Military Academies and ROTC | Episode 014

 

Transcript

Episode: Military Academies and ROTC
Guest: Lisa Rielage, Admissions Decrypted
Host: Chris Bell

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Opening Monologue

Chris Bell:
College for free sounds pretty amazing. There is a catch. A big one. But it is pretty cool.

When you go the military academy or ROTC route, you’re not just picking a college. You’re committing to serve. Today we’re breaking down a college path that offers world-class education, leadership training, and real responsibility.

Let’s dig in.

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Announcer Intro

It’s The College Talk Show.
Today’s theme: Military Academies and ROTC.
With special guest Lisa Rielage.
And now, here’s your host—Chris Bell.

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Guest Introduction

Chris Bell:
My guest tonight is Lisa Rielage, the founder of Admissions Decrypted. She works with students exploring some of the most specialized college paths out there, like military academies and ROTC programs. And as a former U.S. Naval officer herself, she knows exactly what it takes to succeed in this world.

Lisa, thank you so much for joining us tonight.

Lisa Rielage:
Of course. Thanks for having me.

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Lisa’s Path to the Naval Academy

Chris Bell:
You did this in some form yourself. What first inspired you to attend an academy or pursue this route?

Lisa Rielage:
It’s a great story. My English teacher in eighth grade was a huge advocate for the Naval Academy. He told me he knew some women who had gone to the Naval Academy, but he didn’t know any who had graduated.

And that really pushed my buttons. I think he knew it would. That became the thing I wanted to do.

Chris Bell:
That’s a great story—and a good example of a mentor who knew exactly what would inspire you.

Lisa Rielage:
And I think that “I’ll show you” mindset is common among students who do well in academy and ROTC programs. Students who thrive tend to be driven—whether it’s making varsity, taking on an AP class, building a robot, whatever the challenge is.

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What Students Should Consider First

Chris Bell:
When students are considering military academies or ROTC, what should they be thinking about?

Lisa Rielage:
The first thing they need to consider is that the purpose of an academy or a college ROTC program is to train future military officers.

It’s very common—especially with academies—for students to focus on the hat toss, the glossy parade, the flyovers. And they forget the purpose isn’t the parade deck. It’s leading people in the military.

The first decision is: do you want to be an officer in this branch of the military? If not, it’s a foolish thing to spend your time applying.

And the second thing is that the admissions process is different than what civilian colleges use.

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How Admissions Review Is Different

Chris Bell:
Tell me about that. How does it work?

Lisa Rielage:
It’s one of the last really true whole-person evaluations. Academies and ROTC evaluate students as scholars, leaders, and athletes.

They require standardized tests, a fitness test, and medical qualification. It’s competitive, but competitive across different axes than a similarly selective civilian university.

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The Five U.S. Service Academies

Lisa Rielage:
It’s also important to understand: this is a college, but you’re also joining the military in a real way.

At the “big three” academies—West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy—cadets and midshipmen are active duty military while attending. Those are under the Department of Defense.

There are two other academies people sometimes overlook:

• The U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where cadets are active duty Coast Guard while attending.

• The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, also a federal service academy. Those students are not active duty while in school, and after graduation they can fulfill their service obligation either in the civilian maritime industry or by commissioning into any branch of the military.

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“Free” College and the Service Obligation

Chris Bell:
There’s this concept of military academies being free. How does that work?

Lisa Rielage:
I don’t love the term “free.” You don’t pay in cash. You pay in time.

When you graduate from a service academy or an ROTC program, you have a military service obligation. Depending on the program, it’s usually between four and ten years after graduation.

You’re paid during that time. You receive housing benefits and health care. It’s a normal paid job.

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ROTC vs. Academies

Chris Bell:
Let’s talk about ROTC as well. Can you compare and contrast?

Lisa Rielage:
ROTC stands for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. It’s been around a long time.

If you think of an academy as immersive military life 24/7, ROTC is an officer-training program embedded inside a civilian university. These programs exist at some outstanding colleges.

When students graduate, they commission as officers—just like academy graduates.

In some cases, academy graduates may have slightly better selection rates for certain jobs, but I always push back when people talk about ROTC as a “plan B.” That undervalues the program.

It can pay up to full tuition and fees, and ROTC experiences vary a lot depending on the school.

