MIT vs Princeton AROTC

[dadof2018grad]

My DD and I have heard many good things about both Princeton and MIT’s AROTC programs for engineering majors. What are specific differences, pros/ cons in comparing the two units? Both schools are the host school for their respective program which is a real positive.

 

[clarksonarmy]

I know a better engineering school with a really good Army ROTC Battalion an hour North of Fort Drum...just saying. First thing I would say is you shouldn’t focus on the ROTC program...we are all relatively good, and most of what a Cadet gets out of ROTC is self generated. Focus on the school and whether it’s going to be a good fit. If you really must fixate on the ROTC program first thing you should do is visit, or at least research their online info. Here are some good questions to ask them
How many Cadets did they graduate last year?
How many were from the host?
How many were STEM?
What branches did they get and how many got first choice?
How many CULP and Army internships did Cadets participate in?
How did their Ranger Challenge team do this year?
Where do they train?
Since it’s a DD, how many females in the program?
How many Cadets on scholarship?
What benefits does the school provide for scholarship/non scholarship Cadets?
When you are on Campus ask non Army ROTC what they think about ROTC to gauge support for the program, some schools don’t quite recognize or value their program the way others do.
Both programs are in 2nd brigade, which is the schools in the northeast. All the programs are good programs and you won’t go wrong either way.

I know I didn’t answer your questions, but hopefully gave you some questions to ask the school. Hopefully you’ll also think about adding a third program to that list...just saying.

 

[Dadx4]

For engineering? Agree with clarksonarmy about adding a third, but if you had to pick between the two for engineering, MIT.

 

[clarksonarmy]

I’m sure Mohawk will be along shortly to suggest RPI, and the Mohawk Battalion.

 

[DanGir]

Has she received acceptances to those schools? I ask because those are two of the top five most competitive colleges in America. I would research some other AROTC programs just in case.

 

[EDelahanty]

clarksonarmy's being modest. He didn't even mention the outstanding ice-fishing.

 

[kinnem]

Nor the hockey team!!! I did love going to college in Potsdam though. It's a dry cold.

 

[dadof2018grad]

Has she received acceptances to those schools? I ask because those are two of the top five most competitive colleges in America. I would research some other AROTC programs just in case.

No acceptances but she has won a 4-year national AROTC scholarship and may be competitive for both schools.

 

[k2rider]

Has she received acceptances to those schools? I ask because those are two of the top five most competitive colleges in America. I would research some other AROTC programs just in case.

No acceptances but she has won a 4-year national AROTC scholarship and may be competitive for both schools.

Good luck to her. One of my daughters best friends in high school had a 4.5 GPA, rated #2 out of over 500 students, ACT score of 35 and on top of everything else was Hispanic. She was accepted to every Academy, was awarded 4 year ROTC scholarships to AF and Navy on the 1st board but was turned down by MIT and UCLA. Go figure.

 

[Jcleppe]

I would fully agree with Clarkson, your daughter should pick the school first, the one that looks to be the best fit and offer s what she wants out of a college. When it comes to the Component and Branch selection it's on a National level, the school they attended has no bearing on the OML. Some of the top cadets in the nation have come from small state schools. If she does well academically, a good APFT, and does well in her Battalion and at Advanced Camp, she will set her self up for success no matter where she goes to school.

She should select the school she really wants to attend, but she should also have a back up in case she is not admitted so that she could apply for a transfer of scholarship if needed.

 

[thibaud]

My DD and I have heard many good things about both Princeton and MIT’s AROTC programs for engineering majors. What are specific differences, pros/ cons in comparing the two units? Both schools are the host school for their respective program which is a real positive.

I'm now advising the son of a friend on choosing between Princeton and MIT engineering (materials science focus).

These are very different worlds.

Based on what I've seen, and the feedback from many colleagues and a couple of family/friends who've attended each, the differences are:

MIT: intense, competitive, super-focused on building things. An engineering school's engineering school.
Regarding sociability / environment, MIT has a male-dominated culture of heroic technical feats. Not a strong community.
The favorite cliche: "At MIT you can ...
- sleep
- study
- have a social life.
Pick two."

Princeton: also intense but more focused on pure research and investigation/theoretical science than engineering. Well-rounded. Produces CEO types who are good at influencing others and building organizations (cf Eric Schmidt, Jeff Bezos).
Regarding sociability / environment, it's still a rich kid's school, with elitist eating clubs and a strong preppie and southern US Presbyterian vibe.

