Det finns tusentals gymnasieelever där ute och drömmer om dagen då de ska kasta hatten i luften och ta examen från en av landets militära akademier. Om du är en av dem hoppas jag att din dröm går i uppfyllelse och att du kan gå på West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy eller Merchant Marine Academy. Men du måste förstå att det krävs mycket hårt arbete och tålamod bara för att komma igenom applikationen. Min egen son är utexaminerad från serviceakademin, så jag har själv sett hur svårt det är att få en tid. Men du kan göra det om du har rätt saker och vet hur antagningsprocessen fungerar.
För det ändamålet har vi sammanställt en lista över de viktigaste övervägandena för studenter som hoppas kunna få ett möte med serviceakademin någon gång. För att väcka vår lista till liv intervjuade vi 19 unga män och kvinnor som nyligen gick igenom ansökningsprocessen för tjänsteakademin och fick en tid på en (eller flera) av de fem militära akademierna. När det gäller antagningsprocessen till akademin har de varit där, gjort det och var ivriga att dela med sig av sina erfarenheter, tips och råd med nästa grupp av tjänsteakademidrömmare. Med deras vägledning är här 20 saker du behöver veta för att komma in på en militärtjänsteakademi . Om du har turen att få ett möte kommer du att belönas med en undervisningsfri utbildning på en förstklassig skola och en upplevelse du aldrig kommer att glömma.
Det är verkligen svårt att komma in på en värnpliktsakademi. Enligt National Center for Education Statistics ansökte 41 989 personer till de fem militära akademierna för klassen 2023. Det finns dock bara cirka 4 100 platser tillgängliga varje år. Det innebär att den totala acceptansgraden för serviceakademin ligger på cirka 9,8 %. (Det är ett genomsnitt – det varierar beroende på akademi.)
En acceptansgrad på 9,8 % är högre än vad du kommer att se på de flesta Ivy League-skolor – där acceptansgraden varierar från 5 % (Harvard och Columbia) till 11 % (Cornell) – och platser som Stanford (4 %) och M.I.T. (7%). Det är dock lägre än acceptansgraden på många andra mycket konkurrenskraftiga skolor, som Johns Hopkins (11 %), UCLA (12 %), Georgetown (14 %), Berkeley (16 %) och Notre Dame (16 %). (Priserna gäller för antagning till grundutbildningen hösten 2019.)
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MARCHORDER:Börja förbereda år i förväg
"Personligen var det väldigt utmanande" att komma in på en serviceakademi, säger Skye Williams, som är på West Point. "Det finns många hinder ... du måste övervinna." Det var därför många framgångsrika sökande började förbereda sig för en servicehögskola tidigt på gymnasiet, eller ännu tidigare. Planera din kursbelastning på gymnasiet, fritidsaktiviteter, samhällsengagemang och idrottsaktiviteter med serviceakademiernas krav i åtanke.
Om du går på en militärtjänsteakademi kommer den federala regeringen att betala din undervisning och kost och kost i fyra år, men Uncle Sam vill ha något tillbaka . I de flesta fall kommer du att behöva tjänstgöra i aktiv tjänst i den amerikanska militären i minst fem år efter examen. Det krävs längre serviceåtaganden för den som hamnar i vissa jobb, till exempel piloter. Utexaminerade från West Point och Air Force Academy måste också tjäna ytterligare tre år i reserverna. Merchant Marine Academy-studenter har åtagit sig antingen fem års aktiv militärtjänst eller fem år i sjöfartsindustrin och åtta år i reservaten. Så, innan du ens påbörjar ansökningsprocessen för tjänsteakademin, se till att du förstår och är bekväm med kraven på militärtjänst efter examen.
Medan vissa utexaminerade som kommer från traditionella högskolor kämpar för att hitta arbete, är det inte fallet med tjänsteakademistudenter. Tack vare serviceengagemang finns det 100 % arbetsförmedling för de unga män och kvinnor som kommer ut från serviceakademierna. Som Coast Guard Academys Natalie Wong noterade:"Det är definitivt betryggande för många människor som kommer direkt från college att garanteras ett jobb."
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MARCHORDER:Välj först den militära gren som passar dig bäst
Eftersom du kommer att tillbringa mer tid i militärtjänsten efter examen än du kommer att tillbringa på en tjänsteakademi, är det bäst att först välja den militära gren som passar bäst med dina egna mål och intressen – armén, marinen, flygvapnet , marinsoldater eller kustbevakningen – och sök sedan en tid till skolan som matar in officerare i den grenen. "Det är fyra år i skolan, men sedan är det potentiellt ett helt liv som officer i den grenen", säger Alexander Kleitz, som går på Flygvapenakademin. — Det är grenen man ska fokusera på, och skolan är ett sätt att nå dit. Naval Academys Sawyer Neal håller med och uppmanar gymnasieelever som är intresserade av militära akademier att först ta reda på "vad du faktiskt kommer att göra som officer i de olika grenarna och hur olika ditt liv skulle vara i var och en. " Till exempel vill Evan Sievers vara involverad i militära rymdoperationer, så han valde Air Force Academy. Kustbevakningens humanitära uppdrag fångade Lea Walkers blick, så hon bestämde sig för att gå på deras serviceakademi. Renee Nosko, som ännu inte är säker på vad hon vill göra i militären, är på väg till Naval Academy "på grund av att marinen har ... land, luft och hav" möjligheter. Och så finns det Connor McGurk, som ska till West Point för att bli arméofficer eftersom han "hellre skulle rulla runt i leran än att sitta fast på något skepp i Stilla havet." Hoppsan!
Värnpliktsakademierna är inte för alla. Men det är okej, för serviceakademierna tar inte vem som helst i alla fall. Det finns några grundläggande kvalifikationer för varje inkommande kadett eller midskepp . De varierar från en akademi till en annan, men i allmänhet du:
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MARCHORDER:Var inte dum – håll dig borta från problem
Det verkar vara en självklarhet, men du skulle bli förvånad över hur många hoppfulla serviceakademier som förlorar på sin dröm för att de gör något olagligt, som att minderåriga dricker eller använder droger. Akademierna tolererar inte olagligt beteende när du är där (de kommer att sparka ut dig), så vad får dig att tro att de kommer att erkänna någon som har ett oroligt förflutet? "Om du tycker att roligt innebär att göra saker som är olagliga, och du antingen söker till [en serviceakademi] eller redan har blivit antagen till [en], är det en dålig idé", varnar West Pointer Andres Santiago. "Det krävs bara ett misstag ... och helt plötsligt förlorar du det du ville mest." Åh, förresten, du måste lämna in en polisrapport och ansöka om en statlig säkerhetsprövning om du är utsedd, så ljug inte om någon tidigare kriminell historia. Berätta sanningen, hela sanningen och ingenting annat än sanningen.
