U.S. Naval Academy or U.S. Marine Corps Reserve with College

[JacobByrne]

I am 17 years old/ Senior and have secured and signed for a job as a Mortar man with a Reserve unit 100+ miles from an a credited engineering college I have been given a full-ride to. In this path, I will attend the Platoon Leaders Course to become an officer. By being in the reserves, I will have the opportunity to obtain a professional degree after my initial bachelor's degree. This may be a medical degree. On the other hand, I am basically given acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy class of 2015 for my very competitive application and congressional support. If you had this difficult decision, and acceptance was not an issue, what would you choose? Thank you.

[ArtyOps]

Less gas if you go to the Naval Academy. I wouldn't want to drive that far to play reserves once a month. Especially with a piddly little mortar.

[Lisa 23]

Without hesitation.....U.S. Naval Academy!

[TunTvrnWarrior]

Are you serious? The Naval Academy by far would be the top choice! That is one heck of a feather in your cap on your resume. It is like having Harvard, Yale, Princeton or MIT on your resume. Forget the reserves, get your carcass to Annapolis!

[josephd]

U.S. Naval Academy!!....w/ Marine option of course!

[Lynn2]

A no-brainer? Maybe.

I have had or have two Officers in the family. Both faced pretty much the same choice as you.

One had an admittance to USNA and decided to go IvyLeague/CalTech/MIT type of school with ROTC.

Things have worked out quite well for him/her both in terms of the military and other stuff related to the military or national security. Quite well being an understatement.

The 2nd one took the USNA option.

Things has worked out quite well for him/her both in terms of the military and other stuff related to the military or national security. Quite well being an understatement.

But the USNA was different. Very different.

That USNA was a real bear.

You get lots of support from prof's and fellow students as far as studies. But it is a really really tough school. and likely you will hate it for much of your 4 years.

Then the moment you walk across the stage with maybe the President handing you your good by papers you will start to love the place.

Nothing will open doors for you any more than an Academy education will. Absolutely nothing.

IMO there is really nothing that comes close.

If you can learn to handle the school work, if you can learn to handle the stress, if you can learn to deal with being unhappy at times, if you can deal with not having that traditional college time-----then you cannot make a better choice than the USNA/USMA.

No matter what you plan on doing 5 years or 15 years after you graduate.

A really good student? They send several grads on to full paid medical school each year.

Either way you will not pay for school, you will earn a nice salary, you will get a very nice fairly large almost no interest loan after your 3rd year (a reason so many USNA seniors drive really nice cars) And people you meet will look at you as someone special.

But just remember what my youngest said to me as I picked him/her up from their recruiting weekend on the Yard (Late Jan---cold---dark---the plebs just home from christmas leave)

"Dad those were the unhappiest group of people I ever saw in my life"

He/she made it through with flying colors.

[Zulu 36]

PM Isrowei for USNA insight. He's a ring knocker and former enlisted Marine too.

But I'd pick the boat school if I was choosing.

[JacobByrne]

The only problem I have with the Naval Academy at this point is the slim chance of myself getting the Marine option. 15-20 years ago, every Midshipmen wanted to be Aviators, but now... they seem to all want to be Seals or Marine ground. I spent a fully emerged week at the Naval Academy last month and I realized the absolute competition for getting a Marine billet. There being so few, and sought after, my chances of being in the Navy for 5 years after the Academy are extremely great. At that point, I will have forgotten all the necessities for picking back-up at medical school. So as another question, is four years at the Academy worth missing a Marine Corps background & Physician status? If I knew the answer I wouldn't ask. Opinions?

[Zulu 36]

The only problem I have with the Naval Academy at this point is the slim chance of myself getting the Marine option. 15-20 years ago, every Midshipmen wanted to be Aviators, but now... they seem to all want to be Seals or Marine ground. I spent a fully emerged week at the Naval Academy last month and I realized the absolute competition for getting a Marine billet. There being so few, and sought after, my chances of being in the Navy for 5 years after the Academy are extremely great. At that point, I will have forgotten all the necessities for picking back-up at medical school. So as another question, is four years at the Academy worth missing a Marine Corps background & Physician status? If I knew the answer I wouldn't ask. Opinions?


