cadet blogs

Academy Questions Part 1

(Choosing the Coast Guard Academy, The Cadet Experience, Class of 2013) Permanent link All Posts

Many people have emailed with their questions (which I love). One survey included the following questions and I figured they would be enlightening for everyone.

1. What is the Academy known for?

The Academy is known for a few things, but here are the top few, in my opinion at least. It is a top STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) school among New England universities. It has a great teacher:student ratio with a lot of one-on-one attention. It has the tall ship Eagle, which cadets are trained on during different summers. The Academy also produces 50% of the officers in the U.S. Coast Guard.

2. What is the atmosphere?

The atmosphere of the Academy is moody and fairly cynical, but also hilarious in a way only cadets can understand. It’s like living in an inside joke. It is definitely one of the more sleep-deprived universities you will ever come across. It is also one of the more studious and hard-working.

3. Do you like/not like the Coast Guard Academy? Why?

I do like it and I would choose the Academy again if I could go back in time. It’s mostly the people that make the place. Most of the teachers are also great and know you by first name, which is neat. It’s not easy and it’s not always fun, but I would not trade any other college experience for the friends I have made here.

4. What are some of the rituals/traditions at the Academy?

There are a lot, but some are more secretive. The most well known are Swab Summer where incoming freshmen go through seven weeks of training. There is also a buoy that you can ring for good luck before tests. There are chains that freshmen hide each year at Homecoming to get a week of privileges if no one finds them by halftime. All the juniors receive a ring that has their class crest and the Academy crest on each side. Seniors receive swords…The list continues.

As always, email me any questions/comments. Jessica.T.Ward@uscga.edu

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Posted by Leann Strickland at 2/29/2012 3:56 PM