MMI vs GMI
- Thread starter xufan
- Start date
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Very different experiences. GMC is basically a normal college that has an ROTC program (effectively). You will attend classes with all students. MMI is full on immersion into a traditional military school. There are no students roaming around in civilian clothes. Pretty different experiences - all depends on what you want.
Our experience with GMC is different than described above by shiner. GMC is a large junior college system with schools all over, but the scholars are at the one campus in Milledgeville. It is an ECP junior college so almost everyone at the Milledgeville campus is enlisted or contracted Army or they are prep scholars. We toured both GMC and MMI and they are very similar as far as their system for academy prep programs. We were very impressed with MMI and you can't go wrong there. The admin staff was amazing with contact and they gave better scholarships at MMI than GMC. GMC is still fairly new to having all service academy prep students represented so there is much less on here about them. It is my understanding they were mainly USCG until recently and acquired contracts to do the others. Navy was new for prep scholars this year on campus. My DS chose GMC over MMI for personal reasons. He loved GMC and received an appointment to WP. GMC was closer to home and felt more like home to our DS as he had hunted and fished in the area growing up. MMI felt remote and the facilities are older so he felt he would get a little more college feel at GMC. There are 2 other small colleges in the same town so on the weekends he did get some normal college things he wouldn't have gotten at MMI (great restaurants, etc within walking distance). We were OK with that as he won't get that for 4 years at WP so he is glad he got that experience. It is a small town and the entire town looks out for the GMC cadets. He was in uniform daily, did formations, PT, study hall, etc, all very similar to academy life. They even had visits from career guys so they could get an idea of where they may like to branch. They PT 5 days a week at 5:50am and MMI does PT 3x week. GMC has mandatory study hall from 7-9 Sun-Thurs. No TV or video games allowed on campus for prep scholars. There were also no girls on boys halls/rooms, and vice versa. The study hall and the restrictions were good for our DS so he could learn to focus and study and manage his time. There were 45ish sponsored prep scholars with (I think) 4 self preps. 2/4 got appts (1USMA, 1 USMMA, and one of the ECP cadets got an appt to WP as well). They have a shooting team, Ranger team, their own Ranger course and rappelling tower, Glee club and several other things. I think MMI has a few more offerings than GMC in relation to activities/clubs. (It is hard to do these as a scholar.) One of the scholars at GMC this year was a sponsored prep at MMI last year. He said both are good programs. He did like GMC better for the location, facilities, things to do on weekend, and weather. He did say he felt a few of the instructors were better at MMI but there were a few subjects he liked at GMC better. The facilities at GMC are great and it is a small campus so the kids are very close. The admin staff is great there as well, but harder to reach on the phone when trying to get a tour so keep trying (we started contact in June so that may have been the issue). They were easy to get intouch with once your kid is there. LT. Ramirez is wonderful to talk you through and give you a tour. I think MMI does more actively for ACT/SAT retakes but that is available at GMC if you want it. Overall, if I had a sponsored prep student, I would go to the one that felt the most like home as it is a long hard year and it helped DS stay on top of things. It was also nice for him to come home and bring a friend who lived far away and count go home. He didn't come home often but there were weekends he did and it was a needed break. He definitely feels ready for WP now after the time he had there learning to study, learning to be a cadet, and learning the military in general. It was rigorous physically, mentally and emotionally, but there was support and there was fun on the weekends. The leadership there were great to write letters of rec and make calls. They stayed on top of the kids to get their reapplications done. If I had a self prep I am not sure where I would choose. Both good options, but different. I would go tour and see how they feel if you can. GMC was perfect for our cadet and it served its purpose well for his learning style. Feel free to message me for more info and good luck.
Last edited:
Pink3xs
Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2019
- Messages
- 37
Hey!
I am currently a falcon scholar at GMC, the first group of air force at GMC, we graduate in 2ish weeks! I'm from Nothern VA. I just recieved my appointment to USAFA too. I honestly think it's the best option out there when it comes to prep schools.
