Anonymous wrote:OP, congratulations to your DC it's a huge honor.

But I agree with the PP, if there's any uncertainty, your DC should pass. It's a very very very hard road - an excellent education and career, but it requires a level of commitment and determination well beyond any typical college experience. Same for the post-grad service requirements.

One of my neighbors growing up made to West Point - he was back home after a week or 10 days.

There is ALWAYS uncertainty. In everything. Successful people overcome doubt.

AFROTC is both for USSF and USAF. Scholarship $ for AFROTC focus mostly on Engineering degrees, CS, and BS Nursing degrees. Exceptions exist, as with anything in the world, but are uncommon. USSF is the smallest military service, and is very picky about who from AFROTC they will permit to commission into USSF.

Navy ROTC (which includes USMC) prefers to fund scholarships for NuclearE and Nursing, but they are not as narrowly focused with scholarship $ as AFROTC. Often will fund humanities degrees with scholarships.

For Army, Nursing still gets some preference, but even more willing to fund humanities degrees than NROTC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ROTC sounds like it's a better option. It's a significant amount of work during college but you can leave the program at any time and you're still a student at the college, unlike the service academies. Many kids have a hard adjustment but end up sticking it out because they make friends in the program, etc.

We are aware of ROTC of course. Why do you think it’s a better option?

PP gave reasons in their post: "you can leave the program at any time and you're still a student at the college, unlike the service academies."

My nephew transferred out of the naval academy at the start of his junior year. He made FANTASTIC friends in the academy but the decision to leave halfway through, while ultimately the right choice for him, made for a less-than-ideal social experience during his final two years of college. If your student realizes their heart isn't in it, it can be challenging to start over junior year at a new place where most of your classmates have already formed strong friendships and living groups. In hindsight he would probably have had a better overall experience if he attended a regular college and considered ROTC. While there were many things he liked about the service academy, he realized he wasn't interested in it as a career, nor the 5+ year commitment post-academy that staying beyond sophomore year would have required of him; he decided that the opportunity cost to his career was too much to give up 5 years of his 20's to something he wasn't committed to.

He has good memories and great friends from his 2 years at Annapolis. But if your son already is on the fence, have him think through the commitment and whether he's willing to go through plebe year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would recommend continuing the process so he has time to make a decision. Also check out the service academy forum for any questions. It's not ideal, but since you don't owe any military time until after your sophomore year, I knew kids who did two years and then decided it wasn't for them and easily transferred.

Wrong. NROTC is one year on full scholarship then 5 year commitment. But to your point, you do get the 1 year and if it's not for you one can withdraw without military commitment.

Army is also one year to decide. If you roll into sophomore year you owe the Army service time (active duty or reserves) or tuition pay-back.

I was speaking of the academy not rotc

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:and seem on the fence. Anyone btdt or in the process? If you don’t like military, Trump, Hegseth etc please move on.

Its literally impossible to give someone advice on a military academy app in 2025 without these considerations.

If the kid isn't 100% gung ho, its a bad idea.

Nonsense. The current administration is term limited. A student starting in Fall 2025 will still be in college when a new administration takes office.

This. Ignore the ignorant. The academies are a fabulous opportunity. I housed a family while their son did the Annapolis summer program. The kid desperately wanted it but a poor grade in band his first year in high school did him in (I don’t think he had a congressional nom). So he went ROTC to USC as had his father and grandfather. Was a fighter pilot. Now has a great life-work balance working as a pilot for American Airlines out of Dallas and makes a fortune

OP, I agree that if your kid isn’t totally committed to the idea, the academies are probably a bad fit. But that doesn’t mean they need to drop the process now. It doesn’t hurt to keep going and give some time to consider it.

I’m surprised at the “all or nothing” attitude about ROTC, however. As others have pointed out, ROTC would provide a middle ground that can give a lot of the benefits while also having a more mainstream college experience and more flexibility to drop the program without disruption to their academics if your kid decides they aren’t 100% invested in it.

If your kid is wishy-washy about the academies, ROTC seems like a reasonable foot in the door without as much commitment. What is it about ROTC that makes it an absolute no-go vs the academies?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of kids in the same place right now. Some in academies / some applying.
IMO - keep the process moving and make the decision later. Things change significantly in the 18 YO brain and you want it as an option on the table.
I was over at a Navy football game right after all of the leaders were called to Quantico and ran into some who were in the audience.
The culture at West Point is different than at Navy / Air Force and you saw it at the Army Navy football game so just make sure your child understands the differences in the service academy they are considering.

Best of luck in navigating this process.

Can you describe the culture of army bc navy/air force? Or at least your personal observations of the differences?

My junior DC is seriously considering West Point and the naval academy.

In my interactions this year, Army is more MAGA. Cadets cheering for Trump.
Navy will be respectful of leadership - but not endorsing

I am sure everyone has a different POV

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congratulations to your DC it's a huge honor.

But I agree with the PP, if there's any uncertainty, your DC should pass. It's a very very very hard road - an excellent education and career, but it requires a level of commitment and determination well beyond any typical college experience. Same for the post-grad service requirements.

One of my neighbors growing up made to West Point - he was back home after a week or 10 days.

This is the answer, OP. No need to read further as your thread will now quickly deteriorate.

GL to your DC.