In short, if your DD's passion is building things, go for MIT. If it's building teams or organizations, go for Princeton.

 

[Day-Tripper]

RE: MIT

I used to work at MIT.

I was a janitor. I took the subway to work from my one-room apartment in South Boston ("Southie").

I frequently felt like I was smarter ("smah-tah") than the students there, even the professors actually.

Often I'd walk the hallways & classrooms mopping the floors and find a mathematical equation on a whiteboard & just solve it on my own.

One time I went to a local bar ("bah") and lectured a history major about his knowledge of colonial, agrarian pre-capitalist economic policies. Almost got into a fight. Other guy chickened out.

Oh, wait.....hang on.......never mind. Disregard all of the above.

It was a movie, not my life.

 

[Day-Tripper]

My DD and I have heard many good things about both Princeton and MIT’s AROTC programs for engineering majors. What are specific differences, pros/ cons in comparing the two units? Both schools are the host school for their respective program which is a real positive.

I hear the MIT engineering program is pretty good, given its global reputation.

The Army ROTC unit there is the Paul Revere Battalion. MIT is the host school. It includes some pretty good cross-town universities as well (Endicott, Wellesley, Gordon, Harvard, Tufts, Lesley & Salem.) If your DD can handle living in Cambridge (500 yards across the Charles River from Boston) for four years (not exactly hell, though the winters are cold) then I would suggest MIT.

Princeton? Great school. Don't get me wrong. But the closest metropolitan areas are King of Prussia, Trenton or Perth Amboy. Not exactly the equivalent to a night on the town in Boston's Back Bay or the Theatre District or Harvard Square.

What sounds like more fun? A 10-minute trip to Fenway Park for a Sox game or a 20-minute drive the, ugh, Mercer Mall on the Brunswick Turnpike?

Seriously, dadof2018grad, if your DD has been accepted to both MIT & Princeton then you have few things to complain about.

Merry Christmas & job-well-done.

Good luck!

 

[acadadad]

My son was a recent graduate of the Paul Revere Battalion (Harvard ). My impression is that while they do many things together, the cross town thing is not that big a deal, at least for the Cambridge Schools (Harvard, MIT, Tufts). Harvard covered transportation costs to MIT and the PT often rotated or became campus based part-way through the semester. My impression was that they were well prepared for BOLC (or whatever they call it now) and most did very well with respect to getting desired branch assignments. Balancing demands of ROTC with the academic rigor of these schools can be pretty difficult, particularly if you are really committed to the ROTC. The time management lessons however have translated well post-graduation. Harvard SEAS and Tufts engineering are certainly no slouch in the engineering field and that would provide 3 schools in the same battalion. As mentioned, getting in to any of these schools can be tricky. Harvard and MIT (and Princeton) seem to use the stair case method where they take all applications above certain cut-offs and throw them down a stair case and then start at the bottom of the stairs and work their way back up until the class is full. No idea how DS got in. Do know it is more than just STATs they are looking for, as they leave a whole lot of those on the table (I believe I saw Harvard rejected approximately 5000 applicants with perfect SATs one year). As always stated here good to have a plan B. Congrats to DD on 4 year Award.

 

[Day-Tripper]

My son was a recent graduate of the Paul Revere Battalion (Harvard ). My impression is that while they do many things together, the cross town thing is not that big a deal, at least for the Cambridge Schools (Harvard, MIT, Tufts). Harvard covered transportation costs to MIT and the PT often rotated or became campus based part-way through the semester. My impression was that they were well prepared for BOLC (or whatever they call it now) and most did very well with respect to getting desired branch assignments. Balancing demands of ROTC with the academic rigor of these schools can be pretty difficult, particularly if you are really committed to the ROTC. The time management lessons however have translated well post-graduation. Harvard SEAS and Tufts engineering are certainly no slouch in the engineering field and that would provide 3 schools in the same battalion. As mentioned, getting in to any of these schools can be tricky. Harvard and MIT (and Princeton) seem to use the stair case method where they take all applications above certain cut-offs and throw them down a stair case and then start at the bottom of the stairs and work their way back up until the class is full. No idea how DS got in. Do know it is more than just STATs they are looking for, as they leave a whole lot of those on the table (I believe I saw Harvard rejected approximately 5000 applicants with perfect SATs one year). As always stated here good to have a plan B. Congrats to DD on 4 year Award.

