Fork Union Military Academy Reviews 33

We sent our son to FUMA because he was struggling in public school. He was failing most of his classes and spent all of his free time playing video games. The changes we have seen since his time at this school have been significant. His grades are excellent, he gets all of his work in on time, and his maturity is back on track. The teachers and staff there do an excellent job of teaching the kids responsibility and respect while still being nurturing. To see my son now when he comes home full of pride in himself makes it all worth while.
There are some negative reviews talking about “bad” kids at this school. This has not been our experience. I would note though that when you have 300 boys at a school there are going to be some bad behaviors. In our experience the vast majority of students want to be there and succeed.

Fork Union has a long history of sexual abuse by faculty officers and then trying to keep it hidden going as far as to dismiss the cadet and allowing the faculty officer to continue to stay with the Academy. It is time FUMA accepts responsibility for what it did and stop trying to hide this and protect those they are paid to protect and not the abusers.......In 1974 I was a Cadet at FUMA. I was secually assaulted by a faculty officer and when it was reported to the Academy I was licked out and the faculty officer was allowed to stay on.....putting more cadets at risk. I pressed charges 19 years later and the faculty officer pled guilty. FUMA never apologized for what happened and still tries to cover it up and hide what happened to protect the school. As a matter of fact they have recently sent my daughter and myself a letter telling me to stop posting this story and to stop posting on social media. They also sent out a letter yo the parents of all current cadets telling them these are allegations. These are facts not allegations and FUMA is trying to protect itself still to this day. This ruined my life and still makes it hard for me to maintain a stable life.

Disgraceful school. History of sexual assaults by teachers, Captain Black admits to them actively covering it up, "Scrubbing the internet". Fork Union kicked out the kid that reported the SA, and kept the teacher on until the end of the year and court documents even state that some of the higher ups knew he "might swing that way".

This school has been an answer to prayers. Our Grandson has ADHD and two years ago lost his Dad in a tragic accident. He retreated to computer games and refused to even try in his school classes. From the beginning, the staff at FUMA have worked to address his issues in kind and sensitive ways. His teachers have been caring and excellent in their subject matter! Col. Coggins has shown to be an able leader and bold in his Christian witness. I highly recommend Fork Union Military Academy!!

The good is they did a great job with my son from a leaership standpoint but that does not outweigh FUMA's utter failure to guide him through the college application process. That falls under the academic department which has some good teachers but not good leadership. College guidance was trimmed to a part time position and that effected my son greatly. No accountability either. Upper classmen beware. They failed my son miserably.

I sent my son to FUMA after I caught him smoking and vaping a juul. He got back after a year and when I tell you he was a different person, I MEAN IT.He came back and all he would do was smoke weed! He told me this school was very uncomfortable and some very odd experiences happened. This was the worst mistake of my life! Too expensive and a waste of money

Our son was at FUMA for 2-1/2 years. He was Cadet of the Year once, and Cadet of the Term four times. He was on the President's List (Straight As) and in the National Honor Society. He never liked the school. I thought is was a good experience for him, until I raised safety concerns with President Coggins. His reply? I have an attitude and I need to find a new school for my son. Are you serious? So he kicked out one of the best students in the entire school, and a family who always paid in advance. What a waste of money to send our son here. This Coggins character is a complete fool. He will accept your money with a smile, then never wants to speak to you again. The one subject plan does not prepare kids for college, as that isn't the way colleges operate. The school doesn't teach kids independence and doesn't prepare kids for school. It's a terrible place to send your son. A public school is a much better option. And Coggins doesn't know what he is doing to kids and their families. Good teachers, terrible administration! You have many more options than this place. Do not trust your son in a school run by President Coggins!!

Fork Union Military Academy was the best decision we have made as parents. It is not easy, very challenging at times, but we have not regrets, only gratitude...Our boys did not like it at first, but once they got involved in school, sports and clubs they thrived. The quality of the academic programs, faculty and support is outstanding . My oldest son attends the Naval Academy and my youngest who is currently a senior will be attending next year. This would not be possible without Fork Union. Go FUMA!!

Am 78 years old and went to the middle school for five years before my father deserted me and my mother. This school save my life. I did not learn to read until I got in the 7th grade because I'm a dyslexic. And I had learning disabilities. This school gave me the tools for life number one respect for others. Then I got respect for myself. As I look back at my life if it hadn't been for Fork Union Military Academy I would have never made it through life. They are still doing things the same way. To take boys and make fine Christian Young man out of them. My personal relationship with Jesus Christ stems from this school and helps guide and direct my life everyday. I would recommend this school to anyone.

