USAFA vs USNA

dav1y

dav1y

USNA '26
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
421
Hi all,

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on which SA to attend, and I just thought y'all might be able to help out. I know there have been tons of threads about this topic, but even after reading them, I haven't really been able to make a final decision yet. I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I really couldn't fall asleep since I kept thinking about which SA would be a better option. Literally any advice/insight would help a ton! Here's a (very basic) list of the pros and cons of each school, at least for me. Feel free to correct me/give your opinions on anything I list.

USNA pros:
Better location
Better weather
Swag uniforms
Army-Navy
More history/traditions? (not sure about the right term here)
Rooms have individual showers

USNA cons:
Getting sub/nuke drafted
Never been on a real ship before - not sure how I would like it

USAFA pros:
Better campus + Cadet Chapel (although it is under renovation, not sure when it'll be finished)
Closer to home
Flight suits + OCPs
AM-490
Weekday liberty

USAFA cons:
Cold weather
Location
Not too sure about how much I like cadet rooms

In terms of after graduation, I do want to go aviation, but I have heard that going aviation is pretty doable at either USAFA or USNA as long as I have decent grades. However, in the case that I do not end up going aviation, I guess I also wanted to know which SA would better prepare me for a civilian job. For USNA, I plan on going SWO, while for USAFA, I plan on going RPA. Would going SWO be more applicable to the civilian sector, or vice versa?

Hopefully that wasn't too long for y'all to read! As I said, any help or advice of any kind at all would go a long way. Thanks in advance!
 
Don’t pick your direction based on the next four years. After a minimum of nine years — your initial commitment, should you graduate from an academy — and then whatever comes after that, those academy years will be mere blip. And all those other things you mention — uniforms, swag, weather, campus — are simply window dressing on a much larger experience.

Choose the branch in which you can see yourself spending five years of active duty — if not longer — especially if you don’t get pilot. Keep an open mind, because things happen and minds change over the next four years. Some of it will be under your control, some of it not.

All SAs will prepare you very well for the civilian world. By the time that comes — again, minimum five years after commissioning — what you did there will mean far less than what you did on active duty. It’s tough to do for high-school students whose time horizon is rarely more than a few months, but do your best to think beyond the academy. Which branch is your tribe and executes the mission that most connects with you?
 
Have you visited either? You may ‘find your people’ on a visit. I have 2 Navy, one AF guy, and all of them are in the right service branch….as far as personality type fits. All are happy with what they see themselves doing. And the cultures are different. Makes for lively dinner discussions and friendly ribbing 😬🙄😬

Seriously though….the school part is only 4 years. It’s the time beyond that where you should focus, imo. And dont be surprised if, after experiencing different communities, you change you mind about what you want to do. Even subs. Can’t speak to AF, but at USNA you have an opportunity to spend time with all 4 communities. Be open to it all, even a career in service! ‘Ya just never know!!

*posting at the same time as @MidCakePa
 
I don't think one or the other prepares you better for a civilian job. By the time you get out people will be hiring you for your leadership skills as much, or more than, your technical skills.

You would be better served by reviewing the pros and cons of the service after the academy rather than the schools/campuses. Your time there will pace quickly and the stuff you mention is pretty superficial anyway. You might consider differences in majors but that's about it.

One big plus for the Navy is there are more different career opportunites: SWO, Subs, Air, and Marines.

Think of the time after the academy or at least include it in your assessment. If you're anywhere near a decommissioned ship/museum then go visit. Spend the night aboard if you can. It will give you a sense of how you like ships. Where do you want to live; near the sea or inland? I like the beach myself.

Good luck.

Edit: cross posted with above two posts. I think there's a consensus here.
 
Research careers for both services. Find out how many each service sends to flight school annually. Visit both SA's. Try to find grads from both SA's to talk to (if you can). Apply at to both and even WP. Dont forget USCGA sends people to flight school too. But if you want to sing second-GO Navy!
 
dav1y said:
Hi all,

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on which SA to attend, and I just thought y'all might be able to help out. I know there have been tons of threads about this topic, but even after reading them, I haven't really been able to make a final decision yet. I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I really couldn't fall asleep since I kept thinking about which SA would be a better option. Literally any advice/insight would help a ton! Here's a (very basic) list of the pros and cons of each school, at least for me. Feel free to correct me/give your opinions on anything I list.

