USNA or NRTOC?

AcademyKid

AcademyKid

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Joined
Apr 9, 2021
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Hello everyone. I was just recently given an appointment for the USNA Class of 2025. I have also been awarded the 4 Year NROTC Scholarship and it was placed at UCLA. These two are my final choices on where I will be attending. Now I know these two options are quite different and they both have certain advantages. I was wondering if anyone could weigh in on helping me with my decision. Some various aspects I am looking at are career transitions into the Navy, networking opportunities, the balance of schedules, and the overall experience in each respective route. It would be great if you could give me your opinion or tell a personal anecdote of your experience with either USNA or NROTC. Thank you and Go Navy!
 
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I get the feeling that you may be leaning toward NROTC and UCLA. It’s a good school. Good choice. Is the SW your stomping ground?

Have you stepped foot on the Yard in Annapolis before this Covid ordeal?

Is your heart telling you anything?
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@AcademyKid. This dilemma is quite simple.

UCLA Bruins
Strong National D1 NCAA athletic programs
Rumored to have the best food among US Colleges
Freshman dorms Rock!
UCLA Cafetarias Rock!
35,000 undergraduates
Academically, very competitive
Hard to get intro classes so takes time to register to classes you want
Many large classes
Small 4/C Class of 12, all UCLA MIDNs
Attend NSI 2 weeks
Staff support, 10 Officers and NCOs
Reserve status 4 years until Active Duty
Serve 5 years if Scholarship
Must have your own health insurance
Room and board you pay
You must take care of all your needs
No restricted life style, but cannot drink under age or do drugs
Cannot get married or get pregnant
Civilian College experience with twice weekly meetings and trainings
Required 1 summer training in 1/C summer
But recommend attend 2 summer cruises
Must pass PRT SWIM all years
You can leave campus go home at your pleasure
Can take Go summer language program to study abroad
You can find your own internship
Get paid same or slightly more monthly stipend
You’re in the nice part of LA, great weather
Ranked nationally with all other NROTC, size about equal to USNA
Career path, same as USNA

USNA
Strong National D1 NCAA Athletic programs
Military experience
Recently Yard food not good due to cut backs!
Academically most challenging 4/C and 2/C
Pass Plebe Summer 6 weeks
4/C Class of 1100, Company size 40
160 MIDNs Company size Chain of command Navy style
Active Duty status 4 years
Can use Tricare health insurance
All expenses paid for including laundry service
Academy takes care of all your needs
Limited classes to register so better register quick to get classes you want
Mostly small classes
3 summer blocks must be filled every summer
Training, summer cruise, summer leave, about 3.5 weeks each
Restricted life style. Cannot bring girl friend boy friend to sleep over.
cannot under age drink or do drugs
Must attend all school football games
Must attend Army Navy Game
stand watch about once a month during 4/C-3/C
Must take town liberty in uniform Plebe Year
Must travel in uniform Plebe Year
Must take intramural sports all 4 years
Must pass PRT and Swim all 4 years
Lock down at the pleasure of Dant/Supe
Town liberty and extra day off at the pleasure of Supe
Summer internship from 3/C is limited to what Academy allows. Cannot find your own internship. Cannot take paid internship
60% of Navy SEAL candidates are chosen from the Academy
Annapolis is beautiful with 4 seasons
Career selection and path are same as NROTC

You cannot beat the Navy pride as an Annapolis grad! It’s the most prestigious Navy commissioning source in my opinion ^^

I hope this was helpful!
 
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I’d go with NROTC after reading some of the horror stories mids have endured during the pandemic. If you aren’t hell bent on attending the academy I strongly believe you’d enjoy your life a lot more at UCLA.
 
One response above is wonderfully exhaustive. One response above is terribly myopic. Try splitting the difference this way:

One place is the military, with a bit of college. One place is college, with a bit of military.

Which one best represents the environment you want as you make your way to an officer’s commission? Which tribe — because each place attracts a different tribe — better fits how you see yourself? That’s the one you choose.

In the end, you’ll have butter bars. Within a few months of joining the fleet or the Corps, no one will care — or even know — what your accession path was. It’ll all come down to your performance and leadership.

As for life after the military — transitions, networking — it again really doesn’t matter where you went. (To be sure, USNA’s alumni are a small and tight group, while UCLA’s alumni are a large and sprawling group. Both schools are highly regarded.) In the end, your ability to launch a civilian career will be driven much more by your professional performance and experience, and not by your alma mater.

Correction: Two posts above are terribly myopic.
 
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Woop199 said:
I’d go with NROTC after reading some of the horror stories mids have endured during the pandemic. If you aren’t hell bent on attending the academy I strongly believe you’d enjoy your life a lot more at UCLA.
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Last year was an anomaly. Things weren’t so great at STATE U for my oldest, either. In fact, it was awful.