I have relative working at Harvard. If you can get a job there, it's better than California state employment or federal employment or even the Teamsters. Sweet retirement program. Nice benefits.

For (what I believe) to be public relations purposes (I wish it was mere patriotism), they are actively seeking veterans in their enrollment, with generous Yellow Ribbon program.

For veterans out there, even if your past academic performance was not stellar, don't be dissuaded from seeking a Harvard education. It'll look killer on your resume, and spending a few years living a subway ride from Harvard Square in one direction & Fenway Park in the other direction ain't so horrible. Recent political leaders such as George W Bush, Barack Obama, Tom Cotton,Ted Cruz, Al Gore, etc. can't be wrong.

Not to mention military leaders like John Abizaid, Hal Moore ("We Were Soldiers"), Teddy Roosevelt Jr & Leonard Wood.

To be fair, also Ted Kaczynski ("Una-Bomber").

 

[MohawkArmyROTC]

I’m sure Mohawk will be along shortly to suggest RPI, and the Mohawk Battalion.

But of course.

 

[pv123]

I have relative working at Harvard. If you can get a job there, it's better than California state employment or federal employment or even the Teamsters. Sweet retirement program. Nice benefits.

For (what I believe) to be public relations purposes (I wish it was mere patriotism), they are actively seeking veterans in their enrollment, with generous Yellow Ribbon program.

For veterans out there, even if your past academic performance was not stellar, don't be dissuaded from seeking a Harvard education. It'll look killer on your resume, and spending a few years living a subway ride from Harvard Square in one direction & Fenway Park in the other direction ain't so horrible. Recent political leaders such as George W Bush, Barack Obama, Tom Cotton,Ted Cruz, Al Gore, etc. can't be wrong.

Not to mention military leaders like John Abizaid, Hal Moore ("We Were Soldiers"), Teddy Roosevelt Jr & Leonard Wood.

To be fair, also Ted Kaczynski ("Una-Bomber").

George W Bush - Yale

 

[Day-Tripper]

I have relative working at Harvard. If you can get a job there, it's better than California state employment or federal employment or even the Teamsters. Sweet retirement program. Nice benefits.

For (what I believe) to be public relations purposes (I wish it was mere patriotism), they are actively seeking veterans in their enrollment, with generous Yellow Ribbon program.

For veterans out there, even if your past academic performance was not stellar, don't be dissuaded from seeking a Harvard education. It'll look killer on your resume, and spending a few years living a subway ride from Harvard Square in one direction & Fenway Park in the other direction ain't so horrible. Recent political leaders such as George W Bush, Barack Obama, Tom Cotton,Ted Cruz, Al Gore, etc. can't be wrong.

Not to mention military leaders like John Abizaid, Hal Moore ("We Were Soldiers"), Teddy Roosevelt Jr & Leonard Wood.

To be fair, also Ted Kaczynski ("Una-Bomber").

George W Bush - Yale

George W Bush - graduate degree at Harvard Business School at the age of 26-28. Not as much of a booze hound as he was as an undergrad at Yales in the late 1960s, but was known to occasionally stay 'till closing at Harvard Square bars. And smoke "left-handed cigarettes" (pot). Was rumored to be ar Game Six of the 1975 World Series (Pudge Fisk homer in the 12th inning) in the bleacher seats. Lived in a Somerville apartment in 1973-1975, about a mile from where future student/president Barack Obama resided from 1988-1990, while attending Harvard Law School. Both apartments were modest, but are now ultra-expensive condos. Bush would often drive up to Kennebunkport, Maine, to his parent's oceanfront estate (seen it -really nice!) on weekends. 'Bout an hour and a half away.

Note: Harvard Business School (Bush Jr alma mater) is on the south side of the Charles River, in Boston, off Soldier's Field Road. Harvard Law School (Obama alma mater) in on the north side of the Charles River, in Cambridge ("The People's Republic"), close to the main campus & Harvard Square. Both are maybe a mile away from each other.

Further Note: Every US president from 1989-2017 attended either Harvard or Yale. Had Hillary won in 2016 that streak would have been extended.