Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel, Norwich University, Drexel, Mass Maritime?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi. Normally I'm not this nervous, lol, but I'm returning to school after a 2-year break (explained below) and have no idea about my chances. Please help me!</p>

<p>I'm applying as a freshman, History major (except Mass Maritime: I'm applying there as an Emergency Management major).</p>

<p>GPA: 3.5 (weighted)</p>

<p>Class rank: Top 25%, roughly 200 students</p>

<p>AP Courses:
AP English - 3 on AP exam
AP Biology - 5 on AP exam
AP European History - 5 on AP exam</p>

<p>Dual enrollment:
Took Japanese History at a local state school during senior year, got an A</p>

<p>Honors courses:
- Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior English (no AP English offered until SR year)
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Earth Science
- Environmental Science
- U.S. History (no AP offered until SR year)</p>

<p>SAT:
700 Critical Reading, 650 Writing, 550 Math (lol)
Composite = 1900 if you include Writing; if not it's 1250</p>

<p>SAT II:
English Lit: 740</p>

<p>ECs:
- School newspaper, all 4 years, Staff Writer and promoted to Sports Editor in senior year (5 to 10 hours per week, 38 weeks per year)
- School literary magazine, all 4 years, Staff Writer (5 hours per week, 38 weeks per year)
- Ju Jitsu, all 4 years, achieved brown belt
- Equestrian sports, 3 years, can ride both English and Western (10 hours per week, 50 weeks per year)
- Varsity Swim Team, 11th grade, 15 hours per week, 14 weeks per year
- Junior Varsity Basketball, 9th and 10th grades, 15 hours per week, 14 weeks per year</p>

<p>Employment:
- (My Boss's Name) & Associates d/b/a Vector Marketing - 1 year - Sales representative. Responsible for the direct sale of Cutco Cutlery from initial contact through finalized sale. Promoted after 4 months to Assistant Manager and served as first female Assistant Manager in Division history; responsible for assisting District Manager with Human Resources decisions. Formulated and delegated advertising campaigns. Gave weekly "pep talk" to motivate and teach new representatives.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>(My Name) & Associates d/b/a Vector Marketing - 8 months (post-graduate) - District Manager. Responsible for running (My County) franchise of Vector Marketing Corporation. Responsible for all budgeting, analysis, Human Resources decisions, and advertising campaigns. Devised and ran weekly sales meetings. Increased territory sales by 35% over previous summer. Youngest District Manager in Northeast Region. #3 District Office in Northeast Region for Summer 2008.</p></li>
<li><p>Insurance Agency - Sophomore through Senior years - Filing Clerk. Discreetly handled confidential customer documents.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Honors / Awards:</p>

<ul>
<li>John and Abigail Adams Scholarship (for those not from Mass: if you score in the top 25% on the MCAS you get this; it's a full ride to any state school due to excellence in Math and English) - 11th grade</li>
<li>(My High School Name) Science Award for Environmental Science: Awarded to the top student in each discipline - 11th grade</li>
<li>(My High School Name) Voice of Democracy Essay Finalist - 11th grade</li>
<li>Presidential Classroom nominee and participant - elected as mock "Secretary of State" for the National Security seminar (week-long program in Washington, D.C.; a teacher has to nominate you) - 12th grade</li>
<li>(My Town Name) Fire Fighter's Association Scholarship - merit-based scholarship ($500) - 12th grade</li>
</ul>

<p>Recommendations:</p>

<ul>
<li>High School teacher: this teacher absolutely loved me. She actually wrote 2 pages about how intellectual and promising I am. I also babysat her kids for 2 years under-the-table (which is why it's not listed in employment history).</li>
<li>Division Manager of Vector: this letter explains how hard-working I am and what I've been up to since graduating.</li>
</ul>

<p>Essay:</p>

<p>I'm a strong writer; this is the best part of my application (if I do say so myself). It's one page, written in short-story format, explaining through dialogue and internal monologue why I left a great job to go back to school and why I want to serve as an Officer in the US Army after graduating.</p>

<p>Other:
I'm a Caucasian female and a first-generation college student. Lifetime Massachusetts resident.</p>

<p>Schools:</p>

<ul>
<li>Virginia Military Institute - applying through binding E.D. and have scheduled an on-campus interview for 5 days before the E.D. deadline</li>
<li>Mass Maritime Academy - applying through non-binding E.A.</li>
<li>The Citadel</li>
<li>Norwich University</li>
<li>Drexel</li>
</ul>

2

<p>Thanks for chancing me! I'd like to return the favor, but the only school here I'm familiar with is Drexel, seeing as many kids from my school end up going there. I believe that you have an excellent shot there. You're definitely an interesting and promising applicant. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>Thanks a bunch =) It's so silly how I feel like I have to be reassured about this, lol, but at least now I can be fairly certain about Drexel. I'm pretty confident about Norwich, too, their median SATs are about 150 points below mine and I have a positive alum relationship.</p>

