VMI vs Citadel vs Norwich vs North GA

GAPOPS

GAPOPS

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My son has been early accepted into the Citadel, VMI, Norwich, and North Georgia. Looking for a any input/advice on his options.
 
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Applied to all and USCGA (was denied)
visited USGA (twice since that was his number 1, we are now on Plan B)
Visited North Georgia
Scheduled to visit Citadel Jan 23
Scheduled to visit Norwich April 3
 
I went to Norwich - DS is going to The Citadel

1. UNG - In GA (in-state tuition, HOPE, Zell) No engineering program. Only Army ROTC. Exposure to a normal college experience.
2. Citadel - In Charleston (great city). Legendary alumni network. Significant scholarships available to offset high cost if out-of-state.
3. Norwich - Great financial packages for ROTC scholarship winners (I think they still pay R&B). Cold and snowy in the winter. N0t much to do in Northfield (won't be much of an issue as a freshman)
4. VMI - Can't comment in detail. Beautiful campus and location.

All are similar and they are all very different. Academically, they are all comparable except the UNG has no engineering program. From a ROTC standpoint, they are all SMCs - so very similar (UNG only has AROTC).

My DS passed on UNG because of the lack of an engineering program. Passed on Norwich because of the cold. He has loved the Citadel from the 1st day he visited.

I think your DS will have some clarity after visiting. I will tell you that Northfield, VT is way different in April than in Dec, Feb and Jan.

@GAPOPS - What branch (ROTC) is your DS interested in. Is he pursuing a ROTC Scholarship?
 
EEBTTF said:
I went to Norwich - DS is going to The Citadel

1. UNG - In GA (in-state tuition, HOPE, Zell) No engineering program. Only Army ROTC. Exposure to a normal college experience.
2. Citadel - In Charleston (great city). Legendary alumni network. Significant scholarships available to offset high cost if out-of-state.
3. Norwich - Great financial packages for ROTC scholarship winners (I think they still pay R&B). Cold and snowy in the winter. N0t much to do in Northfield (won't be much of an issue as a freshman)
4. VMI - Can't comment in detail. Beautiful campus and location.

All are similar and they are all very different. Academically, they are all comparable except the UNG has no engineering program. From a ROTC standpoint, they are all SMCs - so very similar (UNG only has AROTC).

My DS passed on UNG because of the lack of an engineering program. Passed on Norwich because of the cold. He has loved the Citadel from the 1st day he visited.

I think your DS will have some clarity after visiting. I will tell you that Northfield, VT is way different in April than in Dec, Feb and Jan.

@GAPOPS - What branch (ROTC) is your DS interested in. Is he pursuing a ROTC Scholarship?
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Great info thank you... NROTC non Scholarship as he is looking to commission in the USCG after school..
 
I'm not sure of the specifics, but there is a USCG aux detachment at The Citadel. You can Google it. That may be something your DS is interested in.

I think The Citadel is a Direct Commission Selected School ( DCSS) for the USCG.
 
My DS visited all, was accepted to UNG, Citadel, Norwich (wrestling deal), ended up at Texas A&M's Corps of Cadets. He fell in love with the combination of a Corps of Cadets experience, traditional college life to some extent, and all branches represented. He commissions in a few months and boy, it's been a journey. One thing I realize....all SMC's are great. I wish I could clone myself and experience all as well as some ROTC programs. In the end..it's what is the best "fit" for the DS/DD. Good luck and Go Army!
 
Our son is waiting to here from USNA (principal nom, 2 unranked noms) and was awarded 4 year tier 1 to Norwich. Norwich does still offer room and board to NROTC, so he would be full ride. During nomination interviews they all asked about plan b. When he told them Norwich they all took notes and commented that it is a great school. Also, I have great information through messaging on this forum with Norwich parents and alumnus. They have a great sponsor program, active alumnus and a brand spanking new cyber program and building. If you want, check out the parent alumnus page, live video cam of campus on bottom right, and you can pan the camera for 3 mins at a time. Kinda cool, also looks freaking cold. Also, he has spoken with some USNA grads who stated that Norwich has a great reputation for turning out excellent officers. Good luck, lots of choices to make for all of us coming up soon. I keep going through kleenex way too fast. Soon to be empty nest is hitting hard.
 
GAPOPS - my info is for The Citadel. The Coast Guard is a very small service and only about 1 or 2 Cadets at any of the SMCs commission into that service each year. I believe one commissioned this year at The Citadel. The Citadel does have its own Coast Guard Auxillary on campus and the nearby Coast Guard Base is very helpful for cadets participating and aiming for a direct commission. The Corps of Cadets is essentially a self contained small college - 2,300 Cadets. Cadets do have fun, but they mostly are very focused and many are taking double majors or at least taking a minor. What major is your DS considering? Engineering, Intel & Cyber Security, Business and Criminal Justice are the highest enrolled majors at The Citadel. If your DS is competitive for merit scholarships, he may also qualify for - Honors Program and a minimum of $10K per year, or Scholars Program for selected majors (STEM, Intel & Security, Business, Nursing, etc) is up to $7,500 per year and these all can be stacked with an ROTC scholarhsips up to cost of attendance.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Our DS received his appointment to USNA today, is it weird that I am a tinge bit sad we won't be visiting Norwich? Had emotionally invested in plan b. Good luck to you in your choice and journey.
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All tough under diffierant circumstances I am sure Admiral Dewey’s parants felt the same way. Congratulations.
 