1. It's an actual college. We take actual college classes, most of the time with the scholar group but you can opt to go to extra civilian classes (I took 3, 1 per quarter outside of my regular required classes and I loved them). I knew some people at MMI and it seemed like we had much harder classes and overall schedules.
2. Tutoring is super available and free from opening 7am-6pm.
3. The group of scholars is seriously amazing. We became our own family away from home. Supporting each other with homework, academy application, pt standards etc. Btw, scholars are the people who have the special offers from the academy. There are currently the 4 main academies officially but we had one guy accept an appointment to USMMA.
4. The schedule is super rigorous. The corps is demanding and so are classes. We wake up everyday 5:30 for pt and with the amount of classes and extra stuff the corps had us do we went to sleep at 12am on average. Some people stay up longer or shorter depending on schedule and studying ability. It sucks but you find a rhythm and it mimics the rigor of academy life so much more than the other schools, in my opinion of course.
5. There are also a bunch of school activities and field trips that you can opt to participate in. The school had halloween, xmas, and other fun party-line events.
6. The corps is kind of a mess. There are 4 kinds of cadets there and not everyone is as motivated or has the same goals and that causes distractions and chaos sometimes. But the faculty is super supportive of scholars and we were kind of their prized jewel.
7. This past year, the faculty didn't really help us with our reapplication process. I think this was because previously, they only had coasties who don't reapply so it was a new experience for them. They did try their hardest.
8. You can validate classes with AP scores but you need to specifically request them from the dean who also gets to be your personal academic advisor.
9. Because of the amount of academics, you get only a few credits shy of earning an associate's degree and you can transfer back academy credits to finish the degree. Right now I'm 1 pe class away from my degree so I'll earn my AS after the first academy semester.
10. The gyms are great. They have strange hours though, especially on weekends.
11. The library is nice too an open really early and late. We went there regularly during mandatory study times.(7pm-9pm 5days a week)
12. You can join fun sports and clubs. I did drill team and we went to Louisiana for a huge competition and almost placed, we would have if we had a bigger team.
I honestly hated it at times but at the end of the day, I feel so much more prepared than if I had gone to any of the other schools.
If you have any other questions or I can clarify something, feel free to contact me. Private message me and we could text/call.
I am currently a falcon scholar at GMC, the first group of air force at GMC, we graduate in 2ish weeks! I'm from Nothern VA. I just recieved my appointment to USAFA too. I honestly think it's the best option out there when it comes to prep schools.
1. It's an actual college. We take actual college classes, most of the time with the scholar group but you can opt to go to extra civilian classes (I took 3, 1 per quarter outside of my regular required classes and I loved them). I knew some people at MMI and it seemed like we had much harder classes and overall schedules.
2. Tutoring is super available and free from opening 7am-6pm.
3. The group of scholars is seriously amazing. We became our own family away from home. Supporting each other with homework, academy application, pt standards etc. Btw, scholars are the people who have the special offers from the academy. There are currently the 4 main academies officially but we had one guy accept an appointment to USMMA.
4. The schedule is super rigorous. The corps is demanding and so are classes. We wake up everyday 5:30 for pt and with the amount of classes and extra stuff the corps had us do we went to sleep at 12am on average. Some people stay up longer or shorter depending on schedule and studying ability. It sucks but you find a rhythm and it mimics the rigor of academy life so much more than the other schools, in my opinion of course.
5. There are also a bunch of school activities and field trips that you can opt to participate in. The school had halloween, xmas, and other fun party-line events.
6. The corps is kind of a mess. There are 4 kinds of cadets there and not everyone is as motivated or has the same goals and that causes distractions and chaos sometimes. But the faculty is super supportive of scholars and we were kind of their prized jewel.
7. This past year, the faculty didn't really help us with our reapplication process. I think this was because previously, they only had coasties who don't reapply so it was a new experience for them. They did try their hardest.
8. You can validate classes with AP scores but you need to specifically request them from the dean who also gets to be your personal academic advisor.
9. Because of the amount of academics, you get only a few credits shy of earning an associate's degree and you can transfer back academy credits to finish the degree. Right now I'm 1 pe class away from my degree so I'll earn my AS after the first academy semester.