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Utöver de grundläggande kvalifikationerna måste du också vara en väl avrundad individ—du måste vara en forskare, en ledare och en idrottsman . (Vi kommer att diskutera dessa tre krav senare.) Som Naval Academy plebe Nathaniel Erickson noterar, akademiantagningsofficerarna "vill inte se människor som bara är dubbar. De vill inte se människor som bara är boknördar. De vill se människor som kan lyckas i alla aspekter av deras liv." Om du är svag inom ett område kan du fortfarande få en tid om du är stark någon annanstans. Så, till exempel, "om dina testresultat inte är så höga som de skulle kunna vara, skulle jag inte vara alltför stressad över det", säger Natalie Wong. "Det finns definitivt andra områden som du verkligen kan trivas inom, och antagningshandläggarna kommer att se det i din ansökan också."
Dessutom, även om det är fantastiskt att göra bra ifrån sig i skolan och delta i skolbaserade sporter och fritidsaktiviteter, är en verkligt välbildad student också involverad utanför campus. "Volontär. Skaffa praktikplatser. Skaffa jobb. Hjälp ditt samhälle", säger Louis Burts, som är på West Point. Den typen av aktiviteter kommer att få en serviceakademis uppmärksamhet lika mycket som att idrotta eller gå med i en klubb i skolan.
Är du osäker på om en serviceakademi är något för dig? Oroa dig inte, för akademierna har program som låter dig få en smak av livet som kadett eller midskepp . Dessa program rekommenderas starkt från gruppen av kadetter och midskeppsmän vi pratade med, så se till att du kollar in dem om du tror att du kanske vill gå på en serviceakademi. De hjälper dig att avgöra om du är på rätt väg eller behöver gå i en annan riktning.
Det finns veckolånga sommarprogram för uppvuxna high school seniorer. Fyra av de fem serviceakademierna kör dessa program, som i allmänhet försöker replikera serviceakademiversionen av grundläggande utbildning. (The Merchant Marine Academy har inget sommarprogram, men du kan gå en annan akademis program för att få den allmänna känslan.) "Det var en fantastisk upplevelse", säger Louis Burts. "Jag fick en känsla för hur det kommer att vara att vakna tidigt varje dag, göra PT varje dag, äta frukost med alla, gå till lektionen." För många studenter som går ett sommarprogram vet de direkt om en serviceakademi är rätt för dem. Flygvapenakademins Seth Swain avslöjar till exempel att "efter dag två på akademin sa jag till mina föräldrar via telefon," mamma och pappa, det här är vad jag vill göra med mitt liv, och jag vill gå till en av dessa akademier.'"
Sommarprogrammen kan också hjälpa dig att bestämma vilka service academy är rätt för dig. "När det gäller huruvida jag ville gå till en serviceakademi eller inte," säger Alexander Kleitz, "tror jag inte att [deltagande i ett sommarprogram] var så viktigt. När det gäller att skilja mellan flygvapnet eller marinen, vilket var två på min lista som jag diskuterade, det var helt avgörande. Jag kunde inte ha gjort den skillnaden om jag inte hade besökt dem båda på en vecka."
Tyvärr, eftersom utrymmet är begränsat på serviceakademins sommarprogram, måste du gå igenom en ganska konkurrenskraftig ansökningsprocess för att bli antagen till ett sommarprogram.
Oavsett om du deltar i ett veckolångt sommarprogram eller inte, bör du också titta på akademiernas dag-, övernattnings- eller helgbesöksprogram. Du kommer att få skugga en kadett eller midskeppsman under ditt besök och verkligen se hur livet är för dem under läsåret. "Jag parades ihop med en [Naval Academy] mitt", berättar Renee Nosko. "Jag älskade det absolut eftersom jag fick gå på klass med henne, jag fick äta i matsalen med henne och verkligen leva ut hela mittupplevelsen."
Det finns också fördelar med att vara bland kadetterna och midskeppsmännen i barackerna, eftersom de kommer att berätta saker du inte kommer att höra någon annanstans. "Jag fick en mer ofiltrerad version av skolan än vad du får från en antagningsrådgivare", konstaterar Burts.
Jämfört med traditionella högskolor är ansökningsprocessen för serviceakademin "bara ett annat djur" och "på en annan nivå", enligt Seth Swain. Både civila skolor och akademierna kräver att du skickar in SAT/ACT-poäng, gymnasieutskrifter, rekommendationsbrev, skriva prover och liknande. Men serviceakademierna gör att du också får en nominering, gör ett fysiskt konditionstest, klarar en läkarundersökning och går på intervjuer . (Vi kommer att täcka alla dessa ytterligare krav mer i detalj senare.) "Ansökningsprocessen för tjänsteakademin är definitivt mycket mer stressande, mycket mer tidskrävande och lite mer ansträngande" på grund av dessa extra steg, sa Dominique Basso, som går på Merchant Marine Academy. Dessutom finns det inga "vanliga ansökningar" för serviceakademierna. Om du ansöker till mer än en akademi måste du skicka in en separat ansökan för var och en.
Bli dock inte avskräckt av ansökningsprocessen. "Det var så många gånger att jag var på gränsen till att sluta," erkänner Kayla Phillips från Air Force Academy. Hon tror att akademierna gör processen "lång och irriterande att sålla bort de barn som inte vill vara där eller inte har beslutsamheten eller uthålligheten att vara där."