I think the answer is a little more complicated than that

It really is not. The combination of something that is very very very hard + being ambivalent at the outset and having a choice never works

And the Academies are very very very challenging in multiple domains. I interview current midshipmen and cadets as a regular part of my DoD job. You can’t do this half-committed, because you simply will not last.

Anonymous wrote:I know a bunch of kids in the same place right now. Some in academies / some applying.
IMO - keep the process moving and make the decision later. Things change significantly in the 18 YO brain and you want it as an option on the table.
I was over at a Navy football game right after all of the leaders were called to Quantico and ran into some who were in the audience.
The culture at West Point is different than at Navy / Air Force and you saw it at the Army Navy football game so just make sure your child understands the differences in the service academy they are considering.

Best of luck in navigating this process.

Can you describe the culture of army bc navy/air force? Or at least your personal observations of the differences?

My junior DC is seriously considering West Point and the naval academy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would recommend continuing the process so he has time to make a decision. Also check out the service academy forum for any questions. It's not ideal, but since you don't owe any military time until after your sophomore year, I knew kids who did two years and then decided it wasn't for them and easily transferred.

Wrong. NROTC is one year on full scholarship then 5 year commitment. But to your point, you do get the 1 year and if it's not for you one can withdraw without military commitment.

Army is also one year to decide. If you roll into sophomore year you owe the Army service time (active duty or reserves) or tuition pay-back.

Anonymous wrote:I would recommend continuing the process so he has time to make a decision. Also check out the service academy forum for any questions. It's not ideal, but since you don't owe any military time until after your sophomore year, I knew kids who did two years and then decided it wasn't for them and easily transferred.

Wrong. NROTC is one year on full scholarship then 5 year commitment. But to your point, you do get the 1 year and if it's not for you one can withdraw without military commitment.

I would recommend continuing the process so he has time to make a decision. Also check out the service academy forum for any questions. It's not ideal, but since you don't owe any military time until after your sophomore year, I knew kids who did two years and then decided it wasn't for them and easily transferred.

Anonymous wrote:This was my DS last cycle. When it became real, he had a total change of heart. I think it’s mostly the 17 year old brain and I was glad when his brain caught up. He would have been great at Navy but I’m glad he pulled out of the process because he was completely different when reality set in. Obviously I wish he could have gotten there before spending the hours and hours on that process. It really took away from other school applications (and a ED shot) but I think he had to go through the process so there were no regrets and that’s how it played out.

Same with my DS last cycle after receiving nomination. Decided it was not something he could go 100% in on after months of contemplating and giving it a lot of deep thought. We were very proud of him for that (being an adult about his decision process). Also received the full NROTC scholarship. Fortunately for him, he kept the other college app process going at the same time. He's currently at a Top School (decided on not doing NROTC) living his best life right now and doing well with no regrets about his decision. If after four years he decides being a military officer is something he wants, he knows OCS is still an option. Every kid will have their journey, as parents we have to let it be 100% their decision without trying to influence it in any way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ROTC sounds like it's a better option. It's a significant amount of work during college but you can leave the program at any time and you're still a student at the college, unlike the service academies. Many kids have a hard adjustment but end up sticking it out because they make friends in the program, etc.

We are aware of ROTC of course. Why do you think it’s a better option?

Why does your kid want to go to an academy? Is their real goal to be a military officer or just to go to an academy? If it is to be a military officer, ROTC will provide them both the training and the ability to have a relatively normal college experience at the same time. This may work better for them especially if reluctant to an academy. If it's just to go to an academy and that's the only focus, they should rethink this entire thing, and go to a regular college. If they have a desire to still be a military officer after college, they can go to OCS (officer candidate school) upon graduation.

There are people who use ROTC as a springboard to successful military careers, but nothing — nothing — compares to the credential/network power of being an Academy grad in that world.

That said, PP’s are 100% correct that the only way to succeed in the Academies is absolute commitment.

There are many kids who use ROTC as a springboard to highly successful private sector careers. Many top20 cadets choose the Reserves option upon graduation.
At my child's top20, the ROTC cadets are get top consulting and finance jobs. It's a huge hook over kids who don't have this on their resume because it shows discipline and leadership skills.

NROTC does not allow Reserves upon graduation. Has to be 5 year active duty commitment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ROTC sounds like it's a better option. It's a significant amount of work during college but you can leave the program at any time and you're still a student at the college, unlike the service academies. Many kids have a hard adjustment but end up sticking it out because they make friends in the program, etc.

We are aware of ROTC of course. Why do you think it’s a better option?

Why does your kid want to go to an academy? Is their real goal to be a military officer or just to go to an academy? If it is to be a military officer, ROTC will provide them both the training and the ability to have a relatively normal college experience at the same time. This may work better for them especially if reluctant to an academy. If it's just to go to an academy and that's the only focus, they should rethink this entire thing, and go to a regular college. If they have a desire to still be a military officer after college, they can go to OCS (officer candidate school) upon graduation.

There are people who use ROTC as a springboard to successful military careers, but nothing — nothing — compares to the credential/network power of being an Academy grad in that world.

That said, PP’s are 100% correct that the only way to succeed in the Academies is absolute commitment.

There are many kids who use ROTC as a springboard to highly successful private sector careers. Many top20 cadets choose the Reserves option upon graduation.
At my child's top20, the ROTC cadets are get top consulting and finance jobs. It's a huge hook over kids who don't have this on their resume because it shows discipline and leadership skills.