10. The gyms are great. They have strange hours though, especially on weekends.
11. The library is nice too an open really early and late. We went there regularly during mandatory study times.(7pm-9pm 5days a week)
12. You can join fun sports and clubs. I did drill team and we went to Louisiana for a huge competition and almost placed, we would have if we had a bigger team.
I honestly hated it at times but at the end of the day, I feel so much more prepared than if I had gone to any of the other schools.
If you have any other questions or I can clarify something, feel free to contact me. Private message me and we could text/call.
SurferGirl
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2018
- Messages
- 58
My DS attended MMI this past year as a Coast Guard self-prep and received an appointment to USCGA in March. These are his opinions/thoughts on MMI and its service academy program:
1. Cadets in MMI service academy program are very independent. When there is not a mandatory corps of cadets function, cadets have the freedom to choose how they want to plan their day. There is no higher authority dictating that you must study at this time or workout at this time. Officially there is an evening study period from 7-9 PM, but few abide by it (at least in the barracks). If you actually want to study/do homework, there are the chemistry lab rooms (which are left open until 9:30 PM) and the student academic success center (where there are peer tutors that are appointed by the instructors/professors themselves).
2. There is almost nothing to do in the town of Marion and the surrounding local area (except fishing or going to a park). So that is why most local cadets go home on the weekends or for those who aren't local but have a car on campus go to Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, or even gulf coast Florida for something to do. There is leave on Wednesday night and from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. Often times the campus looks like a ghost town on the weekends because almost everyone is gone.
3. As previously stated in an above post, MMI service academy program cadets only have PT 3 times per week in the fall semester and 2 times per week in the spring semester. In the fall, PT is from 5:45-7 AM and is quite challenging if you put effort in. Since there are around 130 cadets in the service academy program, PT is broken up into 4 groups based off of running ability. My DS was in the top group for PT (A group) and the guys in the top group were super macho and in awesome shape. He was towards the lower end of A group and often times struggled to keep up on the runs, push ups, sit ups, etc. because of the caliber of the other cadets in his group, but it pushed him to become to vastly improve his physical fitness. In the spring, the PT is in the afternoon 3 PM - 4:30 PM and is a rotation between swim PT, long runs, and gym PT. In addition to the mandatory group PT, cadets must also go to the gym for a total of 3 hours a week for resistance training in the spring. As a result of this challenging PT program, my DS improved his USCGA PFE by 30 points and did significantly better also on the CFA.
4. There are an ample amount of opportunities to join clubs at MMI. Here are all the clubs that my DS could remember: Skydiving club, Fishing club, scuba diving club, Precision Rifle Drill Team, Service Club, Ranger Challenge (which competes in a military skills competition each mid-October at Fort Knox against other military junior and senior colleges), Special Forces Training club (called Swamp Fox), ethics bowl team, honor and color guards, Normandy Society (history club), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, shooting team (pistol only), and Flying club (which many cadets interested in military aviation are involved in because there are certified flight instructors, a local airport 10 miles away from town, and cadets have the opportunity to earn their Private Pilot's License). In addition to these clubs, there is also opportunity for involvement in music at MMI in the marching band, concert band, jazz band, and choir.
5. MMI is NJCAA D1 sports, so there are recruited athletes but also there are opportunities to walk on to an athletic team. My DS knew cadets that walked on to the Cross Country team and tennis team. There are also Men's Basketball, Men's Baseball, Women's Softball, and Men's and Women's Golf but they are almost all recruited athletes.
6. The academic courses for service academy program cadets are challenging and offer a very authentic simulation of the schedule of a first year cadet/midshipman at an academy. My DS took Calculus I, Physics Mechanics (trig based), Chemistry I, Freshman Composition I, Army ROTC, and Marching Band I in the fall semester. In the spring, he took Calculus II, Physics Electricity and Magnetism (trig based), Chemistry II, Freshman Composition II, Army ROTC, and March Band II. All cadets at MMI have to take Army ROTC (even sponsored cadets) as their military course, except for the small number of cadets who are cross enrolled in AFROTC at University of Alabama. My DS did well academically (mostly because the AP courses he took in high school were good preparation) but, some cadets struggle. So that is why (as previously mentioned) peer tutoring is available and the professors have generous office hours in which cadets can come for help.
