A Question for College Reapplicants about Plan B

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hockeygirl

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Through the process of preparing my Plan B I have come to realize that I have 2 options; stay in-state and make it easier for the reapplication process or go out of state and attend a more competitive school.

I have been accepted into several highly ranked Engineering programs and am trying to make this (very difficult) decision. In the case of receiving the NROTC scholarship money would not play a role in this, but all of the out-of state schools cost 40k-70k/yr (almost 4 times as much per year) solely for tuition.

Could anyone provide their experience with in-state or out of state reapplication? What about the relative competitiveness of the school, did that play a factor in your decision? What about contingencies in the likely event of a TWE?

More info on the schools:

UMD-CP is the cheapest and highest ranked school on my list and remaining in-state provides an easier route for me to reapply as the interviews would be close by. It is also one of the higher contributors to Nuclear Power School Candidates- alongside Drexel (BS/MS EE program+ Nuc. E minor) which also offers me several great opportunities- but is several times more expensive and would pose travel issues during the interview process. At RPI (Nuc. E) I have the opportunity to play D3 field hockey and be a main contributor on the team, and at WPI (BS/MS Undecided Eng.) I have the ability to travel abroad and work on a project in conjunction with my major (fulfilling graduation credits) with little to no impact on NROTC leadership capabilities.
 
@hockeygirl Are you looking at NUPOC program too?


You are doing a good job on the analysis. Weight your various factors, assess tangible and intangible, make the best decision you can, and execute. All good options.
 
Great program, if you are interested in subs/nuke engineering.
 
Capt MJ said:
Great program, if you are interested in subs/nuke engineering.
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I found a post, maybe last week, on SAF that included the link to the NUPOC program website- and have checked it out. Subs is something I think I might be interested in, but I do not have the experience to make an absolute decision (yet). I think I have kt to thank for the information.
 
Gosh, all these are great schools!

My recommendation is that you will flourish best where you feel you "fit in." If you LOVE field hockey and want to play, then RPI may give the balance between academics and athletics you need to thrive. If the travel is most attractive, then WPI may be the best call. The main idea is that doing well academically is more important than the "name" of the college, especially in engineering. Eric R. Eide and Michael J. Hilmer of The Wall Street Journal wrote in January of 2016: "But for fields like science, technology, engineering and math, it largely doesn’t matter whether students go to a prestigious, expensive school or a low-priced one—expected earnings turn out the same." *

Have all these schools accepted you into the engineering department? Some colleges have a separate process to enter the school of engineering. I would favor the institutions who have accepted you into the engineering school.

Money and expenses should be a consideration as well. . I know you plan to reapply to USNA, and it sounds like you have a good shot, but what if you don't get in the second time? I would choose the school that you feel is the best fit and that you can afford to attend all four years without breaking the bank.

After his TWE from USNA, my DS decided against an out of state SMC in favor of a Regional State University, that we could afford without the scholarships. He ended up earning a 3 1/2 year Army ROTC scholarship in his freshman year there, plus he loves the balance of college, military and recreation that the area offers.

If you are doing well academically, showing leadership on your field hockey team, and involved in other activities, you will be best positioned for reapplication to USNA (or commission through NROTC).

Good luck on your decision!

* Sourced 4/14/2017:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/do-eli...salaries-only-for-some-professions-1454295674
 
NUPOC

I am a RPI grad so my opinion is biased.
In my opinion RPI is the best school of the ones you list UMD, WPI, Drexel and RPI, especially if you are looking at engineering. It is difficult since the schools you are considering are typically not in the same categories. RPI does not have the name recognition that UMD has, but engineers know how competitive the school is. Yes RPI is very expensive. But, they do offer a room and board scholarship to NROTC participants. Not sure if the scholarship applies to college programmers. I am sure with a little research you can find out. Also, do you want a big school (UMD or Drexel) vs much smaller (RPI or WPI) and Technical Institute vs large University.

I don't think a school being a high contributor to NPS should be a major factor, unless that is the type of environment you are looking for. The interview would be nationally based and I can't imagine there being an issue if a school has too many qualified wanting subs. It is usually the other way around where qualified candidates and encouraged to go sub. If you do well academically with a engineering degree, getting out of a sub commission would be more difficult than getting into one. I do not know if being female (my assumption @hockeygirl) makes subs more difficult. There are fewer spots. A RPI plug for female submariners https://news.rpi.edu/content/2016/02/03/gallo-selected-serve-navy-submarine-force She is one of the six NROTC mids selected to subs in 2016.

