Planned and visited USMMA in October of 2015. Powerpoint presentation provided by admissions to a small group, no personal interviews or any encouragement to apply. We were told that class rank is the primary tool used by admissions for selection. Need to be in the top 20% of your class. So, after years of taking gifted, accelerated and AP classes in high school (3.9 GPA) f you are not in the top 20% of your class rank - you will not be considered. USMMA wants to see both ACT and SAT scores. Prefer 3 years of a foreign language.
Campus class visit with current student was disappointing. I guess they want to discourage as many applicants as possible by pairing them with students who do not want to be in the USMMA and do not want to be bothered with taking a potential student to lunch and class for the afternoon.
At least we found out early enough to look elsewhere for a maritime education.
By comparison, Massachusettes Maritime handled a visit much more professionally. Had one on one meeting with guidance counselors and one professor. Saw their new simulator - which was incredible. A completely different “vibe” at Mass Maritime - worth considering even though it is not government funded.
I would make sure to send feedback to USMMA so they can “right their ship” on the tours. We did for a local college that our nephew toured (totally turned him off).
As a grad and parent, I STRONGLY encourage you to apply to USMMA and get your application and supporting documents in as early as possible as they have rolling admissions. All federal service academies have FREE applications so there is no reason not to apply, no matter what anyone tells you or you think you have heard. I have 4 USMMA accepted students that only submitted SAT scores, no ACT scores. The admissions officer may have strongly suggested your applicant take both as USMMA accepts either one and some students score much higher on one over the other. Apply and see what happens.
As to one school over the other: USMMA is a federal service academy, one of only 5 in the USA. If your student is looking for a service academy experience, there are only USMA, USNA, USAFA, USMMA, and USCGA. I just spent the day with the USMMA lacrosse team and I can tell you that those students turned down many highly ranked institutions to attend USMMA and they are all content with their decision. Is it difficult? Yes. Are they struggling with their academic, regimental, and athletic obligations? Yes. Are they exhausted? Yes. Are they “happy” in the same way a civilian college student is? Most likely not. Are they glad they chose USMMA? Absolutely. Is USMMA for everyone? No. You cannot compare a state school to a federal service academy.
I’m sorry to hear that you had a less than satisfactory experience. My son and I had the opposite when we visited in October. The visit was arranged between my son and a USMMA athletic coach. Although I was only on campus for a brief time (I’m not a helicopter parent and attending a service academcy is a BIG decision, so I wanted my son to see the school through his eyes, not my filter), I met the coach and was given a brief tour of the facilities. My son was paired with a current member of the sports team and spent the day with this young man - lunch muster, lunch, afternoon classes, cookie party, practice, downtime in barracks, and dinner. We had originally planned for me to pick-up him up before dinner, but he texted that he wanted to stay longer!
I agree with the above post that this is a lifestyle choice and not meant for everyone. I think it is a good choice for my son, who is smart, driven, and athletic (most everyone participates in a sport at USMMA). That said, we were welcomed on campus and my son came away with a good opinion of the school and their programs and remains very interested in the unique experience that they offer.
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