7. If applying to a service academy doesn't work out, there other opportunities to become a commissioned officer through MMI. There is Army Early Commissioning Program (which GMC has too), Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course, and (as previously stated) AFROTC cross enrollment at University of Alabama.
8. MMI is the only civilian prep school used by all 5 service academies to send their sponsored cadets. In addition, the self-prep program is very strong at MMI because if a self-prep does well at MMI, it is an indication that they can do well at the first year of a service academy. Academy admissions officers from all academies also come down to visit both sponsored and self-sponsored frequently. Each year at MMI there are around 70 sponsored cadets and 60 self-sponsored cadets. MMI posts statistics about appointment numbers on their website, but on average 65 sponsored cadets receive appointments and 30 self-sponsored cadets receive appointments.
9. Our DS did Cadet for A Day at USCGA in his senior year of high school and the USCGA Director of Admissions described GMC as more overall Army focused (so think leadership and physical fitness) whereas MMI is more academically focused.
10. As a side note, the sole athletic interaction between GMC and MMI is the annual cross country meet hosted by GMC. This past fall MMI was victorious over GMC!
11. Both schools are great. The choice is up to you.
Hope this helps!
1. Cadets in MMI service academy program are very independent. When there is not a mandatory corps of cadets function, cadets have the freedom to choose how they want to plan their day. There is no higher authority dictating that you must study at this time or workout at this time. Officially there is an evening study period from 7-9 PM, but few abide by it (at least in the barracks). If you actually want to study/do homework, there are the chemistry lab rooms (which are left open until 9:30 PM) and the student academic success center (where there are peer tutors that are appointed by the instructors/professors themselves).
2. There is almost nothing to do in the town of Marion and the surrounding local area (except fishing or going to a park). So that is why most local cadets go home on the weekends or for those who aren't local but have a car on campus go to Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, or even gulf coast Florida for something to do. There is leave on Wednesday night and from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. Often times the campus looks like a ghost town on the weekends because almost everyone is gone.
3. As previously stated in an above post, MMI service academy program cadets only have PT 3 times per week in the fall semester and 2 times per week in the spring semester. In the fall, PT is from 5:45-7 AM and is quite challenging if you put effort in. Since there are around 130 cadets in the service academy program, PT is broken up into 4 groups based off of running ability. My DS was in the top group for PT (A group) and the guys in the top group were super macho and in awesome shape. He was towards the lower end of A group and often times struggled to keep up on the runs, push ups, sit ups, etc. because of the caliber of the other cadets in his group, but it pushed him to become to vastly improve his physical fitness. In the spring, the PT is in the afternoon 3 PM - 4:30 PM and is a rotation between swim PT, long runs, and gym PT. In addition to the mandatory group PT, cadets must also go to the gym for a total of 3 hours a week for resistance training in the spring. As a result of this challenging PT program, my DS improved his USCGA PFE by 30 points and did significantly better also on the CFA.
4. There are an ample amount of opportunities to join clubs at MMI. Here are all the clubs that my DS could remember: Skydiving club, Fishing club, scuba diving club, Precision Rifle Drill Team, Service Club, Ranger Challenge (which competes in a military skills competition each mid-October at Fort Knox against other military junior and senior colleges), Special Forces Training club (called Swamp Fox), ethics bowl team, honor and color guards, Normandy Society (history club), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, shooting team (pistol only), and Flying club (which many cadets interested in military aviation are involved in because there are certified flight instructors, a local airport 10 miles away from town, and cadets have the opportunity to earn their Private Pilot's License). In addition to these clubs, there is also opportunity for involvement in music at MMI in the marching band, concert band, jazz band, and choir.
