Where to Reapply From

B

BobSanderz

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Mar 7, 2019
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213
Hello everyone,

So I would like some advice on this topic.

I am sill awaiting a response from USMA, USAFA, and USNA to see if i obtained an appointment. That being said, If I happen to be denied from all three, I will absolutely be reapplying to USMA (my first choice) from whatever university I end up attending. This is where my question begins:

I am contemplating accepting offers at these schools if the Academies dont pull through.

-The Citadel w'th (3 Year ROTC Scholarship), about 80-90k in debt after graduation.
-Gettysburg College (3 Year ROTC Scholarship & Presidential Scholarship), Completely Free
-American university (3 Year ROTC Scholarship), about 100-110K in debt after graduation.

Money is extremely tight in my family and as such I will be forced to take a loan for any school with cost that I attend.

I have visited The Citadel, and I know that it is the environment that I would do the best in. It is also the closest thing to an Academy environment among my list.

Considering these factors, knowing that I will be replying from any one of these institutions, would it be advantageous for me to attend The Citadel with a main reasoning being that it would benefit my reapplication to USMA? Is that even a fair statement? Would USMA look more favorably on someone coming from The Citadel than Gettysburg, all things equal? Would attending Gettysburg be to my benefit as I could reapply year on year without feeling the burden of cost?

Thank you for your support.
 
Well for me at least, I just went with whatever school is the cheapest. I'm going to a very popular College in my state that a large majority that my high school class is attending with no regard really to the ROTC program, but rather due to the benefits they will offer me. In my honest opinion, I'd go for Gettysburg, while The Citadel may be the environment that you believe is the best for you, I think you are ultimately the ultimate gatekeeper of your interest in a school.

You are the primary factor in just how well you succeed in any of these schools, and if you limit yourself to just Citadel, nothing will happen in the other two colleges. Think of it like this, what if you wanted USNA but USMA offered an appointment, while they are two different schools for two different branches, it is still an honor to attend USMA, but in the back of your mind you keep thinking "This isn't right for me, I wanted USNA" and you find yourself falling back behind all of your classmates due to this.

Lastly, if your true interest is to reapply, it's worth investing in a school where the cost to attend is the cheapest, after all, they may not accept you a second, which is a grim reality I too had to face when I finally picked where to attend college. In addition, the ROTC school you attend has little bearing upon your application when you reapply, keep in mind that Admissions looks at much more than just how prestigious your school is, there are Cadets from low-income communities with poor schools who still poured their hearts out into school, athletics, and leadership in order to attend a Service Academy.

To recap, it is ultimately your choice and no one will judge you on any of them as you still have grit and goals, but I'd advise the Free option, best of luck to you!
 
Jhenry904 said:
Well for me at least, I just went with whatever school is the cheapest. I'm going to a very popular College in my state that a large majority that my high school class is attending with no regard really to the ROTC program, but rather due to the benefits they will offer me. In my honest opinion, I'd go for Gettysburg, while The Citadel may be the environment that you believe is the best for you, I think you are ultimately the ultimate gatekeeper of your interest in a school.

You are the primary factor in just how well you succeed in any of these schools, and if you limit yourself to just Citadel, nothing will happen in the other two colleges. Think of it like this, what if you wanted USNA but USMA offered an appointment, while they are two different schools for two different branches, it is still an honor to attend USMA, but in the back of your mind you keep thinking "This isn't right for me, I wanted USNA" and you find yourself falling back behind all of your classmates due to this.

Lastly, if your true interest is to reapply, it's worth investing in a school where the cost to attend is the cheapest, after all, they may not accept you a second, which is a grim reality I too had to face when I finally picked where to attend college. In addition, the ROTC school you attend has little bearing upon your application when you reapply, keep in mind that Admissions looks at much more than just how prestigious your school is, there are Cadets from low-income communities with poor schools who still poured their hearts out into school, athletics, and leadership in order to attend a Service Academy.

To recap, it is ultimately your choice and no one will judge you on any of them as you still have grit and goals, but I'd advise the Free option, best of luck to you!
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Thank you so much for your detailed response, I will take it to heart. Are you at a service academy now?
 
Definitely go with what will put you in the best situation personally (I too would choose Gettysburg), I ended up going to community college for two years before getting accepted purely due to financial reasons. Obviously focus on STEM classes, but the fact you are reapplying while still bettering your education will be a huge impact.
 
My opinion - if you want to reapply to USMA, look at three items:
  1. Academic offerings - regardless of your major, does the program allow the flexibility to mimic a plebe schedule; specifically STEM Math and Science, English Composition.
  2. Academic rigor - a quick look seems to indicate that all three are about the same level of rigor, but do a more thorough analysis and give greater weight to more rigor.
  3. Cost - personally, I see no reason to go into debt if the three programs are approximately equal.

