I'll Answer Your Questions...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
41

<p>Hugh Jass:</p>

<p>One reason the amount spent per academy graduate ( $350,000 est) is so high is that it is based on academy's overall budget divided by the number of graduates. If you took other school's overall budget and divided by number of graduates you would get a much higher number than the tuition charged.</p>

<p>Another reason is that there are a wide variety of extracuricular programs offered at the academies during the summer (basic training for example) and school year that incur significant costs.</p>

<p>Also, the academy graduates earn a salary during their four years of about $800 per month. That alone equals about $35,000 - 40,000 over the 4 years.</p>

<p>Finally, you need to remember that there's more to the academies than an academic education. Cadets/Mids are active duty military personnel being trained to be military leaders. Academics are only one part of the program.</p>

42

<p>USNA86: thanks for your input- have already passed it on! no wonder why they call you guys BGO's...the advice is worth its weight in gold!<br>
as each day passes we are so grateful our son has this "extra year" in foundations to prep...and as anxious as he is to finally get to annapolis, he is putting the time to good use...so thanks again for the advice!</p>

43

<p>In read somewhere that USNA is valued at about 275,000-300,000 and USMA higher (around 350,000) because USMA has more land and the valuation is therefore higher.
CM</p>

44

<p>One thing you will learn is that liars figure and figures lie. . .</p>

<p>The numbers that you see thrown about are typically based on the annual budget of each academy divided by the number of graduates.
Annual budget of Annapolis is around 300 million, divided by about 1,000 graduates each year = $300,000. Can't say for sure, but I would guess budget of Merchant Marine Academy is significantly less because of its size.</p>

<p>In any event, the value received is outstanding one way or the other.</p>

45

<p>Lyferemixed - Regarding your question comparing USNA to civilian college:</p>

<p>Clearly there are financial benefits to attending the Academy, but if this is your primary motivation please be very careful. The primary goal of the Academy is to develop military leaders. Unless you are committed to this goal the 4 years at the Academy may feel more like hell than college. On the other hand, if you are motivated to excel at military leadership as well as physical and academic development, it could be the best 4 years of your life!</p>

<p>If you accept an appointment to USNA, you will start with 6 1/2 weeks of intense training. During Plebe summer you'll have zero freedom: every minute of your day will be scheduled with non-stop physical and military training. All your civilian property will be taken away, including your cell phone and your watch. Other than three scheduled 5-minute phone calls home, your contact with the outside world will be limited to snail mail, which you will have little time to write unless you are on watch duty in the middle of the night.</p>

<p>Once the academic year starts you'll get a bit more freedom, but not much. You'll get your cell phone and watch back and will be issued a computer for email, but no civilian clothes until you go home for Thanksgiving. Saturday (unless you are on duty) from about noon to 10 pm you can leave campus, but you can't travel more than 22 nautical miles from the Yard, can't drive, and can't ride in a car driven by anyone but your parents or local sponsor. Sunday you'll have some Yard liberty, which means you can move about on your own schedule but not leave campus. However, Plebes aren't allowed to sit down anywhere outside on the Yard and you'll have so much studying to do you'll probably be in your room or the library. </p>

<p>Your weekday mornings and early afternoon are filled with classes. The choice of majors is much more limited than you'd find at a large civilian college: most midshipmen are engineering or science majors; there are a few liberal arts majors (English, political science, psychology) but even these students must take certain core science and math courses. Not much in the way of biology at the Academy, but about 10 graduates a year do have the opportunity to go on to Med school -- this will lengthen your service requirement, but it will be fully paid for by the military.</p>

<p>All midshipmen are required to participate in extra-curriculars -- most do a varsity, club or intramural sport and so the late afternoon hours are spent in practice. Others spend that time in non-athletic ec's such as the Drum and Bugle Corps. In most companies Plebes are not permitted to listen to music, so no IPOD for a year. Some companies don't allow AIM on your computer either. And no drinking, even if you are over 21. Lights go out at 11 pm unless you've applied for special permission to stay up late and study.</p>

<p>Vacations? 4 days at Thanksgiving, 3 weeks at Christmas, and 1 week for Spring break. During these times you can go home and once there change out of your uniform into civilian clothes (you have to travel in uniform.) Over the summer you'll have about 3 weeks at home and the rest of the time you'll be participating in various professional training activities.</p>

<p>(note to others on this board: if my info is out of date, please jump in and correct me, restrictions change -- sometimes stricter, sometimes less -- on a yearly basis.)</p>

<p>Does this sound ANYTHING like civilian college? No parties, no music, no concerts, no alcohol, no beach weekends, no late night burger runs. OK, so I've focused on the restrictions, but hey, you asked! As each of the 4 years go by you will earn more rights and by the time you are a Firstie (senior) life won't seem so bad and you'll even get to own your own car and wear civilian clothes when on liberty.</p>

<p>So you give up a lot to attend USNA, but there is another side also: you will be pushed hard enough at a military academy to become the smartest, strongest and most capable person you can be. You'll develop skills and confidence that will serve you in every personal and professional endeavor of your life. You will learn to prioritize, to delegate and most important: to lead. There has been some discussion about the "value" of the Academy experience: is it "250K"? "300K"? Actually, its priceless, but it isn't free.</p>

46

<p>oiixxg,</p>

<p>I truly resent all the people who tell me how lucky I am that my daughter's college is "free". You said it best, "it's priceless, but it isn't free". Your entire description is excellent and eye-opening for the high school students looking for information. Thank you.</p>