5. MMI is NJCAA D1 sports, so there are recruited athletes but also there are opportunities to walk on to an athletic team. My DS knew cadets that walked on to the Cross Country team and tennis team. There are also Men's Basketball, Men's Baseball, Women's Softball, and Men's and Women's Golf but they are almost all recruited athletes.
6. The academic courses for service academy program cadets are challenging and offer a very authentic simulation of the schedule of a first year cadet/midshipman at an academy. My DS took Calculus I, Physics Mechanics (trig based), Chemistry I, Freshman Composition I, Army ROTC, and Marching Band I in the fall semester. In the spring, he took Calculus II, Physics Electricity and Magnetism (trig based), Chemistry II, Freshman Composition II, Army ROTC, and March Band II. All cadets at MMI have to take Army ROTC (even sponsored cadets) as their military course, except for the small number of cadets who are cross enrolled in AFROTC at University of Alabama. My DS did well academically (mostly because the AP courses he took in high school were good preparation) but, some cadets struggle. So that is why (as previously mentioned) peer tutoring is available and the professors have generous office hours in which cadets can come for help.
7. If applying to a service academy doesn't work out, there other opportunities to become a commissioned officer through MMI. There is Army Early Commissioning Program (which GMC has too), Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course, and (as previously stated) AFROTC cross enrollment at University of Alabama.
8. MMI is the only civilian prep school used by all 5 service academies to send their sponsored cadets. In addition, the self-prep program is very strong at MMI because if a self-prep does well at MMI, it is an indication that they can do well at the first year of a service academy. Academy admissions officers from all academies also come down to visit both sponsored and self-sponsored frequently. Each year at MMI there are around 70 sponsored cadets and 60 self-sponsored cadets. MMI posts statistics about appointment numbers on their website, but on average 65 sponsored cadets receive appointments and 30 self-sponsored cadets receive appointments.
9. Our DS did Cadet for A Day at USCGA in his senior year of high school and the USCGA Director of Admissions described GMC as more overall Army focused (so think leadership and physical fitness) whereas MMI is more academically focused.
10. As a side note, the sole athletic interaction between GMC and MMI is the annual cross country meet hosted by GMC. This past fall MMI was victorious over GMC!
11. Both schools are great. The choice is up to you.
Hope this helps!
That is a great question! I was an MMI self-prep this past year. MMI is a really great place to go, whether you are sponsored or not. Both sponsored and non-sponsored cadets receive the same treatment and are required to follow the same curriculum, which is determined by the academy that you desire to go to.
In general, MMI can be boring. However, once you have your goal in mind, it is easy to start enjoying your time there. Just as SurferGirl said, there is not much to do in the great town of Marion, Alabama. I was considered a local, so I traveled home most every weekend. It is just really important to have self-discipline and keep your goals in sight. It is far from easy. Regardless of the academy that your sponsorship is to, you will still be required to take general chemistry, which is not easy.
Being at MMI will really force you to think about if the academy life is what you really want. It is an adjustment period and you will run into some struggles, but everyone is there to help. Everything that you accomplish during your time at either school will depend on what you put into it. At MMI, it is important to keep your focus. In the barracks, it is very easy to get distracted and procrastinate your work... DO NOT DO THAT!!! Every kid dreams of having the college experience, but you won't get too much of that at MMI. If you focus on your grades and do what you are supposed to, the time passes quickly. While there is a designated study time at MMI, called PMCQ, it is not utilized as it should be.
If you are not prepared to live the military life, both schools will expose that. I struggled the first semester and was definitely ready to pack my bags and come home. Things did get better though. MMI has several things on campus that will help you, including the barracks life. Living in the barracks is the closest to a true college experience as you will get at any military college. As long as you are respectful, keep your head down and get the job done, both schools will prove beneficial to you.
MMI does have academic tutors, Academic Success Center, and plenty of teachers that are ready and willing to help you achieve your goals. If you have a lifeguard certification, you can also work as a paid lifeguard during your tenure at MMI. There are other opportunities to earn pay while you are there, such as tutoring and refereeing intramural sports. I can't speak for what GMI has because MMI is all I've known. I can tell you that MMI was not my first choice of school, but it was worth it. Most all of MMI's sponsored cadets and many self-sponsored earned their appointments earlier this spring.
