Denials then following year appt to CGA experience please!

mamabear1302

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Jan 15, 2019
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Hello all - looking for encouragement and input from those that were denied outright, reapplied and then accepted. DS will be contacting Capt. Fredie at Admissions for input into application and how to strengthen for next year. For us (his parents) the denial stung more than a waitlist (and not getting off it) would have. He’s taking it in stride and moving forward with MMI self-prep plans. Thank you in advance.
 
I applied to 2022 and got waitlisted then denied. Then I reapplied for 2023 and got accepted outright.

I went to a small engineering school on my Air Force ROTC scholarship and participated in that program for a year. When I went there I had no intention of reapplying for the Academy and ended up kind of doing it on a whim, so I didn't really do anything specifically to try and improve my application. I will say I got very good grades as a freshman electrical engineering major and thus the electrical engineering department at CGA ended up writing me a letter of recommendation (I didn't find this out until later after I'd been accepted). My PFE score also improved and I got one of my ROTC officers to write me a good recommendation.

I don't really think going to a military prep-school is necessary unless you're in the CGAS program and thus are required to do it. Going to a regular college taught me a lot about how to live on my own and manage my time, in a way going to a structured military school really hasn't. Plus, I was able to validate Physics I and II with just my transcript, something none of the prepsters who went to military prep schools got to do (they had to take placement exams).

I'd personally recommend doing Army/Navy/Air Force ROTC at a normal 4-year school, that way if they don't get accepted on their reapplication they can just continue their education there and not have to transfer somewhere else. Of course, his AO could have a different opinion and would know better about what the admissions board wants to see. I think you get a more well rounded education at a normal college, though (just my opinion).
 
My DD was denied last year, no waitlist, reapplied and was appointed this year. In the last year, she attended college, joined NROTC, sought out leadership opportunities, improved her CFA, rewrote her essays and met with her AO. Good luck!
 
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I agree with almost everything in the above post from @valtroid. I was denied class of 2020. I went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where I was a Marine Option in NROTC and studied both Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and I'll be honest, I did okay academically but not great. I was also working two jobs averaging 30-35 hours a week. I firmly believe that my essays were way better the second time around, and my PFE definitely was way better. I've posted about this in other threads before, pretty extensively in one. I would also strongly recommend an ROTC program over a prep school unless you really need the fundamentals that a prep school offers. I'll list the benefits as I see them, many of which agree with what has already been said but some of which is different. For this post, I'm going to assume that there is a "second choice" branch, but regardless of if there is or not, the academic and personal portions hold true.

Military

1) You're getting your career started. In the unfortunate case that you don't get accepted to USCGA, you already have a year under your belt moving towards a commission.

2) If you do get accepted to USCGA, you have a different perspective from those of your classmates. Each branch has a different leadership theory. While I obviously am actively learning Coast Guard leadership theory, certain parts of what I learned from Marine Corps theory resonate with me and I still commonly practice today, and I think I'm a better leader for it.

3) I'm not sure what PT and the military environment are like at the prep schools, but you are surrounded by active duty officers and at least from my experience, working out 3-4 times per week at morning PT.

Academic

1) Again, unless you really feel the reason that you failed to gain acceptance is the type of thing the prep schools specialize in (low test scores, failure to succeed at high levels in Academy prerequisites, etc.), there is no reason to delay the start of college level coursework.

2) There is a really good chance of validating at the Academy if you take a similar course load to what your first year would have been at the Academy.

Personal

1) Especially without an NROTC scholarship, you will learn a lot about time management and working. I was forced to balance working to have money/paying down my loans, performing well academically, and getting up at 515 (almost) every morning for NROTC obligations. If I'm being honest and blunt, it makes the Academy look easy in terms of stretching thin. It's an invaluable lesson that was worth the cost of admission right there. A scholarship would have greatly offset this balance.

2) One of the biggest things that gets people at the Academy in trouble is their desire for the "normal college life" - to go out drinking, party, and the like. I got that all out of my system.

This is in no way meant to minimize self-prepping, as it is a great option with a high success rate and some of it may be the same. I can't speak to that, because I never went to prep school. I just wanted to share my insight as to why I am so glad I made the decision I did when faced with the same predicament back in 2016.
 
I applied to 2022 and got waitlisted then denied. Then I reapplied for 2023 and got accepted outright.

