Are the Service Academies Prestigious?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Well, U.S. News ranks West Point at #12 among Liberal Arts colleges, tied with Colby and Colgate.
Do you consider Colby and Colgate "prestigious?"
The Naval Academy is at #21, so deemed somewhat less prestigious.

West Point is not a little break arts school. All graduates receive bachelor degree in science. So, of course it will be ranked low in arts.

WP ranked number four in chemical engineering program.

? U.S. News has two categories only: a) national universities, b) Liberal Arts colleges. WP and Naval Academy are ranked in the second category. I don't pretend to know where they would rank if placed in the first category; presumably much lower than 12th.

If placed in the national university category, West Point and Annapolis would be tied for first place, followed closely by the Air Force Academy and then the Coast Guard Academy.

LMAO. No they wouldn't. The rating components for the national universities and LACs are exactly the same; US News just separates them out because few would take them seriously seeing Williams ranked in the top 10 among all colleges (even though it deserves it). That the military academies rank as low as they do means they'd rank even lower in the university category, given that their peer schools have testing/stats/finances in the range of schools like Wake Forest and Brandeis. Cool story though.

The intellectual and academic demands experienced by cadets and midshipmen far surpass than that required at any other university.

How so?

Once I visited the Navy Academy and saw a lot of students there. I was surprised how strong they looked like and I am sure they are smart as well. But intellectual?

[Anonymous]

A girl on my daughter's swim team went to one of them this year. She is not very bright and her stats pretty average. Pleasant enough disposition, but she honestly would have been rejected from UVA and VTech.

[Anonymous]

I read gender and race-based affirmative action and athletic recruiting has tanked admissions standards. Kids repeatedly fail courses and then get to retake abbreviated joke courses in the summer to pass. The dummies know this policy, thus abuse it. Lot of the kids aren't patriotic at all. Many kids are gunners just there to check a box and get free undergrad, to position them for prestige grad school/career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A girl on my daughter's swim team went to one of them this year. She is not very bright and her stats pretty average. Pleasant enough disposition, but she honestly would have been rejected from UVA and VTech.

I think you are confused. Most of the colleges admit athletes without any academic achievements. Service academies are not exception. My nephew plays lacrosse at one of the Ivies and he was a solid C student in high school with not impressive SAT score.

My daughter is in the service academy. She was admitted to UVA with full academic scholarship and to VT, in addition to three Ivies and several top engineering programs in the country. In her class, every kid who got in not as an athlete was admitted to at least one Ivy. For few of them, Harvard was a back up choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read gender and race-based affirmative action and athletic recruiting has tanked admissions standards. Kids repeatedly fail courses and then get to retake abbreviated joke courses in the summer to pass. The dummies know this policy, thus abuse it. Lot of the kids aren't patriotic at all. Many kids are gunners just there to check a box and get free undergrad, to position them for prestige grad school/career.

I think it is very smart if your other option is to take tons of debt. These kids are get paid approximately $900 per month, start IRA at the age of 17-18 and max it out every year. So, when they graduate at the age of 21, they already ahead financially from any kid who took loans to pay for undergrad.

Free grad school is also a smart option. West Point has a several scholarships available for kids to attend MIT or Harvard for grad school.

[Anonymous]

In terms of prestige, they are not very Asian at all. Not sure why not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read gender and race-based affirmative action and athletic recruiting has tanked admissions standards. Kids repeatedly fail courses and then get to retake abbreviated joke courses in the summer to pass. The dummies know this policy, thus abuse it. Lot of the kids aren't patriotic at all. Many kids are gunners just there to check a box and get free undergrad, to position them for prestige grad school/career.

I think it is very smart if your other option is to take tons of debt. These kids are get paid approximately $900 per month, start IRA at the age of 17-18 and max it out every year. So, when they graduate at the age of 21, they already ahead financially from any kid who took loans to pay for undergrad.

Free grad school is also a smart option. West Point has a several scholarships available for kids to attend MIT or Harvard for grad school.

Really? Do they not have to serve in the armed forces at all? They just walk out after grad school for a great career?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A girl on my daughter's swim team went to one of them this year. She is not very bright and her stats pretty average. Pleasant enough disposition, but she honestly would have been rejected from UVA and VTech.

I think you are confused. Most of the colleges admit athletes without any academic achievements. Service academies are not exception. My nephew plays lacrosse at one of the Ivies and he was a solid C student in high school with not impressive SAT score.

My daughter is in the service academy. She was admitted to UVA with full academic scholarship and to VT, in addition to three Ivies and several top engineering programs in the country. In her class, every kid who got in not as an athlete was admitted to at least one Ivy. For few of them, Harvard was a back up choice.

She isn’t an athlete at the service academy. I was just saying that’s how we knew her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read gender and race-based affirmative action and athletic recruiting has tanked admissions standards. Kids repeatedly fail courses and then get to retake abbreviated joke courses in the summer to pass. The dummies know this policy, thus abuse it. Lot of the kids aren't patriotic at all. Many kids are gunners just there to check a box and get free undergrad, to position them for prestige grad school/career.

I think it is very smart if your other option is to take tons of debt. These kids are get paid approximately $900 per month, start IRA at the age of 17-18 and max it out every year. So, when they graduate at the age of 21, they already ahead financially from any kid who took loans to pay for undergrad.

Free grad school is also a smart option. West Point has a several scholarships available for kids to attend MIT or Harvard for grad school.

