<p>Weski,</p>
<p>Well with 8 kids --- I have experienced it all. They are all different in their personalities and motivation. But each wonderful in their own way.</p>
<p>8kidsmom: You will appreciate my son's email response (finally!) from below decks at sea: "There are only about 75 questions for the whole project - I am doing well. Must have been a deckie if she wrote that much; I can only use photos for each section cover."</p>
<p>Boys! At least it sounds like he is on top of it. I am sure he will sweat when he gets home and puts it all together before returning to KP. Thanks for the tips - at least it got a response!</p>
<p>I am resurrecting this thread for our incoming recruits!</p>
<p>For the first time in Academy history, the 20 members of the first class who are in the Marine Operations & Technology (formerly Ships Officer, Shoppers) completed their QMED (Qualifying Member of the Engine Department) exams with a 100% pass rate. This rating permits these Deck midshipmen to sail as a QMED after graduation and then sit for their Third Assistant Engineers License (they will also have their Third Mates License). All twenty members are shown on the Powell Oval with their primary instructor Captain Doug Brown, USCG (Ret.).</p>
<p>I enjoy reading all of your posts. I am a highschool sophomore and I am very interested in Kings Point. I am having trouble convincing my mother that USMMA is a great school. I will be going to and academy informative day this weekend, but I was hoping to have more information for her before then. Also I believe I would be more interested in a logistics major. She doesn't think that USMMA would offer majors that apply to civilian life. Thanks for your help.-John</p>
<p>Yikes JT. Majors that apply to civilian life? Better try to have her visit this forum to read what KP grads do with their lives. I'm so amazed at where these guys & gals end up. My kid started looking at KP at the same age you are now. He brought home the KP catalog, plunked it down on the desk & said, "I'm going here". I said, "What the heck is it?" Then Jamzmom began reading. Uh yea. You figure out real quick that the majors offered are practical & ones you can use to make a good life for yourself. Don't be too hard on her. She'll find out with your help like I did with my kid's help. The Academy day will be a good start. Hopefully, they'll show the USMMA video. If she has questions, post them here & we can help if you'd like.</p>
<p>JT</p>
<p>Thank you very much. How do I request the USMMA catalog?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.usmma.edu/admissions/catalog.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.usmma.edu/admissions/catalog.htm</a></p>
<p><a href="https://info.usmma.edu/requestinfo.htm%5B/url%5D">https://info.usmma.edu/requestinfo.htm</a></p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your help. I have above a 3.5 GPA, and take AP and Honors courses. I am in JROTC and Marching Band. I am also in other groups. The thing that worries me is GPA and an Athletic Letter. I am only a Sophomore in HS so I still have time to fix that. Are there any pointers you could give me? Thank you.-John</p>
<p>Yeah, relax and enjoy high school. Don't get too wrapped up in college admissions and do what makes you happy. Keep the grades high and go make some new friends. I'll Look forward to seeing you here when I am a first classmen.</p>
<p>Start taking the SAT early your Junior year. Take it more than once. Also a varsity sports letter is not required but participation in some sport is recommended.</p>
<p>This is a good thread and I meant to post this interesting link from the NYT about a deckie made good - KP 2000 grad who is first officer on the QE2 - and his issues buying a condo, but interesting reading.
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/realestate/26hunt.html?ex=1150084800&en=050ab9669944bcde&ei=5070%5B/url%5D">http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/realestate/26hunt.html?ex=1150084800&en=050ab9669944bcde&ei=5070</a></p>
<p>Very interesting...sounds like he has a great life on and off the ship.</p>
<p>Pretty interesting. But I feel sure I wouldn't want that gig unless I could eat creme brulee everynight at dinner. :D Wonder what the QE2 Chef is like.....</p>
<p>KPcheng you wouldnt happen to be LT(jg) Cheng would you?</p>
<p>For JTRW Nope, not in the Navy. Sent you a PM.</p>
<p>Guess I better read the fine print on the service obligation. Looks like you can do it on a foreign flag ship now. Guess if you had to pick one might as well be the Queen Mary II.</p>
<p>"Guess I better read the fine print on the service obligation"</p>
<p>He's a graduate of 2000 I believe, more than 5yrs out so no longer obligated to sail on US flag vessels</p>
<p>I haven't heard the latest, but the academy is now offerning LNG as a systems engineering minor. Isn't the government trying to work out a possibility of letting us sail on foreign LNG ships?</p>
<p>The congress passed legislation this year allowing KP cadets to sail on foreign flag LNGs for training. Sadly there are no american flag LNG ships. Something that is not likely to change soon.</p>