Absolutely no difference in which path you choose to commission. Academy grads may have a leg up in some areas the first couple years, but NROTC grads will be better in other ways. In any case, in the early years anyway, promotion is more of a time-in-service thing... at least thru Lt jg. or 1st Lt. Some folks thrive in one environment and some in another. What's important is thriving where you attend college. Also college is 4 years. Navy Active Duty is 5 or more. And when you do leave there is life after that. Either institution would put him on the right life path.
I agree with everything above except the leg up part.
When I got to P-cola I thought the Academy folks would have a leg up. A large number of them were making up for lost party time. The didn't have to manage work/life balance at the Academy. I was really surprised how much a lot of them went out. I have spent a lot of time in P-cola over the last few months, nothing has changed.
College is a right of passage. Can you leave your folks and finish something on your own? Attending an Academy is only a half step. You still have "parents."
Don't go to class? You will be standing tall. Failing a class and you will be forced into study hours. Going out for night drinking with your buddies or studying for an exam is not something you face at the Academy until your senior year and even then it's a weekend choice not Tuesday night.
I have always said, if you had to push your child to perform, an Academy is a great transition. If your child is self motivated, let them take the next step to maturity in a normal college environment.
A chance to go to HYPSM? wow. Very tough to turn down.
Make sure they attend Bulldog days. See the school, hang out with the MIDs. To me it won't be a tough choice.
OS