USMA vs MIT

Where would you choose, MIT or USMA for Computer Science

  • MIT

  • USMA


Results are only viewable after voting.
You have a nice choice. My opinion? MIT is the better school. Now, which is the better leadership factory? Probably West Point, but that's only because I'm aware they focus on it. I doubt MIT is void of leadership opportunities.
 
My Son was admitted to MIT with an AFROTC Type 1 scholarship. He was also appointed to USAFA and was admitted to several other great schools, Washington University in St. Louis being his final choice.

Each had several pros and cons. The Air Force Academy had free education with challenging curriculum and a great support system but had the con, for him, of 4 years of college with limited personal freedom.

MIT is very challenging and, as TriService2017 points out, can be very cutthroat. You are on your own to a greater degree. This can be good and bad. As for ROTC at MIT, unless it has recently changed, you are on your own for room and board. That adds up to roughly $100,000 over 4 years.

The school he choose threw in room and board and created a pathway for him to get his Masters during his 4 years as well. My point is that there are many great schools and you may find different doors that open if you explore the offerings.

If you were admitted to MIT, you must have a strong package to offer. See what some of the other schools offer you in return. All these schools will set you up for life if you put in the work.
 
Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, you don't owe the Army or West Point anything. Make the choice that is best for you. This is one of those points in your life where it's your decision to chose a path. No need to rush through that.
 
Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, you don't owe the Army or West Point anything. Make the choice that is best for you. This is one of those points in your life where it's your decision to chose a path. No need to rush through that.

Ditto.

You are offering to exchange X years of your life in service for Y years of paid education and training. Weigh the tangibles - and the intangibles (gut feel) - of what path is best for you.

Once you are commissioned, it's performance, performance, performance in the jobs assigned, that leads to success and a long career, if that's what you find yourself wanting 8 - 10 years from now. There will be many twists and turns in the path before then.

You are struggling not so much with what path to take, but which to turn away from. Imagine yourself, as best you can, 20 years down the road - what might you regret letting go?
 
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Go to MIT. The caliber of students is going to be way better and it will likely be more competitive. If you get into MIT then you are smart, no doubt about that, but as for Usma I have a friend who was wild in hs and was not overly academic and he went to Usma. I feel your opportunities and freedoms will be greater at mit.
 
Go to MIT. The caliber of students is going to be way better and it will likely be more competitive. If you get into MIT then you are smart, no doubt about that, but as for Usma I have a friend who was wild in hs and was not overly academic and he went to Usma. I feel your opportunities and freedoms will be greater at mit.

I admire how you put arrogance and ignorance on the subject all in one package. How very efficient of you.
 
Another option would be WP then go to MIT for your masters....

Agree 100%. Also someone mentioned that MIT has a large graduate program while USMA is undergrad only. U.S. News ranks West Point NUMBER ONE for accessibility to profs. That's huge.
 
All I'm saying is that I've never known a single kid that was a joke and got into mit, however I've known quite a few kids who have gone to the naval and Air Force academy with like a 22 act and very poor character. That doesn't happen at mit.
 
Amazing how some can make such sweeping generalizations based on a sample size of ONE.
You are a little off my friend, not a sample size of 1, but how about a sample size of over 5,000. My father used to be the head of admissions for MIT before we moved. Why else would I comment on a thread like this if I had no idea? Sorry, but you just do not have a clue. Arrogance seems to have corrupted your small SA mind
 
How would we know your dad was the part of admissions? Just because you had bad experiences with the service academies doesn't mean you can generalize either group. Unless you met all 5000 MIT students you have no grounds to speak.
 
How would we know your dad was the part of admissions? Just because you had bad experiences with the service academies doesn't mean you can generalize either group. Unless you met all 5000 MIT students you have no grounds to speak.
Ok I understand. I'm not vengeful about not getting an appointment because it's just how the world works sometimes. Best regards
 
I'm very confused by why LurkerKing is getting so much flack. If you look at the MIT decision thread from last year on college confidential you'll see person after person after person with 34-36 ACT, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, top 5% in class and solid extracurricular activities getting rejected. The middle 50% for MIT on the math section of the ACT is a 34-36, that's a ridiculous number(it means that at least 25% of the class, probably even more than that, scored a 36). The average ACT at USMA is a 28(which is respectable but not an absolutely ridiculous figure like MIT has). How often do you people on here that were 3Q'd, scored a 35 ACT, top 5% of their class, and solid extracurriculars get rejected? The only case for USMA being harder to get in to I could see one making is that you have to be medically and physically qualified for USMA. Is there something I'm missing?

LurkerKing also made what I think is a very valid point. You can find people who got into service academies with 25s on the ACT. If you look through the all of the MIT decision threads on MIT from the last 5 years I would bet that you would not find one person with a 25 on their ACT(and not a higher SAT score).

Based on the decision thread, MIT is a crapshoot for basically everyone. The same cannot be said for USMA. Based on what I have seen on this forum, if you score a 34 ACT, you're top 1% of your class, you have solid extracurricular, and you are 3Q'd, USMA is no longer a crapshoot.
 
