Coast Guard Academy?

[Anonymous]

Curious to hear feedback about it as 1) a "college experience"; 2) compare/contrast with the other service academies. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

DH is in the coast guard and loves it. As services go, it is fairly family friendly. More likely to be posted in US, often in coastal towns, although not guaranteed. A large variety of mission sets and they give junior officers a lot of responsibility. His college was definitely a different experience than a traditional college but he still had fun and made great friends.

[Anonymous]

What for of grades and test scores are needed for a URM applicant? Do the minority students feel at home and welcomed into the Coast Guard community? My son is interested in applying. He is currently in 10th grade and is an AA athlete with good grades from a local Catholic private. Any advice? Our there summer programs to help prepare?

[Anonymous]

sorry, I meant Are there summer, not "our" there summer.

[Anonymous]

Why would one choose Coast Guard over the other academies? I guess my question for those who have chosen Coast Guard academy is what distinguished it for you.

[Anonymous]

Because the main mission is not combat.

[Anonymous]

A friend from high school went to the CGA (late 80s) and is now Captain of a major US port. Kinda cool. White guy and different era, so no idea if his experience would be similar to your DS's, but I always thought it would be a great life, rescuing people in distress and trying to keep drugs (and worse) out of the country.

[Anonymous]

DD was a student at large state U near the CG academy and had a HS (female) friend at the academy.
This was recent. These are some things I remember DD saying:
- CG friend could not socialize at large state U (could not go off campus) for the entire 1st year.
- CG friend, as female, could have gained a spot on any CG women's athletic team.
- Both girls were disgusted re: the rule that CG girl was prohibited from dating anyone enlisted.
- CG girl, once allowed to visit large state U, was shocked, shocked to see students sunbathing, playing frisbee, and drinking!

[Anonymous]

No Congressional recommendation is needed. They are seeking more URM candidates. It is a military academy, so strict rules and the service as a whole is somewhat strict (people can be let go for drinking incidents). Academically challenging.

[Anonymous]

An excellent, challenging college. A difficult one to get in. Please consider a prior post from a different thread --- "Any Federal service academy (including USMMA and emphatically including the USCGA, which is very challenging) involves not simply gaining admission, but becoming a full-time, active-duty, closely-supervised member of the service. The Army's statutory senior military colleges that confer guaranteed direct commissions are similar in terms of requirements for those enrolled in the formal corps of cadets (Norwich, VMI, Citadel, Texas A&M, North Georgia, Virginia Tech's ROTC program). The state merchant marine academies are required to mandate that, for most undergrads, the students be qualified for NROTC or Coast Guard commissions. They're all at least good, some are excellent, but make no mistake -- this isn't college admission and enrollment. You are enlisting in the hopes of obtaining a commission, and you are subject to close, EP discipline.""

[Anonymous]

I'm a USNA grad who knows many USCGA alumni. I think it's a great opportunity. It's like any other service academy, but much smaller, just as the Coast Guard is he smallest of the armed services. It's every bit as competitive, and more so by some metrics.

IME, the military in general is more accepting of underrepresented minorities than just about anywhere else, and it also embraces true diversity, to include socioeconomic diversity, far more than comparably elite civilian colleges.

I agree that the Coast Guard service is much more family-friendly than the others, for the reasons previously listed, as well as e fact that their members typically don't deploy overseas for months on end (with a few exceptions).

The Academy experience is unique. Some are wholly prepared for it; others are kind of shocked by it. The truth is that most like it--graduation rates are about 85%, so for all the talk about arcane rules, obviously most get through it. Alumni support is very, very high. The graduates of these schools truly love their schools. I'll be encouraging my children to strongly consider them.

The previous poster with the tertiary anecdote about her DD's friend is simply wrong. Cadets are allowed off campus, even during the first year, but the time is limited. Privileges increase gradually with class seniority. As a senior (USNA), I could drive drive off of campus any time I wanted, as long as there was no mandatory lecture or other event.

Again, it's a great, very special opportunity. I encourage you and your DS to look closely at it, and visit.

[Anonymous]

simply wrong? you were a senior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:simply wrong? you were a senior

I was a freshman at one point, too. Freshmen would be allowed to leave campus on Saturdays.

It's not supposed to be easy.

[Anonymous]

USNA has St. Johns across town, means there's a pool of literate potential mates. Annapolis is an OK place to be for four years. USCGA has Connecticut College across the road and Mitchell College across town. The potential mates are there but need looking for. Has something of an ocean going presence with the State Pier. Typical Southern New England town. Equidistant from NYC and Boston.

More responsibility sooner; more rescue/law enforcement than combat.

[Anonymous]

Forget it if not very physically fit. They place the highest priority on this of all the service academies.