You may want to check with your MOC. Many will have skype interviews for college reapplicants or schedule them in December when you are home for winter break. This would make the distance issue moot.
 
Great options, however, I must weigh in that
hockeygirl said:
stay in-state and make it easier for the reapplication process
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should not be a consideration. Many MOC's will transfer information to a new file. My DD did all of her interviews via skype or the phone and rec'd both an MOC and s Sen nom. Much of the work on the application can be done before school starts. I can't weigh in on the actual choices, but don't think proximity to your state should be a consideration if the only reason is for ease of re-application to USNA.
 
nodiva said:
Great options, however, I must weigh in that
should not be a consideration. Many MOC's will transfer information to a new file. My DD did all of her interviews via skype or the phone and rec'd both an MOC and s Sen nom. Much of the work on the application can be done before school starts. I can't weigh in on the actual choices, but don't think proximity to your state should be a consideration if the only reason is for ease of re-application to USNA.
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Totally agree on this. I'm originally from SoCal but when I reapplied I was attending college in Maine. I don't think I could've gotten further away if I tried. I had most of my application finished during the summer before I left. As far as nominations, when I reapplied I did not apply for nominations from my Senators, but I did my interview for my Congressional nomination over the phone from Chicago during my layover for my flight home for Thanksgiving.
 
From a USNA perspective, I don't think it matters that much. That said, I'm not naive enough to think that all As from MIT would probably be looked at more favorably than all As from VCU (a state school in VA) in the same courses. In any event, USNA recognizes that people have to take many things into consideration when deciding on which college to attend, not the least of which is finances.

So, I agree with the above -- pick the college that is best for you at least in part b/c, if your reapplication isn't successful, you'll be at a place where you're happy.
 
Some more for you to think about.
You want to pick a school that is your best fit and that you can afford without a ROTC scholarship. Things change, priorities change and stuff happens. Your passions may shift to a path that is the furthest from your mind today. You may get to college and find that not getting into USNA was the best thing that ever happened. You may totally enjoy the civilian college experience. You may decide that repeating your freshman year and investing another year in school is no longer that important. Just like you have plan B's to choose from keep an open mind and be flexible.

Enjoy the rest of your senior year.
 
Here are my 2 cents along the lines of some of the other contributors. 1) Take the ease of commuting for interviews with congressman/ senators out of the equation (you can do a phone interview and some may chose to give you a nomination without an interview possibly). 2) Significantly discount whether the school contributes and how many to the Nuclear Power School - you may not want to do it, and demand is high if you meet the requirements. 3) So think about which school you would be the most happy to graduate from in 4 years (understanding that you want to apply to USNA). From that stand point, weigh in the reputation of the school, its size and what environment each one offers. Does each school have NROTC? Are they all campus based? If you weigh in the probability of receiving NROTC scholarship next year, where does it leave you from a financing perspective (many cases you still have to pay room and board and that could be quite expensive in some schools). 4) Travel (WPI option) is great, but I would also not place a lot of emphasis on it at this point - there will be many more opportunities in the future to travel, including a semester abroad that all schools offer for the most part.
 
I echo usna1985, as I am helping my DS decide his Plan B Penn State vs. RIT, pick the school that you best fit for the full four year run. Not to discourage him from reapplying, but to recognize that there is no guarantee the second time either.
 
My DD was a successful reapplicant from UMBC. It's a smaller sibling of UMD-CP, but it is an Honors college. She went there because it has a very good Computer Science program, and it was affordable in-state. She had a good year, learned a lot, and would have been satisfied to graduate from there. Go to the school you'll be happy with if you have to stay there 4 years, not because it looks good on an application. It's what you do at the school you go to that's important.
 
Go where you think you will be happy for 4 years if the second try doesn't work. My DS was a successful NROTC re applicant from UMD-CP this year. So were two others from his battalion at Maryland.
 
In addition to the other responses, my recommendation is to go to a school you (and your parents) can afford. Pay for knowledge, not pedigree. With very few exceptions, where you go to school has no correlation to success or income potential in your career.
 
maskry said:
With very few exceptions, where you go to school has no correlation to success or income potential in your career.
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Agree 100%.

To quote Frank Bruni:
"Where you go is not who you'll be."
 
What happened to "leave your mark"?

Wait, or is it "leave no trace"?

Sorry folks! :diespam:
 
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