I don't know if the Navy is still doing this, but I knew a Naval officer who went USNA then to medical school right afterward on the government dime. He also became an astronaut. His name is Jerry Linenger and you can look up his bio. Really nice guy.

[Isrowei]

The only problem I have with the Naval Academy at this point is the slim chance of myself getting the Marine option. 15-20 years ago, every Midshipmen wanted to be Aviators, but now... they seem to all want to be Seals or Marine ground. I spent a fully emerged week at the Naval Academy last month and I realized the absolute competition for getting a Marine billet. There being so few, and sought after, my chances of being in the Navy for 5 years after the Academy are extremely great. At that point, I will have forgotten all the necessities for picking back-up at medical school. So as another question, is four years at the Academy worth missing a Marine Corps background & Physician status? If I knew the answer I wouldn't ask. Opinions?

I assume you meant Summer Seminar. You just got the most focused recruiting pitch the Academy has. Don't automatically expect you know what you're in for based on that.

You take the Academy for what it is: An opportunity. You might not make it to graduation (almost 30% of each class doesn't make it). Getting there is four long years ... no matter how you slice it. It will not even resemble "normal" college. Even if you do graduate, you might not get the job you want. Many graduate don't.

That being said, something about it makes people think its worth it to make it to the end. Kinda like enlisting in the Marine Corps. They know it's going to absolutely suck for a while, but they do it anyway. Why? If you need me to answer that, then you might as well go someplace else.

Here's something else you should keep in mind. The Marine Corps does not have doctors. I'm not sure how having a Marine Corps background figures into your plans to be a doctor. The Navy has doctors and if you want to get into the Medical Corps, you will do so ONLY by commissioning into the Navy. Otherwise, 5 years is 5 years, whether in the Navy as a surface warfare officer or in the Marine Corps. None of it will directly carry over to medical school. If what you want is to be a medical officer or just a civilian doctor even, then the Academy and even a commission at all is probably not your best choice. It will take you twice as long to get your medical degree and if you think Marine option is competitive at USNA, you haven't looked at the Medical Corps.

[Isrowei]

I don't know if the Navy is still doing this, but I knew a Naval officer who went USNA then to medical school right afterward on the government dime. He also became an astronaut. His name is Jerry Linenger and you can look up his bio. Really nice guy.

Yes, they do. You have to compete for appointment into the Navy Medical Corps which is on the order of 10-15 graduates out of the entire class of 950+ midshipmen. It makes the competitiveness of Marine Options look like a cakewalk.

[Lynn2]

You want a certain option as a USNA Grad? Then earn it. That is what everyone else does.

Good grades and good conduct means you choose before someone with lesser grades and lesser conduct.

These selections---SWO----Navy Air---Marine Ground---Nuke---etc--- are picked by students in order of their class standing for the most part.

Besides there is an ebb and flow to the choices. What was popular 10 years ago----what is popular today----and what will be popular 6 years from now does in fact change. In fact it can change from class to class.

[Lynn2]

Yes, they do. You have to compete for appointment into the Navy Medical Corps which is on the order of 10-15 graduates out of the entire class of 950+ midshipmen. It makes the competitiveness of Marine Options look like a cakewalk.

And its not just Medical school.

Grads are picked to go on to places like Harvard and Oxford for Graduate work.

And as far as Medical school 10-15 out of 950 or so is in fact pretty good odds-----if you are a strong performer that is.

And you can ask any MD with a couple of $100,000's of school debt how important going free and getting paid an 0-1 or 0-2 or 0-3 salary is.

[Isrowei]

And its not just Medical school.

Grads are picked to go on to places like Harvard and Oxford for Graduate work.

And as far as Medical school 10-15 out of 950 or so is in fact pretty good odds-----if you are a strong performer that is.

And you can ask any MD with a couple of $100,000's of school debt how important going free and getting paid an 0-1 or 0-2 or 0-3 salary is.

Agreed. There are a lot of opportunities at USNA. Whether you get them is entirely up to you.