I went to a small engineering school on my Air Force ROTC scholarship and participated in that program for a year. When I went there I had no intention of reapplying for the Academy and ended up kind of doing it on a whim, so I didn't really do anything specifically to try and improve my application. I will say I got very good grades as a freshman electrical engineering major and thus the electrical engineering department at CGA ended up writing me a letter of recommendation (I didn't find this out until later after I'd been accepted). My PFE score also improved and I got one of my ROTC officers to write me a good recommendation.

I don't really think going to a military prep-school is necessary unless you're in the CGAS program and thus are required to do it. Going to a regular college taught me a lot about how to live on my own and manage my time, in a way going to a structured military school really hasn't. Plus, I was able to validate Physics I and II with just my transcript, something none of the prepsters who went to military prep schools got to do (they had to take placement exams).

I'd personally recommend doing Army/Navy/Air Force ROTC at a normal 4-year school, that way if they don't get accepted on their reapplication they can just continue their education there and not have to transfer somewhere else. Of course, his AO could have a different opinion and would know better about what the admissions board wants to see. I think you get a more well rounded education at a normal college, though (just my opinion).
This!👆🏻 Great advice! Why ship off to another state and military college when you can go the local route and ROTC! Thanks for such great advice! Our DS is attending a local university with a scholarship and there is also an AROTC there. He may not reapply, but who knows!?
 
Thank you all - would love to hear from more, especially those that received the TWE outright. His dad and I are needing encouragement as we've seen him put everything into this for so long.

CG is the only branch he wants. I know of the ROTC scholarships, but don't think they would be applicable if he only is going CG? His 2nd/3rd choices would be to go to college, graduate and then apply for OCS or 2 year jr/regular college and then apply for the other program that pays for the 2 years of college. But he truly wants to go to the CGA, and to go to MMI as his plan B.

DS needs the dedicated test prep for SAT/ACT that MMI would provide. His SAT was good but ACT was not. Not the only reason for attending MMI, but a very good one. I don't want to get into his stats as it's not necessary, and he'll be contacting Capt. Fredie for input. Thank you again for replying!
 
Thank you all - would love to hear from more, especially those that received the TWE outright. His dad and I are needing encouragement as we've seen him put everything into this for so long.

CG is the only branch he wants. I know of the ROTC scholarships, but don't think they would be applicable if he only is going CG? His 2nd/3rd choices would be to go to college, graduate and then apply for OCS or 2 year jr/regular college and then apply for the other program that pays for the 2 years of college. But he truly wants to go to the CGA, and to go to MMI as his plan B.

DS needs the dedicated test prep for SAT/ACT that MMI would provide. His SAT was good but ACT was not. Not the only reason for attending MMI, but a very good one. I don't want to get into his stats as it's not necessary, and he'll be contacting Capt. Fredie for input. Thank you again for replying!
Couldn’t he go to a local college, even a JR college, take the equivalent classes there (comp, calculus, chem, etc.) take sat and act prep classes on line or with a tutor and re apply? MMI is not inexpensive, and depending on where you live, You will have out of state and rom and board. If you don’t take an ROTC scholarship and just join the ROTC, and I may be wrong, but you are not obligated to them. Meaning, you can still reapply to the CGA? But he will get the military side of it while in college. Just some things to ask your AO. It is heart breaking combined with everything else going on. Take a look at what Valtroid said above. Good advice!
 
Couldn’t he go to a local college, even a JR college, take the equivalent classes there (comp, calculus, chem, etc.) take sat and act prep classes on line or with a tutor and re apply? MMI is not inexpensive, and depending on where you live, You will have out of state and rom and board. If you don’t take an ROTC scholarship and just join the ROTC, and I may be wrong, but you are not obligated to them. Meaning, you can still reapply to the CGA? But he will get the military side of it while in college. Just some things to ask your AO. It is heart breaking combined with everything else going on. Take a look at what Valtroid said above. Good advice!
There are great scholarship opportunities at MMI! Check into it! :)
 
Hello all - looking for encouragement and input from those that were denied outright, reapplied and then accepted. DS will be contacting Capt. Fredie at Admissions for input into application and how to strengthen for next year. For us (his parents) the denial stung more than a waitlist (and not getting off it) would have. He’s taking it in stride and moving forward with MMI self-prep plans. Thank you in advance.

As you've mentioned, discussing his plan with CG Admissions (your DS discussing it with them - not you) is a great plan.

I will put this to your son: if he decides to attend MMI, and is denied from USCGA for the Class of 2025, how will he move forward?