47

<p>I have a question for anyone who has attended the Naval Academy or knows a great deal about the activities of midshipmen. I'm 16, live in Maryland, and hope to attend the USNA in two years. I'm currently on the Indoor and Outdoor Track Team at JMB, my high school. I'm also in the Marching/Symphonic Band at high school. I am definately going to want to be on the Track Team if I get into Navy, and might find an intramural or club sport for the Fall. Would it be possible for me to do Track in the winter and spring, play an intramural in the fall, and be on the Drum & Bugle Corps? Is the Drum and Bugle corps year round?</p>

48

<p>oiixxg: thank you, thank you, thank you...what a wealth of information...and the next time someone asks me about the education being "free," may I please borrow your line- cause I can't think of anything that could possibly make the point clearer!</p>

49

<p>Reading a book on West Point, Absolutley American, thanks to Boss for telling me about it. Found a phrase in the book that I'd seen posted here before. Something about that 250K education being shoved up their backsides one nickle at a time. Thats why I love this forum so much. Folks here with kids at academies KNOW that the education isn't FREE. It has to be paid for with years of service and sometimes lives. Not for the faint-hearted. </p>

<p>oiixxg, I don't think I've ever read a more vivid description about USNA life. Perfect! Shows what our kids go through. No fun & games here boys & girls.</p>

50

<p>wow, thank you so much oiixxg for the information. I'm not so much of a party person, so that won't be much of a problem. Are there really only ~10 people who get to go directly to graduate school? Also, you really don't get to keep your watch/necklace even if it is a religious thing? (I wear tefillin early in the morning, and was wondering if I could continue)</p>

<p>thanks</p>

51

<p>Also, what are "decent" times for swimming events at USNA? I currently do a 23 sec 50 yard freestyle and a 1:10 100yd breast stroke. Even a bench spot would be nice.</p>

52

<p>Lyferemixed: 10 is an average number of medical corps billets but the exact number changes from year to year. In the graduating class of 2004 there were 14. There are other graduate school opportunities as well. Three from the class of '04 received Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University.</p>

<p>During Plebe Summer watches are almost always confiscated although there can be a few companies who choose to allow them. Keep in mind that many of the restrictions and rules (during the summer and the academic year) are set at the company level which means the upperclassmen decide. </p>

<p>Religious necklaces are allowed but only if they are not visible when in uniform. Women can have regulation earrings once the academic year begins -- this means small, plain, round gold studs, no more than one per ear. These are Navy regulations that pertain to maintaining proper decorum when in uniform. For example: when in uniform you can't walk and talk on a cell phone at the same time -- it just doesn't look professional. (Don't you wish everybody had to follow that rule...)</p>

<p>Here's another contrast to civilian college life: at the Academy your dorm room will be inspected on a regular basis and if found unacceptable according to rigid standards for cleanliness and order you can face restictions, like losing town liberty for a weekend. (This isn't just for Plebes.) On the other hand, you won't be able to show off that beautiful room because civilians will only be allowed into your dorm twice during your four years there -- for a few hours during Plebe Parent Weekend and again for a few hours during Parent's Weekend in your final year. </p>

<p>So... you will become an expert at stripping and waxing your floor and removing every speck of shower scum. You'll learn a hundred tricks to make your shoes shine and remove stains from your uniform. You and your roomates will figure out how to make every bed in your room in under 4 minutes. You will also learn that "parade rest" isn't the least bit relaxing and standing absolutely still is one of the most physically exhausting things you'll ever have to do (and you'll do it a lot.) </p>

<p>And... You will make the best friends of your life, love your parents more than you ever knew was possible, see the world during the summer, and get an amazing education. (You'll also discover that ice cream in downtown Annapolis on a miserably hot Maryland Saturday afternoon is possibly the greatest joy on earth!)</p>

53

<p>On that thought, there is a GREAT gelato place in annapolis</p>

54

<p>Thanks Oiixxg, you have been very informative. With the computer situation, do midshipmen get to keep like a USB drive for saving their data to, or does each dorm have thier own separate computer that you can save personal files like documents?</p>

55

<p>another question for anyone in the know: aside from the computers issued at the end of plebe summer (desktops from what I understand) are plebes/mids allowed their own laptops for classes/class notes? our son had to purchase one for foundations (the "tablet notebook" type where you write notes with digital ink)....would be great if he could continue to use it for class notes....</p>

56

<p>Each mid is issued a good quality desktop computer that connects to the Academy network and the Internet. Same functionality as any computer -- save your documents and personal files locally and back up your files as you see fit. Mids can use a networked company printer but most choose to buy their own printer or buy one to share among roommates. </p>

<p>Personal laptops aren't forbidden, but are not supposed to be connected to the USNA network so getting on the Internet is a challenge.</p>

57

<p>Mids can burn CDs on their personal desktop computer for data collection and personal photos. They may not illegally download music. Some upperclass have joined an ipod music site which charges for each song. I believe that this is legal, and allowed. Each computer is carefully monitored as to the activity. They may use USB "jump drives" for backing up files. </p>

<p>Plebes are not allowed computer speakers, headphones, or access to music (no ipods, MP3 players, etc.) video games or television while on the yard. They may access News sites (no audio, obviously) and other information sources.
CM</p>

58

<p>Question: how long does it usually take for them to process your preliminary application?</p>

59

<p>how long has it been?</p>

60

<p>I believe a day or two ago. I know I'm kind of late on the application process, but i've been training for swim season quite vigorously and have been working in a science lab, which has kept me from applying/looking into colleges all summer.</p>