Ansökningstidslinjen för serviceakademier är vanligtvis längre än för traditionella högskolor också. Gymnasieelever börjar vanligtvis arbeta med sina ansökningar till traditionella högskolor under sommaren mellan junior och senior år eller under den första terminen av deras senior år. Beroende på akademin börjar dock ansökningsprocessen för serviceakademin vanligtvis under andra terminen av ditt högstadieår — i vissa fall redan i januari. Du kan också behöva skicka in en preliminär ansökan eller enkät för att visa att du uppfyller de grundläggande kvalifikationerna innan du ens får öppna en fullständig ansökan. Dessutom, medan de flesta Sökande till serviceakademin lär sig sitt öde ungefär samtidigt som civila skolor skickar ut sina antagningsbrev, akademierna kan fylla några platser så sent som den dag som nya kadetter eller midskeppsmän anmäler sig för sommarträning.
Mellan det att du startar din ansökan och det att du får ett möte finns det flera deadlines som du bättre inte missar. "Håll koll på alla deadlines," råder Rhett Perry, som går på West Point. Om du gör det till en serviceakademi måste du hantera din tid klokt. Om du inte kan skicka in de nödvändiga dokumenten och slutföra de nödvändiga uppgifterna för din ansökan innan de angivna slutdatumen, kommer akademin att anta att du inte kommer att kunna hantera det fullspäckade schema som kadetter och midskeppsmän möter varje dag. Det är därför West Pointer Jack Felgar varnar potentiella tjänsteakademisökande att "tidshantering och att bara vara ihärdig och få allt gjort så snabbt och exakt som möjligt är superviktigt."
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MARCHORDER:Starta ansökningsprocessen så tidigt som möjligt och håll dig fokuserad
Eftersom ansökningsprocessen för serviceakademin är så lång och besvärlig, uppmanar Lea Walker gymnasieelever att "börja arbeta med det tidigt och försök att inte skjuta upp det, eftersom deadlines kan krypa upp" på dig. Evan Sievers rekommenderar att du fyller i så mycket av pappersarbetet du kan under sommaren innan ditt sista år, så att du kan fokusera på läkarundersökningar, nomineringar och liknande under hösten.
Akademiker vid servicehögskolorna är oerhört utmanande. Så det är inte konstigt att de har höga akademiska standarder för inkommande kadetter och midskeppsmän. Som med de flesta traditionella högskolor, är militärtjänsteakademierna mycket beroende av SAT- och ACT-poäng. Även om du kan få ett möte med lägre poäng om du är stark inom andra områden, skjut för ett kombinerat SAT-poäng (matte och läsning) på minst 1 260 till 1 300 eller en ACT-poäng på minst 29 till 31. De anses vara "genomsnittliga" poäng för de flesta år, så högre poäng är ännu bättre. (Kontrollera om akademin du ansöker till också kräver SAT-skrivkomponenten.)
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MARCHORDER:Ta testerna mer än en gång
Akademierna ger superpoäng på SAT- och ACT-resultat – till exempel genom att kombinera ditt högsta SAT-läsresultat och högsta SAT-mattepoäng, även om de kommer från olika testdagar – och det kan göra stor skillnad. Nathaniel Erickson uppmanar gymnasieelever som vill gå på en serviceakademi att "ta [testen] så många gånger du kan och ta så många övningsprov du kan." Om du verkligen kämpar med SAT eller ACT, föreslår Erickson "fokusera på ett avsnitt i taget." Till exempel, koncentrera dig på SAT:s läsdel för ett test, sväng sedan till matematik och ta SAT igen.
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Även om ditt medelvärde på gymnasiet och klassrankningen också är viktiga (få en toppranking på 10 %), ladda inte upp på "enkla" klasser för att försöka få raka A:s. För att vara en konkurrenskraftig tjänsteakademikandidat måste du utmana dig själv med avancerade placeringsklasser (AP), internationella baccalaureate-program, hederskurser och liknande. Ändå noterar Alexander Kleitz att akademiantagningstjänstemän sa till honom att "det är bättre att ha ett A på en vanlig kurs än att ha ett dåligt betyg på en hederskurs. Så lägg dig inte i hederskurser som du inte kan godkänt. Men om du klarar hederskursen så är det definitivt där du vill vara." Louis Burts håller med:"Om du går en AP-kurs bara för att säga att du tog den, och det inte är ett ämne du är riktigt bra i, kommer det att skada dig i det långa loppet."
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MARCHORDER:Ta högskolekurser om din gymnasieskola erbjuder ett dubbelregistreringsprogram
Dubbelregistreringsprogram erbjuder gymnasieelever möjligheten att ta högskolekurser för kredit. Skye Williams gick kurser med dubbla inskrivningar på gymnasiet, och hon tror att "att utmana mig själv genom att ta högskolekurser och samtidigt ta gymnasiekurser" hjälpte hennes ansökan att sticka ut. Du kommer inte att få poäng för högskolekursen med dubbla inskrivningar på en serviceakademi, men du kanske inte behöver upprepa klassen om det är en obligatorisk kurs på akademin.
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Det är också viktigt att ta (och göra bra ifrån sig i) matte- och naturvetenskapsklasser på gymnasiet, eftersom akademins läroplaner är S.T.E.M.-tunga. Du vill absolut ta kalkyl, fysik och kemi, säger Alex Hooker, som går på Sjökrigsskolan. Rhett Perry rekommenderar också att du anmäler dig till gymnasiet i datavetenskap. Men eftersom akademierna letar efter "välrundade" individer kan du inte ignorera icke-S.T.E.M. kurser. Engelska, historia och främmande språk är också viktiga. Dominique Basso tror också att den högskoleskrivarkurs hon tog "definitivt var till stor hjälp" för hennes akademiansökningar eftersom hon fick flera tips för att skriva bättre uppsatser.
Serviceakademiernas främsta uppdrag är att utveckla ledare. Så om du vill få en tid till en akademi, visa dem att du redan är en ledare . Det finns en oändlig lista över sätt som gymnasieelever kan få ledarskapserfarenhet på. Några vanliga exempel från de inkommande kadetterna och midskeppsmännen vi pratade med är:
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MARCHORDER:Tänk "kvalitet framför kvantitet" när du väljer dina aktiviteter
"När det kommer till klubbar måste du ha ledande positioner", säger Seth Swain. "De letar efter kvalitet, inte kvantitet. Du behöver inte vara i 20 olika klubbar och bara vara medlem... Om du är i tre eller fyra och har ledande positioner, hjälper det verkligen." I slutändan är det bättre att vara ledare i en aktivitet än att följa i 10.