Also, while The Citadel may offer a greater opportunity to live in a military environment, I have never heard that USMA admissions would favor it over another college of comparable academic quality.
 
4.0swimmer said:
Definitely go with what will put you in the best situation personally (I too would choose Gettysburg), I ended up going to community college for two years before getting accepted purely due to financial reasons. Obviously focus on STEM classes, but the fact you are reapplying while still bettering your education will be a huge impact.
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jl123 said:
My opinion - if you want to reapply to USMA, look at three items:
  1. Academic offerings - regardless of your major, does the program allow the flexibility to mimic a plebe schedule; specifically STEM Math and Science, English Composition.
  2. Academic rigor - a quick look seems to indicate that all three are about the same level of rigor, but do a more thorough analysis and give greater weight to more rigor.
  3. Cost - personally, I see no reason to go into debt if the three programs are approximately equal.

Also, while The Citadel may offer a greater opportunity to live in a military environment, I have never heard that USMA admissions would favor it over another college of comparable academic quality.
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Thank you both for your insights
 
Ok, speaking as a mom of a DD that received the TWE and will reapply for the class of 2025, we have encouraged her to choose the best financial option for her (us) to avoid a large debt coming out of school. She is heartbroken because this means she can't go to her 2nd choice school but has to "settle" for her back up-back up school. But that option will get her thru her first year completely debt free or very little cost out of pocket to her/us. We told her that if she doesn't get an appointment next year, then she can transfer to her 2nd choice school and go thru their ROTC program and we would deal with the cost at that time.

So, my mom opinion, if the three schools are close academically, then take the debt free option for the first year. I hope this helps.
 
I don’t have much to offer except to say congratulations on Gettysburg! That school is amazing and to be able to go for free is awesome. My DS loved it but there’s no way we could afford it. Best of luck!!
 
1. There's no assurance you're getting chosen next year, so to be certain you can stay in college you'll want the school you can afford. Students can't borrow very much money because they they don't have good jobs and don't own anything of value, about $5k-7k per year more or less. All those other loans you read about are co-signed by parents or grandparents, and if yours are already in a pinch they aren't going to want a big piece of that.
2. Keep in mind that your end goal is becoming an officer, and realize that in four years you'll have the same 2nd Lt rank regardless of the ROTC or SA program you attend. School is a path, not a destination.

So in the big picture it doesn't matter. Pick the cheap one that leaves you without debt and doesn't burden your family (which is a fine school, BTW.)
 
Some (i don’t know how many) that receive TWEs will receive ROTC scholarships even if they didn’t apply. USMA turns over contact info to Cadet Command and they contact by email. Mostly 3 year scholarships but it’s something.
 
ArmybornArmyproud said:
Ok, speaking as a mom of a DD that received the TWE and will reapply for the class of 2025, we have encouraged her to choose the best financial option for her (us) to avoid a large debt coming out of school. She is heartbroken because this means she can't go to her 2nd choice school but has to "settle" for her back up-back up school. But that option will get her thru her first year completely debt free or very little cost out of pocket to her/us. We told her that if she doesn't get an appointment next year, then she can transfer to her 2nd choice school and go thru their ROTC program and we would deal with the cost at that time.

So, my mom opinion, if the three schools are close academically, then take the debt free option for the first year. I hope this helps.
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Thank you, it's been an ongoing discussion with my mother aswell 🤣🤣
 
Megtrip said:
I don’t have much to offer except to say congratulations on Gettysburg! That school is amazing and to be able to go for free is awesome. My DS loved it but there’s no way we could afford it. Best of luck!!
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I appreciate your kindness🥰🥰
 
cptenca said:
Some (i don’t know how many) that receive TWEs will receive ROTC scholarships even if they didn’t apply. USMA turns over contact info to Cadet Command and they contact by email. Mostly 3 year scholarships but it’s something.
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Yes, fortunately the way in way I will be able to attend debt free is a combo between a ROTC scholarship and a presidential scholarship.
 
I just in good conscience could never recommend to my child to go that much in debt for an undergraduate degree. It will not be just the figures that you listed. Add interest, which starts accruing the day you take out the loan, on top of that. And then what happens if you have to take a leave of absence from paying the loans? It happens (and will while you are in WP!) and the interest keeps accumulating. It is a burden which impacts your life for years. So that's my bias.

Go to the school that offers a free ride and take challenging stem classes. Absolutely shine in your classes and excel in ROTC and breathe easy when you enter WP debt free.
 
HawkeyeMom said:
I just in good conscience could never recommend to my child to go that much in debt for an undergraduate degree. It will not be just the figures that you listed. Add interest, which starts accruing the day you take out the loan, on top of that. And then what happens if you have to take a leave of absence from paying the loans? It happens (and will while you are in WP!) and the interest keeps accumulating. It is a burden which impacts your life for years. So that's my bias.

