USNA or USCGA?

[tiger50]

I actually met two USCG cadets at the USS Intrepid Museum in NYC. (No surprise) They both liked the USCG. They said the academics were better (and me, being an aviator I wanted to chase that career track. You are looking for ship command). They seemed to really like it. One actually turned down an appointment to the USNA for the USCG. I personally still would prefer the Navy route. Look into some jobs that you'd be interested in for both branches. Best of luck.

 

[BruceRTalbot]

If you're female (I assume you are), it's a VERY small number of women. Not saying it's good or bad, just different.

Coast Guard Academy has 33 percent female, (higher than the Naval Academy), and the Coast Guard was the first academy to admit women, and the first to have a female academy superintendent -- and ALL jobs in the Coast Guard are open to women. Somethings to consider.

 

[Whistle Pig]

Coast Guard Academy has 33 percent female, (higher than the Naval Academy), and the Coast Guard was the first academy to admit women, and the first to have a female academy superintendent -- and ALL jobs in the Coast Guard are open to women. Somethings to consider.

Good information. But to be clear about the numbers ... USNA inducts more than twice as many women as USCGA ... 800+ vs. 300+ or so. The size of the puddles are dramatically different.

 

[Luigi59]

Good information. But to be clear about the numbers ... USNA inducts more than twice as many women as USCGA ... 800+ vs. 300+ or so. The size of the puddles are dramatically different.

Not hard to do when the average incoming plebe class at USNA (~1,300) is larger than the entire USCGA Corps of Cadets (~1,000).

That's why most intelligent discussions would reference and highlight specific percentages, which are applicable to any size "puddle."

 

[usna1985]

I'm well aware that USCGA has a higher percentage of women than USNA and always has. However, as pointed out, USNA has more people so, even with a smaller percentage of women, there are still more women total. Currently, the number of women in one class at USNA is roughly (slightly less) than the total number of women at USCGA.

In my day, each USCGA class had ~35 women, compared to ~110 in my incoming USNA class. During my USCGA CVW, I kept running into the same women over & over. That was an issue for me at that time based on my individual circumstances and preferences.

Thus, there are two separate issues. The first is percentages -- how much of "minority" are you within your class and the school -- and do you care? If you do, USCGA has the larger 3 SAs beat. The second issue is numbers -- how many people are there who "look like you" -- and, again, do you care. If you do, USNA simply has more women. As noted, it's not a good/bad issue, just facts and whether those facts are important to female candidates. Today is a different world than when I was applying so I can't say that women today have the same issues.

In fairness, in my day, the career opportunities for women in the USCG were much better b/c of the combat restrictions in the "major" services. Thus, from a career perspective for women, USCGA was arguably the better choice. I still have a great fondness for USCGA and, even as a USNA BGO, have happily watched great candidates choose USCGA over USNA -- b/c it was the right choice for them.

The "women" issue discussed above is but one of many facts to consider for female candidates.

 

[Whistle Pig]

Not hard to do when the average incoming plebe class at USNA (~1,300) is larger than the entire USCGA Corps of Cadets (~1,000).

That's why most intelligent discussions would reference and highlight specific percentages, which are applicable to any size "puddle."

Well "intelligent" is relative, subject specific, and complex to assess, isn't it? Don't ask a nurse to fix your car. Or a cowboy to play the viola. If one is concerned about association and/or appointment ... then more is merrier. And better.

Now, puddle size is critical to what one experiences. Smaller has its advantages. But when it comes to presence and potential # of spots available for any one female? 1,300 gals beats 300. Always.

And the odds for those gals in the dating and mating game also falls in favor of USNA ... 4:1 vs. 3:1 Now THAT might lead to a most fascinating thesis with a multitude of research questions of great value and applicability!

Your math. Make it arithmetic observation is solid though.

 

[LineInTheSand]

I might be a little dense, but I'm having trouble figuring out how a school is a larger percentage of females would not win the "mating game". You DO understand how percentage and ratios are DIRECTLY related....right?

Of course, I think we've already illustrated in this thread how insignificant "numbers" are to some.

 

[Packer]

Inform me as to how this little numbers game is relevant to "USNA or USCGA".

 

[LineInTheSand]

Its a "mating game" I guess for Whistlepig, and the idea of acceptance rates. The numbers discussion has little to do with the original question. The "mating game" comments certainly have little to do.

