I got to be honest. While there are some well run OC corps out there, too many of them (especially the ones always on the verge of collapse or the ones that do collapse and come back only to collapse again) are NOT quality institutions and the "experience" any kid would get there will likely be a waste of time and money. Even worse it very well might turn that kid off to marching all together. We've all heard the stories that are far too common but no one really talks about.
so...
Want to march DC but can't afford a WC corps? Need to work on your chops and test the waters before marching a WC corps? By all means, OC is perfect and you should put just as much time and thought into choosing a quality group to march with.
Mandating people march OC would guarantee a bad experience for far too many students.