for the record I will throw in that The Citadel has also had 3 grads who were pilots with the Thunderbirds including a past Commander, only college to have had Commanders of both military flight demo units. Also the only school to have had alumni on the Flying Tigers, Doolittle Raiders and Eagle Squadron.
For the record, albeit funny, this is a ridiculous comment...
Check out the Thunderbirds website
http://afthunderbirds.com/site/members/Officers/
What's more, you won't see VMI posting a list of who's who in Thunderbirds, Blue Angels, Flying Tigers, etc. Rest assured, notable VMI graduates (and graduates from other military schools) have been there, and done that...
I'm not "running down another school", but as we examine the past and look to the future, I personally believe there is more that sets these two schools apart than what used to make them similar. Again, check out stats (acceptance rates, % of student's needs met, student body composition) to compare and make your own decisions, based on facts... Also note that VMI is not ranked by US News in the same category as citadel--VMI is ranked with the service Academies. Forbes, I recently discovered, does rank both schools, take a look:
http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/
Here are some other highlights which helped me decide VMI was the right fit for me:
1. VMI is the Nation's only classical military college. It's 100% cadets--I've never had to ask a fellow VMI grad if they were a cadet or went through the Ratline (and I'll bet I never see on-line programs at VMI). It's not for everyone, but it's why I (being from Charleston) chose VMI--it's a VMI thing... I also think Lexington, Virginia is a gorgeous town.
2. Per capita, VMI has the largest endowment of any public college or university in the country--for me personally, this enabled VMI to pay for my entire last two years because I needed help. I graduated with almost no student loans because VMI met my financial needs as a cadet who had decent (not stellar) grades and was in good standing.
3. In terms of military accomplishments, VMI has
graduated 6 Medal of Honor recipients, including a former VMI Superintendent who was the first American to hold all three of the Nation's highest military awards (Superintendent is what the president of a military school is called) VMI is the only college or university in America to have graduated four-star general Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Air Force, and Marines (2 Commandants of the USMC). And VMI's Army ROTC program has graduated more Generals than any ROTC program in the country:
http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=13224, including the only non-service-academy 5-star general in US history. VMI's Marine Corps cadets consistently have the highest Marine Corps Bulldog graduation success rates of any ROTC unit in the country. When I was a cadet, VMI's Commandants were both notable war heroes--both were VMI grads, one was a multiple Navy Cross recipient and one was a Medal of Honor nominee. These facts may not matter to everyone, but because I strongly desired to serve in the military, these were factors I considered important when making my decision.