 

[Whistle Pig]

I might be a little dense, but I'm having trouble figuring out how a school is a larger percentage of females would not win the "mating game". You DO understand how percentage and ratios are DIRECTLY related....right?

I think we finally agree!

USCGA "wins" when she prefers a mate of the same sex!

 

[LineInTheSand]

I think I need to spell this out very simply, understanding your commissioning source.

The Coast Guard Academy has a higher PERCENTAGE of females, yes, less females, but a higher PERCENTAGE. That means the ratio is BETTER at CGA than USNA.


Put, hopefully more simply...

Totally fake, round numbers for arguments sake:

USNA has 10,000 students and 1,000 of them are female (10%).

USCGA has 1,000 students and 500 of them are female (50%).

USNA has MORE females but a LESS FAVORABLE ratio, male to female. That's because the PERCENTAGE of females at USNA is less than USCGA.

 

[Mongo]

USNA has 10,000 students and 1,000 of them are female (10%).

USCGA has 1,000 students and 500 of them are female (50%).

USNA has MORE females but a LESS FAVORABLE ratio, male to female. That's because the PERCENTAGE of females at USNA is less than USCGA.

So if you are the type of individual that likes to remain low key, to blend into the woodwork, it is easier to do as one of 1000 instead of one of 500. One of 1000 is not as unique as one of 500. A very valid concern for some and might be a consideration in their final choice.

 

[LineInTheSand]

That's probably true. Harder to be wallpaper as one of 500. Everyone knowing everyone is sometimes good, and sometimes bad.

 

[Northstream]

Graduating Class Paths

I have seen posts indicating USNA graduation choices, My DD chose USNA because there appeared to be many more choices. Maybe submarines are not for everybody, maybe jet fighters are boring, but USCGA does not make those choices available. Supply officers are available to both I think

 

[LineInTheSand]

All CGA grads are the Navy equivalent of "line officers"....Supply officers are not line officers. There are supply officer positions on Coast Guard cutters, but that is collateral duty, not a career track.

 

[usna1985]

Folks,

I'm (somewhat) sorry I raised the issue of fewer numbers (if not percentages) of women. As a female, the subject is, IMO, a legitimate one for women considering any SA. My comments were, as noted, not intended to disparage either SA, merely to inform.

Information is valuable. How one uses that information is up to the individual. To give you an example away from the SAs: a car review that says the backseat is small for passengers is information. That doesn't mean the car is better or worse for that fact. If you never have more than 2 people in the car, you may care less. If you frequently have 4, it may be a deal breaker.

USCGA and USNA are both great SAs that feed officers to our uniformed services. The only way to decide between them is to gather information. How you use that information is up to you.

 

[LineInTheSand]

I didn't think you're comments were off base at all. I think Whistlepig confused the issue however.

 

[walterd]

Until USNA decides to release the number of completed applications considered for appointment, their data is useless, unless it is used for parental ego boosting or alumni self gratification.

USCGA's data speaks for itself:

• 4,345 on-line applications received (a meaningless number, just as USNA's 19k+ number).
  
• 2,344 completed applications received (the number that matters).
  
• 373 appointments awarded - 15.9%

If we use USNA Class of 2012 data (last class data officially released by USNA), they stated 10,960 "applicants" and 1,537 appointments. So even if we use the inflated number of "applicants" (and we know that every one of them were not completed) we would come to an appointment percentage of 14.0% (very close, despite WP's assertions of a "very distant 2nd" lol).

My guess is that 70% (a very generous guess, btw) of those 10k+ applications (7,672) were completed and submitted, yielding a probable appointment percentage of somewhere around 20%.



I would concur. I have seen more applicants (with applications to both schools) get USNA appointments but no USCGA appointment that vice-versa.

But to be fair to USNA, those who do get both - about 70% accept the USNA appointment.

I would just like to point out that you cannot ever have the number of completed applications from navy because a lot of people stop after they are denied a congressional nomination when they would have finished if they had gotten one. There is no way of knowing how many would have completed the application if they had gotten one so you cannot ever really determine the number of students seriously interested in attending and the actual acceptance rate.

 

[GAXC]

I think you should go to the USCGA....