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Även om de ofta förbises, erbjuder high school Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC)-program som sponsras av armén, marinen, flygvapnet och marinsoldaterna också ledarskapsupplevelser som serviceakademierna gillar att se. Skye Williams deltog i sitt lokala JROTC-program, och hon tror att det var en viktig faktor för att få hennes utnämning till West Point. Antagningshandläggarna kunde "se att jag har militär bärighet och ledarskap på den nivån", säger hon, "så jag känner att det var ett stort plus för mig." If there isn't a JROTC program at your school, consider the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program, Naval Sea Cadet Corps or the Young Marines, which offer similar military-based leadership opportunities.
If you're going to survive the physical demands of service-academy life, you better be in shape! Not only will you be required to keep up during physically demanding military training exercises—such as marching 10 miles with a 40-pound pack on your back—but all cadets and midshipmen are expected to participate in some sort of athletic activity either at the NCAA, club or intramural level. Depending on the academy, 85% or more of all appointees earn a varsity letter in high school, which should tell you something about the type of young men and women the service academies want. Couch potatoes need not apply!
To make sure you can handle the physical challenges cadets and midshipmen face every day, you must take and pass a physical fitness test to receive an appointment . All service academies, except the Coast Guard Academy, use the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) to test your athletic ability. The CFA is made up of the following six events:
The Coast Guard Academy uses its own Physical Fitness Exam (PFE), which consists of sit-ups, planking and a 1.5-mile run.
With the CFA and PFE, practice makes perfect. Figure out which events are the most difficult for you, and start doing them over and over to improve your results. "It's really just about repetition and doing it as much as you can," according to Nathaniel Erickson. "If you struggle running, go run." Start practicing well in advance, too. Renee Nosko, a high-school runner who had trouble with some of the strength-based events, started lifting more weights "all throughout the summer and into the school year" before taking, and passing, the CFA in the fall.
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MARCHING ORDERS:Practice Throwing a Basketball
Pull-ups—check. Push-ups—no problem. Mile run—OK. Basketball throw—what?! How the heck did throwing a basketball as far as you can while on your knees get on the CFA? Rhett Perry has an idea. "My theory," he says, "is that the basketball throw is just there to make sure that you're going to learn how to do something. You can't just go out there and throw a basketball and actually throw it really far on your first try. It takes a lot of practice to get the technique down, because it's not all about strength. It's just technique. When you throw the basketball, it's only going to go far if you've thrown it a hundred times before. So, when you do the CFA, they make sure you really are committed to doing this and you practice and train for it."
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The CFA and PFE are pass/fail tests. Yes, you need to pass the test to get an appointment, but don't get too upset if you don't get the best score possible ("max out") on each event. The academies would "love to see on your application that you maxed your CFA," says Seth Swain, "but at the end of the day, it's not about maxing totals." Instead, you want admissions to say, "This kid has physical aptitude and he can run, and he can do push-ups and sit-ups…we're going to take him, because we know he can make it here."
The nomination requirement is perhaps the most unique part of the service-academy admissions process. To be considered for an appointment to a service academy (other than the Coast Guard Academy ), you must have a nomination from an authorized nominating source . There are several nominating sources, and "you should apply to all sources for which you qualify," according to Alex Hooker. That will increase your chances of getting at least one nomination for the academy you want to attend, which is all you need. Getting an additional nomination, Andres Santiago says, "increases your chances [of getting in] dramatically" because "it puts your name in a different pool" from which you can be chosen for an appointment.
Members of Congress—U.S. senators and representatives—are the most common sources of service-academy nominations. They account for about 75% of all appointments. Each U.S. senator and representative can have as many as five cadets or midshipmen nominated by them at each service academy at any one time. If they have fewer than five at an academy, they can nominate up to 10 applicants to that academy for every open slot. For example, if the Naval Academy currently has three midshipmen who were nominated by a particular U.S. senator, that senator can nominate up to 20 Naval Academy applicants for the incoming class (10 for each open slot).
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MARCHING ORDERS:Look for Informational Sessions Hosted by Members of Congress
Many U.S. senators and representatives hold informational meetings for young men and women interested in applying for a service-academy nomination. They'll run through the nomination process and answer any questions you have. You can also meet the congressional staffers who will be handling your application. You might be able to get a head start, too. "I think it was pretty valuable," says the Air Force Academy's Courtney Swift. "I'm happy I went because I got some paperwork done…so they had me in the system right away." Rhett Perry also appreciated the opportunity to meet with admissions representatives and current cadets and midshipmen at one of his senator's events. "That played a big role in my application process," he says, "because I was able to talk to these people."
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There are three methods members of Congress can use to submit their lists of nominees. The most common method is to submit what is called a "competitive" list, where the nominees for each open slot are unranked. In this case, the academy ranks the nominees based on merit and offers an appointment to the most highly qualified person. If a member of Congress submits a "principal with competing alternates" list, the nominee designated as the principal nominee will receive an appointment if he or she is otherwise fully qualified. (Obviously, you want a principal nomination if you can get it!) However, if the principal nominee is not qualified, the most qualified unranked alternate gets the nod. Finally, a member of Congress can submit a "principal with numbered alternates" list, which means that a principal nominee is designated and the alternates are ranked in order of preference. Once again, the principal nominee gets an appointment to fill the slot if he or she is fully qualified. If that person is not qualified, the highest designated nominee who is qualified gets the appointment for that slot.
Every service academy applicant should apply for at least three nominations—one from each U.S. senator from his or her state and one from the U.S. representative from his or her congressional district. (If you're applying to the Merchant Marine Academy, you can also get a nomination from a representative from another district within your home state.) However, this adds a significant amount of additional time and effort. "Each nomination application is like a whole other normal college application," says Evan Sievers. While each congressional nomination application will be different, you typically have to write essays, submit transcripts and standardized test scores, complete a questionnaire and the like. Each member of Congress will most likely have you interview with a review board, too.
