<p>Would anyone have advice on the Foundation Program Schools, sponsored by the Naval Academy?
Many on the list are high school boarding schools, with a post high school prep school year.
The ones that looked more Naval Academy Prep like are: Northwestern Prepartory in CA, also Marion Military, and New Mexico Military Institute.
I have been informed that the foundation program schools have a 95% success in getting an appointment the following year into the Naval Academy.
Any opinions on the accuracy of that?
I feel this route may be better then going civilian route on your own.
Note, I am being offered by the foundation to go to one of these schools.
I do feel lucky, just confused on what school would be best.
Thank you for any advice on this.</p>
<p>Northwestn Prep located in CA probably provides the best value for the money. Tuition, fees, room and board is approximately $7,000. Classes start in August and conclude in December. For the second semester, students take college classes at a local community college or university near their home of record. Northwestern has a 98-99 percent success rate for academy candidates. Most students at Northwestern are candidates for USAFA and USNA.</p>
<p>NMMI and Marion are also excellent schools, although they are pricier than Northwestern. I know one candidate who attended Northwestern this year. He was given either a $2,000 or $3,000 scholarship by the Naval Academy Foundation, and a $1,000 scholarship from Northwestern; his parents had to pay the difference.</p>
<p>Under the Foundation program, you are guaranteed an appointment to USNA if you complete the course of study and earn all A's and B's. An appointment is yours to lose.</p>
<p>Marion gives Foundation Program Students at least a $10,000.00 scholarship in addition to whatever the Foundation scholarship may be. The total cost for my son this year at Marion was around $7,000.00 for the entire year. Marion had I believe a 100% success rate in getting appointments to USNA and USMA for Foundation and AOG students. If you have any questions about Marion email LCDR Sam Stevenson at <a href="mailto:samstevenson@marionmilitary.com">samstevenson@marionmilitary.com</a> or <a href="mailto:org.chemist@gmail.com">org.chemist@gmail.com</a>. My son had a great experience at Marion this year and a lot of it was a direct result of the fine faculty like LCDR Stevenson.</p>
<p>By the way, no Foundation Scholar is guaranteed an appointment to any Academy. You still have to make decent grades, not develop any medical problems and receive a nomination. The author above was right however in saying that the nomination is yours to lose...</p>
<p>I'm very proud of the three kids I know who went to Marion & now have appointments in hand. Out of the three, one is going to USMA & two to USNA. I've heard nothing but good things about Marion. They kinda all went through that, "I want outta here & to my academy". but the year has flown by & they are on their way with good stuff to take along with them to help them succeed.</p>
<p>The schools are all great- you can't go wrong at any one of them-
some have a military atmosphere, some not-
all have strong academics-
all will get your son "prepped" for USNA....</p>
<p>and he "does have a seat in the class of 2012 that is his to lose".... don't lose site of that....grades do count, staying injury-free matters, putting your nose to the grindstone is what it will take... but he will be better prepared for it....</p>
<p>...and the foundation program has posted a highter graduation rate from USNA for it's foundation students compared to the brigade as a whole...... for 11 straight years now!!! Pretty good odds....</p>
<p>For Marion Military Institute, all of your questions and more, can probably be answered by LTC Gerry Lewis, MMI's Director for Service Academy Preparation Programs. You can reach him at 800-664-1842 (ext. 316) or by direct line at 334-683-2316. He is a straight shooter and he will give you the facts about MMI. Good luck!</p>
<p>just a thought- as i know time is running down quickly for those looking into foundation offers...</p>
<p>check out the schools on-line.... then contact the top 3 that you are interested in.... they are all excellent programs....
if i remember correctly, you will need to identify your top 2-3 choices (in order of preference)....from those, the foundation itself will make the match...if you can squeeze in a quick visit, do so.... otherwise, call the admissions director- they have been very helpful and accomodating to the foundation parents in the past, and they have long-running relationships with USNA and the foundation folks as well.....</p>
<p>and do contact Cpt Wallace at the foundations office if you have concerns or questions- he is a delight to work with and is very knowledgable about all the programs (he visits the foundation kids at their respective schools during their foundation year)...</p>
<p>While the schools are relatively similiar, some offer things that may be of interest to your son/daughter (ie: a particular course, or a particular sport).... our son was interested in continuing with lacrosse, and found a foundation school that not only offered a competetive program, but also offered a class in boat building- something of interest to our budding naval architect! When we packed him up at the end of the foundation year, he strapped his "eastport pram" onto the top of the car for the trip home! </p>
<p>(and yes, it floats!!! :) )</p>
<p>best of luck!</p>
<p>best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses, they are really helpful.
I came into this foundation opportunity sort of late, but feel extremely lucky. Have not spoke to Capt. Wallace directly yet, but my Mom has.She said he was very helpful and open to any questions. The questions I still have are as follows:
1. If I have a 1st choice that really seems like a better fit, and I name it my first choice, how likely will I get it?
2. The Northwestern Prep School sounds good, but a bit different in being only half the school year. Is that looked upon not as strong of a prep school?
