Triumph in Life

College and career guidance at MMA for long-term success.

As one of the top military boarding

schools in the United States, Missouri Military Academy combines structure, selfdiscipline and accountability with focused college and career planning to create an atmosphere focused on scholarship and long-term success for our graduates.

At all grade levels, college preparedness is a key focus at the Academy, as cadets go beyond preparing academically for college coursework to learn nitty-gritty details such as the application process, financial aid, finding scholarships, career planning and more. Year after year, MMA celebrates 100% acceptance into college for graduating seniors. MMA’s Class of 2022 was offered more than $4.1 million in college scholarships, and 100% of the class was accepted to more than 40 different colleges and universities around the world.

“MMA helps prepare cadets for college and other postsecondary plans by offering them a rigorous academic curriculum and providing them with leadership instruction and opportunities to practice and develop those leadership skills,” says William G. Roundey Jr., MMA Director of College and Career Placement.

MMA’s strategic plan includes objectives to increase college scholarships and the dollar amounts awarded, receive standardized assessment results that meet or exceed state and national averages and continue to grow the dual-credit Triumph Program, offered in partnership with William Woods University.

MMA Director of College and Career Placement, William G. Roundey Jr.

One-On-One College and Career Planning

“In order to graduate at MMA, in addition to meeting our academic graduation requirements, each senior is required to apply to at least six colleges and be accepted to at least two schools,” Roundey says. “Enlistment in a branch of the armed services may count as one ‘school.’”

This guarantees that cadets have thoroughly explored their collegiate options and have a solid, viable plan after they graduate. Every cadet is given individual time with a college and career guidance counselor who helps them through a seven-step college and career planning process.

Step 1: Identify personal interests. Through tools, assessments and one-one-one conversations, we learn about each cadet’s interests, abilities and values. What are their career interests and goals? Do they have any special skills or talents? What are their values — do they want to make a lot of money, or do they value their time more? Do they desire independence and flexibility in their schedule, or are they looking for more structure and routine?

Step 2: Identify career interests. Next, we guide cadets to learn about careers. Many cadets have an idea of what they want to do “when they grow up,” but they don’t always have an accurate perception of what their chosen career entails. Our cadets are given an assignment for career exploration research. Through this assignment, they learn more about the day-to day tasks of a job, what the work environment is like, how much money the career makes, what training is required for that job and more.

Step 3: Identify training: Most career options require additional training. Once we have helped cadets identify a career they are interested in, it is time to figure out how they will get there. We start building a tangible roadmap for their future. We help cadets identify the type of environment they want to receive their training in. We challenge them to think about things they might not have considered, such as: How big of a school do you want to go to? How far away from home do you want to be? What programs are available at that school? Do you want to participate in college athletics, fraternities or other activities? Once they have a good handle on the type of school they would like, they begin researching for colleges that match their preferences. Step 4: Visit the college. Every cadet is encouraged to visit colleges that they are interested in and to speak with college representatives who visit MMA. Cadets receive coaching on questions to ask college admissions counselors.

Step 5: Begin applying. While cadets are working through steps 1-4, they are also preparing for and collecting necessary materials to begin the college application process. Senior cadets are required to complete the ACT and are given multiple opportunities to receive ACT training. They build their resumes, which are buffed with mandatory extracurricular and community service time, and request letters of recommendation from their instructors. All cadets receive an additional letter of recommendation from MMA’s college and career guidance counselor. At this time, and if necessary, cadets will write their college entrance essays. All senior cadets must apply to their schools, as well as complete the Common App, by Thanksgiving.

Step 6: Financial aid: Financial aid, perhaps, is one of the more complicated steps in the college process, but MMA aims to help cadets find a way to complete college with as little debt as possible. MMA works with cadets to identify means for them to pay for their college choices. All cadets, including international students, begin by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). If needed, they also complete the College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile). These applications require parent involvement and can be complicated for both parents and cadets. Any questions about the process can be directed to MMA’s college and career office at any time. Our cadets are also given information and resources to find additional funding, such as scholarships, grants, loans and more.

Step 7: Select a school. Many MMA cadets are accepted to multiple colleges. They are then instructed to have a serious discussion with their families, make their decision and begin planning for their move when they graduate from MMA.

LEFT: Michael Polaschek ‘24. RIGHT: A group of MMA faculty, staff and members of the Class of 2022 display their chosen colleges or alma maters in celebration of college T-shirt day.

MMA prepares cadets for postsecondary plans through…

• Armed Services Vocational Aptitude

Battery (ASVAB) testing • Pre-ACT testing for sophomores • PSAT testing for juniors • ACT and SAT testing and prep for all cadets • Individual meetings with juniors and seniors to discuss career and college plans • Individual meetings with cadets (grades 8-11) to discuss graduation progress and course selections

“My goal for each cadet is for them to find the right school for their plans and needs,” Roundey says.

The College Triumph Program

Cadets can get a head start on college by working toward an associate degree through the College Triumph program. MMA partners with William Woods University to give cadets a true academic college experience as they learn from WWU faculty and take dual-credit classes on the MMA and WWU campuses.

MMA college courses reduce a cadet’s cost and time in college, post-high school. As cadets apply to college, the Triumph courses demonstrate to top colleges and universities their ability to successfully complete college-level work.

Naviance

MMA uses Naviance, a special digital software platform, to help cadets — starting in middle school — plan their futures and maximize their academic success. Available through exclusive portal access or a downloadable app, Naviance provides such support as ACT and SAT test prep, guidance through the college admissions process, career exploration, resume building, scholarship searches and applications, interpersonal skills development and more.

Naviance allows MMA staff to identify each cadet’s strengths, interests and postsecondary goals. It also enhances the effectiveness and understanding of our college career counselor so they can provide the best possible advice and resources while cadets are applying to colleges. Through assigned weekly tasks, Naviance optimizes cadet success in the classroom. Their progress is tracked and evaluated in terms of strengths and weaknesses to help faculty cater to each cadet’s needs. A wide variety of programs are offered to cadets on Naviance, such as: ACT and SAT prep; curriculum lessons; E-Docs for electronic delivery of transcripts or other documents for college applications; career exploration; resume building; scholarship searches and applications; and college, career and life-readiness curriculum.

ACT Prep At MMA

The ACT is a college entrance exam that most colleges and universities use for the college admission process. At MMA, we require all 11th- through 12th-grade cadets to take the ACT a minimum of one time, but they are given multiple opportunities to take it again to improve their score.

In addition to offering ACT testing on campus, we host an annual ACT Boot Camp Weekend, which has shown dramatic results in improving test scores. On average, a cadet who attends the camp will improve his score by 3-7 points, which represents a 30-40% percentile point jump. In addition to using an ACT score for admission decisions, most colleges and universities will use ACT scores to award scholarship money. MMA staff is trained for ACT prep. In 2019, several administrators and department chairs attended an ACT conference in Kansas City, where they learned about test preparation and how each department can incorporate ACT content into daily instruction and practice it within the classrooms. ACT resource books have been implemented in classrooms across departments.

Cadets can sign up for the ACT by emailing William Roundey, Director of College and Career Placement, at william.roundey@ missourimilitaryacademy.com.

Postsecondary Student Success

Congratulations to our recent graduates, the Class of 2022, and thank you to our Class of 2022 cadets who have signed on for military service following their MMA high school graduation: Dillon Nicholas Schuh, Gavin Quinn Roberts, Colin Richard Beck, Kevith Ryan Sangster, Nathaniel Charles Lockett and Jack Stalnaker.

Class of 2022 graduate Michael Henderson received an Army ROTC scholarship to Arkansas State University, valued around $49,000 over four years.