As others have mentioned, attending a military junior college as a self-prep is in no way a guarantee that a SA will accept that candidate the following year. MMI is an an institution with a focus on Army ROTC and cadets can apply for the Early Commissioning Program: https://marionmilitary.edu/ecp/ to commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. Arguably, if your son was denied from the Class of 2025, but also had an interest in pursuing an Army career, then MMI sounds like it would be a great fit. However, you indicate your son has no desire to join any other branch of the military but the Coast Guard. So, would there be a point in staying at MMI for a second year or would your son then have to again work through the college admissions process to transfer to another institution? Military junior colleges are great institutions, but they are not a fit for every student seeking to join the military as an officer - this is why the other services have ROTC programs and the Coast Guard has programs like CSPI.

You are correct, ROTC scholarships are not applicable to the Coast Guard as it does not have a ROTC program. However, you can join ROTC at any college/university without contracting. Therefore, if there was a 4-year institution he was attracted to that has ROTC, he can contact them to learn how non-contracted cadets/midshipmen are integrated into the detachment.

You mention the need for SAT/ACT preparation - your DS does not need a military junior college for that either, there are plenty of alternative resources he can use to bring his scores up.

Another point, there is no need to "get ahead" on the military lifestyle by attending a military junior college. Whether you're entering USCGA out of high school or as a college reapplicant, USCGA will provide you with all of the military training you need to be successful as a CG cadet and future officer. The "military experience" is only useful for a very short time - primarily Swab Summer. After that, everyone is on equal footing as every institution has its own unique method of training.

I am in no way knocking MMI, it is a great school with a great reputation - but I'm not entirely sure that it is a good fit for your son based on his goals. It looks to me that he would be better off attending another institution, getting ahead on his college coursework, and working all he can towards earning an appointment to the Class of 2025 while simultaneously being aware that the path he is on may not include USCGA despite his desires. He is now in a position where he needs to work for what he wants, but also be realistic that it may not happen and be okay with making alternative plans.

I will put a plug in for junior colleges. I was never denied from USCGA in the traditional sense, but I was disenrolled at the end of my first swab summer for medical related issues and given a conditional appointment for the Class of 2014 if I met certain conditions. In mid-August, the only option I had was to attend a local community college near my hometown - and it was an experience I am so thankful for. It was such a dynamic experience with an extremely diverse student body - not just by gender or race, but by life experience. I was in classes with kids straight out of high school, single parents, elderly students who could finally pursue education and working their entire lives to support their families, active duty and reserve military (I lived by a military base). I learned so much from them and the perspective I gained has been incredibly useful throughout my life. Outside of school, I worked hard at a job to make some extra money, lived at home and helped my parents, worked out, and matured more as a young adult who ultimately needed the extra year in order to be successful. It was not the "typical" path, but it was mine and I am grateful for it.

So, your DS has some decisions to make - but any decision should be taking the hardest classes he can that mirrors USCGA's curriculum, knocking those classes out of the park, keeping up his physical fitness and smashing the PFE, taking the ACT/SAT again, communicating with Admissions regularly and, most importantly, finding joy in the path he embarks on - because all of our life experiences have good in them if we take the time to find it. It took me time to find it when I was stuck driving out the gates of USCGA while my former classmates of 2013 moved on with the path I thought I would also be on, but that's life and it's a good lesson to learn.

Best of luck to your DS! Also, as an Academy Admissions Partner, I'd like to offer my assistance in answering any questions your DS may have along the way. Admissions is the best resource for acceptance/application questions, but I'm happy to serve as a sounding board for any questions about USCGA or the USCG. He sounds like a determined and devoted young man, and the Coast Guard certainly needs determined people.
 
Does the MMI credits transfer to other colleges? Or are they high school level classes?? Is CGA admissions following MMI bases mainly on SAT. ??
 
Thank you all - would love to hear from more, especially those that received the TWE outright. His dad and I are needing encouragement as we've seen him put everything into this for so long.

CG is the only branch he wants. I know of the ROTC scholarships, but don't think they would be applicable if he only is going CG? His 2nd/3rd choices would be to go to college, graduate and then apply for OCS or 2 year jr/regular college and then apply for the other program that pays for the 2 years of college. But he truly wants to go to the CGA, and to go to MMI as his plan B.

