United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, CT, USA

Reviews

United States Coast Guard Academy

Chase from Allyn, WA

a current student here
16 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
The Coast Guard Academy is a highly competitive school both academically and militarily. I have been faced with my hardest challenges here. I would make the choice to come here a thousand times over.
Tips for prospective students
Don't be scared of the military aspect. If your time management is good then the workloads are easy to balance.
Academic Rigor
The Classes here are four times the rigor of any AP class I took in high school. The homework overload is sometimes a tad overbearing, but the best feeling is getting an A on the exam after all the work you put in.
Dorm Life
All the cadets here are great people. Everyone wants to help out one another. There are some very strict rules in the dorm though.
Food and Dining
Food here is good. The main dining hall is where you eat for Breakfast and Lunch, but there is a small restaurant below Leamy Hall that has the best Chicken Tenders and Burgers I have had.
What to do for fun
The New London area is a pretty decent walk around. There are several good restaurants within walking distance of the Academy. On the weekends there is a bus that takes cadets FOR FREE around New London and New Haven. It makes stops at the train station, movie theater, and the Crystal Mall.
Bang for the buck
It's free... and you get paid!
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
4/C Year (freshman) is filled with things that you don't want to do and strange rules.
Great for these types of students
Students that want to go above and beyond a college education.
Greek Life
none

Brandon from Camden, NC

a current student here
15 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
The Coast Guard Academy is not for the faint of heart. It is emotionally, physically, and mentally tough, but that means it will make you emotionally, physically, and mentally tougher. Despite the difficulty, I would't want to be anywhere else because this school takes me to amazing places and will continue to provide me with spectacular opportunities well after I graduate.
Tips for prospective students
Prepare well for the summer. You may think you are prepared, but Swab summer will push you to your extreme limits. Even if you are the kind of person that can bust out 100 push ups no sweat, they will find other ways to test your mettle. It's all about working as a team, and the same goes for the school year. Nobody makes it here alone.
Academic Rigor
The classes are tough, and there's a lot of them. We take over 20 credit hours a semester on top of military obligations. However, the teachers and the people are amazing, and if you need help you can find it all over the place. If you don't look for help and you struggle, you will fail. But if you seek help, others will go out of the way to keep your head above water. We are all shipmates, and we all depend on one another.
Dorm Life
Being a 4/c (freshman) is not a fun time. You have square every corner, square your food, walk everywhere at attention, greet upperclassmen properly, lots of ridiculous military stuff. But it's all to teach discipline, and it goes away after a year. Upperclass dorm life certainly gets much better. But we 4/c find a way to make it fun :)
Food and Dining
Everybody is automatically on an all you can eat dining plan. The food isn't the greatest ever, but it's really good for a college. They also take feedback and this year they have been working extremely hard to make the food even better and listen to everything the cadets say. I definitely eat my fill of good food every day.
What to do for fun
As a 4/c, you have to be really awkward all the time. So, we act even more awkward just for the fun of it. There's also plenty of clubs and sports to keep you sane and happy. I'm personally involved in the Windjammers Drum and Bugle Corps, the Drama Club, and the Aviation Club. Going on liberty on weekends is also lots of fun.
Bang for the buck
The Coast Guard basically pays for everything, as long as you manage your money well.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
If you have a GPA so low that you can take the square root of it and it becomes bigger, you are part of the Square Root Club. Members traditionally sit on the tomb of Hopley Yeaton at midnight the night before an exam and sharpen their protractors for good luck.
Great for these types of students
Motivated, dedicated, and ready or the experience of a lifetime.
Clubs and Activities
Almost every sport you can think of and a large variety of clubs. If there's not a club for something you are interested in, get a group together and find a teacher sponsor and you can start your own club.
Greek Life
None
Campus Safety
The Corps of Cadets watches each others backs, and they're all really good people. The campus is a military base as well, so not just anyone can walk in the gate. Coast Guard Police officers are also on base and keep everyone safe.

a current student here
11 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
The Coast Guard Academy is an institute for leadership. This is no ordinary college. The primary mission is to develop young leaders into mentally tough, physically fit and academically strong officers in the Coast Guard.
Tips for prospective students
To get into the Coast guard academy students must be physically fit. Students should join a sports team and be involved in as many extracurricular activities as possible, such as boy scouts, girl scouts, clubs, student council and police explorers. Leadership positions also really help you get into the academy. Endeavor to be a captain of a sports team or president of a club.
Academic Rigor
The work load at the Academy is extremely tough. The Academy offers every student a bachelors of science degree, so everyone takes the same physics, chemistry, and math courses. Each semester is at least 16 credits and everyone graduates in 4 years.
Dorm Life
All students live in one dorm room building, Chase hall. Male rooms and Females rooms are integrated. Everyone is close by and there are peer tutors available for extra help. The academy has a close family feel between all students.
Food and Dining
The criteria food in the Ward Room is really good. There's always plenty of food at no charge. There's always a cereal, yogurt, salad, and juice bar available. There's something for everyone!

Joshua from Edinboro, PA

researching this school
7 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Will learn a lot
Top notch education from highly educated civilians and officers.
Will enjoy being here
Beautiful campus with state of the art equipment.
Bang for the buck
Who can beat a free education???
Tips for prospective students
Visit the USCGA to get a feel if you will fit in or not. When in doubt, you can always contact someone in admissions.
Great for these types of students
Perfect for students who love the water and a very structured lifestyle. After graduation, you have the chance to become a commanding officer aboard a CG vessel.