#144 Military Service Academy Majors & Career Paths with Phil Black

Flourish Coaching

Oct 15, 2024

In this episode, Lisa and Phil discuss:

Understanding the unique options available to students of military academies.
The diverse majors and career paths that are offered through the service academies.
Career paths, both military and civilian, for military academy graduates.
Early preparation for success at military service academies.

Key Takeaways:

If your student is smart, athletic, and/or interested in leadership, keeping their mind open to military service academies or the ROTC can give them more options.
Military officers are essentially the managerial layer of the military as an organization. About 15% of personnel fall into this category.
While military service academies may seem like the right financial fit, there are more requirements to get in, and there is a five-year commitment upon graduation.
The Naval Academy and Air Force Academy are very tech and STEM-focused. The Merchant Marine and Coast Guard academies are more certification-focused. However, these are not the only majors available.
Military service academies are not an automatic road to front-line heavy combat.
Your student should understand the opportunity costs for attending the academies. They should understand and ask themselves: if you don’t get the community that you want, are you going to be okay with it?

“There are almost infinite options to be ‘away from combat’ if that’s what they want to do. If you’re a SEAL or you’re a Marine or an Army infantry officer, you’re electing to do that, you’re not being forced to do that.” – Phil Black

About Phil Black:

Over the past 30 years, Phil Black has built a record of unique accomplishments including: Div I college athlete, Navy SEAL Officer, Goldman Sachs Investment Banker, bootstrap entrepreneur, 2X Shark Tank contestant, firefighter, husband, and father of four sons. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Over the past 12 years, Phil has helped hundreds of students get into service academies, ROTC programs, and highly-selective traditional colleges. He has two sons who attend Yale on Navy ROTC scholarships, one son at the Naval Academy, and one son still in high school.

Episode References:

Westpoint Academy: westpoint.edu/academics/majors-and-minors
US Air Force Academy: academyadmissions.com/why/majors
US Naval Academy: usna.edu/Academics/Majors-and-Courses/index.php
US Merchant Marine Academy: usmma.edu/academics
US Coast Guard Academy: uscga.edu/academics/majors
#070 Military Service Academies with Lisa Rielage
#091 How ROTC Programs Train Future Officers & Help Pay For College with Lisa Rielage

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

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