Need some help

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Firecracker070403

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So I am currently a rising senior and will graduate in 2021. I live in South Carolina. I've wanted to go to USMA for as long as I can remember but I know getting in is not 100% guaranteed. So I have a plan B.
Plan A- USMA
Plan B- Citadel

But just in case I don't get into either of those schools I want a Plan C. I know I want to go to a military college. I love the structure and the order in them. I plan to join the U.S. Army through a college/university. I have looked into VMI but I'm not sure. Could y'all help spread some light on the different Military colleges?

Thank you so much. If you would prefer to PM me please do I just want to get some help to choose my Plan C.
 
There are 6 Senior Military Colleges (SMCs):
1. The Citadel
2. VMI
3. Virginia Tech
4. Texas A&M
5. Norwich
6. Univ. of North GA

With you being a SC resident, the Citadel is a great option. All of the SMCs are great schools, but very different from each other. The Citadel should be much easier to get into than USMA. Are you pursuing a ROTC Scholarship?
 
Are you applying for Army ROTC scholarship, as well, given your strong interest in USMA?
 
North Georgia might be an interesting option. You will most likely get accepted at the Citadel (80%) if you are a possible candidate for USMA. You might want to consider a plan B (or C) in case the DODMERB doesn't work out. A lot of kids are thrown curve balls there. See what you'd like to study and pick a non-military school based upon that as a backup.
 
A solid plan C would be VMI - much as we give them grief VMI a fine school with a noble tradition, though a somewhat abbreviated fourth class system . Any of the other SMC would make for a great plan C2 ... UNG is Army only and said to be the lowest price.

Honestly there isn't a bad choice to be made out of the SMC

GO DOGS! BEAT KEYDETS!!!
 
So, as a SC resident, interested in a SMC as a plan B - on the issue of value for your investment - The Citadel is an incredibl bargain for in-state cadets. In-state tuition at ~ $14K/yr is partially offset by the SC lottery merit scholarships awarded to anyone with an 1100 SAT and 3.0 GPA. If you have 1200 SAT and a bit higher GPA, you can receive up to $10k/yr in SC Lottery merit scholarship money. This can be stacked on top of any ROTC scholarship you receive (Army, Navy and USMC pay full tuition, books, fees and a monthly stipend). In addition, The Citadel awards the Armed Forces Supplement of $3,500/yr to any national ROTC scholarship cadet with a 1200 SAT and GPA of 3.2, that can be used towards other expenses including R&B. Essentially, if you are awarded a national Army ROTC scholarship, plus the SC lottery scholarship, you pay very little. And you can also qualify for other merit and financial need scholarships the school offers up to the cost of attendance.

Your most important consideration besides value, however, should be what academic course you are interested in taking. If you don't do well academically you can lose your ROTC and academic scholarships, and it will negatively impact whatever your plan B or C is - including your choice of branch on commissioning. All SMCs have strong engineering and science programs. The Citadel offers 5 or 6 different undergraduate engineering majors that are highly ranked nationally. It also offers Intelligence & Security, Cyber Operations and computer science majors that allow you a choice to serve both in the military as well as in Homeland and National Security agencies, and offer great careers afterwards. Start thinking about these majors now before anything else.

You should also consider what school you will fit into best. The Citadel and VMI are essentially small liberal arts and sciences colleges (1,800 to 2,300 cadets) wirh rich histories and traditions. TAMU and Va Tech offer the complete opposite campus experience with tens of thousands of students and major sports programs. Norwich and NG offer something in between. And don't rule out universities like Clemson or USC. You receive the same SC lottery merit scholarship options, and high quality educations at both universities. Clemson offers Army ROTC, and USC offers all ROTC programs offered by DOD (Army, Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force).

Best of luck
 
VMI has about 1,600 cadets and is very different from the Citadel and the other SMCs (all of which have great traditions and unique history). VMI is a small, intense military college, period. If you’re not sure about VMI, then definitely do not go there. VMI is unique amongst the other schools in terms of its size, the intensity of the military system, and the spartan lifestyle. If your heart isn’t in it to endure and succeed at VMI, chances are you will not stay there long. Ironically, VMI is most different from the other “military colleges” but perhaps the most similar to your #1 choice, the USMA. Good luck wherever you decide to go.
 
