Norwich University

[Michael_T]

Could some professionals give their own ideas, thoughts, or experiences with Norwich University..

I was literally on my lunch break at school today, received an unexpected call from my Admissions Counselor, congratulating me on my Acceptance!

I am a bit excited, although the climate would be such dramatically different to a place like The Citadel...

Can someone pitch in, and give me their reviews of the school as well? I've been reading online, and they get so many mixed reviews, I don't know what to believe.

Furthermore, I checked out their Net-Price Calculator, and it showed me I qualify for nearly 47k in tuition, which makes my tuiton only like 11k a year, obviously much better compared to what a place like the Citadel has for the tuition costs..

Obviously, I'm not committed to Norwich or anything yet, I'm just cruious for peoples thoughts!

Thanks!

 

[Allectus]

Congratultions on your acceptance!

 

[VasilyZaytsev]

We know a little about Norwich, as our son did a summer camp there. It's old and cold. The school is one of the older military ROTC programs in the country. We were told that there are regular students there too, but most everyone is a cadet and wears a uniform. I don't recall if they have Masters or higher courses though. But they have nice athletic facilities, as they compete in D3 level for most sports. In ranking order, in my opinion, for military colleges, I would say Citadel 1, VMI 2, and Norwich 3. This excludes the actual service academies, other ROTC programs at non military schools. That said, my son liked it. He is considering Norwich because it is SO HOT at Citadel, and Norwich has good ice hockey. I don't know much else about their academics; Sorry. In short, it's a very small ROTC military college in a cold, valley that gets lots of ice. Might not sound appealing to everyone. The net price calculator also might not take into account possible ROTC scholarships that you could qualify for. Hope other posters can share more details. Good Luck

 

[Walman888]

Could some professionals give their own ideas, thoughts, or experiences with Norwich University..

I was literally on my lunch break at school today, received an unexpected call from my Admissions Counselor, congratulating me on my Acceptance!

I am a bit excited, although the climate would be such dramatically different to a place like The Citadel...

Can someone pitch in, and give me their reviews of the school as well? I've been reading online, and they get so many mixed reviews, I don't know what to believe.

Furthermore, I checked out their Net-Price Calculator, and it showed me I qualify for nearly 47k in tuition, which makes my tuiton only like 11k a year, obviously much better compared to what a place like the Citadel has for the tuition costs..

Obviously, I'm not committed to Norwich or anything yet, I'm just cruious for peoples thoughts!

Thanks!

DD and DW visited Norwich prior to DD going in another direction. DW was very happy with the campus overall and DD enjoyed it as well. Modern, in good shape and scenic. At the time DD had been accepted into VMI, the Citadel, and Norwich. After having done the math financially online, Norwich was the clear winner. Their representatives were also the most efficient and knowledgeable of the three institutions. DD made her choice after seeing Norwich in person. She was impressed by faculty, coaches, and the ROTC reps. She decided not to tour the others. DW was very pleased with the campus itself. She has been to many and Norwich made a strong positive impression on her.

Best!

 

[EEBTTF]

I went to Norwich and loved it. Climate can be tough if you are not used to the cold. Norwich has the ABSOLUTE best financial aid package for ROTC scholarship winners of any SMC. There are many threads about Norwich vs Citadel vs VMI vs TAMU..... Search them - there are very good perspectives from current students, alumni and parents. DS choose The Citadel - Charleston vs Northfield, VT

 

[GoArmy59]

Recent news on NU being recognized. https://www.norwich.edu/news/223-pr...tional-rotc-award-for-exceptional-performance. It was the first ROTC program in existence.

IMO, the weather is not a factor for consideration. Perspective - College is a temporary stay just like all PCS moves while in the military.

The exteriors of the buildings are traditional. However, the buildings that we toured were new or modern inside. The dorms look like dorms anywhere else. NU does offer both Master's degrees, online programs and continuing education.

Admissions stated that NU does match scholarships if a student gets a better offer at another university. So far our son's Presidential merit scholarship is the best $$ he has been offered and is significant. If he receives a national ROTC scholarship, then R/B will be covered as well. NU is definitely hard to beat. Plus, he's got a spot on the lacrosse team without the pressure/commitment of playing at the D1 level. He can do everything he still wants to do in college while working towards his officer commission.

We have visited Norwich/Northfield twice, once in July and again in September, for an official athlete visit and spend the night with a cadet. My son felt more comfortable after spending some time with current students to know what life would feel like. We also know several NU graduates who went on to be career military officers of excellent caliber.

