For a while I’ve been thinking about enlisting in the Army after high school and spending 4 years of active duty as hopefully a 68A (biomedical equipment specialist) before attending college to earn my BS and MS degrees in biomedical engineering. There are many reasons I feel compelled to serve, my dad spent 4 years of active and several other family members have made it their career as well. The funding for college, ability to travel and life experiences that I would gain also entice me. My question is, how difficult would it be to apply and get into competitive schools as a non traditional? My dream schools are Duke University and Georgetown and my in state is UW Madison. Some background, I’m a sophomore currently, a 4.0 student and am involved in several clubs and organizations in my community, two of which I hold leadership positions for. Unfortunately I don’t have any test scores yet as I’m taking the PSAT in October, but if someone could give me some advice or information it would be much appreciated!
Why not go to a Service Academy instead? Like West Point? Then you can be an officer.
From what I’ve researched there isn’t an equivalent officer position to the MOS that I would like. I would also rather keep the army-college portions separate so I get two unique experiences instead of one.
I appreciate with respect and awe your family’s service. That being said, going through war could have lasting complications for you–physical and psychological. Since you pointed at only the upside of military service, I feel the need to point out the downside.
That being said, if you do decide to serve and then go to school you’d have to look at the individual schools to see their policies on admitting veterans. For the most part, schools seem receptive to veterans. In addition, some have Veterans’ Posses, which offers a cohort of veterans, an excellent education, and funding for school. Vassar led the way, and I believe Wesleyan and Williams also offer these special programs. Here’s an article – https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/06/how-the-liberal-arts-help-veterans-thrive/530853/
Your experience in college after the army will be very different from a traditional college experience, especially social life. Is this what you want? Or, if not, have you considered ROTC?
Thank you for the insight about life after active duty. My dad was in infantry before the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, but we have family friends who have experienced life changing situations such as war. I’ve considered the possibility of being deployed to a war zone, but at present that is very unlikely and even if in the future I was faced with that i think i would be able to accept and embrace it.
Yes, I have considered it. However, ROTC offers nothing close to what I’d like to major in, and it would be a waste because I don’t want to pursue a career in the Army after college.
I would look for colleges that have more veterans support and cohort…for example in this article it says Duke has only two veterans in undergraduate. https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article206557699.html
I would also counsel you to talk to people who have been in the armed forces…those who have done what you want and those who went the ROTC way. Or you could get a degree and then go to Officer Candidate School. https://www.goarmy.com/ocs.html
Another thing is to consider the various branches…my nephew joined the Air Force and served for like 6 years and now is going back to college.
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