Info on MIT NROTC

@kinnem, thank you! I did read that site already. I was hoping for some other more personal thoughts and opinions and experiences.
 
I thought you might be, which is why I said 'whole bunch' instead of all. Unfortunately I can't help in that area. Hopefully someone can. I think each unit is really the same for the most part, although I'm sure each has it's own "personality".
 
We were there 3 weeks ago on a due diligence visit. My DS took classes with the Mids and spent time touring the facility and interacted with the Mids do. Also spoke with the LT there teaching Naval Science and Aviation. You already know that MIT is the hosting Unit so Harvard and Tufts students use the unit together. All 3 ROTC Programs are located together at the same building. Students are allowed to drive and park their cars there at the parking lot so no stress of street parking. I know that Harvard offers free car and gas for their ROTC students not sure MIT does the same for theirs. I don't think they would need it since it is on campus.

I was very impressed with the MIT gym facility that the Mids use. It is a world class gym and the Mids practice their drills there and do their morning PTs. MIT offers very nice facility to ROTC Mids and Cadets so you can rest assure it is first class. I would say most Mids are from MIT. Harvard has about 10 Mids per class MIT more. The Unit has about 90 Mids in their Battalion. It is expected to grow incrementally each year as Harvard increases their number. MIT is pretty stable. The unit does lose about 5 Mids a year to USNA. About 5 Freshman each year don't come back and go to USNA as re-applicants. And about 2-3 who got into each MIT and Harvard turn down to go to USNA.

MIT Unit Mids, many are STEM majors. Few from Harvard and Tufts are non STEM Majors. My DS got his NROTC Scholarship to Harvard/MIT Unit as a non STEM T3 to major in History. But he can use the scholarship to take STEM major if he wishes. So T3 is flexible, T1 and T2 are STEM Scholarships.

My DS felt that compared to AFROTC and AROTC, NROTC culture is geeky in general with many STEM/Engineering students in the program who are mostly Scholars. It is less geeky at Yale but just as geeky at Brown where my DS also visited. Few are recruited Athlete type. Students my DS met at MIT NROTC are mostly Scholars. You know students with near perfect test scores and GPAs. I think he met more well rounded Cadets in the Air Force and Army ROTC at these schools.

As for the commanders, they change out every 2 years. So the current LT Ryan Wielgus, a USNA grad, will not be on-boarding your son. He is PCSing to his next duty station in July. We really liked him but LT and Commanders change every 2 years. Your son will go through about 2 different commanders while he is there. After going through 2 days with the ROTC units at MIT, we learned that Navy has the best 4 year systematic training rotation program for their ROTC Mids. Navy has short and fun training program every summer. Air Force and Army are very flexible with their summer training. Many are optional schools you can attend, except during your Junior year which are required. All ROTC Programs offer GO program which allow students to take the fellowship money to go abroad and study language in summers. MIT/Harvard offers their own 1 year fellowship paid program to take a language or study abroad if you wish. Some take a gap year to do this and it does not affect the ROTC Scholarship. Harvard/MIT students use their facilities interchangeably which is nice to have.

I hope this was helpful! And congrats on your son's acceptance to MIT. MIT moniker is Made in Taiwan ^^. It's kind of true since so many Asian students at MIT. It's cute ^^
 
Amazed I sent you a PM. In short I know the school, area and a young lady that will attend there in Sept.
 
We were there 3 weeks ago on a due diligence visit. My DS took classes with the Mids and spent time touring the facility and interacted with the Mids do. Also spoke with the LT there teaching Naval Science and Aviation. You already know that MIT is the hosting Unit so Harvard and Tufts students use the unit together. All 3 ROTC Programs are located together at the same building. Students are allowed to drive and park their cars there at the parking lot so no stress of street parking. I know that Harvard offers free car and gas for their ROTC students not sure MIT does the same for theirs. I don't think they would need it since it is on campus.

I was very impressed with the MIT gym facility that the Mids use. It is a world class gym and the Mids practice their drills there and do their morning PTs. MIT offers very nice facility to ROTC Mids and Cadets so you can rest assure it is first class. I would say most Mids are from MIT. Harvard has about 10 Mids per class MIT more. The Unit has about 90 Mids in their Battalion. It is expected to grow incrementally each year as Harvard increases their number. MIT is pretty stable. The unit does lose about 5 Mids a year to USNA. About 5 Freshman each year don't come back and go to USNA as re-applicants. And about 2-3 who got into each MIT and Harvard turn down to go to USNA.

MIT Unit Mids, many are STEM majors. Few from Harvard and Tufts are non STEM Majors. My DS got his NROTC Scholarship to Harvard/MIT Unit as a non STEM T3 to major in History. But he can use the scholarship to take STEM major if he wishes. So T3 is flexible, T1 and T2 are STEM Scholarships.

My DS felt that compared to AFROTC and AROTC, NROTC culture is geeky in general with many STEM/Engineering students in the program who are mostly Scholars. It is less geeky at Yale but just as geeky at Brown where my DS also visited. Few are recruited Athlete type. Students my DS met at MIT NROTC are mostly Scholars. You know students with near perfect test scores and GPAs. I think he met more well rounded Cadets in the Air Force and Army ROTC at these schools.