DS needs the dedicated test prep for SAT/ACT that MMI would provide. His SAT was good but ACT was not. Not the only reason for attending MMI, but a very good one. I don't want to get into his stats as it's not necessary, and he'll be contacting Capt. Fredie for input. Thank you again for replying!
Are you familiar with the CSPI scholarship. It is a great reason to start at a regular college that is an MSI minoritynserving institution you can google that and get a list of schools. The way cSpi works is you apply as a sophomore i think and then the coast guard pays for your last two years of school plus a monthly stipen. You report to your local cga branch and wear the cga uniform once per week to school. When you get out you go to the academy for six weeks training I think and then you are commissioned to my knowledge as the same level as an academy grad but guess what.....those two years at regular college count towards your service requirement. On top of that.....it is approximately a 40% acceptance rate vs. the ten % into the academy. Would be a great back up if after reapplying the first time isnt successful.
just a thought.
 
Are you familiar with the CSPI scholarship. It is a great reason to start at a regular college that is an MSI minoritynserving institution you can google that and get a list of schools. The way cSpi works is you apply as a sophomore i think and then the coast guard pays for your last two years of school plus a monthly stipen. You report to your local cga branch and wear the cga uniform once per week to school. When you get out you go to the academy for six weeks training I think and then you are commissioned to my knowledge as the same level as an academy grad but guess what.....those two years at regular college count towards your service requirement. On top of that.....it is approximately a 40% acceptance rate vs. the ten % into the academy. Would be a great back up if after reapplying the first time isnt successful.
just a thought.
Oh, and by the way MMI is not an MSI (at least not the last time I checked) so Your child would have to be at another school to apply to the CSPI scholarship.
 
Are you familiar with the CSPI scholarship. It is a great reason to start at a regular college that is an MSI minoritynserving institution you can google that and get a list of schools. The way cSpi works is you apply as a sophomore i think and then the coast guard pays for your last two years of school plus a monthly stipen. You report to your local cga branch and wear the cga uniform once per week to school. When you get out you go to the academy for six weeks training I think and then you are commissioned to my knowledge as the same level as an academy grad but guess what.....those two years at regular college count towards your service requirement. On top of that.....it is approximately a 40% acceptance rate vs. the ten % into the academy. Would be a great back up if after reapplying the first time isnt successful.
just a thought.
We have heard of it, thank you, but hadn't checked into it enough with regards to MMI not being applicable under the CSPI route. Will do so, thank you!
 
My DD was denied last year in early admission. She self prepped at MMI this year and received an appointment. There were 10 self prep students that received appointments to CGA. When you join the Service Academy Prep program, you select the academy you are hopeful of gaining an appointment to and you get the opportunity to meet with members from that school when they visit. MMI may not be for everyone, but it worked out for my daughter and gave her a little taste of a military based school to ensure that’s what she wanted. You can still apply to multiple service academies and they highly encourage you to do so.
 
@Cop3654 - do you mind sharing how many students in the MMI SAP program this year identified as USCGA Self-Prep? Most are wondering how that figure compares to the 10 students who achieved an appointment to USCGA this year after completing the year of MMI - USCGA self prep program. If possible, would your DD also know how many of the USCGA self-preppers who did not receive a USCGA appointment this year, but did receive an appointment to a different SA?
 
There were 21 total, there were two that received appointments to other academies in addition the CG Academy. Hope this is helpful, all the info I have right now. All 10 of the self preps received there appointments the same day. MMI has a chart that shows the appointment numbers each year.
 
Hello all - looking for encouragement and input from those that were denied outright, reapplied and then accepted. DS will be contacting Capt. Fredie at Admissions for input into application and how to strengthen for next year. For us (his parents) the denial stung more than a waitlist (and not getting off it) would have. He’s taking it in stride and moving forward with MMI self-prep plans. Thank you in advance.
My ds was denied out of high school and went to MMI. There were 15 self preppers appyling, 6 got appointments in the spring, and four got waitlisted. He was waitlisted and 3 of the 4 got appointments off the waitlist not him. He was crushed but decided to go back for a second year and continue to improve his application and got his appointment March 2 last year. His older brother was a 2017 grad.
 
Hello all - looking for encouragement and input from those that were denied outright, reapplied and then accepted. DS will be contacting Capt. Fredie at Admissions for input into application and how to strengthen for next year. For us (his parents) the denial stung more than a waitlist (and not getting off it) would have. He’s taking it in stride and moving forward with MMI self-prep plans. Thank you in advance.
DS in MMI right now (at home distance learning). He love MMI everyone are helpful; staff, students, teachers, parents. My son has a great experience. Highly recommend MMI. He received his CGA appointment with the 9 self prep 3/20. Good luck!
 
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