I have tried to find something wrong with this school these past 3 years and can not. It's staff is a dedicated bunch of educators, low turn over rates. Small classroom sizes, beautiful campus, they teach these young men about accountability. Has a 100% college acceptance rate, great college prep school.

What a difference this experience has made. My son has excelled academically, physically, spiritually, and most importantly in his self-confidence, which I did not even realize was lacking. Best decision I ever made, he's looking forward to returning for 8th grade next year!

We have never regretted our decision to send our son to FUMA. Is it easy, no. It does take adjusting to and conforming to the system makes it much easier. However, the structure and one subject plan (along with small class size) make success very likely for all who apply themselves. Our son changed his academic performance in this environment, and ensured his acceptance to the colleges of his choice. That was not going to happen at his very well regarded public high school. I'd like more proactive communication from the school on events, etc., but they have always been responsive to my inquiries and questions. I also recommend the summer sessions. If entering FUMA, it provides a nice step into the system. It also helps with study skills and raising a GPA. FUMA is really a terrific school and does a tremendous job educating young men. I recommend it without any reservations.

Student develop a sense of self worth at the expense of those labeled inadequate. Its an 8 to 1 ratio. Dont be bait.

Although my son came to FUMA a great student athlete, ranked very highly in his class at his previous school, his exposure to the leadership culture and training at Fork Union have set him on a course that we as parents could only have imagined prior to his enrollment. Also, the One Subject Plan has allowed him to really absorb and assimilate the material in a manner that ensures retention. Highly recommend.

We never expected to send our son to a boarding school, but any sacrifice on our part has been worth it. FUMA has matured him far more than had he gone to our local high school. Countless extracurricular opportunities and an incredibly dedicated faculty and staff leave no reason for a boy to not be engaged, active, and trying new things.
Academically, the one-subject plan - backed by some very competent instructors - simply works. He has received a fantastic education.

Our single biggest disappointment of the FUMA experience is the grade-level company structure. This deprives new students of the means to learn to be good followers while observing and learning from more experienced cadets. More could be done in the area of directly teaching leadership skills. A required firsr-year course in basic military courtesy, respect, and leadership could go a long way.

Our son graduates this year, but if we had to do it al over again, we would absolutely and without reservation send him to Fork Union. The school continuously strives to be a better institution and it shows. The men and women who run the school truly care about the young men in their charge. Our son is a different person than when he started, so we sincerely thank every individual who took part in that transformation.

Going to Fork Union was our son's decision. He has done very well with the one subject plan and school structure. The past four years are paying off….college acceptances are rolling in!

My son learned balance, discipline, persistence, camaraderie, leadership, and respect. Role Models such as Sidwell + Sidwell, Pavlansky, Grant, Sullivan, + Hurlocker were instrumental in providing support and guidance. There are many more who were important, however too many to mention here. FUMA leaders looked to the future and provided my son with the curriculum he needed to graduate and be prepared for college. I teasingly called FUMA, "The Prison in the Middle of Nowhere" because it wasn't easy to have my son away from home. In retrospect even though I missed him tremendously, FUMA was the best thing that could have happened to my son.

After spending some of my youth attending FUMA, and now recalling my experiences some time later, I can say with unwavering certainty that there is no better place for a young man to go to learn how to become a better contributing person in society. Fork Union trained me, and many other of my compatriots, to be honorable and upstanding members of our community by instilling basic, but often overlooked, morals and ethics in us.
I can also say with relative certainty that I would not be where I am, in life, today without the lessons learned at Fork Union Military Academy.

My son is currently a cadet at FUMA. My children have gone to a couple of private schools over the years, and I have never seen a school more true to its mission than FUMA. The leadership of the school truly lives out the mission statement of faith, character, respect, integrity, and discipline on a daily basis. I see, in my son, a desire to live out these values in his own life. Fork Union is teaching him the discipline he needs to live out his life goals. I am a huge fan of Fork Union Military Academy. Sending our son there is one of the best decisions we have ever made. It is a true investment in him and his future success in life.

It's hard to put to words how much this school still means to me after 39 years. I went there to play basketball, bring my grades up and get ready for college, but I came out with so much more. FUMA teaches you those core values that carry you through life. I sent Son #1 there and will be sending Son #2 there as well (he's really looking forward to it). I've lost touch with many of my college friends but I stay in touch with my FUMA brothers all the time. The school has a heart and soul that lives on because of the quality of the staff there and the true commitment to values that they always exhibit. I highly recommend this fine school.