I am sorry, but I really disagree with this sentiment. There were lots of "hooah" cadets at West Point that didn't do great overall there. There were lot of cadets that were very, very low key that did really well. It takes all types and you can absolutely not judge a cadet book by it's cover. My old roommate was very slack militarily but went out into the army in Infantry and killed it. He won the Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award which is a very big deal in the real army. Some of the most chill cadets I knew are still in the Army (O-6 and above) and some of the "hooah" ones left after 5 years.
Agree 100% with this. Being motivated with "hooah" or to use the USMC version of "oorah" doesn't make one a better or worse Cadet or Mid. For some that is a natural fit and others its not, its not a direct correlation. There is no cookie cutter method for leadership, every person has to develop their own style that works with their personality, strengths and weakness. If you aren't authentic it will be seen right through. I was never a very openly oorah person. I am a naturally quiet person who is rather introverted. I like to think I made a pretty decent officer, by following my gut, caring about my Marines and knowing my job as well as I could. Heck the officer in my unit that was the most oorah was the most hated by far by the enlisted and our CO actually pulled him from a deployment because of his lack of competence. The great part of a SA is you are surrounded by examples of different leaders and get opportunities to test your developing style. Probably one of the most laid back Mids I knew was honor grad of IOC, Marine Company Grade Infantry Officer of the Year and Silver Star winner many years ago. Some of my most motivated Marines crumbled under the fire. Some of the quietest Marines I had became unbelievable when the bullets started flying. Also now that I look back on all this, those that made it to retirement and those that did 5 and moved on... you can never make that guess. It is a total mystery who will stay and go. I saw a picture of 5 classmates the other day at a Change of Command. All 5 are in command or handing off command, 3 of the 5 I would said yes they would stay many years. The other 2, we all said, 'who woulda thunk it?"
To the OP. If you can, visit both. Focus on USMC vs. USA. Do not count on going to USMA and cross commissioning. The statistics are so low on this that it would be like thinking the lottery is a viable retirement option (okay maybe not that bad, but its low). Do you want a 24x7 military environment? What interests you in the Army? The Marine Corps? Although they have many related fields, there are some differences. For instance tanks... the USMC has a very small tank force. It is a limited career. The Army has more tanks than the USMC could even fathom. You would know your branch out of USMA. USMC you don't get it until 1/2 to 2/3 done with TBS. What are your thoughts of being on a boat? The USMC does lots of MEUs. Good luck.