Located in Lexington, Virginia, the Virginia Military Institute is the oldest state-supported military college in the United States. Students admitted to the college are known as military cadets and are required to participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). Unlike the federal service academies, Virginia Military Institute cadets are not required to serve in the military upon graduation. Cadets have about 80 academic, professional and social clubs and organizations to choose from upon entering the college.Freshmen admitted to VMI are immediately exposed to the Rat Line, which is a system designed to create equality among all cadets and prepare them mentally and physically for their career in the Corps. This is done through a series of team-building exercises and stringent regulations. The housing situation is very different from most universities' campuses. In the Barracks, cadets live modestly, with limited space and multiple other occupants, and are expected to maintain cleanliness and order at all times. The Virginia Military Institute Keydets participate in 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs and are members of the Southern Conference and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.Students who have been accepted to the Virginia Military Institute have the opportunity to take part in the Summer Transition Program, which helps incoming cadets improve both academically and physically. This program takes place during the last four weeks of the college's second summer term. VMI follows an honor code and strictly enforces its practices upon its cadets. When cadets first arrive on campus, they are issued their first cadet haircut at the VMI barbershop. Notable alumni include George Marshall, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and former U.S. secretary of state; Benjamin Franklin Ficklin, one of the founders of the historic Pony Express; and actor and comedian Fred Willard.