USNA pros:
Better location
Better weather
Swag uniforms
Army-Navy
More history/traditions? (not sure about the right term here)
Rooms have individual showers

USNA cons:
Getting sub/nuke drafted
Never been on a real ship before - not sure how I would like it

USAFA pros:
Better campus + Cadet Chapel (although it is under renovation, not sure when it'll be finished)
Closer to home
Flight suits + OCPs
AM-490
Weekday liberty

USAFA cons:
Cold weather
Location
Not too sure about how much I like cadet rooms

In terms of after graduation, I do want to go aviation, but I have heard that going aviation is pretty doable at either USAFA or USNA as long as I have decent grades. However, in the case that I do not end up going aviation, I guess I also wanted to know which SA would better prepare me for a civilian job. For USNA, I plan on going SWO, while for USAFA, I plan on going RPA. Would going SWO be more applicable to the civilian sector, or vice versa?

Hopefully that wasn't too long for y'all to read! As I said, any help or advice of any kind at all would go a long way. Thanks in advance!
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Not sure if this changes anything, but summer training opportunities do differ between the two. From what I've heard, at USAFA a lot of the summer training occurs at USAFA (cadre, flight lessons, glider lessons, jumping). At USNA, a lot of the training occurs outside of the Academy which may be something to consider.
 
I will just throw in here as far as the weather considerations go (as someone who grew up in the Northeast, went to college in the Mountain West, and eventually settled in the mid-Atlantic)...that although it does indeed get cold in Colorado it is a "dryer" kind of cold so that if you put on a warm coat etc. it tends to not be as bothersome on a day to day basis. However, coastal Maryland does get cold as well and is a "damp" kind of cold that can chill through your layers! Which is really just to say that you will be cold at either location, just differently cold!
 
@dav1y, I noticed in your profile that you are an appointee from Tokyo. Are you still there? If so, have you entertained the thought of visiting the Naval Base in nearby Yokosuka and the Air Force Base in Yokota? You could talk with some junior officers serving on some of the ships there and get an Air Force perspective from those serving ashore. Talking with active duty officers and seeing their work environment first hand might help you make a more informed decision. I have Navy contacts in the Tokyo area. Their network can put you in contact with the Navy and possibly the Air Force. PM me if this interests you.
 
Interested in naval aviation...talk to squadron or wing at Atsugi. Different way of doing it than a typical CONUS navy base, but all the planes and squadrons are right there. I believe the Covid restrictions have been lifted for visitors.
 
As others have mentioned, you shouldn’t base your decision solely on the Academy pros and cons, but rather the larger “after graduation” picture. That said, I see you have the cold weather as a con for USAFA. I grew up in Maryland (about 24 years there) and I’ve lived the last 15 years in Colorado. Give me the sunny cold days in Colorado over the hot HUMID days of Maryland any time! Love, love, love Colorado weather! Definitely not a con!
 
dav1y said:
Hi all,

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on which SA to attend, and I just thought y'all might be able to help out. I know there have been tons of threads about this topic, but even after reading them, I haven't really been able to make a final decision yet. I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I really couldn't fall asleep since I kept thinking about which SA would be a better option. Literally any advice/insight would help a ton! Here's a (very basic) list of the pros and cons of each school, at least for me. Feel free to correct me/give your opinions on anything I list.

USNA pros:
Better location
Better weather
Swag uniforms
Army-Navy
More history/traditions? (not sure about the right term here)
Rooms have individual showers

USNA cons:
Getting sub/nuke drafted
Never been on a real ship before - not sure how I would like it

USAFA pros:
Better campus + Cadet Chapel (although it is under renovation, not sure when it'll be finished)
Closer to home
Flight suits + OCPs
AM-490
Weekday liberty

USAFA cons:
Cold weather
Location
Not too sure about how much I like cadet rooms

In terms of after graduation, I do want to go aviation, but I have heard that going aviation is pretty doable at either USAFA or USNA as long as I have decent grades. However, in the case that I do not end up going aviation, I guess I also wanted to know which SA would better prepare me for a civilian job. For USNA, I plan on going SWO, while for USAFA, I plan on going RPA. Would going SWO be more applicable to the civilian sector, or vice versa?

Hopefully that wasn't too long for y'all to read! As I said, any help or advice of any kind at all would go a long way. Thanks in advance!
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kinnem said:
If you're anywhere near a decommissioned ship/museum then go visit. Spend the night aboard if you can. It will give you a sense of how you like ships.
Click to expand...
Be careful with that one. The vast majority of museum ship overnights are in crews quarters on older ships. Officer berthing is MUCH different and even the crew berthing on just about anything in the USN now is simply much much nicer and officers are generally in small staterooms.
 
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