Applicants often get butterflies in their stomachs when facing a nomination review board. The boards typically include current or former military officers—many of them service academy graduates—who can be a bit intimidating. To get on their good side quickly, Kayla Phillips reminds applicants to "use ma'am and sir in the room because that's what you use at the academies." They might even try to fluster you by throwing an odd question at you that you totally weren't expecting, but Phillips advises candidates to simply "think about it before you answer the question." It's also important to be relaxed. "If they ask you 'what are your favorite hobbies,' sometimes you might just freeze or be so struck by such a simple conversational question," says Jack Felgar. However, he found that "just kind of having fun with it and being relaxed helped me a lot." While the interviews can be a tough, Kayla Malone, who is attending the Naval Academy, insists that they get easier if you "just learn from every interview" and apply it to the next one. For her, "the interviews just kept getting better and better."
The U.S. Vice President is another nomination source. Like members of Congress, he or she can have a maximum of five cadets or midshipmen at each academy at any one time. For each available slot, the Vice President may nominate up to 10 candidates. Every applicant is eligible for a vice presidential nomination and should apply.
Presidential nominations are available for children of career military officers and enlisted personnel. While an unlimited number of presidential nominations can be given, only 100 candidates per year can be appointed to an academy with these nominations.
Other nominations are available for:
There may be limits on the number of these nominations allowed or on the number of appointees with these types of nominations.
The Merchant Marine Academy only accepts congressional nominations.
There's an unfortunate scenario that plays out all too frequently:A young man or woman works hard for years to become a scholar, leader and athlete worthy of a service-academy appointment, but is denied admission because of a disqualifying medical condition. There's a pages-long list of disqualifying conditions that can trip up a service-academy candidate. They include dental problems, poor vision, teenage asthma, broken bones that didn't heal properly, joint issues, skin disorders, hearing problems, food allergies and more. You can even be disqualified for failing to meet military height and weight requirements. The medical standards are in place to ensure that each person entering military service is physically able to handle the "rigors and stressors of military training and missions."
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MARCHING ORDERS:Check Your Prescriptions
You can also be disqualified for taking certain prescribed medications. We talked with one cadet candidate who was denied an appointment the first time he applied because of medicine he was taking. Connor McGurk received an appointment to the West Point Class of 2022 in January of his senior year of high school, but he was medically disqualified in late April because he had taken prescribed medicine that he "had to be off of for a certain period of time" before reporting for summer training. By the time he found out, it was too late to stop taking the medicine and still hold on to his appointment. (Fortunately, he was given a slot in the Class of 2023.) As a result, McGurk warns applicants who are taking prescription medications to "make sure you won't be disqualified based on what you're taking."
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Service academy candidates who have completed certain parts of their application are contacted by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB) and asked to schedule a medical exam. After the exam is completed, DoDMERB might ask you to provide additional information or medical records, or even want you to schedule additional medical appointments. Once all the necessary information is collected, DoDMERB reviews your medical record and determines if you're medically qualified or disqualified.
All is not lost, however, if you're initially disqualified, because you could get a medical waiver. DoDMERB doesn't give out waivers—the academies do. So, if the academy really wants you, you still have a shot at an appointment.
Under the best of conditions, it can take a month to schedule your initial examination, two more months to get all the information to DoDMERB and another month (or more) to get a medical waiver if required. If everything goes according to schedule, that's a four-month process…and it can be longer if there are bumps in the road! That's why it's important to get the DoDMERB process started as soon as you possibly can. That means knocking out the initial parts of your application quickly, so your name is sent to DoDMERB sooner. Jack Felgar got through the DoDMERB process relatively quickly, despite hitting a snag over a year-old football injury, because he was able to start the process before most of the other applicants. "Getting everything done so early helped because at that point it was still early in the DoDMERB process," he says. Because he was "probably one of the first people to have a DoDMERB appointment, they weren't all backed up yet, and they didn't have thousands and thousands of applications from all the academies pouring into their system yet. So getting it done so early definitely helped."
In addition to the academy-based admissions teams and regional admissions officers, the service academies have local representatives throughout the country who volunteer their time to mentor high school students seeking appointments. The Naval Academy calls them Blue and Gold (B&G) Officers, the Air Force Academy calls them Admissions Liaison Officers (ALOs), West Point calls them Field Force Representatives (FFRs), the Coast Guard Academy calls them Academy Admissions Partners (AAPs), and the Merchant Marine Academy calls them Admissions Field Representatives (AFRs).
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MARCHING ORDERS:Turn Your Local Rep Into Your New Best Friend
Local representatives can be a great source of information, guidance and support. Louis Burts says his FFR "was probably my best friend throughout this process, besides my mom. If I had a question, I could text her or call her on anything." Kayla Malone has similar praise for her B&G officer:"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have her…she knew all the little ins and outs of everything that you need to know." "Utilize your Blue and Gold officer," Sawyer Neal advises future Naval Academy candidates. "Ask them questions. Don't be afraid to call them every once in a while. Set up a phone call to talk to them and give them updates on how you're doing."
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The Naval Academy and Air Force Academy require interviews with a local representative as part of the overall application process. West Point and the Coast Guard Academy don't require interviews for every candidate, but they can request an interview (say yes!) or you can ask for one yourself. The Merchant Marine Academy doesn't do interviews, but candidates can ask to meet with a local representative. Interviews allow you to "personalize" the application process. Instead of just reading about you, someone reporting directly to the admissions office will actually get to see you, talk to you and get a sense of what you're all about. That can be a tremendous opportunity for candidates, particularly if you don't have the highest test scores or top-flight athletic abilities. Of course, if you make a bad impression, it could harm your chances of getting an appointment. So make sure you follow all the regular tips and advice about making a good impression during interviews:Look professional, sit up straight, stay calm, speak clearly and the like.
In many cases, the interview with a B&G officer or ALO will be more low-key than the interviews with the nomination review boards. According to Alexander Kleitz, the Air Force "ALO interview now is over Skype or Facetime or some sort of video messaging service." For Courtney Swift, the interview was about "getting to know me as a person" and determining if she "wants to go to [the academy] for the right reasons."
