New London, CT: What would you think about trading your college experience for something unique? That is what I was looking for, and I figured there is nothing more unique than attending a service academy. That is why the United States Coast Guard Academy is my top choice and the first school I visited.

Believe it or not, the USCGA has nearly 1,000 cadets (students). In addition to the four-year college, the campus houses the Officer Candidate School for men and women who already have a college degree and wish to become commissioned officers.

USCGA is a small school, and is extremely challenging. After four years, a student is expected to graduate with a degree in the sciences. This is considered especially hard today because it usually takes five years to earn an engineering degree, while USCGA students finish in four. Although the school is challenging, the teachers will help after class.

In addition to stringent academics, cadets are required to participate in a sport. This may seem like a drag to many, especially if you do not like sports, but the academy has a wide choice including pistol team, football, swimming, fencing, and many others. Teams practice almost every day. You may think, Mandatory sports? That will take a ridiculous amount of time, and I won’t be able to focus on my academics. Along with daily sport practice times comes mandatory study periods, so cadets can balance sports and academics.

So, sure, there are the benefits of a great education and the opportunity to graduate as an Ensign in the United States Coast Guard, but it doesn’t end there. In addition to doing summer training in amazing jobs like flight school and other internships, a cadet may have the chance to switch service academies for a semester, spending time at West Point, the United States Naval Academy, the Merchant Marine Academy, or the United States Air Force Academy. Cadets live on one of these bases and represent the Coast Guard while they study with men and women from these services.

However, the best part of USCGA is that the education is free! When citizens pay taxes, the government allots money to the military and the service academies. The Coast Guard Academy also has the best food of all of the service academies.

The benefits of attending USCGA greatly outweigh any negatives in my eyes. I look forward to possibly attending the Coast Guard Academy and taking advantage of the education provided by the government. I, like many other students inquiring about service academies, plan to trade in my college partying for discipline and a rewarding career after college. I feel that the United States Coast Guard Academy is the best place to do so.

For more information, visit www.cga.edu.