Which college should I go to for best chance of being admitted next year?

7782998333

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Hello, please bear with me because I have quite the dilemma and I don’t know how to decide. I applied for USNA Class of 2023 and was denied, but I would like to apply again to USNA this upcoming year. I would like to try and apply to USAFA this year as well. My problem is that I have to chose a college to attend this year. Right now I am trying to chose between the University of Georgia (UGA) and the Citadel and I was wondering if anyone in this forum had any ideas on which college would be more impressive to the admissions board. I already called the admissions of both service academies and asked for their advice on which college to chose, and they said that they couldn’t really answer that question but they wanted to make sure I was challenging myself. If I went to UGA, I would do mechanical engineering and take the rotc program there. I would be able to do a lot of different clubs and take 17 credit hours. If I went to the Citadel, I would be taking mechanical engineering as well but with 21 credit hours, and the knob year at that college is considered to be extremely hard. What I am currently leaning towards is the Citadel, because it would show that I can handle the rigor of military and academics, but if anyone has any advice or could input their opinion, I would appreciate that tremendously!
 
The more experienced posters will soon chime in, but one thing I can say is that anywhere you go, challenge yourself with a plebe/doolie-like schedule (chem, calc, English, history). Get involved in some ECs in and out of school. This will show you can handle college level classes while having more responsibilities.
 
UNG only has AROTC.
UNG has no native engineering program. They have a program with Georgia Tech but I am told it can be difficult while in The Corps of Cadets and AROTC.
I would think Citadel is harder to get in than UNG.
 
Pick the university that makes the most sense to graduate from not which university is the most attractive to a SA.
It probably is negligible anyway.
 
If it were me, I'd go to UGA, get straight A's, do ROTC and also have a normalish college experience and some fun for a year. Straight As from UGA in Calc, Chem, English, Physics will be plenty fine.
 
There are several reasons you should NOT base your decision on which college to attend because one will be more/less helpful in reapplying to USNA. They are (in no particular order):

1. USNA doesn't care what college you attend, other than that they recommend a 4-year (vs. CC) if financially viable. They understand there are all sorts of reasons that people can and do choose various colleges -- they are more concerned with the courses you take, the grades you get and the activities in which you participate than the school you attend. (The above said, I won't argue that straight As in STEM from MIT may count more than straight As from (pick your) small, state school. But those aren't the two options most folks have).
2. You may not get into USNA on your second try. Thus, you should pick a place where you expect to be happy for the next four years. It would be nuts and a waste of time to go someplace for a year just for USNA purposes, not get in to USNA again, then change colleges to go someplace where you really want to be.
3. There may be financial considerations. Don't go into serious debt "just" to be able to reapply to USNA. Pick the school that meets your personal desires but also is financially viable for you and your family (See #1 above).
4. You may well end up loving your civilian school and pull your USNA application. You would not believe the number of folks on this site over the years who have been 100% sure they would reapply in June and then, come October, they pull their applications because they love their new school.

The Citadel and UGA are two very, very different experiences. Go to the Citadel because you want to attend the Citadel, not b/c it's a stepping stone to USNA. Go to UGA because you want the experience of a large, state university (or whatever other reasons you have). Either is a fine choice but choose the place that you see yourself not only next year but from which you see yourself graduating in 4 years.
 
I suggest looking at it from another perspective ...where would you like to spend 4 years and graduate from ? If you don't get into USNA on the next try., you want to be where you will be happy and thrive the next three years. A few other thoughts:

First, I don't think either is a bad choice, and you can get into USNA from either. I don't know how much weight , if any, attending Citadel and having a Knob year , adds to your USNA application. It certainly isn't expected. It would however, give you a big head start on Plebe Summer/Plebe year.

Second, what is your ultimate objective ..Commission in the Navy ? If so, which schools provide NROTC ? (I know Citadel does, but I see a lot of comments about UNG not having NROTC. Is this a typo ? ) Attending a school with NROTC is helpful, as it gives you another Nomination source.

Finally, which do you think is a better fit for you ...do you need the discipline that Citadel provides, or can you discipline yourself. Either way, the objective is demonstrate the ability to succeed, and excel, in a rigorous academic environment.
 
What a great feedback and advice from the experts! All advices here are invaluable regardless of USNA. Their advices should be from real experiences, not from would be/could be....

If I were OP, I would go to Citadel because it is very reasonable to meet not only an immediate goal for USNA re-application but also a long-term goal (Plan B) to serve this country as a navy officer.

Many applicants think that there is a huge difference between ROTC and SA based on a high school student’s viewpoint but real capabilities and leadership would be revealed and recognized when they are commissioned in 4 years.

I always take my hat off to the experts above who provide unbiased advices.
 
Pick the university that makes the most sense to graduate from not which university is the most attractive to a SA.
It probably is negligible anyway.

^Couldn't agree more with this post. 7782998333, I had a similar decision to make in the Spring of 2017. I had just been denied from USNA and USAFA. I had 4 civilian universities to choose from. In the end, I decided to go with the school that I would be happiest at if I was there for 4 years. I went to a state university with a great campus environment and a strong AFROTC program. I wish you good luck with your application but there is no guarantee that you will be accepted to a service academy next year so I encourage you to pick a school that is good for you, not for your service academy application. No matter what civilian school you choose the most important thing to your reapplication will be to have a solid GPA.
 
The application process at all academies is fairly objective. You demonstrate to admissions that you can handle it and not by what the perception may be. They will look for you to take a challenging course load and do well. The difference between UGA and The Citadel is probably negligible as others have said when viewed from how it will impact you chances. You should pick where you will be happy the next four years and if you are lucky enough to get an appointment then you will have a hard decision to make.
 
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