As for the commanders, they change out every 2 years. So the current LT Ryan Wielgus, a USNA grad, will not be on-boarding your son. He is PCSing to his next duty station in July. We really liked him but LT and Commanders change every 2 years. Your son will go through about 2 different commanders while he is there. After going through 2 days with the ROTC units at MIT, we learned that Navy has the best 4 year systematic training rotation program for their ROTC Mids. Navy has short and fun training program every summer. Air Force and Army are very flexible with their summer training. Many are optional schools you can attend, except during your Junior year which are required. All ROTC Programs offer GO program which allow students to take the fellowship money to go abroad and study language in summers. MIT/Harvard offers their own 1 year fellowship paid program to take a language or study abroad if you wish. Some take a gap year to do this and it does not affect the ROTC Scholarship. Harvard/MIT students use their facilities interchangeably which is nice to have.

I hope this was helpful! And congrats on your son's acceptance to MIT. MIT moniker is Made in Taiwan ^^. It's kind of true since so many Asian students at MIT. It's cute ^^
 
Thank you for all this information! My DD has an NROTC (LREC) to Tufts. We visited a year ago January and got some information but this is more than we knew. The Tufts unit is small, but the other MIDNs told DD that they had a great experience being a part of the unit with MIT and Harvard. We had heard some about the study abroad options, but not this much detail. This is such an exciting time and we are grateful for all the information we can get!
 
Wow! Thank you for all the information.
My daughter was accepted to MIT in December and assigned there with nrotc (first choice, but who expected to get in there!). She als has an appointment at Usna. She is visiting both in April

If anyone has more information, it would be appreciated.
 
Congratulations on your acceptance and NROTC scholarship.

Indeed for those with Appointment to USNA and MIT, not an easy decision if pursuing an Engineering Program. It is easier if pursuing non STEM. Here’s how we are coming down to see the clear comparison: USNA vs. MIT

- Military student experience with clear structure at USNA. In comparison, not much of military experience at MIT with much of the structure and responsibility on the student. If you want more you can get more but really falls on the student. Including caring for your personal things, time management, etc. At USNA all that is taken care of and everything is done together. So you feel more accountable and can focus on being a student and Midshipmen at USNA.

- very flexible academic curriculum at MIT vs. more set Academic Core with little room for electives unless you place out of intro classes in STEM and Social Science at USNA. Academically it is more rigorous at USNA because you are taking more classes in addition to Academy Midshipman responsibilities. So you have to work harder for your GPA. But we met Mids at USNA who are finishing with 3.9 even with all that they are doing.

- explore both military training and civilian summer jobs at MIT. And can take gap year to immerse abroad foreign studies and or study language funded by MIT and the Navy. Your Scholarship and extra funding is available to study abroad. Summer training in NROTC is bit shorter so your summer is longer.

- At USNA you have bit longer summer training and 3 weeks of summer break. It may come in 2 shorter breaks for some if taking internship sponsored by the Military and Defense industries.

- your school culture is either MIT Tufts Harvard or USNA. Not USNA Navy and NROTC Navy.

Still I was surprised to learn that around 3-5 leave the Battalion to report to USNA as a Plebe after doing freshman year at MIT/Harvard/Tufts. It shows that some always wanted to be at USNA even as a reapplicant, and few do realized that they wanted more than less Navy during college.

- lastly I personally feel that fraternity and the tradition is rich at USNA vs. MIT. MIT is an intellectual community first. And that’s what MIT is known for. Like USNA is known for its brand.

And we were reminded that for the first 18 months, MIT grads will play catch-up to USNA grads playing the role of Naval Officers. Simply because USNA grads lived it for 4 years. But after that we were told no one will see the difference. Beyond that it’s all about job performance.

I hope this is helpful.
 
Lots of good information here but I thought I'd weigh in here to offer a few thoughts. DS is a current NROTC MID @ MIT. He has a number of friends at USNA so we can compare/contrast. MIT does not have that flexible of a curriculum. All 1st year students take the same core classes their first year - majority STEM classes (Calculus, Physics, Chemistry plus 1 English or a Humanities class). Majors aren't declared until after your first year. Depending on your major (if you're not STEM - but very few majors at MIT are not STEM) you may have some flexibility in your upperclass years. However, depending on your classes in your major coupled with the ROTC workload, the MIDs there are busy. Fewer classes does not equal easier workload or academics that are less rigorous. Most MIDs take 4 or 5 classes plus ROTC Lab. Many undergrads are also doing research so that adds to the workload. And the summer experiences are plentiful while balancing the Navy requirements - CORTRAMID, etc. It really comes down to lifestyle - if the students want a the full academy experience, then they choose USNA. If they want a different college experience while still working towards commissioning and becoming a Navy or Marine Officer, then they choose the NROTC route. PM me if you want more specifics about the unit or have other questions.
 
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