How does transferring from the Naval Academy to the Marines work?

I'm considering attending the Naval Academy with the goal of joining the Marines. How feasible is this transition and what are the necessary steps to make it happen? Any insights would be helpful.

The United States Naval Academy actually commissions officers into both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. When you're at the Naval Academy, during your junior year, you'll have the opportunity to indicate your service selection preference between the Navy and Marine Corps. After your selection, you'll take specialized courses tailored towards your selected branch during your senior year.

For example, if you wish to join the Marine Corps, you'll attend "Leatherneck," which is a four-week training program conducted at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. This program is designed to familiarize midshipmen with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to understand the role of a Marine Officer.

Upon successfully graduating from the Academy, you are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Note that you'd have a service obligation of at least five years upon graduation, which means you'd be committed to serve in the Marine Corps for that period of time.

Remember that service selection is highly competitive and is based on your class rank, which is determined by your academic, military, and physical standings at the Academy. Having a solid performance in these areas will increase your chances of getting your desired service assignment. The actual number of Marine Corps commissions available can vary from year to year, so that's another factor to consider.

So in a nutshell, transitioning from the Naval Academy to the Marine Corps is quite a common and feasible path that many midshipmen choose every year. You'd just need to ensure your performance at the Academy is solid so you can rank high enough to get your desired service assignment.