For example, compare an Army cadet at a senior military college like Texas A&M—where there’s a dedicated Corps of Cadets—with an Army cadet at Michigan Tech, where the unit is smaller. A few years ago, the number one ranked Army cadet in the country came from Michigan Tech.

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Flexibility If a Student Changes Their Mind

Chris Bell:
If someone isn’t ready to fully commit to an academy, should they pursue ROTC? Is there flexibility?

Lisa Rielage:
There’s actually flexibility in both options.

At an academy, you’re not obligated to full-time military service until after sophomore year. You return junior year, and that’s when the service obligation contract begins.

In ROTC, the commissioning contract typically begins at the two-year point for non-scholarship students. If you’re on scholarship, you usually get the first year with no service obligation. During that first year, you can leave. The scholarship stops, and you go on with your life.

Also, service does not have to mean a full career. I did not do a career in the military. I served active duty for six years and then in the reserves for a couple more. There are multiple points where someone can leave.

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Who Thrives in These Programs?

Chris Bell:
When you think about students who thrive in these programs, what traits stand out?

Lisa Rielage:
They’re self-starters. They’re academically prepared. They’re willing to do hard things because the hard thing needs to be done.

Some students are attracted to the idea of a military academy because they want a hierarchical system where someone tells them exactly what to do. But there’s not going to be a drill sergeant over your shoulder every minute. Instead, you’ll have a long list of obligations, and you’ll have to manage them.

Also, some students aren’t academically ready right out of high school. Each academy has a prep program. And somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of an incoming class has some college credit—not dual enrollment, but at least a semester of college.

If a student doesn’t get in the first time, applying again can be a smart route.

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Two ROTC Pathways Example

Lisa Rielage:
Let me give you two examples.

One ROTC student attended a senior military college, Virginia Tech, earned an engineering degree, commissioned, became a naval aviator, and is currently flying B-22s.

Another student graduated a few semesters behind him. He went to Stanford and did ROTC cross-town at Berkeley. His ROTC scholarship paid all of his Stanford tuition. He then forward-deployed on a ship in Japan doing freedom of navigation operations.

I want students to come away thinking about culture: what branch fits them, what does service look like, and what are the multiple pathways to get there. It’s not academy-only.

Chris Bell:
That is take-it-to-the-bank advice. Lisa, thank you so much.

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How to Find Lisa Rielage

Chris Bell:
If people want to learn more or get your support, how can they reach you?

Lisa Rielage:
My website is Admissions Decrypted. I write frequently about military topics and other admissions topics. Students can read about the nomination process, summer programs, and more. If they’d like to work with me, they can reach out through the website.

Chris Bell:
Sounds great. Thank you. We’ll be right back.

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Sponsor Message

This episode is brought to you by Bell College Consulting.
Visit bellcollegeconsulting.com to learn more.

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Top Tips: Military Academies and ROTC

Chris Bell:
This is the part of the show where I try to capture all the awesome points from my interview with Lisa. It’s a summary. I call it Top Tips.

Top Tip #9: The purpose of academies and ROTC is to train future military officers.

Top Tip #8: There are five U.S. service academies.

• Department of Defense: West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy (students are active duty while attending)

• Coast Guard Academy: students are active duty Coast Guard while attending

• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: a federal service academy; students are not active duty while attending, and graduates can fulfill service either in the civilian maritime industry or by commissioning into any branch of the military

Top Tip #7: Students who thrive tend to be driven, self-starting, academically prepared, and willing to do hard things. This is not for people who want to be told exactly what to do all the time.

Top Tip #6: Admissions is competitive across additional axes. Academies and ROTC evaluate you as a scholar, leader, and athlete, and they require standardized tests, fitness testing, and medical qualification.

Top Tip #5: ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) is embedded in a civilian university. It can be an excellent pathway to commissioning and can pay up to full tuition and fees.

Top Tip #4: ROTC experiences vary greatly depending on the university and the size and structure of the program.

Top Tip #3: There is flexibility if you change your mind. Service obligations typically begin after sophomore year for academies and ROTC, and after one year for ROTC scholarship students.

Top Tip #2: It’s not “free.” You don’t pay in cash, you pay in time. Service obligations generally range from four to ten years after graduation.

Top Tip #1: If you attend a military academy, you are joining the military while enrolled.

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Closing

A huge thank you to Lisa Rielage for sharing her expertise and experience.

And as always: College is Awesome.