USAFA vs USMMA nomination

usafcellist2026

usafcellist2026

MSU AFROTC '26
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
617
I just received this email from my senator's nomination board...

Good Afternoon

I wanted to talk to you about your nomination options, unfortunately we do not have enough nominations to give out to your first choice Academies and I wanted to see if you would be interested in applying to the Merchant Marine Academy and accepting a nomination for that school. Take a look and let me know if this would be an option for you as I would like to give you the chance to get a nomination to that Academy as your scores were very high. Please let me know by the end of the week if this is an option for you.

I'm not exactly sure what to do about this. I've had my heart set on the Air Force since I was little, and I've never even considered going to USMMA. It's always been a dream to be a pilot, and I don't know of any opportunities within USMMA. Does anyone have any thoughts?
 
You still have your congressman as an option unless you’ve heard from them already as well.
 
Maybe go to MMA and then after semester or year, transfer to AFA. Although it's unlikely, it has happened a few times before or so I've heard of.
 
I believe the US Merchant Marine Academy does allow for commissioning into other services upon graduation. I'm sure it's based on needs, but I think you can commission into the Air Force upon graduation. We looked at it and applied a couple of years ago. It's a heavy stem school on Long Island. You spend a year of your time there at sea. My son applied and got in, but ultimately chose USAFA. We did see it as a viable backup plan though. I think it's under the Dept of Transportation umbrella, rather than the DOD. They don't pay you to attend except during sea year. It can't hurt to accept the nom. You do still have two other members of congress to hear from, so USAFA is not lost. You will have to put together a quick application though.
 
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Look a nomination is a nomination yes however it's you who is going. I know personally if I were offered it I would respectfully decline. I couldn't be happy anywhere but Air Force maybe Army. For me it's not just about flying, but everything in the service. Hey I'm an air force brat I know it. I want USAFA and that's why I only applied to USAFA.

If you can't see yourself happy and enjoying life anywhere but USAFA or AFROTC it's not worth you saying yes. I know you think I'll say because you would take away a spot, and yes that's a reason. However I'm talking from a me perspective and that me perspective is selfish. Would I be happy? Nope/maybe. Would I want to succeed there? Nope/ maybe. And 100 other questions. If there's a nope in there then personally I would turn it down.

You've earned an nomination to a hard school, be proud, but don't accept something just because it's offered. Accept something you want to accept it and you'll take this opportunity and best the coastie out there, because you might not be able to transfer. What then? What if you can't go Air Force would YOU be ok with that? Is this what YOU want. That's your answer.
 
From the USMMA you can commission into any of the armed services upon graduation. And to those who want to fly, we have been told your chances at a flight school slot might be statistically better at USMMA as not everybody in attendance will be vying for those slots. No harm accepting the nomination and then arrange a visit and do some research of your own. Meanwhile keep working on admittance to USAFA and maybe that will remain a possibility. At the end of it all maybe you will have a choice to make between 2 great academies.
 
SuperFalcon68 said:
Maybe go to MMA and then after semester or year, transfer to AFA. Although it's unlikely, it has happened a few times before or so I've heard of.
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Transfers are not possible between the SA's.

You can attend one, then resign, and reapply to another for the following year.

Good luck with that. If I was your ALO you would be bombarded by questions about that course of approach.

It seems to me you have two choices: say "Thank you but I'll go to college, kill the grades, and then reapply for next year" or you can say "Thank you! I'd be honored to attend the USMMA and I'll be such a great Mid that you'll be proud you nominated me!" And then head to Kings Point and burn up the program.

Steve
 
Did you apply to USMMA? If not, how would that work? USMMA is a great school, you can commission into USAF, and have lots of options. The only drawback is securing a UPT slot is more complicated.
 
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usafacellist2026 said:
I just received this email from my senator's nomination board...

Good Afternoon

I wanted to talk to you about your nomination options, unfortunately we do not have enough nominations to give out to your first choice Academies and I wanted to see if you would be interested in applying to the Merchant Marine Academy and accepting a nomination for that school. Take a look and let me know if this would be an option for you as I would like to give you the chance to get a nomination to that Academy as your scores were very high. Please let me know by the end of the week if this is an option for you.

I'm not exactly sure what to do about this. I've had my heart set on the Air Force since I was little, and I've never even considered going to USMMA. It's always been a dream to be a pilot, and I don't know of any opportunities within USMMA. Does anyone have any thoughts?
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Now that I was "harsh" let me add something a little more...palatable.

My "almost daughter #2" didn't get into either USNA or USAFA (her sibling went to USNA) but she did accept an appointment to USMMA. She got there and burned up the program! She actually found sea-year to be exciting, frustrating, fun, scary, crazy, exhilarating, etc...heck, she navigated a DDG from Japan to Guam with a sextant (and the other mid's with her). They were never more than 4 miles off their base course at any time and they hit the island bow-on, according to the ship's captain (a USMMA grad).

