USAFA vs USMA

X

Xdian

Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2023
Messages
42
USAFA vs USMA, how to choose for the consideration of civilian career after duty serving (5 years) ?

STEM major , but may look for industry product/marketing management position after serving.

USMA : Strong in leadership training, with better prestigious name, widely recognized?
USAFA: DoD heavily invested, better stem major, especially in AeroSpace area, but weaker in leadership/military training , not as prestigious as USMA?
 
IMO, I would argue USMA is better. As you said they are very strong in leadership training and have a very prestigious, widely recognized, and widely respected name. They also have outstanding engineering programs which are ranked very high (higher than USAFA in some disciplines). If you want to transition into a civilian career after your time in the military, West Point has graduated a good amount of CEOs and executives in the business world. I remember my SLE squad leader told me that her brother got a job partly because he mentioned in the interview that she was applying to West Point, and the boss (who was a West Point grad) was happy to hear this. Alumni connections can go far.

That being said, the education, academic reputation, and alumni network are what you make of it. They won't help you if you don't take advantage of them, and USAFA is still an outstanding school.
 
Makes no difference IMO. Pick based on which school and service you think you’ll enjoy being a part of more.

I’ve seen no evidence that USMA is better at “leadership training” than USAFA. Honestly, leadership is something you either have a knack for or you don’t. Don’t expect your school choice to make you a better leader. It makes little difference despite what all the marketing says.

If you’re interested in aerospace, then the air force is obviously much more focused on that than the army. Both have great academic programs, so again decide which appeals to you more.

You can have an incredible civilian career following service from either, it’s completely up to you. Seriously I think this is the wrong question to ask. Decide based on what you want out of your military experience.
 
Spent 25 years in the consumer products industry, holding senior-marketing and general-management roles for both F200 and startup companies. Hired and worked alongside and managed a fair number of former JMOs -- from Army, Navy and Air Force. Their corporate work functions spanned marketing, finance and operations.

In recruiting, interviewing and hiring, I didn't give a diddly how they earned their commission. I didn't give a diddly what their major was. I cared only that they had the base requirements -- an MBA from a top school, savvy leadership, analytical chops, clear communication and problem-solving acumen. Their backgrounds included infantry, armor, naval aviation, subs, finance, intelligence, logistics, procurement.

The corporate roles demanded strong leadership. To evaluate this, I didn't ask what SA they attended (or what ROTC program they completed). Instead, I asked them to provide actual examples of how they dealt with difficult situations. At that point in their careers (5+ years in the military), and for the mid-level roles they were pursuing, I based my decision 100% on their real-world experience. I sought transferable skills, including intelligence, maturity, initiative and agility. All that transcends commissioning source, major and MOS.
 
Last edited:
ROTC is also a good route to look into too, and you can do it at top prestigious civilian schools.
 
Jstew5 said:
US News now ranks USAFA at #2 and USMA at #3 for best Public Schools.
Click to expand...
Go to their website RIGHT NOW and look.

For best Public Liberal Arts Schools (not universities since no graduate degrees)

USNA is #3
USAFA is #7
USMA is #8
 
And "engineering" is not an easily graded single topic, as the particulars vary quite a bit. Chemical Engineering, naval architecture and mechanical engineering are clearly all engineering, but only one is at all SAs and one is not at any of them. Details matter.
 
Pick the service you want to serve in. Then pick that respective SA. The Air Force is centered around pilots and then everyone else. The everyone else bucket has a lot of options in the AF. Research those, especially if you don’t want to fly. USMA and the Army are centered around Combat Arms and their supporting elements. If sleeping in the elements doesn’t sounds great, then the Army might not be great. I think both SA take leadership seriously, but I think overall the way their officers lead, expectations, etc are slightly different. If you have the opportunity, talk to some officers in each service. I spent a lot of time on the joint world and worked with officers in all the services and on the surface leadership is leadership, but there are some nuances. I would say physical fitness, partly due to mission, is valued more in the Army. Pick what service is best for your goals and aptitude.
 
