James,
I don’t think it is negative. You are telling it like it is. They have the same problem with the dive schools. The schools tell prospective students (and sometimes their parents) , "we have 100% job placement, make tons of money, tons of work, etc." just to get that tuition money in.
The only way you are going to get in now is if your daddy is in the upper management of a company that has ROV’s – the good ole boy system is alive and well.