<p>Maritime Colleges </p>
<p>USMMA, Kings Point
Cal Maritime
SUNY Maritime
Mass Maritime
Maine Maritime
Texas Maritime
Great Lakes Maritime </p>
<p>Can anyone help me with the pros and cons of these schools compared to each other.</p>
<p>Perhaps rank them for me.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>For starters, USMMA is a federal academy- the others are not.</p>
<p>This is a very broad question- and honestly, I am not sure about what it is you aleady know vs. what you need help with-</p>
<p>rank....as to....????? The best? the largest? the majors? student life? dorms? athletics? services? tuition? location? faculty:student ratio? reputation? what......?????</p>
<p>so I need to ask you- what have you already found out about the schools on your own, and what specific questions do you need help with in comparing and contasting them? </p>
<p>If you have a specific question, it would guide us in offering our opinion (and that is all it is- limited at best) in comparing and contrasting the schools you have listed- </p>
<p>If you have requested, received and read through the catalogues for these schools and have done some research in the usual places, please DO POST your questions here- if not, please do that and then do come back with your questions for us to take a whack at! We love to help all future sailors of America!!! ;)</p>
<p>(just curious...all these maritime schools on your list, and no USNA????) ;)</p>
<p>I checked these out with my son, a recent Kings Point grad. He can't comment on all, but obviously said Kings Point is the best AND the hardest, but it's also the only one with a service obligation after graduation, because you don't have to pay for the education (there are some fees involved, however). Cal Maritime has a much more casual atmosphere with good maritime training. Suggests you check out the websites of each for more info, including cost. Kings Point will definitely be the hardest to get into, but it is top notch and outstanding for future business connections--a very tight alumni network. We have an acquaintance who is a KP grad but wouldn't even let his son apply there (went to SUNY instead), since he thought KP would be too hard for him. If you want to drive a ship, any one of them will do the job for you, but they all have a different atmosphere.</p>
<p>LauddieLo - answered in your other post - this forum is more active. What do you want to do in life and how are you interested in the Maritime schools? Are you a junior or senior and where? What are your interests and activities? The Federal academies - I include USMMA and US Coast Guard have very different application processes and they are long processes and if you are a rising HS senior, it is time to get cracking if you are intersested in them! Search the websites and come back to us for more help!</p>
<p>Thank you all for your help. I will take your advice.</p>
<p>I am a rising junior and just starting the process. I have always thought it would be cool to go to sea on merchant ships. The reason I am not particularly interested in USNA is from what I have heard, you don't get nearly as much time at sea while at the Naval Academy as you do at KP or the other Maritime schools and if I decide to go into the Navy I can but I don't have to. (please tell me if I am wrong, but at Navy don't you just go to sea for a few weeks each summer and tag along after an Officer?)</p>
<p>I will get stuff from the schools and come back with more specific questions if I have any.</p>
<p>Thank you again.</p>
<p>In heading into your junior year - get yourself into the highest and hardest math you can stand. Very helpful to calculus under your belt as well as honors or AP Chemistry and Physics before graduation. Do go visit if possible and talk to alums - all the academies have programs to have alums talk with prospects.</p>