I know questions ver similar to this have been asked, but what college, VMI or The Citadel, produces more Marine officers. I am interested in VMI, The Citadel, and USNA. My ultimate goal is to gain commission as a Marine Corps officer. In your opinion, what school gives me the best chance of doing so?
Marine ROTC
- Thread starter Joe1999
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Lawman32RPD
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Both The Citadel and the Virginia Military Institute have produced many fine Marine Officers. If you can gain admission to one or the other or both, or Naval Academy, you'll be in a great position. You know your grade point average, your standardized test scores (SAT and/or ACT), and your families financial situtation. Try to overnight at one or the other or both (VMI or The Citadel), visit the Naval Academy. There are many many ways to the top of the mountain, maybe it is through one of those institutions, or through NROTC at another institution, or through the Platoon Leaders Course route. What do you want to study, which school matches more closely with that? The Naval Academy is math and science focused as I recall so even if you major in English you'll earn a Bachelor of Science degree and take more math and science classes than you might at The Citadel or VMI. You know your academic strengths and c
SGTLee
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@Joe1999 - My DS is a fish at Texas A&M, did not initially secure an NROTC / MO scholarship, was awarded "in-state" tuition (which was very helpful as an out of state parent). His goal is to serve as an officer in the USMC and after arriving to A&M very prepared, especially for the PFT, was contracted for the Platoon Leaders Course within two weeks and formally selected just before Christmas to attend the Officer Candidate Course in Quantico, VA this summer. The Citadel and VMI are both fine schools (my DS was accepted/very interested in the Citadel), but Texas A&M appealed to him more in addition to be very reasonable on the budget. There's many paths to that gold bar and my only recommendation is finding the best school for you that also makes sense financially. God willing, if my boy stays healthy, maintains a solid GPA, and performs well at trainings, etc. he will graduate with the famous Aggie ring and receive a commission as a 2LT in the USMC.
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I like Lawman's answer
Make sure you check out all 3 (or 4) schools if you can. No bad choice in my opinion. Have served with fine officers from each school.
One thing to add, I do not "know" details of El Cid or TAMU but have learned about VMI since DS goes there. The Marine connection runs deep.
Make sure you check out all 3 (or 4) schools if you can. No bad choice in my opinion. Have served with fine officers from each school.
One thing to add, I do not "know" details of El Cid or TAMU but have learned about VMI since DS goes there. The Marine connection runs deep.
Marine ROTC - I am a Citadel grad, so I am biased - but other than the USNA which produces the most Marine Corps officers, each of the 69 or so NROTC units at American colleges and universities offer you about the same opportunity via ROTC - and by this I mean you are selected based on how well you do not on what college you attend. This means you need to do well in military science classes, but also your academic major, plus your personal results at Quantico versus all the other candidates. These are what the Marine Corps considers (similar to all other services) in rating you for a commission and your specialty. The SMCs provide a perhaps more intense atmosphere (although even at an SMC this is up to your own initiative) in which to learn whether you are a fit in the service of your choice, plus the bonds you will develop with classmates who choose to enter the same service. So my advice would be to pick a college and major you can be passionate about. Penn State and Notre Dame for example have outstanding reputations and offer many STEM majors that may fit your interests. So does TAMU. My son-in-law is a Major in the Marine Corps who attended Penn State and has many Penn State fellow alumni friends in the Corps. If you are interested in small colleges, VMI and The Citadel offer outstanding small college traditions and long histories of graduating Marine Corps officers. At The Citadel the non-coms in the MECEP program at the NROTC unit, provide a great cadre for Cadets considering the Marine Corps. I mention the MECEP program (Marine enlisted college program leading to commission), because at college NROTC units that have MECEPS, these competively selected Marines go to college while also serving in the NROTC unit as instructors and personal role models. The current PNS at The Citadel is a Citadel grad from the MECEP program who has had an outstanding career, especially in special operations units. Most of all choose a place that inspires you to excel - this always the best opportunity to realize your goals. Good luck