<p>I know I am JUST A PARENT...but to those prospective students and parents out there in CC land, I felt that I needed to let you know about my son and what KP has done for him. (This story, or one like it, I'm sure will be repeated again and again.)</p>
<p>He's a 3/C in 4th Co. now and doing great, but a little more than a year ago he entered KP a child. He's definately a man now and I believe KP has helped him achieve that.</p>
<p>He's very smart, but he's a regular kid. He's goofs around, he makes mistakes and he's making it at KP--ALL BY HIMSELF!!!</p>
<p>He's learned how to make hard decisions. He's learned how to time manage. He's made friends. </p>
<p>Now, the burning questions is: Would he had done this if he went to USNA or some other college. Sure, probably, but I feel his experience at KP is unique. He gets to visit the greatest city in the world on liberty. He's mastered public transportation. </p>
<p>He's going to see some of the most remote areas of the world this year during his Sea Year. These experiences individually, would have been good enough, but all together are such a more rounded and excellent experience. </p>
<p>Granted, this KP experience is great for the kids, but I also have met some outstanding people on this site. It's like getting a 2fer!</p>
<p>Just had to brag--hope you don't mind. </p>
<p>I know some KP midshipmen may complain, but for our family this has been great!</p>
<p>My Plebe is on the same track! Doing great, becoming an adult quickly and yes he's already been to NYC without the help of mom & dad. I don't even mind the lack of calls due to priviliges being revoked! If the choice is to study calculus, shine his shoes or call his mom....GO STUDY! We'll see him at the first term break! GO KP!!!</p>
<p>Just felt I had to add my support to this thread. My plebe D "really likes it" at KP - her words not mine. Yes, she is stressed, doesn't have enough time and could really use some extra rack time. But she is definitely thriving! Sure we hear complaints, but never regrets. </p>
<p>KP was her first choice school after visiting the summer before her Junior year of high school. She never wavered in that choice and couldn't imagine being anywhere else now.</p>
<p>And Beat Retreat season is nearly over - life is about to improve.</p>
<p>Sounds like in this thread we are all in agreement so far. I concur completely with what you all have said. KP Mom our plebe S felt the same way after the fall open house last year, it got him on track to finish up what needed to be done and kept him locked on through his Senior year because he was focused on KP. And at PW I felt so proud of him and so glad that he is there but had to ask him if he really liked it or felt he was obligated to be there and his response was a solid "Dad I really love it here."
The tone of our coorespondance mirrors those expressed here about the stress, fatigue and frustration at times but never a waiver in where he wants or feels he's supposed to be!
I am so pleased as his father that this was a right fit, because I continue to be more impressed with KP and it's midshipmen as I get to know more of them and learn about this institution.</p>
<p>At the risk of repeating what has already been said, I need to qualify this followup by saying that kathynp's mid is my mid's best friend and they are so much alike SO DITTO on everything.... except that kathynp's son needs to be on comedy central because he's a natural. The only other difference is that my son has never had a clue about what he wanted to do. He wasn't sure that he wanted to miss out on the college life. He was accepted to Boston, Richmond, Delaware and Penn State ~ all respectable schools, but he was always floundering. It was a chore to get him to look at colleges period.... he was thinking and living for the moment.... </p>
<p>So when deadlines came, it was like world war III around our home. Long story short... He really lucked out at KP. I guess the deciding factor was that he could transfer into any college, but not as easily into KP. So he decided to try it.</p>
<p>What was telling?
.....when he reunited with his high school friends last summer (the likes of Lehigh, William & Mary, Delaware) - guess whose freshman experience everyone was most interest in???? His year was the unique one to say the least. One to be respected and awed. As his Mom, I always knew it was a fit for him. He doesn't like to make decisions, is patriotic, is a routine kind of guy and comes from a devout patriotic family (he's a Son of the American Revolution (SAR) - so I knew his patriotic heritage would come through!) To boot is the fact he is an avid SAILOR!! He has competitively sailed all of his life. Funny that when he arrived at KP, many if not most had not even set foot on a boat before, but were on the teams... But that only helped his confidence I believe. The sailing + systems engineering was what put him over the edge I suppose. Plus a certain Mid from Penncrest (I can't remember your CC name!!!) ....... Anyhow.... it has been the experience of a lifetime...... we are addicted. . it REMAINS the "best kept secret" ... and you can only be privy to it, if you are in the "IN" crowd....ok...that would be facebook at this point LOL.. and so we are....</p>
<p>My 3rd Class S is returing from the Middle East after 8 weeks at sea (off the ship once in the UAE). Found his element, finally. HE'S proud he's at KP, and that's a change from the beginning. And like all of you I've watched him mature mentally and spiritually -- he already looked like a man during Indoc. And yes, he struggled in high school, but only applied to one school, KP. His Mom and I thought that a bit risky but he was confident. "I belong there," he said. What do you know, he was right!</p>