Now, from a cadet perspective. It really is a fun place to be will all of the programs that are on campus. The MMI campus is unlike any other parts of the surrounding town, it's sort of its own city. If you can get beyond the chow (which you will experience at either college) you will be fine. MMI also has a place on campus called the QM. There, you can find your favorite Starbuck's drink, delicious pizza, burgers, and wings for a reasonable price. Don't visit Starbucks every day or it will drain your bank account and make that PT dreadful.
Speaking of PT, the early morning PT was not fun, but it was helpful. The PT instructor at MMI is a retired Army 1SG, so he really puts you to work. Morning PT can make it more difficult to stay awake during classes and to go a full day without a nap, that is why Starbucks will be your best friend. Since SurferGirl already told you about the PT, I'll spare you the repetition. Also, your grades may not always be the best at either school because of the demanding days that you will have. This is a matter of time management and self-discipline. Once you get into the habit of doing things the right way, your grades will show a dramatic improvement. While it is up to you how you plan your day, do know that you will have several mandatory formations to plan around.
As for MMI, you will always have help, but you have to do the work. You have received the perspectives of parents and now a cadet. I am here to tell you that the classes are demanding. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE OFFERED at either school you choose. I think both schools will get you to your goal if you are willing to get yourself there. MMI prides itself on making strong, honest leaders, but part of that is you learning how to do things on your own. At either school, you will need to be sure that you are in class every day so that you do not miss any pertinent information. At MMI, you can only miss four classes before you fail. In addition, for each class you miss, you will receive two study hall hours that will be served during your leave time on Wednesdays and Fridays. I do believe that they changed the policy so that you can now only serve study hours on Wednesday, so if you don't finish them, you don't get weekend liberty.
Again, you will have challenging courses at MMI, as listed by SurferGirl, but you determine how well you will do. Both are great schools from what I know and I am positive that you will be successful at either. Prepare yourself for optimal growth during that short two semesters as you compete for an appointment to an academy. Always be sure to stay positive and ask for help. You can do whatever you set your mind to.
I hope this helps you understand what life is like at MMI. At Marion, you will eat, sleep, and breathe their infamous motto: "Truth, Honor, Service"! Best of luck to you in your decision making! If you have any MMI-specific questions, please feel free to reach out in a private message.
The choice is yours! Go forth and succeed!
In general, MMI can be boring. However, once you have your goal in mind, it is easy to start enjoying your time there. Just as SurferGirl said, there is not much to do in the great town of Marion, Alabama. I was considered a local, so I traveled home most every weekend. It is just really important to have self-discipline and keep your goals in sight. It is far from easy. Regardless of the academy that your sponsorship is to, you will still be required to take general chemistry, which is not easy.
Being at MMI will really force you to think about if the academy life is what you really want. It is an adjustment period and you will run into some struggles, but everyone is there to help. Everything that you accomplish during your time at either school will depend on what you put into it. At MMI, it is important to keep your focus. In the barracks, it is very easy to get distracted and procrastinate your work... DO NOT DO THAT!!! Every kid dreams of having the college experience, but you won't get too much of that at MMI. If you focus on your grades and do what you are supposed to, the time passes quickly. While there is a designated study time at MMI, called PMCQ, it is not utilized as it should be.
If you are not prepared to live the military life, both schools will expose that. I struggled the first semester and was definitely ready to pack my bags and come home. Things did get better though. MMI has several things on campus that will help you, including the barracks life. Living in the barracks is the closest to a true college experience as you will get at any military college. As long as you are respectful, keep your head down and get the job done, both schools will prove beneficial to you.
MMI does have academic tutors, Academic Success Center, and plenty of teachers that are ready and willing to help you achieve your goals. If you have a lifeguard certification, you can also work as a paid lifeguard during your tenure at MMI. There are other opportunities to earn pay while you are there, such as tutoring and refereeing intramural sports. I can't speak for what GMI has because MMI is all I've known. I can tell you that MMI was not my first choice of school, but it was worth it. Most all of MMI's sponsored cadets and many self-sponsored earned their appointments earlier this spring.
