heard from Mass Students was that "Out Of State" tuition is ridiculously expensive. I didn't apply to Mass but after seaterm I am still glad that I chose KP.
I think that is a fair assessment. My only experience at Mass was back in the 90s when I attended some QI training classes there. It was a bit more military than I expected, since my only exposure to a state school before this was TAMUG where I surveyed their vessels regularly. Given a choice, I would still have gone KP and not just for the cost. I do feel that the training, especially Sea Year is superior.
 
The commercial sea year experience has always been the thing that set KP apart from the other Maritime schools. Currently not so much with a shrinking US flagged deep sea fleet and the sea year "issues" they have been having make it much more difficult to get anything close to a sea year experience similar to what Cmakin and I had.

The pace of academics will definitely be different but you are planning to go deck so it will be easy no matter where you go. Kidding (only a little) the pace is brutal at KP no matter what your major is and the state maritime academies do have more freedom to all you to finish your degree in more than years. When it comes to the federal academies the saying goes "KP ... the easiest academy to get in to, the hardest to stay at." and it is 100% true.

Kings Point has the best/tightest alumni network of any college anywhere in the world. This is indisputable.

Not a lot else will truly have a large impact on your life post-graduation. Once you step on a ship as a new mate its a whole new world moving forward and how you got to that point does not matter a lot.
 
All,

Thank you for your insight! Just yesterday I got my full appointment in the mail! I checked back on my DoDMERB portal and I got my waivers on Monday, 24 April. I am still going to visit Mass Maritime this Saturday as planned, however I am almost 99% sure KP is for me. After reading your messages, texting with several Plebes/Mids I know, and finally receiving my appointment, I couldn’t be more excited for KP!

Thanks again,
Quinn
 
All,

Thank you for your insight! Just yesterday I got my full appointment in the mail! I checked back on my DoDMERB portal and I got my waivers on Monday, 24 April. I am still going to visit Mass Maritime this Saturday as planned, however I am almost 99% sure KP is for me. After reading your messages, texting with several Plebes/Mids I know, and finally receiving my appointment, I couldn’t be more excited for KP!

Thanks again,
Quinn
congrats! did you get notified of your admission by kingspoint email or portal first or through mail??
 
congrats! did you get notified of your admission by kingspoint email or portal first or through mail??
Technically portal first, but I didn’t check the portal until after I got the packet in the mail. The packet was posted on 4/24, received on 4/26, and the portal updated on 4/24.
 
All,

Thank you for your insight! Just yesterday I got my full appointment in the mail! I checked back on my DoDMERB portal and I got my waivers on Monday, 24 April. I am still going to visit Mass Maritime this Saturday as planned, however I am almost 99% sure KP is for me. After reading your messages, texting with several Plebes/Mids I know, and finally receiving my appointment, I couldn’t be more excited for KP!

Thanks again,
Quinn
Congratulations!!!
 
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