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Our son's plan B was NROTC via Norwich. Of course NROTC covers room and board OR tuition, not both. Norwich offered 30k per year in merit to cover room and board and lab fees etc. They were really great in all communications with him, early decision that was not binding. They have a great reputation of turning out quality officers and are the birthplace of ROTC. They are smaller and rural so that is a factor for some. They have a strong alumnus following and sponsor families as well. I spoke to several Norwich parents via message on this forum and their kids were so content with Norwich that they did not reapply to SA's. Lots to think about for sure.
 
Sargon said:
North Georgia might be an interesting option. You will most likely get accepted at the Citadel (80%) if you are a possible candidate for USMA. You might want to consider a plan B (or C) in case the DODMERB doesn't work out. A lot of kids are thrown curve balls there. See what you'd like to study and pick a non-military school based upon that as a backup.
Click to expand...
Will SMC ROTC programs take a cadet whose DODMERB , "did not work out", what are some issue that is a no go for USMA but good to go for a ROTC program at a SMC or regular college campus.
 
banjoppd said:
Will SMC ROTC programs take a cadet whose DODMERB , "did not work out", what are some issue that is a no go for USMA but good to go for a ROTC program at a SMC or regular college campus.
Click to expand...
The DQ still applies at any ROTC unit, SMC or not. What's different is the waiver authority. The folks who decide on issuing a waiver for USMA are not the same folks as do it for ROTC, also each has a different kind of leeway in some conditions.

I don't believe any DQ will come into play until it's time to contract, so you can enroll in a ROTC unit without passing DoDMERB, but you cannot commission until you do pass DoDMERB, or perhaps get a waiver denied again.

SPECULATION: It's possible, I suppose that an SMC might allow someone to continue in the program anyway, perhaps depending on the condition. For example, I don'tthink a peanut allergy would necessarily prevent someone from participating but certainly might when it comes to commissioning..
 
kinnem said:
The DQ still applies at any ROTC unit, SMC or not. What's different is the waiver authority. The folks who decide on issuing a waiver for USMA are not the same folks as do it for ROTC, also each has a different kind of leeway in some conditions.

I don't believe any DQ will come into play until it's time to contract, so you can enroll in a ROTC unit without passing DoDMERB, but you cannot commission until you do pass DoDMERB, or perhaps get a waiver denied again.

SPECULATION: It's possible, I suppose that an SMC might allow someone to continue in the program anyway, perhaps depending on the condition. For example, I don'tthink a peanut allergy would necessarily prevent someone from participating but certainly might when it comes to commissioning..
Click to expand...
You need to be DODMERB qualified before contracting- to receive your scholarship benefits. This must happen before december of your MS3 (junior) year. Many schools allow you to “participate” in a reduced capacity your freshman and sophomore year if you know you won’t be medically qualified.

we just had a peanut allergy kid become DODMERB qualified— we were amazed but the system works.
 
If Citadel is your plan B, then a strong plan C could be University of North Georgia, UNG. It’s similar to the Citadel in that both have a corps of cadets and a civilian student population along with day, night, and online degree options. The percentage of cadets who commission is higher at UNG (~45%) than the Citadel (~29%), but both schools have unique traditions, a strong alumni network, and both claim 1 Alumnus who is a Medal of Honor recipient. As the Citadel is called the “military college of South Carolina”, UNG is also called “the military college of Georgia.” The main difference between the two schools is that UNG commissions Army only. Unlike the Citadel, if you commit to join the corps of cadets at UNG, you are granted in-state tuition. UNG is really a great option for anyone considering US Army service.
Good Luck!
 
To clarify above comments - the only fulltime civilian undergrads at The Citadel are about 70 or so veterans who attend class during the day with cadets; there is a part time civilian evening program that grants Bachelors and Masters degrees. UNG is the same model as Texas A&M and Virginia Tech, large civilian university with a fairly small Corps of Cadets; 20,000 civilian students and about 800 Cadets. Norwich is about 50/50 civilian/cadet.
 
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