<p>Anyone else? I know this is a little bit of a shot in the dark; these are all fairly small schools and not Ivies.</p>

4

<p>Anyone???? I know these are smaller schools, but any insight would be fantastic!</p>

5

<p>As long as you fully appreciate that as a female in generally strict military schools (except Drexel), you will have to put up with a lot, but if you survive, will be really great! Most of these schools are heavy into math-science programs and I might have missed your strengths there. I suspect you will get in most of these. I HIGHLY recommend that you visit VMI and the Citadel BEFORE you make your decision as they are very Southern and have accommodated females under duress - it works, but not easily, no matter what they say. Talk to other girls there (preferably at all the schools). All are fine, fine schools with terrific alumni networks.</p>

6

<p>Thank you so much weski!</p>

<p>I am slightly concerned at how much pressure was put on VMI to force them to accept females, but at the same time I feel that dealing with potential sexism before commissioning will help me deal with it after commissioning (because according to everyone I know, it definitely does not go away - and I'm sure not everyone at these institutions is sexist but I do know some of my male friends at military schools have become more hostile towards my gender in the past few years).</p>

<p>I'm not very strong in math, but for some reason I'm solid in biological and environmental sciences. Don't know how that worked out, haha. I think I psychologically self-limited myself in the math field. :/</p>

<p>Thanks again! I appreciate it soooo much! :)</p>

7

<p>Another thought would be the US Coast Guard Academy or the US Merchant Marine Academy if you are inclined towards the sea. Both offer unique opportunities (see college confidential forums) and may be better for females. But for them, you better get cracking due to their nominating process which is well underway.</p>

8

<p>Well I really want to help you... due to reciprocal chancing :) but uh i know nothing about military academies other than the airforce academy and westpoint. sorry! O_o</p>

9

<p>living close to the citadel and knowing a few of the board members, your stats are better when it comes to the sat (don't know about gpa or APs), however, the Citadel or VMI are not the schools to go to if you have no backbone. you will be broken as all plebes are but even more so because your a woman. you wont gain much respect until your senior year at the schools, however the citadel is progressing fairly well and have eased dome of the previous restrictions they had on women before. though i recommend the citadel for graduate studies it is not a horrible undergrad program.</p>

10

<p>Having thought about this a bit more, I would say that if you seriously do have backbone, Norwich, VMI and the Citadel may offer you good financial aid IF you hold up you end academically. As you seem to be better verbally, you might shy from the heavy duty engineering-type courses to keep your GPA up. Mass Maritime should be inexpensive for you and may offer additional grants - but you DO have to like the sea:). Drexel is known for engineering as well - not sure of their other specialties. Do you homework, call and visit and please do report back to give us your thoughts and impressions.</p>

11

<p>Can you secure congressional nomination?
Try USNA,USMA,or USCGA.
In fact the USCG, doesn't need nomination</p>

<p>Being a woman nearly guarantees admission if you get nomination since the military needs woman.</p>

12

<p>Thanks everyone! :)</p>

<p>One of my life goals is to avoid difficult math classes wherever possible. (Okay, that's a SLIGHT exaggeration, but I have less than no interest in engineering and difficult math.)</p>

<p>Mass Maritime is sorta my last choice in terms of the military-esque schools. I like the ocean, I live near the Cape so I've taken sailing classes and did go to Marine Biology summer camp (go ahead and make fun of me) but honestly, I don't want to make it a career. My ultimate goal is to commission as an Officer in the US Army and Mass Maritime isn't going to directly help me as much as VMI, The Citadel, or Norwich.</p>

<p>I do have backbone; I was the first female A/M in my Division and youngest ever franchise manager in my Region and that took a lot of mental (and intestinal) fortitude, but I don't have as much backbone and mental toughness as I want to have eventually. That's a big reason that VMI appeals to me so strongly; I feel it will really help me in that regard.</p>

<p>I'll be visiting (and interviewing at) all of these schools (with the exception of NU and Mass Maritime, which I've already visited) in the second week of November (roadtrip :D) and I am definitely going to post continual updates because I feel these forums could turn into a great research tool - ie, future prospective students could search for others' experiences in applying to similar schools. (This is why I'm applying as a History major. lol. Oh God I'm a dork.)</p>

13

<p>I'm a female student at the virginia military institute right now. this is only my first year at the school, so I am still a "rat". feel free to pm me with any questions about the school, especially having to do with females at vmi.</p>

14

Hi. My son is seriously considering VMI. How tough is the rat year? Do you have enough time for academics? What are the best and worst things about the school? Thank you.