Really? Do they not have to serve in the armed forces at all? They just walk out after grad school for a great career?

They owe service time for each year of education. Most aren't getting free graduate school without being active duty. They also aren't actually getting paid as they are charged fees and have to pay for things.

[Anonymous]

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Honestly, this country could really culturally benefit if it incorporated a 2 year mandatory National Service program for all citizens during age 18-30. You could do military if you're up for basic training, physicality and teamwork, or you could do a Department desk job. This could really create unity and teamwork and understanding among the ever-heterogeneous America.

Right now all sides just talk over or across each other, the lack of understanding is awful. The lack of understanding of civics, the military, geography, U.S. history, and each other in this country is also awful.

TOTALLY AGREE. Wish someone in politics would put this forward, it's been needed for the last 20 years of cultural and unity decline here.

Norway, Israel, Italy, Singapore, S Korea, Sweden, Brazil, Turkey, Swiss, Denmark all have compulsory military/gov't service programs that work well at building cohesiveness, as well as leadership, teamwork and community skills.

If you think its so important, why don't you go serve? I love how people say that when they have never served. My husband did his 20. NO way do I agree with mandatory service.

I’m not clear what you’re disagreeing with. You disagree the nation is not so Unified? You disagree national service programs build national camaderie? Or you just hate your husbands first career so much you have to post here and miss the main point?

When you serve your 20, then you can speak about it. My husband had a very good military career and now a good better 2nd career. If you think its so important, have your kids do it. I think it should be voluntary as it is now. Someone who is forced isn't going to do a good job. I love how those who never served, come up with these things, especially when they aren't willing to do them themselves or have their kids do them.

[Anonymous]

Smart / disciplined / attractive / physically strong / competent / dressed attractively / loyal to the school / power to destroy the Earth.


Just about as prestigious as humanly possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A girl on my daughter's swim team went to one of them this year. She is not very bright and her stats pretty average. Pleasant enough disposition, but she honestly would have been rejected from UVA and VTech.

How do you know her grades, course load or SATs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A girl on my daughter's swim team went to one of them this year. She is not very bright and her stats pretty average. Pleasant enough disposition, but she honestly would have been rejected from UVA and VTech.

She probably went as she's an amazing swimmer or had family pull.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Honestly, this country could really culturally benefit if it incorporated a 2 year mandatory National Service program for all citizens during age 18-30. You could do military if you're up for basic training, physicality and teamwork, or you could do a Department desk job. This could really create unity and teamwork and understanding among the ever-heterogeneous America.

Right now all sides just talk over or across each other, the lack of understanding is awful. The lack of understanding of civics, the military, geography, U.S. history, and each other in this country is also awful.

TOTALLY AGREE. Wish someone in politics would put this forward, it's been needed for the last 20 years of cultural and unity decline here.

Norway, Israel, Italy, Singapore, S Korea, Sweden, Brazil, Turkey, Swiss, Denmark all have compulsory military/gov't service programs that work well at building cohesiveness, as well as leadership, teamwork and community skills.

If you think its so important, why don't you go serve? I love how people say that when they have never served. My husband did his 20. NO way do I agree with mandatory service.

I’m not clear what you’re disagreeing with. You disagree the nation is not so Unified? You disagree national service programs build national camaderie? Or you just hate your husbands first career so much you have to post here and miss the main point?

When you serve your 20, then you can speak about it. My husband had a very good military career and now a good better 2nd career. If you think its so important, have your kids do it. I think it should be voluntary as it is now. Someone who is forced isn't going to do a good job. I love how those who never served, come up with these things, especially when they aren't willing to do them themselves or have their kids do them.

Career military family here too.

I also disagree with compulsory military service.

There is too much discipline required in the military and too much sacrifice for mandatory service to be a good idea.

I do, however, think that all teenagers, particularly upper class and lower class, should be required to attend boot camp after graduation and before college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Honestly, this country could really culturally benefit if it incorporated a 2 year mandatory National Service program for all citizens during age 18-30. You could do military if you're up for basic training, physicality and teamwork, or you could do a Department desk job. This could really create unity and teamwork and understanding among the ever-heterogeneous America.

Right now all sides just talk over or across each other, the lack of understanding is awful. The lack of understanding of civics, the military, geography, U.S. history, and each other in this country is also awful.

TOTALLY AGREE. Wish someone in politics would put this forward, it's been needed for the last 20 years of cultural and unity decline here.

Norway, Israel, Italy, Singapore, S Korea, Sweden, Brazil, Turkey, Swiss, Denmark all have compulsory military/gov't service programs that work well at building cohesiveness, as well as leadership, teamwork and community skills.

If you think its so important, why don't you go serve? I love how people say that when they have never served. My husband did his 20. NO way do I agree with mandatory service.

I’m not clear what you’re disagreeing with. You disagree the nation is not so Unified? You disagree national service programs build national camaderie? Or you just hate your husbands first career so much you have to post here and miss the main point?

When you serve your 20, then you can speak about it. My husband had a very good military career and now a good better 2nd career. If you think its so important, have your kids do it. I think it should be voluntary as it is now. Someone who is forced isn't going to do a good job. I love how those who never served, come up with these things, especially when they aren't willing to do them themselves or have their kids do them.

What aré you ranting and raving about? The poster discussed national service, with military service as AN option. There is this thing called AmdriCorps.