OldRetSWO said:
Go to their website RIGHT NOW and look.

For best Public Liberal Arts Schools (not universities since no graduate degrees)

USNA is #3
USAFA is #7
USMA is #8
Click to expand...
Go to the Air Force Academy web page and us new “best public schools” and USAFA is ranked #2. But you are correct on “Liberal Arts”….. Boom! Mic drop! Ha ha… just having fun.
 
Jstew5 said:
Go to the Air Force Academy web page and us new “best public schools” and USAFA is ranked #2. But you are correct on “Liberal Arts”….. Boom! Mic drop! Ha ha… just having fun.
Click to expand...
Honestly do not pick a SA based upon ranking. I know folks are joking. Pick the Service. You spend 4 years at a SA and it’s a reflection of its Service. You wil spend a minimum of 5 years post your SA. Potentially could spend 30 years in that uniform.
 
Jstew5 said:
US News now ranks USAFA at #2 and USMA at #3 for best Public Schools.
Click to expand...
College professor here. You know how you can tell the difference between the #2 and #3 schools? You can’t. Same goes for the difference between the #1 and #20 schools. You can’t. For a typical student who’s there for four years of study, there‘s simply no discernible difference that should drive their decision. As mentioned above, choose fit and culture and mission. As for the ranking? Well, that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.
 
I agree with picking a service academy that serves you, but from a family of career Marines it’s nice to point out Army being lower then Air Force in rankings. Kind of built into me from my dad. Navy and Marines are not for me thu. So Air Force and Coast Guard is more my speed. Picking what serves me and my life goals!
 
What should one do if they don't really prefer one service over another? I was fortunate enough to receive appointments to USMA and USNA and am genuinely lost as to which one I should accept. I love the Army and the Navy and would be privileged to serve as an officer in either branch.
 
smokey% said:
What should one do if they don't really prefer one service over another? I was fortunate enough to receive appointments to USMA and USNA and am genuinely lost as to which one I should accept. I love the Army and the Navy and would be privileged to serve as an officer in either branch.
Click to expand...
Admitted students' visits are super helpful. Also talk to current students and recent alumni

And I'd recommend considering more about which branch, like delve more into Army vs. Navy/USMC and which one is best for what you're looking for. Cross-commissions are rare from SAs...

Do you have any careers/branches/communities you're interested in for after the academy?
 
smokey% said:
What should one do if they don't really prefer one service over another?
Click to expand...
If you have a chance to visit (or already have), get a feel for the culture and vibe. Which one feels more like your tribe?

Beyond that, research the different MOS for each branch. There's plenty of info online. If you don't get your first or second or third choice, would you be happy with your fourth? And, because minds do change, are there enough MOS that you may find interesting as you learn more?
 
Ivy22 said:
Admitted students' visits are super helpful. Also talk to current students and recent alumni

And I'd recommend considering more about which branch, like delve more into Army vs. Navy/USMC and which one is best for what you're looking for. Cross-commissions are rare from SAs...

Do you have any careers/branches/communities you're interested in for after the academy?
Click to expand...
I have attended a CVW and plan on doing an overnight visit at USMA. Some days I'm really into being a Submariner or Navy Pilot and then some days I'm interested in the Army and doing all the cool stuff they do like jumping out of planes, shooting rifles, blowing stuff up etc.
 
smokey% said:
I have attended a CVW and plan on doing an overnight visit at USMA. Some days I'm really into being a Submariner or Navy Pilot and then some days I'm interested in the Army and doing all the cool stuff they do like jumping out of planes, shooting rifles, blowing stuff up etc.
Click to expand...
You can go USMC from USNA and they do some cool stuff too!

You can also fly (helos) in the Army!

Guess you can't really do submarines in the Army though...

You still have a couple months to decide. Have you tried talking to Junior Officers (JOs, fresh out of college or not too far out) who are in the communities you're interested in? and hearing about what their life is like. Might help you make a decision as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top