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To the OP, it looks to me that you have two great options in front of you. Unlike others posting, I do NOT think it will ease you conscience or decision by disparaging either school!!

As far as you choice, in the end it is YOUR choice. Both schools are tasked with very different missions and both have pros and cons. Wherever you go you will face adversity, you will meet many people, you will interact with some motivated students and some who are there just to say they're there, you will have great professors and wonderful opportunities. MIT is an extremely well known school that will provide you with an excellent education. Likewise, USMA is an excellent school in which you will encounter many obstacles that you could never find at a civilian institution. It is difficult to simplify this decision without running the risk of trivializing it. However, if I had to boil this choice down to the bare minimum, I would say that if your primary interest is to be molded in to a military leader, then perhaps West Point is the place for you. If you desire to serve your country but also want a top-notch education in CS (there's no arguing that) then it seems MIT would be the most logical choice for you.

I cannot overemphasize this enough...you CANNOT make a bad decision in this choice! You don't owe either institution anything and it is up to you to make something out of these opportunities. I wish you the best of luck and thank you for you sincere interest in serving our country.

Good luck!!
 
I'm very confused by why LurkerKing is getting so much flack. If you look at the MIT decision thread from last year on college confidential you'll see person after person after person with 34-36 ACT, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, top 5% in class and solid extracurricular activities getting rejected. The middle 50% for MIT on the math section of the ACT is a 34-36, that's a ridiculous number(it means that at least 25% of the class, probably even more than that, scored a 36). The average ACT at USMA is a 28(which is respectable but not an absolutely ridiculous figure like MIT has). How often do you people on here that were 3Q'd, scored a 35 ACT, top 5% of their class, and solid extracurriculars get rejected? The only case for USMA being harder to get in to I could see one making is that you have to be medically and physically qualified for USMA. Is there something I'm missing?

LurkerKing also made what I think is a very valid point. You can find people who got into service academies with 25s on the ACT. If you look through the all of the MIT decision threads on MIT from the last 5 years I would bet that you would not find one person with a 25 on their ACT(and not a higher SAT score).

Based on the decision thread, MIT is a crapshoot for basically everyone. The same cannot be said for USMA. Based on what I have seen on this forum, if you score a 34 ACT, you're top 1% of your class, you have solid extracurricular, and you are 3Q'd, USMA is no longer a crapshoot.
It's all in the phrasing. It's hard to tell what someone is saying on both sides through text because vocalizing it can completely change how something sounds.
 
........Why else would I comment on a thread like this if I had no idea?

WP looks at far more then GPA or SAT/ACT scores to determine who they accept. Your apparent knowledge of MIT admissions doesn't make you an expert about WP. Your prior posts mostly refer to getting turned down for CGA.
 
And no one from MIT has ever been caught cheating, got in trouble, or had character issues. Bottom line OP, great options. Great input here. Take your time and make the best decision for you.
 
USMA/Service Academies and MIT/Ivies/Techs: apples and oranges, with differing missions.

The SA/MIT intersection set is an interest in a strong STEM performer. USMA looks for breadth of excellence across academic, leadership, and physical; MIT probably doesn't care about a basketball throw or childhood asthma but likely more depth in pure academics.

OP used the word "caliber." Different specs, different calibers, desired by each school. Not less than, just ... different.

Slacker mids/cadets/students can be found at every school.

We have had 3 USNA sponsor sons/daughters at MIT grad school in the last 8 years. All breezed through the academics and didn't know what to do with the extra time - they were so used to non-stop pace of USNA events, academics, leadership roles, company duties, athletics, professional military training, mandatory fun (parades! inspections!), training evolutions, personal PT regime. Granted, they were in the top dozen or so in order of merit in their USNA class.
 
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I'm very confused by why LurkerKing is getting so much flack. If you look at the MIT decision thread from last year on college confidential you'll see person after person after person with 34-36 ACT, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, top 5% in class and solid extracurricular activities getting rejected. The middle 50% for MIT on the math section of the ACT is a 34-36, that's a ridiculous number(it means that at least 25% of the class, probably even more than that, scored a 36). The average ACT at USMA is a 28(which is respectable but not an absolutely ridiculous figure like MIT has). How often do you people on here that were 3Q'd, scored a 35 ACT, top 5% of their class, and solid extracurriculars get rejected? The only case for USMA being harder to get in to I could see one making is that you have to be medically and physically qualified for USMA. Is there something I'm missing?

LurkerKing also made what I think is a very valid point. You can find people who got into service academies with 25s on the ACT. If you look through the all of the MIT decision threads on MIT from the last 5 years I would bet that you would not find one person with a 25 on their ACT(and not a higher SAT score).

Based on the decision thread, MIT is a crapshoot for basically everyone. The same cannot be said for USMA. Based on what I have seen on this forum, if you score a 34 ACT, you're top 1% of your class, you have solid extracurricular, and you are 3Q'd, USMA is no longer a crapshoot.
Thank you for using common sense and logic when discussing, rather than freaking out like some people.
 
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