Don’t base your decision on last year....
 
justdoit19 said:
Last year was an anomaly. Things weren’t so great at STATE U for my oldest, either. In fact, it was awful.

Don’t base your decision on last year....
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UNC for example, already announced full covid procedures following last years guidelines- I highly doubt the service academies will return to normal any time soon in their current status. In a place where freedom is already the most limited out of any post high-school education in America, you have to ask yourself if you’re prepared to endure those restrictions and some with covid.
 
justdoit19 said:
Last year was an anomaly. Things weren’t so great at STATE U for my oldest, either. In fact, it was awful.
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+100 to this! I wouldn’t base any college decision on what happened the past year.

I got my pandemic view of USNA from DD — both while she was there and while she was ROMing at home.

I got my pandemic view of civilian colleges from teaching — via Zoom exclusively — at our flagship state university.

One of those places seemed to do a far better job of maintaining standards, accountability and expectations — and trying to preserve what it could of normalcy. The other did a very credible job, but the much more heterogeneous nature of the student body — different goals and motivations, different levels of commitment — meant the results were far less uniform. (Pun intended.)
 
How you tolerate and persevere in difficult and unusual circumstances separates those who can and may not survive in the big Navy.

Jobs you do, choices you have is determined by the Navy’s need first. Your needs second. That is true whether you commission from the Academy or NROTC.

Attending the big Navy’s Academy will give you closer day to day Navy experience, including good times and the bad. Our Nation’s in the worst peace time health crisis since 1918. Spanish Flu crisis lasted 2 years. Let’s hope we come out of this in 1 year. It appears the end of crisis is near and close. And in most part, our Nation is working together as we learn the new normal and adapt.

Where ever you go, have to learn to suck up the bad and embrace the good. At the Yard, there are many embracing moments as we speak. The unity among MIDNs is tight and strong. Academy leadership is challenged and learning to navigate the new norm that is sure to come back to the old normal, while we continue to adapt and be better prepared to new challenges. Life at the Academy is like being underway, you’re technically under deployed status, for 4 years on a Carrier, Sub, Surface Warfare Ships, and the Marines. And the Academy walls are there to keep you and your shipmates safe and secured while deployed.

USNA vs NROTC both become the same Naval Officer. However, before you go into the big Navy, the experience you will have and the bonds you will make will be all determined by how you want to contribute to yourself and to your Company of MIDSHIPMEN during your collegiate training, where ever you are.
 
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MidCakePa said:
+100 to this! I wouldn’t base any college decision on what happened the past year.

I got my pandemic view of USNA from DD — both while she was there and while she was ROMing at home.

I got my pandemic view of civilian colleges from teaching — via Zoom exclusively — at our flagship state university.

One of those places seemed to do a far better job of maintaining standards, accountability and expectations — and trying to preserve what it could of normalcy. The other did a very credible job, but the much more heterogeneous nature of the student body — different goals and motivations, different levels of commitment — meant the results were far less uniform. (Pun intended.)
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Also, at a SA, 100 pct of the institution is there for one thing: develop and commission Officers.

At State U, that development is not a goal of the institution. So overall, imo, your OVERALL Officer development...especially during times of stress, cuts, decisions....is a higher priority at a SA than State U.

I’m not saying life is easier, better, etc in this statement. I’m saying one institution has this development as a focus/goal at its core, and another doesn’t. Whatever that means for your own goals.
 
My son’s (USNA) closest friends are not at USNA - they are at civilian schools but he keeps close contact still. He gets along with many of his classmates but they are mostly of a like mind, like interests, like motivations, like upbringing compared to his non-USNA friends. If a highly diverse set of classmates with odd-ball majors and interest are what you would like during your four years of college, you are much less likely to encounter that at USNA. Put another way, it is unlikely you will be hanging out with film majors on a Saturday night in your dorm room/apartment etc at USNA
 
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DD grumbled a little bit last year at NAPS, and a little bit this year as a Plebe, but she is doing fine .... She is used to structure. Her upbringing was full of structure. She fits in down there on the Yard. I think they all get their 2nd Moderna shots starting this week. Things will be back to normal sooner than you think.

I’m tough ... and I could have done well in the Navy if they would have taken me. It sucks being born with what I got, but I don’t complain.

UVA ‘80 thru ‘84 was ok .... But I would have taken USNA if they would have considered me .... Yes, I am a biased parent.

Just paid our yearly dues to the Blue&Gold Admirals Club ... got our season Football tickets .... and got 6 Army-Navy tickets and upgraded to to the Club level heated access at MetLife stadium this year.

