Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelReilly
Because of my former addiction I was disqualified from Navy and Coast Guard. I want to serve my country and I love being on the ocean. I live close to the Merchant Marine Academy here in NY. Until I was told about it, I did not know that the MM was still a thing because it sounds quite historical.
Can someone tell me what it is actually like? I want to learn more. I am a college graduate with a minor in military science just because I was interested. Does anyone have any experience in the MM? I'm 22.
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Overview
To be eligible to enter the Academy, you must:
- Be at least 17 years of age and must not have passed your 25th birthday before July 1 in the year of entrance.
- Be a citizen of the United States either by birth or naturalization, except for a limited number of international midshipmen specially authorized by Congress.
- Meet the physical, security and character requirements necessary for appointment as U.S. Naval Reserve, Merchant Marine Reserve midshipmen.
- Obtain a Congressional nomination to the Academy; submit a completed application; and qualify scholastically.
- Be of good moral character.
Eligibility | U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
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If you were disqualified from the Navy, you are disqualified from the MMA.
Previous college degree does NOT preclude you from attending. The disqualification does. It's virtually the same medical exam as for active service, because it actually IS considered active service.
Any service academy is difficult to get into, but it's difficult in a way that's hard to describe unless you personally know someone who's gone through the nomination and acceptance process.
They are not looking for the 4.0+ valedictorian who can't do a pushup, or the starting football guy who has held no leadership roles, or the student body president who can't pass algebra. In a normal university they could take someone with some minor weaknesses.
Additionally, there is the confounding factor of needing a nomination in most cases. Each elected official with nomination authority puts together a list of their candidates, #1...N (or in some rare cases, "Academy, you go ahead and rank these") and sends it up. The consolidated list is then integrated and candidates are considered for admission-but if someone is ahead of you on that list and that was the only open slot for your official, you're most likely out of luck.
In a service academy, IDEALLY they want someone who is all that, PLUS they impress their appointing authority enough to put them on the list somewhere (hopefully #1..some #2s and #3s go, and some #1s don't get accepted, but the higher the candidate on that individual list, the better the chances). New York is one of the most viciously competitive states to get an appointment.
At a minimum they want a very well-rounded individual, *pretty* good at everything, with hopefully one or two peaks of brilliance: the 3.8, team captain in 3 varsity sports, student body treasurer. The concept is called the "whole person" concept-every university follows it a little, service academies follow it *aggressively*.
Not coincidentally, ROTC looks for the same thing, especially for scholarship students. It's better to be a little good at everything than a one-trick pony.
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