I'll be surprised if our son does not choose NU. His second choice is A&M for a SMC and TCU for a traditional campus with ROTC with much larger student populations. We are visiting those in November. I would recommend going where you know you will thrive. Big fish or little fish? In this case, Rook.

 

[Cmac154]

Could some professionals give their own ideas, thoughts, or experiences with Norwich University..

I was literally on my lunch break at school today, received an unexpected call from my Admissions Counselor, congratulating me on my Acceptance!

I am a bit excited, although the climate would be such dramatically different to a place like The Citadel...

Can someone pitch in, and give me their reviews of the school as well? I've been reading online, and they get so many mixed reviews, I don't know what to believe.

Furthermore, I checked out their Net-Price Calculator, and it showed me I qualify for nearly 47k in tuition, which makes my tuiton only like 11k a year, obviously much better compared to what a place like the Citadel has for the tuition costs..

Obviously, I'm not committed to Norwich or anything yet, I'm just cruious for peoples thoughts!

Thanks!

Congratulations on your acceptance. My son is considering both Norwich and The Citadel also. We are in the northeast so the Norwich culture and climate are closer to what he is familiar with. I’m curious to hear what others have to say. He attended Inside the Gates at The Citadel and really liked it.

 

[EEBTTF]

Congratulations on your acceptance. My son is considering both Norwich and The Citadel also. We are in the northeast so the Norwich culture and climate are closer to what he is familiar with. I’m curious to hear what others have to say. He attended Inside the Gates at The Citadel and really liked it.

I went to Norwich and my DS is at The Citadel - Happy to answer any specific questions.

 

[Cmac154]

I went to Norwich and my DS is at The Citadel - Happy to answer any specific questions.

Did your DS look at Norwich also? I"m wondering why he chose The Citadel (over other options he might have considered). My son plays bagpipes and the band at The Citadel is more organized than at Norwich and he likes that. As a parent, the financial support from Norwich might win out. He's already been awarded a Presidential Scholarship there and the free room and board if he gets an AROTC scholarship would make it an easy choice for me. Before Inside the Gates last week Norwich was his top choice, now he's less sure.

 

[EEBTTF]

Did your DS look at Norwich also? I"m wondering why he chose The Citadel (over other options he might have considered). My son plays bagpipes and the band at The Citadel is more organized than at Norwich and he likes that. As a parent, the financial support from Norwich might win out. He's already been awarded a Presidential Scholarship there and the free room and board if he gets an AROTC scholarship would make it an easy choice for me. Before Inside the Gates last week Norwich was his top choice, now he's less sure.

No - He did not look at Norwich. We are from GA and he wanted to stay closer to home and is was not interested in cold weather. He was a 4-YR AROTC and NROTC-MO winner and really like the Marine Contingent at The Citadel. He is a Civil Engineer major and also like the engineering department at The Citadel. He had a great 1st year and "enjoying" his 2nd year.

The Citadel bagpipes group is very impressive.

No bad choice between the 2 schools.

 

[Wildflower222]

My daughter graduated from Norwich 2020 and my son is currently attending. I can put you in touch with him if you have specific questions. We’re South Carolina residents and he can tell you why he chose Norwich over Citadel.
Both my kids love Norwich. My son is an outdoors guy and Norwich has a mountain on campus with all sorts of free activities for students, like paintball, mountain biking, etc. Norwich has the land on campus for ROTC training and great mil lab equipment, including the cyber war room. All the buildings have been renovated on the inside, and my son’s barrack room on the top floor has the most gorgeous view of the Green Mountains. My son claims the cooler climate is actually advantageous to him for PT and FTXs. Winter PT also can be done inside in the field house. The school is a tight knit family. Two years ago a holiday break storm rolled in the Northeast stranding Norwich students at various airports and a legion of parents and alums mobilized ASAP to help. And nothing like a packed Norwich hockey game with the crowd going wild (Norwich hockey teams are always nationally ranked.) School cons: chow hall food not superlative, but lovely dining hall with fireplaces does help a little, lol.
The school will offer you a scholarship based on your high school gpa, then you will most likely also receive a grant to help match the tuition of other university options. (See webpage under affordability.) This grant will be sent in a separate letter. You can also add on other easy smaller scholarships, like a virtual visit award, take the lead award, STEM major award, etc (see webpage for list). My son, who is a B student, ended up with a very impressive amount of scholarships/grants.

