I’m a senior in High school and very interested in the maritime industry. My end goal is to become a captain in the private Yacht industry, I really like the idea of having a job that can take me around the world. I have been accepted to Maine, Mass, and California Maritime academies (Marine Trans) and still waiting to here back from SUNY. Where I am now, I really like Cal due to the cool location since I am from New Hampshire it would be something totally new and exciting. But I don’t want to chose a school because of location if the academics are subpar. I do not really like Mass from my visit there, I would chose Maine first I think. I like Maine a lot seems like a really well respected school and I don’t mind the regiment. My question is, is Maine better than cali in the aspect of getting a job after I graduate. I would much rather chose Maine if it means it puts me ahead in my career. But if it turns out where I go doesn’t matter and its all about the license at he end, then I think I would go with cali. I would love it if someone could give me advice who has attended either school or any Maritime academy and is currently in the industry.
Maine and Cal are both good schools. The school does not make the mariner anyway. It is up to you to develop yourself into a professional mariner. Your job opportunities should be the same. I would choose whichever one has a lower cost overall.
Being from out of state means you’ll pay double to go to Cal. In the end it doesn’t matter what school you went to. CMA is in the bay but don’t let Vallejo fool you. It’s a ghetto. Campus is nice but there are areas of the city you avoid.
Maine should get you a regional tuition rates as a NH resident. Maine will save you money on travel etc as well. Economically that’s your best choice, and an excellent school. Id say it’s a no-brainer with that considered. cal maybe a little more laid back but Maine’s not very up tight regimentally if you don’t want it to be.
If you’re a good student it really doesn’t matter where you go. I’m just partial to Maine though.
From what I have found out from researching (Many telephone calls to both schools) the tuition comes out to be the same. Both come out to about $37k a year. My major worry about Cal is that they don’t have as good as professors and academic programs as Maine. Also is one better over they other for getting into the private yacht industry…I wouldn’t think so, but you never know. Thanks everyone for the advise!!
[QUOTE=z-drive;178237]Maine should get you a regional tuition rates as a NH resident. Maine will save you money on travel etc as well. Economically that’s your best choice, and an excellent school. Id say it’s a no-brainer with that considered. cal maybe a little more laid back but Maine’s not very up tight regimentally if you don’t want it to be.
If you’re a good student it really doesn’t matter where you go. I’m just partial to Maine though.[/QUOTE]
From what I can tell from my research (Talking with admission officers from both schools) the tuition for both schools came out to be $38k a year. My main worry about Cal is that the academics aren’t as good as Maine.
Like I said, I am partial to Maine and I think your assumptions are correct but I won’t proclaim that one academy is better than others, for various reasons.
Don’t worry about the yacht thing, you will go work where the best opportunities are when you graduate. You can hope to do the yacht thing but that business is not always easy to break into and has a lot to do with networking, timing, what you look like etc. your focus at a maritime academy should be on getting the most hands on experience and to become a first class entry level mate regardless of vessel type.
The big question is can you handle castine in the dead of winter? Do you like to drink? Do you know a lot of girls you can go visit at regular colleges? Seriously these are things to consider.
Not sure where you got the idea that Maine is the epitome of maritime education… In any case, the classes are fundamentally the same at all the academies. Everyone takes the same 3rd Mates exams in the end. My two cents. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about Cal to warrant flying across the country every break. Go to Maine and call it a day. As others state, industry doesn’t care what academy you went to. Your skills as a Mariner will be up to how much you invest yourself towards that end.
Go to Maine and make sure you take all the towing classes they offer. Every Mainer that I’ve run into said they got lots of great experience on the tug Pentagoet and got their TOAR. I ended up at GLMA, but I would definitely recommend Maine to any friends and family that were considering an Academy to attend other than GLMA.
Got to maine. A 25 minute ride will take you to a nice place in bucksport called toziers where you will most likely find a nice girl and live happily ever after.
never done it myself but the low pay and treated like crap that I hear is why I never got into the industry. I have worked where people were the cargo and can say people are the worst cargo to move
[QUOTE=brjones;178297]38k a year for a maritime academy? F that. Move to whatever state where you want to go and do a year residency. Should pay almost half that.[/QUOTE]
If you’re under age 24 they go by your parents state of residency. It’s a bitch to try to fight that.
[QUOTE=brjones;178297]38k a year for a maritime academy? F that. Move to whatever state where you want to go and do a year residency. Should pay almost half that.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. I do know that A&M is expensive, though. My daughter wanted to go to the College Station campus (not a nautical person), but it was too expensive for her. She did 5 years at University of Houston for much, much less and her student debt isn’t much more than a mid level car. . .