There are no racial or ethnic admissions quotas at the military service academies. However, they are reaching out to qualified minorities and encouraging them to apply. For example, the Coast Guard Academy's Genesis Invitational outreach program brings prospective minority applicants to the academy for overnight visits where they can tour the campus and shadow a cadet. For Lea Walker, the experience was a "pretty valuable" part of her decision to apply to the academy. It allowed her to see the "academic side" of academy life and gain a more "well-rounded" understanding of what it's like to be a cadet.
The service academy admissions teams also include diversity officers who focus on helping minority candidates through the application process. (All candidates have access to regional admissions officers for similar assistance.) Skye Williams worked with a diversity officer who was "very influential and very helpful and very encouraging for the whole process. As soon as I started the application, she was already on me, sending me messages and encouraging me." Louis Burts also praises the West Point diversity officers. "To me, what was most important was that they weren't pandering," he says. "They weren't like, 'Hey, you're black, come to our school.' They didn't see me as a minority candidate. They saw me as a candidate. They saw me as an individual person, who they wanted to come to the school, and that made me feel very valued. Other schools would specifically mention, 'Hey, you're a minority, we want you to come here.' The West Point officers weren't like that with me. They were like, 'Hey, we think you'll be good for the school—come here.' And I think that's what made the difference for me. I wasn't seen as a statistic or someone to boost their minority numbers."
The academies' outreach efforts are paying off—minority admissions are on the rise. Based on the most recent data available, minorities account for about one-third of all incoming service academy cadets and midshipmen today. Those numbers have been rising over the past few years. Take West Point, for example. In 2009, about 25% of the incoming class were minority students. Eleven years later, that number has jumped to about 40% for new cadets reporting in 2020.
Along with an increase in minority admissions, more women are attending the service academies these days, too. Women weren't allowed to attend the academies until 1976. Since then, their numbers have been steadily rising.
Now, roughly one-quarter of all cadets and midshipmen are women. That's a big jump from a decade or so ago. Again, looking at West Point as an example, less than 15% of the new cadets entering the academy in 2009 were women. In 2020, women make up more than 23% of the incoming class.
One hurdle the admissions officers face when it comes to recruiting more female applicants is the notion that the service academies are still male-dominated environments. "Obviously, there's a lot more guys than girls at the academies," Courtney Swift points out, "but I feel like it's kind of always going to be that way. There's going to be an imbalance." Likewise, Dominique Basso has "always known that the military is a more of a male-dominated field…I just accepted it." The trick to calming any worries about being unable to succeed in a testosterone-heavy world seems to be visiting the academies and talking with women who have experienced academy life. By "just talking with other females either in the academy or who had gone through it," Renee Nosko realized that "plenty of other females have done this before me. While we may not be in the majority, it is definitely doable, and it is in fact worthwhile. Because they influenced me, and I'll influence another generation, it will just grow and grow and grow until eventually we'll have equal service between men and women."
What if a service academy wants you because of your athletic or leadership abilities, but you don't quite meet the school's academic standards? An admissions officer might ask you to spend a year at a prep school to strengthen your academic standing and test scores before moving on to the academy itself the following year. (You don't request it—they offer it to certain applicants who don't receive a direct appointment, often recruited athletes and enlisted military personnel who have been out of school for a while .) You're not guaranteed a slot at the academy the following year, but the majority of prepsters successfully complete the program, become fully qualified and receive an appointment.
West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy run their own preparatory schools. The Coast Guard Academy sends its prep students to either the Naval Academy prep school or to selected private military prep schools. The Merchant Marine Academy only sends its prep students to private military prep schools. Financial assistance is typically offered to offset the costs of attendance at private prep schools or military junior colleges, such as New Mexico Military Institute, Marion Military Institute and Georgia Military College.
At a prep school, you'll prepare for the academy by living the lifestyle of a cadet or midshipman at the academy. So, in addition to taking college-level classes, you'll wear a uniform, go through military training, follow military discipline, participate in organized sports and so on. "It was the best preparation that anyone could have," says Kayla Phillips, who attended the Air Force Academy prep school. "I didn't know how to march, I didn't know how to put on a uniform…or make a bed, but I was taught all that. I'm already prepared for what's going to happen at basic training."
In addition to running their own prep schools, West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy also send a handful of fully qualified candidates who didn't receive an appointment to private military prep schools or military junior colleges for a year. These are typically candidates who are "on the bubble," often because they come from a highly competitive congressional district. The academy wants them but just can't find a slot for them at that time. Again, an appointment the following year isn't guaranteed, but it's generally understood that an appointment is "yours to lose." In other words, if you do well at the prep school and stay out of trouble, you'll get an appointment to the next year's class. The academy alumni associations also provide scholarships to help pay for the private school costs. These scholarships are known as AOG Civil Prep Scholarships (West Point), Foundation Scholarships (Naval Academy) and Falcon Foundation Scholarships (Air Force Academy).
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MARCHING ORDERS:Don't Turn Down a Prep-School Offer
"If you do get into the prep school, please take it," Phillips urges younger students. "I was so disappointed when I found out I got prep school, because everyone wants to go to [the academy]. It was almost like I got second place. But I wouldn't have changed anything, because there's no way I would honestly survive if I hadn't gone to the prep school first. It's just the perfect way to prep you before you go to [the academy]."
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Candidates not selected for one of the academy-sponsored prep school programs can always attend a private military college on their own dime to help improve their chances of getting an appointment the following year. It's a bit risky, but it can work. This is the path Andres Santiago took. He believes attending the private school was a "foundational" part of ultimately earning his appointment to West Point and that "the training really does help prepare you" for an academy. For instance, he "didn't have that high of an SAT score" before going to the prep school, but the instruction he received at the school "increased my math score by about 70 points." Santiago benefited in other ways, too. Going the prep-school route is helpful "if you've never had any taste of military life or any form of discipline whatsoever," he says. "It just gives you a feel for the military grit and the attitude you need to have." Finally, Santiago believes attending a prep school also shows an academy that you're "trying things to strengthen yourself and improve yourself, which looks very good on an application."
If you've already enlisted in the military, you can still apply to the service academies if you want to further your education and become an officer. In fact, the academies often have slots reserved for active duty or reserve enlisted personnel that go unfilled each year. They also have special admissions officers who work exclusively with enlisted applicants , so you can get a little extra help with your application. Enlisted applicants who don't receive a direct appointment are automatically considered for the prep school, too.