 

[Heatherg21]

Also, to add to what has already been said, Norwich alumnus have a very impressive network (as mentioned above). You can go online and research them. They also are happy to talk to applicants. My son reached out to a few and had great responses. As a mom from AZ, him coming home often or easily getting to limited airports was a factor in our thought process, the alumnus he spoke to made it clear that he would always have a ride and a place to stay. If he didn't get his appointment to USNA that's where he would be.

 

[2026]

My daughter graduated from Norwich 2020 and my son is currently attending. I can put you in touch with him if you have specific questions. We’re South Carolina residents and he can tell you why he chose Norwich over Citadel.
Both my kids love Norwich. My son is an outdoors guy and Norwich has a mountain on campus with all sorts of free activities for students, like paintball, mountain biking, etc. Norwich has the land on campus for ROTC training and great mil lab equipment, including the cyber war room. All the buildings have been renovated on the inside, and my son’s barrack room on the top floor has the most gorgeous view of the Green Mountains. My son claims the cooler climate is actually advantageous to him for PT and FTXs. Winter PT also can be done inside in the field house. The school is a tight knit family. Two years ago a holiday break storm rolled in the Northeast stranding Norwich students at various airports and a legion of parents and alums mobilized ASAP to help. And nothing like a packed Norwich hockey game with the crowd going wild (Norwich hockey teams are always nationally ranked.) School cons: chow hall food not superlative, but lovely dining hall with fireplaces does help a little, lol.
The school will offer you a scholarship based on your high school gpa, then you will most likely also receive a grant to help match the tuition of other university options. (See webpage under affordability.) This grant will be sent in a separate letter. You can also add on other easy smaller scholarships, like a virtual visit award, take the lead award, STEM major award, etc (see webpage for list). My son, who is a B student, ended up with a very impressive amount of scholarships/grants.

Good AM!
Thank you for the post. It sounds like your kiddos really enjoyed and are enjoying the experience. My son applied and has been accepted for Fall 2022 and we are very happy! Our only looming question is about the rate of commissioning for AFROTC. We’ve done a lot of research and see it’s not a guaranteed and it sounds like the past couple years selections for field training have gone down. Of course that would be heartbreaking for my son to go there for two years and then not get “accepted” and then have to go a different route.

Do you know about commissioning rates or is that something that your kiddos have insight into? My son is going to reach out to the AFROTC staff at Norwich but I wanted to get a families perspective.

Thank you for anything you can share!

 

[Wildflower222]

Good AM!
Thank you for the post. It sounds like your kiddos really enjoyed and are enjoying the experience. My son applied and has been accepted for Fall 2022 and we are very happy! Our only looming question is about the rate of commissioning for AFROTC. We’ve done a lot of research and see it’s not a guaranteed and it sounds like the past couple years selections for field training have gone down. Of course that would be heartbreaking for my son to go there for two years and then not get “accepted” and then have to go a different route.

Do you know about commissioning rates or is that something that your kiddos have insight into? My son is going to reach out to the AFROTC staff at Norwich but I wanted to get a families perspective.

Thank you for anything you can share!

Good AM!
Thank you for the post. It sounds like your kiddos really enjoyed and are enjoying the experience. My son applied and has been accepted for Fall 2022 and we are very happy! Our only looming question is about the rate of commissioning for AFROTC. We’ve done a lot of research and see it’s not a guaranteed and it sounds like the past couple years selections for field training have gone down. Of course that would be heartbreaking for my son to go there for two years and then not get “accepted” and then have to go a different route.

Do you know about commissioning rates or is that something that your kiddos have insight into? My son is going to reach out to the AFROTC staff at Norwich but I wanted to get a families perspective.

Thank you for anything you can share!

Sorry, both my kids are Army ROTC so I’m afraid I can be of no assistance here. But I’m sure the school can help get you in contact with some families. Norwich Forever!

 

[Navy1]

Could some professionals give their own ideas, thoughts, or experiences with Norwich University..

I was literally on my lunch break at school today, received an unexpected call from my Admissions Counselor, congratulating me on my Acceptance!

I am a bit excited, although the climate would be such dramatically different to a place like The Citadel...

Can someone pitch in, and give me their reviews of the school as well? I've been reading online, and they get so many mixed reviews, I don't know what to believe.

Furthermore, I checked out their Net-Price Calculator, and it showed me I qualify for nearly 47k in tuition, which makes my tuiton only like 11k a year, obviously much better compared to what a place like the Citadel has for the tuition costs..

