Civil Prep

I was recently contacted by West Point RC and asked if I would be interested in civil prep (WPPSP). I am currently trying to decide to take it or take the IKE SKELTON ROTC/ECP. I want to be able to apply to West Point my first year at the MJC. Anyone familiar with both and can any advice be given on which I should choose? I know WPPSP covers about 1/3 of the tuition and the IKE SKELTON ECP scholarship is pretty much a full ride because it will cover tuition plus education expenses and MJC will cover room and board 100%. My goal is West Point. Please help me in this decision!
 
My 2018 DS was an AOG Civil Prep and chose MMI in Alabama.

If your goal is West Point (IMHO) I would strongly recommend civil prep. Once in civil prep - your appointment at WP is your to lose. The AoG only gives 50 scholarships each year and is invested in making sure those scholarships are put to the best possible candidate.

However - whichever institution you choose, the staff is there for your success and will be there to guide you throughout the year. I believe my DS was with 26 other Civil Prep candidates at Marion and all received their appointments. It is a tough year however - you will be extremely well prepared to meet the challenges of your plebe year. And needless to say, there is a bond they make at prep that carries on well into their time at West Point.

Though it may sound like I am advocating for MMI, there are other outstanding schools that offer Civil Prep programs so I would recommend looking into those options.

Either way - CONGRATULATIONS! You are in for an incredible experience either way!
 
My 2018 DS was an AOG Civil Prep and chose MMI in Alabama.

If your goal is West Point (IMHO) I would strongly recommend civil prep. Once in civil prep - your appointment at WP is your to lose. The AoG only gives 50 scholarships each year and is invested in making sure those scholarships are put to the best possible candidate.

However - whichever institution you choose, the staff is there for your success and will be there to guide you throughout the year. I believe my DS was with 26 other Civil Prep candidates at Marion and all received their appointments. It is a tough year however - you will be extremely well prepared to meet the challenges of your plebe year. And needless to say, there is a bond they make at prep that carries on well into their time at West Point.

Though it may sound like I am advocating for MMI, there are other outstanding schools that offer Civil Prep programs so I would recommend looking into those options.

Either way - CONGRATULATIONS! You are in for an incredible experience either way!

DO you mind if I ask, How much did it set you back financially? AOG didn't look like its covers very much.
 
DO you mind if I ask, How much did it set you back financially? AOG didn't look like its covers very much.

The schools/programs also have their own scholarships that they offer, especially to the Civil Prepsters. When I received my Civil Prep offer last year, every school contacted me very shortly after and offered scholarships, either matching or being more than the AOG portion. It isn't ride free, but it is close in my opinion.

Basically, and rather generally speaking without knowing specifics, I would say don't worry too much about the cost while trying to make your decision.
 
I would encourage you to investigate the different Civil Prep schools. Many have a cost breakdown and scholarships available to those who are "free agents" or "sponsored". I would have the forethought of not having or having a sponsorship that will benefit your college preparation at a SA or college. I know the thought of an extra year can be unimaginable for such a young person. However, the cost of not being prepared could be unrecoverable. I feel the benefits of a prep schools outweigh the negatives. The best investment you can make is in yourself.

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
This may be a little late, but DS received an offer for the AOG WPPSP sometime around the last week of March/first week of April. As a result, DS went on an overnight to WP, and was told by a couple of departments that he was grossly overqualified for civil prep, but that it was just his district was competitive. We know what happened, but it is better told over a beer in person and not on this forum :) We explored the prep schools, and came to the decision that if prep was going to be accepted it was going to be MMI. Of most concern was the curriculum at all the prep schools. The classes to be offered, DS had taken or was currently taking, had scored a 4 and 5 on the two AP classes from last year. This year is not completed yet, but DS was just awarded the award for Calculus this year at the school. So, we were not impressed at all by the offer of prep. DS was not either, but gave it a diligent look. Eventually, he was principle appointment for USMMA and he took it.

I don't know if they "recycle" the AOG offers, but if they do, one has opened up.
 
Does anyone on this forum know anything about the recruited athlete side of WPPSP? Someone mentioned it to my son and we were trying to understand what schools are used. The site only says private preparatory schools. My sons grades are excellent and he has taken many AP's. Academics are not an issue- very competitive district and sport.
 
Does anyone on this forum know anything about the recruited athlete side of WPPSP? Someone mentioned it to my son and we were trying to understand what schools are used. The site only says private preparatory schools. My sons grades are excellent and he has taken many AP's. Academics are not an issue- very competitive district and sport.
You are always welcome to start a new thread on a topic of interest, especially when one you are adding to petered out in 2016.

A bit more digging produced the following link below, one of several on the westpointog.org site.

The AOG, Association of Graduates, of USMA, is the independent non-profit organization which raises funds for the prep scholarship program. They work in conjunction with USMA to identify potential recipients.

USMAPS is the prep school run by the Army itself. Info on that is on the USMA site.

I’ll defer to my Army brethren for additional insights.


If your son is offered USMAPS or a prep scholarship, and his goal is to attend USMA as his path to commissioned service as an Army officer, it is usually recommended he should grab the “golden ticket,” as it is often called. USMA thinks prepsters need a bit more polish to succeed at USMA, and they are essentially saving them a seat in the next class upon successful completion of the prep program. They still have to re-apply and get a nom, but an offer of appointment is all but assured.
 
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Does anyone on this forum know anything about the recruited athlete side of WPPSP? Someone mentioned it to my son and we were trying to understand what schools are used. The site only says private preparatory schools. My sons grades are excellent and he has taken many AP's. Academics are not an issue- very competitive district and sport.
In the case of those people I know who did it recently, it was a school that offered the sport. In this case, rowing. The Naval Academy Foundation gave them several options.
 
I strongly recommend the Prep route, if offered. Prep school isn’t just about academics - it focuses on leadership training, military training/acumen, physical fitness and academics. If you want a service academy - what Is another year... go to the prep school... you will be a step ahead of the those that did not get this incremental training!

- Preppie Mom
 
You are always welcome to start a new thread on a topic of interest, especially when one you are adding to petered out in 2016.

A bit more digging produced the following link below, one of several on the westpointog.org site.

The AOG, Association of Graduates, of USMA, is the independent non-profit organization which raises funds for the prep scholarship program. They work in conjunction with USMA to identify potential recipients.

USMAPS is the prep school run by the Army itself. Info on that is on the USMA site.

I’ll defer to my Army brethren for additional insights.


If your son is offered USMAPS or a prep scholarship, and his goal is to attend USMA as his path to commissioned service as an Army officer, it is usually recommended he should grab the “golden ticket,” as it is often called. USMA thinks prepsters need a bit more polish to succeed at USMA, and they are essentially saving them a seat in the next class upon successful completion of the prep program. They still have to re-apply and get a nom, but an offer of appointment is all but assured.
In some cases a Congressional District has an abundance of well qualified candidates and the prep school keeps the overflow ready for the next year.
 
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