There are, however, a few differences in the admissions process for enlisted soldiers, sailors and airmen who are applying to an academy from the ranks. For example, high-school teacher recommendations are generally not required for enlisted applicants. Recommendations from officers in the applicant's direct chain of command are required instead. There's also a special nomination source available for enlisted personnel, so a congressional nomination is not required. (Although, as with other applicants, enlisted applicants are still encouraged to apply for all nominations for which they qualify, including congressional nominations.) Enlisted personnel who are nearing the end of their service obligation may also have to extend their enlistment or reserve agreement for a year or two in order to attend the academy or prep school. Other variations may apply.
As a cadet or midshipman with prior military service, you'll have a leg up on your fellow classmates in many areas. You've been through basic training, lived the military life and, in some cases, experienced combat. The other cadets and midshipmen will respect you for that and seek your advice.
Sports play an important role in the service academy experience—especially when it comes to competing against rival academies. (Ever heard of the Army-Navy game?) Because of this emphasis on sports, the academies work hard to recruit qualified athletes. But the academies are at a recruiting disadvantage, because all cadets and midshipmen must meet their high standards for admission.
The academies have, however, found ways to enhance the recruiting process while still making sure all athletes are fully qualified and deserving of their appointments. For instance, the three largest academies—West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy—have special admissions officers that deal directly with candidates who are recruited athletes . According to Jack Felgar, who was recruited by West Point to play sprint football, these admissions officers "help you through the process a little bit, and they guide you a little bit more." The special admissions officers might be able to streamline the process for athletes, too. "I can't say this for sure," Felgar notes, "but I think that some of the things like getting cleared by DoDMERB or just having forms upload and then confirmed seemed to come a little bit faster and be prioritized a little bit higher." As with traditional colleges, the coaches can chip in, too. Courtney Swift, who will play tennis at the Air Force Academy, tells us that the application process for recruited athletes is "pretty much exactly the same, except you just have a coach helping you and guiding you a little bit more through the process." However, she "still had to do everything anyone else applying would have to do, like starting the application, doing all the testing, medical and getting a congressional nomination."
Without going into detail, there are also several special NCAA recruiting and eligibility rules that apply only to the military service academies . For one, the NCAA prohibition against paying student athletes is waived because all service academy cadets and midshipmen are paid. NCAA scholarship limits don't apply to service academies, either, because there are no "scholarships" for cadets and midshipmen—they all attend for free. This means that the service academies can bring in more athletes for their sports programs. There are also other special NCAA rules for service academies concerning contact periods, official visits, weight-training and conditioning schedules, the number of coaches allowed and more.
Because of the service academies' high standards, unique lifestyle and service commitment, academy coaches seem to take a different approach to recruiting athletes. "I'd say that Navy was looking at me as a person and a student at the Naval Academy before even looking at me as a player," says Kayla Malone, who is a volleyball player. "I felt like other schools just looked at you as an athlete and not as an asset to their school in any other way." Felgar had a similar experience at West Point. "One of the biggest things that my coaches stressed to me was that, obviously we're recruiting you to play ball here, but we're also recruiting you to be in the Army," he points out. "So they make it really clear from day one that they want you, but if you choose this lifestyle, you'll still serve on active duty for five years and in the reserves three years, you're still going to go to one of the toughest schools in the nation, and it's a whole different ballgame."
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MARCHING ORDERS:Connect with Coaches and Team Members
The recruited academy athletes we spoke to also had some advice for high school students who want to play on an NCAA team at an academy. "I think the first step would be reaching out to the coaches…and start a relationship with them," says Swift. "If you have a good foundation with the coaches, they'll really help you get through your application." Felgar advises high school athletes to be "proactive" and "get more film to send to your coaches, whatever sport your play, because that's what they love to see." Try to connect with some of the current players, too. "It would suck if you went and didn't really know what you're getting yourself into….Talking to the girls on the team helped me the most," Swift tells us.
We already mentioned that it's hard getting into a military service academy, which by itself should tell you that you need a Plan B, Plan C and Plan D. But you might not realize that your backup plan can actually play a role in determining whether or not you get into a service academy. During interviews with nomination review boards and volunteer admissions representatives, there's a good chance you'll be asked what you're going to do if you don't get an appointment . Your answer could sway their opinion of you one way or the other.
First, having a solid backup plan shows you're prepared for contingencies, which is an important part of military leadership. "It's really important that your backup plan is very well thought-out," Evan Sievers says. "They like to admit people who…aren't just leaning on being given an appointment to the academies. It is hard to get into the academies, so they want see that you did think about your plan if you didn't make it in."
Second, you want to show that your ultimate goal is to serve in the military. "My backup plan was always to go ROTC," Seth Swain tells us, "and if I didn't get into one of the academies, that's what I would have done." That's a common plan—and a good one for service-academy applications.
"I do think it's important to include ROTC in any backup plan," adds Rhett Perry. "It really just shows commitment that, no matter what, you want to serve overall, whether you do it through an academy or through a regular university."
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MARCHING ORDERS:Consider Other Paths to a Commission
If you don't get into a service academy, there are other ways to get a commission besides going through an ROTC program at a traditional civilian college. We already mentioned a few private military prep schools and military junior colleges (there are others). Some of them offer two-year early commission programs for the Army. There are also other four-year military colleges, such as The Citadel, Virginia Military Institute and Norwich University, where you can earn a ROTC commission. There are also officer candidate schools and other commissioning routes you can take as an enlisted member of the military.
One common misconception is that every cadet and midshipman came to a service academy right out of high school. That's just not the case. We already discussed the prep-school route, which funnels young men and women into the service academies one or more years after they graduate from high school. But every year there are also a fair number of other people entering the academies who reapplied after they were rejected the first time around. They followed their backup plan, worked hard to improve their weaknesses and dove headfirst into the application process again. "If you're worth going to [a service academy] and you don't get in the first time, prove them wrong," Sawyer Neal insists. "Show them how bad you want to serve, and that you deserve to be there. And the way you do that is by putting in lots of hard work and reapplying."