Obviously, I'm not committed to Norwich or anything yet, I'm just cruious for peoples thoughts!

Thanks!

My son just graduated from Norwich in May. He is Army and Medical Services attached to 82nd Airborne. He loved NU. He was a swimmer and a diver, A neuroscience Major and Chemistry major (double major). His senior year he was a Cadet Lt Colonel (3rd in charge of whole cadet command staff) After graduation he was immediately sent to Ft Knox to work as an Instructor there for Jr/Sr cadets. He mentioned to me that when he was working there the NU students were much more on the ball and more prepared than the other ROTC students. NU does do a great job of preparing them for leadership positions. My youngest is now a rook at NU... It's not easy and it's not for everyone, but for them it was the best decision. The weather is also not "great" if you're used to the south (as we are) my kids grew up in Florida... So VT was a big change but fun at the same time with Skiing and Snowboarding and Canada a short drive away.. Also, the financial aid at NU is like no where else. If money is a factor...take a good long look at Norwich.

 

[Cmac154]

My daughter graduated from Norwich 2020 and my son is currently attending. I can put you in touch with him if you have specific questions. We’re South Carolina residents and he can tell you why he chose Norwich over Citadel.
Both my kids love Norwich. My son is an outdoors guy and Norwich has a mountain on campus with all sorts of free activities for students, like paintball, mountain biking, etc. Norwich has the land on campus for ROTC training and great mil lab equipment, including the cyber war room. All the buildings have been renovated on the inside, and my son’s barrack room on the top floor has the most gorgeous view of the Green Mountains. My son claims the cooler climate is actually advantageous to him for PT and FTXs. Winter PT also can be done inside in the field house. The school is a tight knit family. Two years ago a holiday break storm rolled in the Northeast stranding Norwich students at various airports and a legion of parents and alums mobilized ASAP to help. And nothing like a packed Norwich hockey game with the crowd going wild (Norwich hockey teams are always nationally ranked.) School cons: chow hall food not superlative, but lovely dining hall with fireplaces does help a little, lol.
The school will offer you a scholarship based on your high school gpa, then you will most likely also receive a grant to help match the tuition of other university options. (See webpage under affordability.) This grant will be sent in a separate letter. You can also add on other easy smaller scholarships, like a virtual visit award, take the lead award, STEM major award, etc (see webpage for list). My son, who is a B student, ended up with a very impressive amount of scholarships/grants.

Definitely interested in why he chose Norwich over Citadel. As a parent the scholarships at Norwich is definitely something I have my eye on! My son received notification of the presidential scholarship with his admission letter. Citadel doesn’t provide that info with admission as far as I can tell.

 

[Threesons]

My son's first acceptance letter was from Norwich. It was a very good day. Something about that first larger envelope that comes in the mail. We could not attend in person open houses at Norwich or the Citadel. ( 2020 ) We were able to attend an open house weekend at VMI ( Oct 2020 )
Although Norwich may have cost us next to nothing with his Navy scholarship and the generous room and board offer, he ultimately decided on VMI. I think it had a lot to do with walking around the post and the city of Lexington. Within an hour of being there, he said, dad, this is where I want to be. He is a current rat, and from what I can tell, really embracing it. They took the rats to the Citadel/VMI football game in Charleston. What an experience. They got to mingle with some of the students at the Citadel. Visited the dorms. He told me that he and some of the other rats were wondering if they made the right decision to attend VMI over the Citadel. They really liked the campus. He told me soon after getting back to VMI, they all agreed how much they like the spartan lifestyle at VMI and were happy with their decisions.

I wonder if he would have made the same decision to attend VMI if we would have been able to attend open houses at Norwich and the Citadel.
Good luck with your choice. A very exciting time for you.

 

[Cmac154]

My son's first acceptance letter was from Norwich. It was a very good day. Something about that first larger envelope that comes in the mail. We could not attend in person open houses at Norwich or the Citadel. ( 2020 ) We were able to attend an open house weekend at VMI ( Oct 2020 )
Although Norwich may have cost us next to nothing with his Navy scholarship and the generous room and board offer, he ultimately decided on VMI. I think it had a lot to do with walking around the post and the city of Lexington. Within an hour of being there, he said, dad, this is where I want to be. He is a current rat, and from what I can tell, really embracing it. They took the rats to the Citadel/VMI football game in Charleston. What an experience. They got to mingle with some of the students at the Citadel. Visited the dorms. He told me that he and some of the other rats were wondering if they made the right decision to attend VMI over the Citadel. They really liked the campus. He told me soon after getting back to VMI, they all agreed how much they like the spartan lifestyle at VMI and were happy with their decisions.

