Anyone Have Experience with prep at SUNY Maritime Academy?

Hello, I was just accepted into SUNY Maritime Academy, and I was denied from the Coast Guard Academy, does anyone have any experience with doing a year of prep at this school and then reapplying? I'm still waiting to hear back from USMMA and I would like to reapply there too if I don't get in. If anyone is Alumni from SUNY and wants to persuade me to stay, that would be great too. Thank you in advance.

If your goal is to get a Merchant Marine license and sail then I would recommend staying at SUNY (unless the USMMA appointment comes though). Your return on investment of adding an additional year to undergrad by transferring to USMMA would probably be negative.

If the goal is to go to USCGA then I’d think they’d probably look favorably upon a successful year at SUNY (but that’s just my opinion.)

I concur with kp2001. If your goal is a USCG commission, and you do well (key there), then reapply to USCGA. Also, reapply to USMMA. Again, if your goal is USCG commission, any of those three can get you that commission. While USCGA is obvious, both USMMA and SUNY Maritime can lead to a commission in USCG through the MARGRAD program. Bear in mind that is a very competitive program, and from SUNY Maritime you will likely be working on MARGRAD through staff at USMMA. Also, (speaking from experience here, Plan B for DS was SUNY Maritime) to get info on MARGRAD at SUNY Maritime will take some effort. Start with Admissions there, but don't give up.

Again, as kp2001 said, do well your first year and reapply. Reapplicants tend to do well (no guarantee!).