If you spend a year at college before reapplying, try to take the same classes that cadets and midshipmen take their first year at the academy of your choice . Neal, who attended the University of Oklahoma before reapplying to the Naval Academy, says the Naval Academy wants to see that you've "taken the courses that you'll be taking at the Naval Academy and that you can be successful in them." It's also "a huge advantage" if you get in the second time around because you've already taken some of the classes. You can't transfer credits from a traditional college to a service academy, though, and you'll still have to go all four years at the academy if you get in on your second try.
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MARCHING ORDERS:Join ROTC at College If You Plan to Reapply to a Service Academy
"If you apply the first year, you don't get in, and you go to a school that has a ROTC unit, I implore you to go into that and give it your all there as you reapply," Neal advises. He believes his ROTC experience is going to give him an advantage during his plebe year at the Naval Academy because he already knows "the basic knowledge that they're going to be teaching everyone this summer," he has experience working "hand-in-hand with staff sergeants and gunnery sergeants," and he's used to getting "yelled at and intimidated by men who have served 20-plus years in the military."
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When it comes time to reapply, you'll pretty much have to start from scratch . Connor McGurk, who spent a year at the University of Georgia and then reapplied to West Point, tells us that "there were some things that were already filled out [on my portal], like high school transcripts. I didn't need to submit those again. But I still had to get a nomination and do the CFA again. I could use the same essays, and the recommendation letters were the same. I just had to get the people who wrote them to update the date on them." Your DoDMERB medical exam is good for two years. Neal sees "an advantage in reapplying" and going through the process a second time. "You already know what you're doing. You know what they want. You know what they're looking for," he says. In addition, Neal believes you'll be a stronger candidate "after you've been shot down for something you've work so hard for….They like to see that resiliency. They like to see that never-quit attitude."
This section is for the parents out there. Take it from me:It's great being a service academy parent! You get to attend military balls, cheer on the sports teams and see lots of parades without ever having to do a single push-up, stay up all night preparing for a room inspection or stand at attention while an upperclassman screams in your face. But please, please, please take my advice:Don't pressure your son or daughter into attending a service academy . I know that most parents would never do such a thing, but it happens. "I was surprised at the summer seminar to see the number of kids who were there because their parents were making them be there," Alexander Kleitz says. "Even at the appointee tour I did, there were kids there who visibly did not want to be there or…talked about how they didn't want to go there but their parents were making them." My own son used to tell me that the students who didn't want to be at the academy stood out like a sore thumb. They didn't do well or simply quit because their heart wasn't in it.
It's also important for parents to let their children take the lead when it comes to working through the admissions process. That doesn't mean you can't help them, though. "You can't do it alone," Jack Felgar admits. "It really helps to have supportive parents who try to keep you organized." That's a good role for parents. You can also help out with things like gathering medical records, practicing for the physical fitness test, reviewing (but not writing) essays and transporting applicants to interviews. You won't be able to help them with paperwork at the academy, so get them (and yourself) used to handling these types of things on their own.
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MARCHING ORDERS:Talk Out Any Concerns With a Service Academy Parent
Moms and dads who are having a hard time accepting their child's decision to pursue a service academy appointment and military service can reach out to current service academy parents for advice. There are service academy parent clubs throughout the country with members who would love to help you out. (Yes, believe it or not, the parents have their own clubs.) The parent-to-parent support network is really quite amazing, and you shouldn't be shy about tapping into it if you have questions. Click on the following links to find the nearest parent club for the service academy your child wants to attend:West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy. And don't forget to join your local parent club if your son or daughter gets in!
We've tried to give you a sense of what the service-academy admissions process is like and some tips to help you successfully maneuver through it. Frankly, however, we just scratched the surface. There's so much more to learn before you begin the process and when you're in it. Fortunately, there's plenty of good information out there.
You can start your research online. In fact, the first thing a prospective applicant should do is go through each page on the admissions office website for the service academy he or she wants to attend. "I was on the Naval Academy website every day," Kayla Malone tells us. That's where you're going to find the most authoritative information about the application process. Click on the following links to get started:
There are also online forums, where you can get answers to specific questions you may have. You shouldn't have any problem finding YouTube videos on service-academy admissions, either.
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MARCHING ORDERS:Check Out Serviceacademyforums.com
We heard several recommendations for serviceacademyforums.com. It's a place where applicants, current students, grads, volunteer admissions representatives, parents and others come together to ask questions, provide answers and discuss the service academies and other military colleges. "I would recommend using the service academy forums online," Jack Felgar says, "because almost any question that you could possibly have has been asked on those forums, and there's a ton of answers from ex-admissions officers and people who've gone through the same process. I was probably on that site every single week that I was filling out my application with random questions. That was really helpful."
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You'll want to talk face-to-face with current cadets and midshipmen, too. They're a critical source of information, according to the incoming students we interviewed. Getting "the real story from people who are actually there is important," says Alexander Kleitz, while Dominique Basso adds that "nobody really knows the experience like the people who have experienced it firsthand." There are a number of ways you can connect with current academy students. You can attend a summer program or do an overnight visit. You can attend a congressional informational meeting. Current cadets and midshipmen often show up at high schools to speak with interested students. Perhaps you know a friend of a friend who is at an academy. If you put in a little effort, you should be able to find a current cadet or midshipman who can chat with you.
Of course, admissions officers are important people to speak with, too. They cover all corners of the country, so there's a good chance they'll host an informational meeting somewhere near you. Natalie Wong, who's from Honolulu, tells us that "Coast Guard admissions officers came to Hawaii, and that's where I really got a lot of good information about the academy." The volunteer admissions representatives we mentioned earlier are great sources of information as well. Academy graduates can also be very informative, but just keep in mind that certain things at the academies change over time.
Finally, don't forget about old-fashioned books. Dominique Basso mentioned that she "read a few books," including How to Get Into a Military Service Academy , by Michael Dobson. Just another source to check out.
We want to thank the young men and women who offered their thoughts and guidance about the service-academy admissions process. Even though they were very busy at the time preparing for their first summer of training, which was just days away when we talked to them, they all graciously and enthusiastically agreed to spend some time with us so students who are a few years younger than they are can benefit from their experience. We wish them all the very best as they fulfill their dreams!
The 19 cadets and midshipmen who contributed to this story are:
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