Journal of College Student Development

Cadets (N = 234) at The Citadel (a military college for males and females in the Southeast United States) completed measures of wellness, perceived stress, and mattering during their first semester of training. Overall, wellness scores were negatively skewed. Although there were no differences in perceived stress or mattering between The Citadel cadets and a comparison group of cadets at West Point, The Citadel cadets scored higher than available norm groups on both scales. Implications for wellness programs at military colleges and counseling for beginning cadets are explored. In addition, applicability of the results for nonmilitary college students is discussed.