My S will be joining the Corps of Cadets next year. Can you tell me what he will need and an estimate of what it costs. Uniforms, Boots etc.
Correct me if I am wrong but doesn’t ROTC grant full ride + stipend? Shouldn’t ROTC equipment be included in those costs?
does this help? https://collegedpt.com/pages/corps-of-cadet-brochure I know it is only a partial list. A big expense is custom made senior boots - but they have to be earned & you’ll have several years to save for them -they are roughly $1100. There is a facebook page for the Corps - I’m sure someone there can help you. Also you can try TexAgs. Here is link to lots of Corps information https://student-rules.tamu.edu/sites/student-rules.tamu.edu/files/The-Standard(14-Aug-15).pdf The Corps parents are really good about helping each other out, also if you have an Aggie Moms group nearby contact them - there is almost always a group of Corps moms involved in those.
@RMNiMiTz membership in the Corps is NOT the same as having a ROTC Scholarship nor is it the same as enrollment at a military academy. They still pay tuition, housing, meal plan etc. versus the other two options which are fully paid plus stipend and involve future military commitments.
@K5hacker As @AGmomx2 said, join the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Class of 2021 Facebook page. Col. Hawes just said recently not to start shopping yet because they may be changing the list this year. Also, look for the Quad Moms website. They have a blog about what to buy, but they say that the shopping is so easy that there’s no need to get ahead on it.
Definitely join the facebook page suggested by @kaydeeloo. Col. Hawes reports in every Sunday evening at 7:00 to give information and then to answer questions. They are also great about answering e-mails. They say we will receive the packing list at NSC, which was the topic last night. The Mom’s corps page doesn’t allow incoming fish moms to join until your cadet finishes FOW.
Has your son been to Spend the Night with the Corps? We found that to be very helpful. I will have two in the corps next year. The only thing have received is their footlocker, it was a Christmas gift. The shopping list is very basic so it shouldn’t take long to fill.
He’s an engineering freshman at TAMU this year and will join the Cadets his sophomore year so he isn’t going to Spend the Night with the Corps or get any info from NSC. He has talked to Co. Hawes but doesn’t ask the question I want answers to.All he told me was he has to get measured for uniforms. The links have helped a lot. Thanks
Read this from a previous year: http://cadetmoms.blogspot.com/2014/05/corps-of-cadets-packing-list-for-fow.html
Thanks that helps a lot.
@K5hacker my son will be a freshman in the Corps this fall. Why is he waiting to join till sophomore year? My husband was in the Corps and he strongly recommended our son to start in the freshman year for various reasons.
@gogogogobruins — I think her/his son is already a freshman.
@gogogogobruins He wasn’t absolutely sure if he wanted to join the core in fall as a freshman and we already signed a 2 bedroom lease for him and his twin sister at Callaway Villas. After his fall semester he knew he wanted to do it. He talked to Col. Hawes I think in January or February about joining his sophomore year. He will just be a core “freshman” for one semester and then pick his squad (not sure if thats what its called) Spring of 2018. I would definitely recommend starting freshman year. Honestly if his sister didn’t need him so much this first year he would have joined his freshman year I’m sure.They are extremely close. We live 8 hours away and it was a big adjustment for her. But its best university in the state and he’s an engineering major so A&M was there only choice and they would only go to the same university. Probably TMI.
@K5hacker Has your son done any research as to what outfit he wants to join? My twins are both joining, one wants the band, the other Corps. The one joining the Corps is trying to figure out which outfit. He was thinking army but needs to maintain a 3.5 for his scholarship and several guys told him army was not as ‘studious’ as Air Force or Navy. He already stayed with E-2 and was disappointed so he is looking for another outfit to try when we go at the end of this month.
@3boysmom92 He wanted to do band but he plays percussion and thats the only section that doesn’t take everyone and he doesn’t want to do tryouts. He thinks Squadron 18 Fighting Phantoms. Thats pretty much all I know. Do you know what the difference, like tasks, activities etc, there is between Air Force, Army and Navy outfits in general?
