For the academies, it says that you have to be in at least the top 20% of your class. That may be hard for some, so is transitioning from a B-C student to a B student good? It can show that the candidate is working hard trying to pull up those grades.
Are straight B's okay?
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Probably not, because the Academy is a pressure cooker, and not just academically. That said, (and I am not speaking for Admissions, just my opinion) a lot is going to depend on what else you are bringing to the table. And you can't get in if you don't apply. So they say no? Go to college and do well. Reapply. Show them you mean it.
In the several seminar/presentations i have sat in as a parent - Bear days and aim ... the feeling i got was that the USCGA Admissions staff holistically looks at the entire candidate and their work load ... are they getting b's in AP classes vs a's in general classes ... are your sat/act scores high ... do they have all the other leadership/athletic/community service backgrounds ... obviously be prepared to explain your items if questioned ... get in front of an admissions staff member ... maybe do an interview ... like auxnoob said apply ... worst case you get turned down - but then you will know what you need to work on ... you go for a year somewhere else and reapply ... i think you can continue to re-apply until you are 21 or 22 ...
Reapplying until 22 and graduating is not the best idea...Reapply once or twice at most and then look at OCS. Only 40% of the USCG Officers are academy grads.
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I don't agree.
If USCGA is your dream, you don't lose anything from reapplying until you no longer can. That doesn't mean "do nothing." If you aren't accepted the first time, assume a year of doing nothing won't help (not to mention, if you did get in, the classroom work would be challenging for someone who has taken time off).
I had a number of classmates in their 20s. They got the name "grandpa" because they seemed old at the time (now they seem young).
You'll want to remember that the other officers are OCS grads, direct commission officers, some that make LT from CWO or, I think, CPO (to a limited extent).
OCS isn't a guarantee.
So, if USCGA is your dream, and you don't get in on your first try, keep applying while you move forward with other plans, and hope it happens.
I disagree with this, the dream should be a commission in the USCG. That's ultimately the purpose of attending the Coast Guard Academy, not just because of some fantasy of attending the academy. Or, just go to KP and do the process for USCG commissioning through MARGRAD...Definitely not that hard to do. I know a few people who took Coast Guard flight spots because the Navy didn't want them, so the option of coast guard flight is also open.
tommyboy44
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I agree with this. I know too many people whose primary motivation for seeking an appointment to one of the academies is not to serve in the military.
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I don't agree, entirely.
Yes, serving in the Coast Guard is the end goal. It's fine to have a backup like USMMA or a state maritime academy.
But I also think the institution you attend does affect your future, often beyond your time in uniform. Your education matters, as does the school you attend.
Don't get into the Coast Guard Academy the first time? Fine. Go to school, get good grades and apply again. You can keep applying until you can't. In the meantime you're also furthering your education.
I do NOT recommend just taking another school with the hope that it will one day lead to a commission in the Coast Guard, while not applying to CGA again (unless you'd be happy at another school).
A Coast Guard commission as an officer is a sure thing at graduation (ignoring rare exceptions) from only one college, the Coast Guard Academy.... not Kings Point, not Mass Maritime, not the Naval Academy. Yes, you MAY get a rare Coast Guard officer commission from one of those schools, but you also may not.
Go where you'll be happy and where you can achieve your goals, and don't close doors until you're forced to.
Jesus...Your Swab Summer cadre did a great job indoctrinating you with illusions of grandeur. Sorry to burst your bubble, LITS, but becoming an officer in the USCG is not a fellowship in theoretical physics with Stephen Hawking. It's not that hard to earn a commission from a maritime academy, USMMA, or another commissioning source. The USCG commissioned a kid at KP whom I know had a terrible disciplinary history ranging from letting his girlfriend sleep over to disobeying orders to alcohol issues.
The bottom line is that instead of wasting your time re-applying to the USCGA, go to Mass Maritime, work hard and play by the rules, and you will have an excellent chance at becoming an officer in the USCG.
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Clearly the kid who has yet to graduate, commission, or be associated with the Coast Guard in any way isn't a great source for information on how to graduate, commission or become associated with the Coast Guard.
The real advice... apply to the Coast Guard Academy if that's your dream and, if you're not accepted, keep applying until either you're accept or you can no longer apply.
In the meantime, go to a college and keep moving forward with your education. That might mean at a maritime school.... it might not. You don't want a stagnant education while you're waiting to hear back.
Keep your options open, but follow your dream. And contrary to the comment above, it's not a shoe in. I remember a kid from USMMA who had a great summer on a Coast Guard cutter. He was great. He tried to join the Coast Guard from KP. He had great reviews from our command. I think he would have been a great officer. But, unfortunately for him, and in my opinion, unfortunately for the Coast Guard, he wasn't accepted.
I had 200+ classmates at graduation, all but one become an officer (one was medically retired before graduation, which was unfortunate but rare).
Freda'sMom
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In 2015, the DCO board selected only 8 from all MARGRADs (and 2 were already serving as enlisted members of the USCG).
https://www.uscg.mil/announcements/ALCGRECRUITING/015-15_ALCGRECRUITING.txt
In 2016, I heard there were only 10, so it's not the "slam dunk" you may think it is.
Then I guess KP isn't counted in that number...because I remember there were 8-10 with at least 2-3 pilots commissioned in the USCG from KP alone in 2016.
the % of Coast Guard Officers who are academy grads is considerable higher than 40, in the 70s it was as high as 85. Even with newer direct commission programs the academy still produces the majority of the services needs. Cant find any current statistics but perhaps someone elso can supply them.
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Last I heard, it was 60%.
CGA as a source more stable. The OCS sources move a little each year. It's easier to tweak.