Stay away from the USMC, trust me I have been posted on two different Joint service posts and the marines HAVE IT THE WORST!!! PERIOD END OF SENTENCE!!! Step back for a second and look at all the possibilies: 1) what happens if you don't get accepted? I'll tell you: you will be an E-nothing in the USMC and it will suck bizzalls, big time. If you want to go to college go see your army recruiter, tell him you want some fast college money. Enlist in the NG or Reserve for a few years. You'll get some good dough for college, and be back at home ready for school to start at the end of AIT. Go to a college that has NROTC or AFROTC or whatever you want, you can go the first two years off your Army college money, you won't have to contract with the ROTC guys until your ready to be a junior, then you can get them to break your reserve contract and re-enlist as an ROTC cadet. Also, you said you hurt your shin, you think that's gonna help with the 13 weeks of hell and brimstonethat is USMC Boot Camp??