Now, from a cadet perspective. It really is a fun place to be will all of the programs that are on campus. The MMI campus is unlike any other parts of the surrounding town, it's sort of its own city. If you can get beyond the chow (which you will experience at either college) you will be fine. MMI also has a place on campus called the QM. There, you can find your favorite Starbuck's drink, delicious pizza, burgers, and wings for a reasonable price. Don't visit Starbucks every day or it will drain your bank account and make that PT dreadful.
Speaking of PT, the early morning PT was not fun, but it was helpful. The PT instructor at MMI is a retired Army 1SG, so he really puts you to work. Morning PT can make it more difficult to stay awake during classes and to go a full day without a nap, that is why Starbucks will be your best friend. Since SurferGirl already told you about the PT, I'll spare you the repetition. Also, your grades may not always be the best at either school because of the demanding days that you will have. This is a matter of time management and self-discipline. Once you get into the habit of doing things the right way, your grades will show a dramatic improvement. While it is up to you how you plan your day, do know that you will have several mandatory formations to plan around.
As for MMI, you will always have help, but you have to do the work. You have received the perspectives of parents and now a cadet. I am here to tell you that the classes are demanding. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE OFFERED at either school you choose. I think both schools will get you to your goal if you are willing to get yourself there. MMI prides itself on making strong, honest leaders, but part of that is you learning how to do things on your own. At either school, you will need to be sure that you are in class every day so that you do not miss any pertinent information. At MMI, you can only miss four classes before you fail. In addition, for each class you miss, you will receive two study hall hours that will be served during your leave time on Wednesdays and Fridays. I do believe that they changed the policy so that you can now only serve study hours on Wednesday, so if you don't finish them, you don't get weekend liberty.
Again, you will have challenging courses at MMI, as listed by SurferGirl, but you determine how well you will do. Both are great schools from what I know and I am positive that you will be successful at either. Prepare yourself for optimal growth during that short two semesters as you compete for an appointment to an academy. Always be sure to stay positive and ask for help. You can do whatever you set your mind to.
I hope this helps you understand what life is like at MMI. At Marion, you will eat, sleep, and breathe their infamous motto: "Truth, Honor, Service"! Best of luck to you in your decision making! If you have any MMI-specific questions, please feel free to reach out in a private message.
The choice is yours! Go forth and succeed!
For what service? Do you get to pick between the two for a sponsored spot?
USMA. My son (I am forbidden to use DS, LOL) received sponsored civil prep and was given a list of 5 military schools to attend. We narrowed it down to MMI and GMC. Our conclusion is that both are great and it comes down to personal nuances when making a choice.
We havent heard anything and the website does not specify. I think we are just starting to get the flury of emails so I suppose they will let us know
Physicsguru
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2011
- Messages
- 547
At MMI, CGA pays part of the tuition, and the rest is paid by the school through a financial aid grant. For room, board, and uniforms, the students have to set up a payment plan based on their Coast Guard Housing allowance. Make sure you fill out the FAFSA, and you can apply any financial aid like Pell grants toward the room, board, books, and fees.
Pink3xs
Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2019
- Messages
- 37
We havent heard anything and the website does not specify. I think we are just starting to get the flury of emails so I suppose they will let us know
Tuition at MC was $2500 last August.
and you have the option of doing monthly or quarterly payments.
We were so freakin excited how many thousands wew were saving that we just straight paid the $2500 in full.
First installment isn't due until the 2nd week of school, but again we paid it with a credit card (you can bank payments or checks) we we dropped her off in Aug.
We just back a few hours ago, despite Covid they had a mini ceremony for the graduates.
Happy to answer any Querys you might have.
Daughter and Mother share this id (Pink3xs) on this forum and check often.
Attended as a Falcon Scholar but of course made Friends with all of the Academies represented at GMC.