Go to the school that offers a free ride and take challenging stem classes. Absolutely shine in your classes and excel in ROTC and breathe easy when you enter WP debt free.
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I like your style :D
 
Speaking as a parent who has been around the block a few time, no one should be starting adult life with debt of over $80,000. That will be an incredible millstone around your neck. Have you done the math to understand how large of a loan repayment that will be? You need to understand this now as it will help you to realize that it's just not a wise option. Look at the salary of a new Lt and then look at the size of your monthly school loan amount. The numbers do not work in your favor.

Also, you can't take out such large loans so your parents will have to co-sign. Do you understand the ramifications of this for your parents? If you can not pay, for whatever reason, then it will fall to your parents to pay the loan. Are you willing to saddle your parents with this debt? (This can happen when the student becomes too ill to work, dies or simply becomes completely irresponsible. Of course you think that none of these things will ever happen to you, but it is certainly possible since it happens to young adults every year and then I see articles/posts written by these parents lamenting how unfair it is that they have to pay their kid's student loans.)

Embrace the lemonade at Gettysburg College. Many would envy the chance to attend college with no debt. It is an incredible gift. Bloom where you are planted.
 
bookreader said:
Speaking as a parent who has been around the block a few time, no one should be starting adult life with debt of over $80,000. That will be an incredible millstone around your neck. Have you done the math to understand how large of a loan repayment that will be? You need to understand this now as it will help you to realize that it's just not a wise option. Look at the salary of a new Lt and then look at the size of your monthly school loan amount. The numbers do not work in your favor.

Also, you can't take out such large loans so your parents will have to co-sign. Do you understand the ramifications of this for your parents? If you can not pay, for whatever reason, then it will fall to your parents to pay the loan. Are you willing to saddle your parents with this debt? (This can happen when the student becomes too ill to work, dies or simply becomes completely irresponsible. Of course you think that none of these things will ever happen to you, but it is certainly possible since it happens to young adults every year and then I see articles/posts written by these parents lamenting how unfair it is that they have to pay their kid's student loans.)

Embrace the lemonade at Gettysburg College. Many would envy the chance to attend college with no debt. It is an incredible gift. Bloom where you are planted.
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Thank you so much for your insight.
 
BobSanderz,

I was in your exact shoes last year. As countless others have already stated, choose the school that lets you come out the best financially. I ended up going to my last choice school and screwing one of my best friends over because I had the talk with my parents and came to the conclusion, "If West Point is truly where I want to be, what's the cheapest 1-year back up I can get?" (I was too cocky and neglected to pursue ROTC scholarships, partially because I thought it would screw up WP) because unfortunately this upcoming year at college will not transfer any academic credits over. As much as I wish I would have been smarter and applied for ROTC scholarships so that I could have gone to school with who once was my best friend, I don't regret choosing the cheapest option so that I could be completely debt free now. Ultimately the decision is yours to make and if you think that Citadel will offer you more, then go there, but just know that your CDT pay will not help you pay off that debt any time soon and you'll be in debt for a while (which is not necessarily bad for your credit score either). Make the decision that you feel suits you the best. If you truly believe that WP is for you and are for certain you are not going to stay at whatever school you choose, I would definitely choose a cheap option and challenge yourself academically (I had a full courseload both semesters and had to be talked out of taking some classes by my academic counselor even though it was like the only class I really wanted to take). But also don't make yourself miserable with the what-ifs either. If you think that you might prefer another college over WP, go there. Just don't make a decision that you might regret later on in life. Do what's best for you.
 
2023CDT said:
BobSanderz,

I was in your exact shoes last year. As countless others have already stated, choose the school that lets you come out the best financially. I ended up going to my last choice school and screwing one of my best friends over because I had the talk with my parents and came to the conclusion, "If West Point is truly where I want to be, what's the cheapest 1-year back up I can get?" (I was too cocky and neglected to pursue ROTC scholarships, partially because I thought it would screw up WP) because unfortunately this upcoming year at college will not transfer any academic credits over. As much as I wish I would have been smarter and applied for ROTC scholarships so that I could have gone to school with who once was my best friend, I don't regret choosing the cheapest option so that I could be completely debt free now. Ultimately the decision is yours to make and if you think that Citadel will offer you more, then go there, but just know that your CDT pay will not help you pay off that debt any time soon and you'll be in debt for a while (which is not necessarily bad for your credit score either). Make the decision that you feel suits you the best. If you truly believe that WP is for you and are for certain you are not going to stay at whatever school you choose, I would definitely choose a cheap option and challenge yourself academically (I had a full courseload both semesters and had to be talked out of taking some classes by my academic counselor even though it was like the only class I really wanted to take). But also don't make yourself miserable with the what-ifs either. If you think that you might prefer another college over WP, go there. Just don't make a decision that you might regret later on in life. Do what's best for you.
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Thank you so much for your personal insights
 
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