Current & prospective Corps moms: Please continue this thread after you kids get in. Many of us have sons interested in the Corps and any information you can continue to share, or other sites you can recommend other than the official TAMU sites is most appreciated!
@K5hacker Mine that wants to join the band is also percussion. He is a marimba player so he is concerned since he is weakest in snare and has no real experience marching. But, they said not to worry he should be fine. They can audition more than once if needed.
As far as outfits in the Corps, they are generally the same but each has an unique niche. Some are STEM outifts, others lean towards physical fitness over grades, etc. It also list the all male outfits A lot of that information is available on the Corps website as well as the Corps 2021 facebook page. Squardron 18 is Air Force. Branches really don’t matter unless they are ROTC or trying to get a contract
Have him check out S-1. It’s Navy. My son, who’s going to be a Physics major, visited them for SNWC and really liked them. He has the Lechner Scholarship and has to keep a 3.5 as well, so academics is a top concern for him, too.
@K5hacker You can read about each of the units on the Corps website: http://corps.tamu.edu/corps-units/
Howdy! It would be incorrect to assume Air Force or Navy/Marine outfits are more studious or get better grades than Army outfits. The George P.F. Jouine Award for Scholastic Excellence is awarded at the end of each school year to the outfit in the Corps with the highest overall GPA. Competition is fierce and typically decided by the narrowest of margins. In both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years, the winners of this award were Army outfits (in 2015-16, the top three outfits were all Army, in fact). For 2017-18, the the winner was one of the band outfits (band outfits are a mixture of Air Force, Army, and Navy/Marine).
Regarding the young man joining the Corps as a sophomore, that is known as “frogging in”. I’m a Corps Mom with a rising senior cadet, so I’m happy to answer any other Corps-related questions from the parent perspective. Gig 'em!
Thanks for your insight! My son is joining the Corps and we are Army all the way! so I never thought there would be anyone wanting to join any other branch!
@CentralTXParent
DS has been spending a lot of time and energy trying to find the right outfit but is getting very discouraged. He is considering the Engineering honors program and has to maintain a 3.5 to keep his scholarship. While I agree with you that all the branches have studious outfits, he is having difficulty finding one that he thinks will be a good fit. The majority of the cadets he spoke to at Aggieland Saturday were not encouraging concerning being an Army cadet and keeping up grades in Engineering as were both outfits he stayed with during SNWC.
As a mom, do you have any suggestions for small items that are necessities for the fish? I was thinking plastic totes for the shelves above their beds would make it easier to clean their rooms, items such as that. Have you joined any facebook groups that were informative and helpful, especially the first year?
@gogogogobruins, Our family has been Army for generations, so it was a no-brainer for my cadet!
@3boysmom92, your son will be taking on quite a bit with engineering honors and the Corps. It will be a huge challenge, but it can be done. He is smart to focus on individual outfits, not branches. Some outfits are very “PT motivated”, so unless that is his goal, I’d advise he steer clear of those. H-1 and “Killer” K-2 (both Navy/Marine outfits) and E-1 (Army outfit), aka “The Jocks”, all come to mind as very physically-oriented outfits. Is he looking at STEM outfits? My son is in a STEM outfit and has buddies in his outfit in chemical, mechanical, and civil engineering. They are seniors now, so they’ve found a way to persevere, despite setbacks, and make it work. Taking summer classes is almost a given for these young men and all of them expect to take at least an extra semester, if not a full year, to get than engineering undergrad degree.
Regarding what items to send for fish year, stick to the packing list provided, no matter how difficult it is. Fish life can be austere and the fish are allowed very little in the way of extras (both items and privileges). I am a member of a a few Facebook groups and I find the ones geared towards life as a Corps Mom very helpful. I joined in 2014, when my son was a fish, and continue to be very active with them. You will get a lot of advice (solicited and otherwise) from seasoned moms and can also make some great friends. You can be as involved as you want to be, both on Facebook and on the Quad.