All are fine schools and each has its own identity. UNG is very interesting and if Army is the choice of your DS, UNG produces superb Army officers. It’s also in a beautiful location. But try to visit them all, and see which one speaks to your son.
For what it’s worth, VMI gets my vote. You asked for honest feedback, and here goes...
First, VMI is a very spartan-like lifestyle and it’s not for everyone. To start, VMI cadets sleep on a cot for four years. Similar to the service academies, VMI is all-military with cadets only and it’s the smallest in terms of enrollment, yet has the largest endowment of all the others. Everyone at VMI is working to earn a bachelors degree in engineering or the liberal arts; no night degrees, no online degrees. VMI is famous for its alumni network, the accomplishments of its alumni, and they seem to stick together and support each other for life. Seems like more of a family than a school! Scholarships are available for a wide variety of cadets. But again, it is not for everyone: the honor court is brutal, by some standards, and life at VMI is very physically and academically demanding. Make sure you visit and makes sure DS knows exactly what he’s getting into if he chooses VMI! Highly recommend visiting all others, then VMI.
 
Was it an appointment or an acceptance, an appointment from a congressman or senator isn't a guarantee of entrance and only about a third of appointees get accepted. The Coast Guard wants to increase its commissioning numbers from OCS and Direct Commission programs so I believe there are opportunities for more than just one or two getting in from each SMC
 
I posted this a while ago in another thread but I believe it's still applicable.

My DS had a similar choice. He was offered a 4 year AROTC scholarship to VMI, VT or El Cid and got an appointment to USMMA. He chose VMI because all students are in the corps, closer to home (5 hour drive), much cooler temperature for doing PT (which you'll be doing often) and he prefers the mountains to the beach. If you love the idea of a small, charming town in the mountains while attending a top-notch, difficult military school, go to VMI, if you want to live in an awesome city (Charleston is one of my favorites, and I've been to a lot of places) go to the beach on your rare day off while attending a difficult military school go to the Citadel. Both schools are rated highly and both will serve you well if you want to be a military officer.

VMI also offers kids a semester abroad as well as summer opportunities.

This is a neat website in terms of career earnings divided by state or otherwise.
https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/best-schools-by-state/bachelors/new-york

Check out all of your plan B schools.

VMI is number two in Virginia, behind Washington and Lee, which borders VMI and the Citadel is number one in South Carolina. It's relevant to divide them by state due to cost of living adjustments geographically speaking. Good luck in your search, that senior year is probably more stressful than it needs to be. Things will work out and everything happens for a reason.

My son is now more than halfway through his second year and it's been an incredible experience. Difficult but rewarding.

One thing to consider is do you want to do a Knob year at the Citadel or the Rat Line at VMI and then be a plebe at WP if you get accepted the next year? That's a lot of difficult days to endure.

My son has thrived at VMI. It's a great school. If you get an ROTC scholarship it is almost as good a deal as WP. There are local scholarships that can pay room and board if you're qualified.
 
Can someone please explain what "The Citadel is a Direct Commission Selected School ( DCSS) for the USCG " My DS got early decision for VMI, Citadel along with ROTC scholarship. I am totally new to this, hence asking these questions. He is also considering University of CA system schools. He will be attending pre Knob, and plan is to try USMA in 2025. Where could I find more information on ROTC, commissioning etc?
 
DSM said:
Can someone please explain what "The Citadel is a Direct Commission Selected School ( DCSS) for the USCG " My DS got early decision for VMI, Citadel along with ROTC scholarship. I am totally new to this, hence asking these questions. He is also considering University of CA system schools. He will be attending pre Knob, and plan is to try USMA in 2025. Where could I find more information on ROTC, commissioning etc?
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To put it very simply, the Coast Guard does not have a college ROTC program, unlike Army, Navy and Air Force. It sources the majority of its officers from USCGA, and some from this DCSS path, as well as OCS. It uses a direct commissioning path as noted in below link:

Direct Commission Selected School (DCSS) Program | GoCoastGuard.com

College graduates and college seniors who have proven their character and leadership through a reserve officer training corps (ROTC) program, corps of cadets membership, or attendance at one of the federal military academies may apply to receive a direct commission as a leader in the Coast Guard.
www.gocoastguard.com www.gocoastguard.com
 
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