She's currently a naval aviator flying SH-60R's. A classmate of hers is an army reserve UH-60 pilot and sails on MSC (military sealift command) ships. Others went to the USMC and USAF. That little school does amazing things, as do their graduates. As she said: "You get to choose your course at KP...as long as you get it done!"

Not a bad option.
 
About a third of USMMA graduates choose to go active duty in a typical year. Though most go to the sea services of Navy and Coast Guard, many also choose Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps. It is also common to get a pilot slot out of USMMA. My DS is a USMMA 2013 graduate Navy pilot and has no regrets about going that route. The school has limited majors because if its primary mission, so before considering a nomination or appointment there, take a look at the majors and required classes. I would not suggest USMMA for anyone who does not have at least a passing interest in the sea because you will be spending a full year if your time there on a ship. Opportunities abound, but investigate further before you decide in that course.
 
I hired a USMMA 2020 grad. He’s at UPT right now and will be flying the C-17 in about a year. It’s a great school, so your dream of becoming an AF pilot is still alive if you attend KP.
 
I currently attend USMMA and while it is looked down on by the other 4, I think it stems from a lack of understanding of what exactly we DO here. They do a great job at explaining our options after graduation and the options we are presented with are truly extraordinary. I know multiple people going Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, sailing on their license. In fact, one guy I know is currently trying to decide whether to accept his army helicopter pilot slot or his navy nuclear sub officer spot.

The experience here is what you make of it.
 
The best example I can give of a KP'er doing well (besides those I already mentioned)...

There was this AF/ANG pilot I flew with years ago. He was in the ANG...a Lt Col...he called his Guard job his "beer money" job. He was a traditional guardsman, which means he worked several days a month (or more if he was available) and several weeks in a "two or more week period" (typically in the summer),

His "real" job?

He was the Captain (master) of one of those large "ferry ships" that go from Anchorage to Seattle.

He had a TON of stories to tell...
 
DD is a KP grad. I have represented KP at MOC Academy nights. My experience is that the other 4 have a great respect for KP. Their reps often suggest applying to KP as well as their own. It is the civilian world which is oblivious to KP. Once, when I was describing KP to a friend, his daughter, a USAFA grad, piped in "a hidden gem." As my daughter progresses in her career, I can see that her KP education and experiences have prepared her to transition into almost any field. Meeting many alumni has proven to me that this is true. It is an amazingly successful group.
dadencale said:
I currently attend USMMA and while it is looked down on by the other 4, I think it stems from a lack of understanding of what exactly we DO here. They do a great job at explaining our options after graduation and the options we are presented with are truly extraordinary. I know multiple people going Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, sailing on their license. In fact, one guy I know is currently trying to decide whether to accept his army helicopter pilot slot or his navy nuclear sub officer spot.

The experience here is what you make of it.
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There should be no inferiority complex.
 
Hockey10 said:
DD is a KP grad. I have represented KP at MOC Academy nights. My experience is that the other 4 have a great respect for KP. Their reps often suggest applying to KP as well as their own. It is the civilian world which is oblivious to KP. Once, when I was describing KP to a friend, his daughter, a USAFA grad, piped in "a hidden gem." As my daughter progresses in her career, I can see that her KP education and experiences have prepared her to transition into almost any field. Meeting many alumni has proven to me that this is true. It is an amazingly successful group.


There should be no inferiority complex.
Click to expand...
none was implied
 
usafacellist2026 said:
I just received this email from my senator's nomination board...

Good Afternoon

I wanted to talk to you about your nomination options, unfortunately we do not have enough nominations to give out to your first choice Academies and I wanted to see if you would be interested in applying to the Merchant Marine Academy and accepting a nomination for that school. Take a look and let me know if this would be an option for you as I would like to give you the chance to get a nomination to that Academy as your scores were very high. Please let me know by the end of the week if this is an option for you.

I'm not exactly sure what to do about this. I've had my heart set on the Air Force since I was little, and I've never even considered going to USMMA. It's always been a dream to be a pilot, and I don't know of any opportunities within USMMA. Does anyone have any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I Marines have their own Air Force, while it might be more challenging to get that slot (not totally sure the competiveness) you could still achieve that pilot dream.
 
If your heart is set on Air Force you can see if it is note to late to apply for Air Force ROTC scholarship. If it is to late to apply for the ROTC Scholarship go to plan B school, join the Air Force ROTC program at that school, take those classes similar to what the cadets take and reapply next year. I would say at least 25% of each class is made up of reapplications of some type and priors. If you don’t get in later you can still commission into the Air Force through the ROTC program you join.

There is still hope for the Falcon Foundation Scholarship. My daughter was fortune enough to be selected for the Falcon Foundation Scholarship. One of her high school classmates also was awarded the Falcon Foundation Scholarship and she did not have a nomination to the Air Force Academy.

With that said I work with two individuals who went to USMMA and both of them enjoyed the smaller school and opportunities that they had upon graduation.
 
I would assume you would hear a denial in a letter or email. Most senators and congressmen will give you an answer one way or the other.
 
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