I wonder if he would have made the same decision to attend VMI if we would have been able to attend open houses at Norwich and the Citadel.
Good luck with your choice. A very exciting time for you.

It's so interesting how things turn out. We had a disappointing tour at Citadel in April (not a great tour guide, couldn't go in buildings). VMI wasn't doing any tours at all, but we drove through the campus on our way home (it's beautiful!). After Norwich open house in September that took the #1 slot. Followed by Inside the Gates at Citadel in October, where Citadel may have moved up to #1. It feels a bit like comparing apples to oranges with these different experiences. I don't expect another visit to Citadel, but he's trying to arrange an overnight at Norwich to get a better feel. It's only a few hours drive away so it's reasonable to visit there again. His one universal observation is that the food isn't very good at either place! I'm sure I'll look back and think it was exciting. Completing the process for ROTC scholarship and SA application feels more overwhelming than exciting at the moment (and he thinks so too!).

 

[banjoppd]

Our son is a 4 year AROTC Rook at Norwich. He gave up USMMA and USCGA to attend Norwich. He wants to be an Army officer and really did not want to attend a school with Naval traditions and he could not cross commission into the Army at the CGA.
Norwich has the ID White scholarship which picks up room and board so any ROTC scholarship turns into a full ride. We only had to buy uniforms.
Our son was accepted to VMI/Citadel but they really didn't offer much in scholarships to help with room and board. Norwich was the best scholarship package.
Weather isn't a factor because active duty will PCS you anywhere in the world.
We visited all three schools prior to his Rook year. The Citadel/VMI were good schools and I think my son would of been happy at any of the 3 school.
We are from the South with that said I think attending Norwich has really given my son a chance to meet people who are very different than him.
So far Norwich has been a great school and a great military college experience.
The only negative is transportation to the campus. Norwich is an hour from Burlington Airport and 2 hours from Manchester Airport so you have to plan for ground transportation. VMI is out in the middle of the country too.
Norwich Forever!!!

 

[banjoppd]

Recent news on NU being recognized. https://www.norwich.edu/news/223-pr...tional-rotc-award-for-exceptional-performance. It was the first ROTC program in existence.

IMO, the weather is not a factor for consideration. Perspective - College is a temporary stay just like all PCS moves while in the military.

The exteriors of the buildings are traditional. However, the buildings that we toured were new or modern inside. The dorms look like dorms anywhere else. NU does offer both Master's degrees, online programs and continuing education.

Admissions stated that NU does match scholarships if a student gets a better offer at another university. So far our son's Presidential merit scholarship is the best $$ he has been offered and is significant. If he receives a national ROTC scholarship, then R/B will be covered as well. NU is definitely hard to beat. Plus, he's got a spot on the lacrosse team without the pressure/commitment of playing at the D1 level. He can do everything he still wants to do in college while working towards his officer commission.

We have visited Norwich/Northfield twice, once in July and again in September, for an official athlete visit and spend the night with a cadet. My son felt more comfortable after spending some time with current students to know what life would feel like. We also know several NU graduates who went on to be career military officers of excellent caliber.

I'll be surprised if our son does not choose NU. His second choice is A&M for a SMC and TCU for a traditional campus with ROTC with much larger student populations. We are visiting those in November. I would recommend going where you know you will thrive. Big fish or little fish? In this case, Rook.

We are an Ag family were are a few hours down the road from TAMU. My son has been on campus several times as well as spend the night with the Corps. He just didn't feel TAMU was home, maybe it was the SMC on the campus of a 70K SEC school. Plus TAMU act like they are doing you a huge favor by accepting you which means if you breath and have income you probably won't get any financial aid. The current PMS for AROTC isa Norwich grad so that's a plus.
Norwich is built around the Corps and ROTC, it is a SMC first. This is what sets Norwich/VMI/Citadel apart from the other SMC in the 1st Brigade. My son is a D3 athlete and it is doable to study, commission, and play your sport at Norwich.
What I have observed and learned is cadets will have access to real world military training with the ROTC cadre. TAMU has "attack on the quad" every year, while Norwich has several hundred acres to conduct military operations.
Good luck in your son's decision.