GO Navy Beat Army
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From my perspective, just based on my plebe’s experiences this year:
Yes lockdowns and month long rom suck.
Yes the food situation has not been stellar.
His instructors have been amazing and available.
The mentorship provided by upperclassmen and officers is beyond what he expected.
Exposure to O3-O4’s who counsel, advise, encourage is not likely to be readily available at a civilian university.
Forestal lectures are incredible.
Chatting with the Artemis team lead via zoom was pretty cool.
Nightly chats with Jocko and Marcus Luttrell were insightful.
Upcoming LREC to Iceland will be a high point.
Bonding through the suck with one mission to achieve together is priceless.
And to cap yesterday off, the ‘09 grad who piloted the Marone One Osprey onto the yard was pretty cool.
 
Dr. Strange Love said:
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DD grumbled a little bit last year at NAPS, and a little bit this year as a Plebe, but she is doing fine .... She is used to structure. Her upbringing was full of structure. She fits in down there on the Yard. I think they all get their 2nd Moderna shots starting this week. Things will be back to normal sooner than you think.

I’m tough ... and I could have done well in the Navy if they would have taken me. It sucks being born with what I got, but I don’t complain.

UVA ‘80 thru ‘84 was ok .... But I would have taken USNA if they would have considered me .... Yes, I am a biased parent.

Just paid our yearly dues to the Blue&Gold Admirals Club ... got our season Football tickets .... and got 6 Army-Navy tickets and upgraded to to the Club level heated access at MetLife stadium this year.

GO Navy Beat Army
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Heated Club level. The only way to do A-N after you have done your time freezing your a$$ off in open seats over the years.
 
Capt MJ said:
Heated Club level. The only way to do A-N after you have done your time freezing your a$$ off in open seats over the years.
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I had those for a few yrs courtesy of a (retired USAF E9) West Point Season Ticket holder whose wife doesn't like to deal with the A/N traffic and logistics. Sadly, the "donation" required to keep eligibility for the club level kept going up so he folded his cards on that one.
 
MidCakePa said:
+100 to this! I wouldn’t base any college decision on what happened the past year.

I got my pandemic view of USNA from DD — both while she was there and while she was ROMing at home.

I got my pandemic view of civilian colleges from teaching — via Zoom exclusively — at our flagship state university.

One of those places seemed to do a far better job of maintaining standards, accountability and expectations — and trying to preserve what it could of normalcy. The other did a very credible job, but the much more heterogeneous nature of the student body — different goals and motivations, different levels of commitment — meant the results were far less uniform. (Pun intended.)
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I teach at a university as well as interviewed several ROTC reapplicants for the Service Academies so I got to see a different perspective than some. I remember how many of the Mids, both on here as well as through other sites who chafed at being forced to "Zoom School" from their Mom's basement instead of being in the yard. Well, the vast majority of my students are STILL doing that after a year of COVID. The Mids at USNA at least have SOME peers nearby and a chance to be with others even a little while many of my student are a LOT more isolated full time. Lots of folks out here are having mail issues and doordash, etc lose their appeal after a while. As for the ROTC reapplicants - the folks I spoke to are doing ROTC including workouts over Zoom with no live access to any of it.

I get it, things at USNA suck this year.
So do things at Whatsamatta State Univ .

One difference is what is expected from professors in the age of Zoom - I have students who tell me about profs who turn on a video of themselves and tell the students to download worksheets with little to no actual input or assistance. That crap would just not go very far at USNA - a few words up through the Chain of Command will generally fix that as well as get LOTS of assistance for the Mid. We have NOTHING like that at my STEM Heavy University.
 
OldRetSWO said:
I teach at a university as well as interviewed several ROTC reapplicants for the Service Academies so I got to see a different perspective than some. I remember how many of the Mids, both on here as well as through other sites who chafed at being forced to "Zoom School" from their Mom's basement instead of being in the yard. Well, the vast majority of my students are STILL doing that after a year of COVID. The Mids at USNA at least have SOME peers nearby and a chance to be with others even a little while many of my student are a LOT more isolated full time. Lots of folks out here are having mail issues and doordash, etc lose their appeal after a while. As for the ROTC reapplicants - the folks I spoke to are doing ROTC including workouts over Zoom with no live access to any of it.

I get it, things at USNA suck this year.
So do things at Whatsamatta State Univ .

One difference is what is expected from professors in the age of Zoom - I have students who tell me about profs who turn on a video of themselves and tell the students to download worksheets with little to no actual input or assistance. That crap would just not go very far at USNA - a few words up through the Chain of Command will generally fix that as well as get LOTS of assistance for the Mid. We have NOTHING like that at my STEM Heavy University.
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Wossamotta U!

Funny story about that - had first period psychology first semester youngster year. We would rush to our class early because we could pick up a UHF station out of Baltimore on the closed circuit TV in the classroom that played Rocky & Bullwinkle from 7:30-8am. When the theme song played at the end of the show, we would sing along and make the Bullwinkle antlers with our hands at the side of our heads. One day, the instructor came in a bit early and caught our act. We were lucky it was psychology class!
 
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