2. Do you get college credit at the military schools for the year your there? I think I know the answer, but just wanted to know if they transfer to other colleges also?
3. Any other colleges ones suggest as being a smart choice if given?
Thanks again for all the needed advice and suggestions, very much appreciated.</p>
<p>My advice is take whatever they give you. Foundation is a deal that you can not beat. It gives you a huge advantage as a plebe. I went to foundation school at Kiski, a year that was not fun but got me where I wanted to be. Throughout my time at the academy, the extra year of maturity, physical conditioning and academics have put me a step up. A decent number of unit commanders right now at the naval academy are foundation students to include the brigade commander, multiple battalion commanders and company commanders. Any questions let me know</p>
<p>In answer to your questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Assuming you don't wait too late in the process, you should get into which ever approved civilian prep program you apply to. The only way to know for sure is to contact the Admissions' Office at each school.</p></li>
<li><p>It is hard to say whether one approved school is looked at more favorably than another. The concept of only going to a one semester civilian college prep program seems to be a double edged sword to me. You do get to attend college the second semester closer to home and in a more relaxed environment, but are you as prepared for a military academy as you would have been if you had attended a year long program? Maybe the question is really what do you want out of the civilian prep program. Is it simply to benefit from the "golden application route" to the Academy, or is to be as prepared as you can be for Academy life?</p></li>
<li><p>Your question about whether you get college credit for hours earned at a civilian prep school is not as simple as you would think. I don't know about Northwestern, but at Marion and NMMI, the college prep students do earn college credit for each hour of college classes and those hours do transfer to most other colleges. HOWEVER, those hours do not transfer to the USNA, West Point or USAFA. They may allow you to validate a class cadets typically take their Plebe year, but those hours do not transfer. The same would be true if you had attended Harvard for two years and wanted to transfer those hours to an Academy.</p></li>
<li><p>You asked about other schools as smart choices. If I were you I would confine my search to those schools which have been approved for those awarded a Foundation Scholarship. You have been given a great opportunity by the Foundation, which if you take them up on their offer, will allow you to compete for a position in the class of 2012 outside of the regular applicant pool. While a Foundation scholarship is not a guarantee of Admission, it is the closest thing going. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>
[quote]
1. If I have a 1st choice that really seems like a better fit, and I name it my first choice, how likely will I get it?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Our son listed 3 choices; he got his second choice. I believe athletics had something to do with it, as 3 lax kids ended up in the same foundation school together.</p>
<p>
[quote]
. The Northwestern Prep School sounds good, but a bit different in being only half the school year. Is that looked upon not as strong of a prep school?
[/quote]
any of the schools listed by the foundation program will meet the needs for USNA- provided you hold up your end of the bargain. This is not about which school you attend (they all have a proven track record with USNA admissions), but more about your performance at what are well-known entities to the admissions office.
[quote]
Do you get college credit at the military schools for the year your there? I think I know the answer, but just wanted to know if they transfer to other colleges also?
[/quote]
transfer credits are particular to the school they are being transferred to... some colleges will allow 1:1 transfer of credits, other schools may allow you to transfer them in only to fill elective credit hours, while other schools will only consider them after reviewing the course curriculum- some even get rejected outright. It all depends on what grade you got, how the class curriculum compares to the course taught at the school you are transferring them to, and the policies set forth by each institution. Keep in mind the service academies do not accept any transferred credits (what you can do is try and validate courses during plebe summer).</p>
<p>
[quote]
. Any other colleges ones suggest as being a smart choice if given?
[/quote]
If you are opting for the foundation program, you must select from the schools listed.</p>
<p>One question not asked, but should be considered IF you are an athlete looking to compete at USNA-
if you play your sport on a college level, it may result in the loss of one year of NCAA eligibility to play at USNA when you arrive.... this applies to junior colleges as well (PG years completed at non-college schools are exempted)... so if this describes you, factor that into your decision tree as well. Also, check out the foundation school as well.... there were one or 2 that did not allow PG kids to compete (state regulations).... so a call to the foundation school/coach is well worth the time if this applies to you.</p>
<p>best of luck....
and remember---
it is true that an offer of foundation does not guarentee an appointment to USNA- you will need a good academic record, good teacher recommendations, staying out of trouble, injury-free, and another MOC nomination...... </p>
<p>BUT...
you do have a "SEAT" in the class of "whatever" that is "yours to lose."</p>
<p>Over the past few years, there have been 1 or 2 kids each year under foundation sponsorship that fail to gain an appointment, some for injuries, some for academics, some for a change of heart. The vast majority... over 90%.... join the incoming class at USNA "as scheduled." </p>
<p>The moral of the story is to keep working hard, do your best, enjoy your extra year of freedom, and be thankful that you have an amazing offer before you! Obviously there is something the USNA sees in you that they want, or else you would have never been referred to the foundation program in the first place. Just wait till the end of your year and read some of the bios these kids have.... it is quite humbling! So congrats to you for your accomplishment- and whatever you do, don't take it lightly.... consider an offer of the foundation program as being the "first kids of the USNA Class of 2012"!!!!</p>