With an economic recession on the way, a college that offers free education and guarantees a job after graduation seems like a dream come true. It's not such a distant fantasy for some.

Instead of matriculating into conventional college, some students decide to go to military academies or colleges for the education and discipline it offers. There are four major federal service academies sponsored by the U.S. government and supported by taxpayers, so there is no tuition.

According to Sandra Padgett, director of college counseling at The Harker School in San Jose, Calif., "the kids pay nothing in exchange for serving in the military after graduation, but it's a gamble because they might end up shot or blown up in Iraq."

"It's something students need to seriously consider," Padgett said.

Finding common values

Mui first started thinking about military college on a trip back from Japan the summer before his junior year. He met a naval officer and felt that their "interests lined up." Participating in a military summer camp last summer reinforced his interest.

"The people there value the same things that I do," he said. "I want to be like them."

Will Courchesne, who graduated last year, is at the Citadel in South Carolina. He applied early at the end of his junior year. By his senior year, he knew he was accepted and went to an overnight program in October.

"After that, I decided that I wasn't going to apply to any other college," he said. Unlike federal service academies, the Citadel does not require the students to do service after graduation. Courchesne has until his junior year to decide if he wants to enter the armed services. But regardless of his decision, Courchesne said graduates of the Citadel come out with a special bond.

"If someone has the Citadel ring then you know they went through the same hell as you did. Because he has the ring, he's your brother."

A stricter environment

The punishment for getting caught with alcohol is severe. Students caught with drugs have their scholarship immediately revoked and risk expulsion.

"It's more structured and more regulated than regular college, and also emphasizes physical exercise," said Mui, who is also a football player. "Most [other] colleges don't train the whole person."

However, senior Hassan Shenasa, who had considered military college because of its free education, was concerned about the academics.

"Military school doesn't have the same academic opportunities as regular colleges," Hassan said. "There's not as much in the sciences like research and internships."

Lieutenant Dan Doyle, western U.S. regional director of admissions at the Naval Academy disagrees.

"All graduates take a core curriculum with a good dose of math and science classes in order to prepare them for possible service selection in any warfare community upon graduation," he said.

The academy also has very small class sizes-none larger than 25 students.

Junior Kevin Wang, whose focus is more academic than military, said he thinks he would be rejected because of the high physical standards at military schools. Ninety percent of the students that were accepted last year at the Naval Academy played at least one varsity sport in high school.

"I'm not disciplined enough," Wang said. "As a person, I'm pretty physically inept."

Weighing concerns

Junior Arman Gupta's father was initially shocked when he brought up the idea of military school, but his father warmed to the idea. "My mom doesn't want me to go since she's scared," Gupta said.

For others, there is not much of a choice. "I'm Swiss. We have to do military service for one year or less," said Raphael Cottier, a senior and an exchange student from Switzerland.

Despite all the restrictions at military schools, Courchesne feels that military college is a great opportunity to "grow as a person and have [his] maturity level increase exponentially."

"When you suffer through the same things, that bonds people together."