DS is currently a knob (freshman) and AROTC cadet at The Citadel. Feel free to send me a PM if you have specific questions. I am happy to help if I can. If you are able, I would encourage you to take advantage of one of the overnight programs both VMI and The Citadel offer. At The Citadel, it's called "inside the gates," and you can find lots of info about that on the school website. I am sure VMI has something similar and you can find out about it on their website. Visiting in person will help you get a feel for each, and how that matches up with your personal preferences. For example, DS really liked both schools, but the bigger cosmopolitan area of Charleston really appealed to him more than the rural community where VMI is located. But obviously, your preferences may be completely different. I'll also echo what someone else said about Norwich. It's definitely worth a look, and as a private university, they are in many cases able to offer extremely generous scholarships and aid to those interested in commissioning upon graduation.
What I can tell you is this: should you decide to attend The Citadel or VMI, be prepared for a challenge! Embrace it. Then embrace it again. And then embrace it again. Both schools pride themselves is their demanding environment, and as chief rivals, each school believes it is just a little bit tougher than the other. Similar to the SAs, these schools have a way of pushing you in ways you did not expect. In other words, you go in knowing it's going to be hard, but it's a different kind of hard than you expect. And I imagine that what's hardest varies from cadet to cadet. The point is, it'll challenge you physically, mentally, emotionally and academically. Some days, it'll seem really hard, and you'll ask yourself why in the world you chose to go there when you could have just gone to a "regular college." But then, you make it through the challenge, and you come out the other side with a sense of pride, accomplishment and confidence you know you would have never found anywhere else. I've already seen this several times with DS in only one semester, and all I'll say as a parent is that it has been rewarding watching the steep growth curve from afar.
Remember, you can absolutely commission from an ROTC program at any one of 1,000+ colleges and universities across the nation. And those who commission from Harvard or Penn State or UCLA start with the same rank as those who commission from an SMC. So, it's certainly not something you HAVE to do. However, if being pushed far beyond the "average" college experience is something that appeals to you -- and you are willing to make the sacrifices involved in that in exchange for the added personal growth you'll experience -- then this is a fine path to walk. I wish you the best of luck!
