Kings Point Overview

[kpmom2013]

I don’t get it. If 75% (or some majority) of those attending a maritime academy don’t want to sail why are the doors still open? It seems to me the taxpayers could save over $100mm/year by very slightly expanding the classes at the DOD academies. Those few students that wish to sail would be very welcome at our thriving state maritime academies. If one says it’s economically advantageous to attend KP rather than a state school they haven’t done their homework.

What am I missing?

What you are missing is the fact that Mr2020 is extremely biased against USMMA for some unknown reason. There is absolutely no way that 75% of KP mids do not want to sail on their license. Perhaps his circle of KP acquaintances are other mids with bad attitudes who can't find work and so don't want to sail. My DD (class of 2021) is very excited about sailing on her license as are most of her friends. But then she has a really positive attitude and surrounds herself with others who do as well, both those who want a maritime career and those who want to go AD. Most of my DS's friends (class of 2013) chose to sail on their license (even though he went AD Navy as a pilot). Two of them just bought really nice houses for cash. For one of them, it was his second house. So he is 29 years old, owns two houses free and clear, works at a job he loves on a 90 days on and 90 days off schedule. Show up at Kings Point with a good attitude and opportunities abound. Show up with a poor attitude and you can be miserable if that's your preference.

 

[Barky01]

Thanks kpmom...great advice...your the best.

 

[Mr2020]

There is absolutely no way that 75% of KP mids do not want to sail on their license. Perhaps his circle of KP acquaintances are other mids with bad attitudes who can't find work and so don't want to sail.

In my class 99 commissioned SSO (Navy Reserve), 75 commissioned AD in the services. 44% did not want to sail and went AD right off the bat.

Of the remaining 56% I know that many probably half are shoreside whether it be with NAVSEA, NASSCO, DOT, MSC Ashore, random shipyards. Most of the engineers I know went shoreside. Half of 56 is 28%. Close enough for government work. Say what you will but that's math, and numbers don't lie and numbers aren't biased.

 

[kp89]

Chase your dream! KP is a great school that should accept great candidates. I graduated as a "Sweathog" engineer near (very near) the bottom of my class. Loved sailing and took a job right out of school on a coastal tanker. After a year of sailing I was afforded the opportunity to fly for the Air Force and retired from the service after 27 years in 2016. Both are great and noble endevours. Mariners can be a salty bunch so don't let em' sway you.
To quote an old famous Mariner:
"I yam what I yam and dats all what I yam."
Popeye

Good luck

 

[Sargon]

I took my son to visit USCGA, USMMA, USMA and VMI where he ultimately ended up. My favorite was USMMA. I loved the mission, the campus, the unique nature, the location. I'm a teacher and I've had several students go to King's Point and all loved it. My son simply thought that VMI would better prepared him for a career in the Army and he was probably right, (didn't get into USMA). VMI has been awesome and everything has worked out for the best. If you've never visited KP give it a chance. You don't get do overs in life, but if you did I would go there.

 

[5280apg]

It’s a solid option and gets me to where I want to be, that being a Naval Aviator. The reason I applied in the first place was because of grads who suggested the option as a backup to Annapolis. Don’t see the issue but thanks for the comment...

I was a member of USMMA 2014 and went to KP for the same reason...as did some of my peers. Many stayed and loved their experience there. I ultimately left because the Maritime industry wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life, and to me it wasn’t worth spending more time pretty much only focusing on that when I had no intention or desire to put it to use. I decided to enlist in The Navy and after two years reapplied and received an appointment to USNA, graduating in 2017.

While deployed to Okinawa I actually ran into a good buddy and USMMA classmate of mine who shared the same reasoning for attending KP. He’s now a KP grad and Naval Aviator (P-3 pilot). He loved his time at KP and wouldn’t have had it any other way. We both ended up where we wanted to be.

In regards to Naval Aviation selection at USNA, generally speaking everyone I knew who was medically qualified and wanted to fly was selected. Everyone wants to be a pilot or a SEAL when they show up on I Day. As the years and training progress, there’s a natural separation between desire and medical screenings so by the time service selection rolls around almost everyone gets their first choice. Shoot, I didn’t want to fly and I got a Marine flight contract and turned it down for a ground contract.

You absolutely have a valid reason for attending KP, and you may love it there. It’s a good school with a different mission set, but certainly a viable option to get where you want to go. As mentioned above, KP gives you another unique array of opportunities after graduation. If you have any specific questions about my experiences at both academies let me know.

 

[IowaNative]

I was a member of USMMA 2014 and went to KP for the same reason...as did some of my peers. Many stayed and loved their experience there. I ultimately left ....

There is a thread in another forum where the poster talks about the financial burden he now has because of an early departure from the Naval Academy. If you don't mind me asking, did you face the same burden upon leaving KP?

 

[kpmom2013]

No obligation until you report for second class year.

 

[shiner]

If you don't mind me asking, did you face the same burden upon leaving KP?

@5280apg can answer for his situation (USMMA is different than the DoD SAs, and they pay for some items out of pocket) , but understand that in most cases, financial impacts vary by the date of your departure within the 4-year program. Let's assume there are variations by school (moreso on trigger date but not so much on duration). The commitment trigger date for USAFA has historically been the first academic day of the junior year. Once you step foot into the first session for your first period class of your junior year, you owe the government 2 years enlisted time or money for separating early. If you depart in your senior year - 3 years. If you complete the senior year but refuse a commission - 4 years. I can see a freshman owing money for computer and uniforms, but nothing major.

Official wording - see Discharge Policy

Commitment & Benefits | U.S. Air Force Academy

Attending the Air Force Academy is free with a commitment to serve your country. Benefits include no tuition, no room and board costs, and more.

www.academyadmissions.com

I would also like to add that discharge of cadets is not common. Attrition happens - for a number of reasons. Sometimes it is academic hardship, could be a change in family situation (cadet becomes a parent or chooses to leave to help a parent), could be an honor violation, or someone just realizing the childhood dream doesn't align with their current goals. Google suggests the graduation rates of SA to be between 77-85%. Each year, roughly 1200 new students arrive to eventually graduate roughly 1000 in each class for the DoD SAs. USMMA and USCGA are quite similar statistically, but on a smaller scale.

 

[kpmom2013]

The other thing I should have mentioned is that at USMMA, because there is no obligation until the start of second class year, you get to experience the first part of sea year before you decide whether to remain at the school (both A split and B split have this opportunity.) Work on a U.S. flagged merchant ship, get paid to see the world, then decide if you want to remain at the school or not. The only down side is that, due to the very specific curriculum at Kings Point, if you decide to leave after two years, you will probably only be able to transfer about one year worth of credits to a civilian college.

 

[5280apg]

There is a thread in another forum where the poster talks about the financial burden he now has because of an early departure from the Naval Academy. If you don't mind me asking, did you face the same burden upon leaving KP?

There is an initial cost for uniforms, books, computer, etc at KP but I had already paid it off so when I left I didn’t have any debts to pay back. As mentioned above, at USNA for example once you report back for your 2/C year and sign your commitment (“2 for 7’s as we called it) you were obligated to finish and if you failed to do so would be on the hook for paying back the cost of education you received. I can’t say for certain if it was an option, but the rumor was you could pay it back through enlisted service. I was in a special category due to entering the academy from enlisted service. If I were to leave before graduating they would have added the 5 year commitment to the remainder of time on my enlisted contract. I went to BUD/S so had an extended 6 year contract meaning I would have been obligated to 9 years of service if I didn’t graduate. I never had any trouble or doubts about wanting to finish, I loved it, but I’ll tell ya if I ever did 9 years would be a pretty huge motivator to stick it out.