Are service academies like West Point considered prestigious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow,DCUM has a lot of snobs. I guess you’re the same people who have more respect for the Big Law partner next door than the four-star general who lives down the street.

Swamp creatures.

I’m a biglaw swamp creature who would be over the moon to send a kid to a service academy.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're blue collar and country ...they're great. If you come from a white collar, rich family ... they are horrible. To each his own.

Uh no. Many white collar kids and kids from wealthy families value a service academy college education.

My sister joined the marines after she graduated from Wharton Business School. Several of her classmates from Penn and Wharton Business School joined the
marines after graduation. The US Marines and US military really like grads from the Ivy league schools. Not all of the officers come through the academies.
My sister had really good assignments with the US Marines at a young age. In her mid 20's she was flying all around Europe meeting and networking with military professionals at former Soviet Union countries who wanted to join NATO.

Yeah, I’m sure many UMC kids are turning down offers from MBB or bulge bracket firms to enlist in the marines. Get a clue.

Funny thing was there was another Wharton Grad in her Officer Candidate School.

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe not as prestigious as Harvard and Yale, but up there with Penn and Brown?

More prestigious than any of those. I could not be more proud if one of my kids accepted an academy appointment. The rest are just another college.

More prestigious than Harvard or Yale You should be proud if your kid gets into West Point, but to say it's more prestigious than Harvard is crazy talk.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know quite a few service academy grads and I think of them as hard-working, goal-oriented, self-disciplined, athletic doers who generally have their acts together, but I don't necessarily find them particularly smart, creative, or innovative as a whole. Bright enough for sure, and nothing to look down on, but if they didn't go to the academies, most of them wouldn't have gone to a top academic university or college. I mean, does Mike Pompeo really strike anyone as the sharpest tool in the shed? Or Roy Moore? Or Oliver North? So academically, I don't think they are that prestigious; their prestige comes from other qualities. It's really apples and oranges.

I have also worked with one, and noticed that the guy could work in a pressure cooker, but did not stand out as very smart. The guy was very friendly and pleasant to work with.

Agree. They aren't smart but they're very patriotic and mission-driven. Since most corporations were built on a military model of chain of command leadership ... military guys can do well in corporations. That just means they know how to follow orders and buckle down ... not that they have high IQs or anything. Your examples are good. Pompeo seems as dumb as a brick and so did North.

OP .. they are not "prestigious" ... that is the wrong word choice.

Around here, the academy grads I know did their 20+ years in the military, had grad school paid for (one of DH's best friends went to Harvard's Kennedy School), and now work for management consulting companies, drawing a big salary on top of their officer's pension. Makes for a nice life.

Is a 20 year military pension a decent chunk of change annually -- it also includes free VA health care for life? Does the 20 years to earn a pension start at age 18yo when you get on campus or not until you graduate at 22yo? What's the minimum required to serve after graduating from West Point? Do you still get a small pension if you only serve for the minimum?

Fee VA health care for life!!
That is scary
VA health care has had so many scandals

Rather move to Canada and get free health care for life

My sister lives on the American side of the border very close to the Canadian border. Many Canadians come to America for their healthcare. There are large bill boards for the local American hospital as you drive over the border. Come see us for your elective surgeries. We can get them scheduled. Knee replacement Canada--2 year wait or more. Knee replacement US 30 days to get all your bloodwork etc. Canadians even come over the border for the American Vets. Virtually no Americans driver across the border to Canada for health care. There is a significant percentage of Canadians that cross the border for US health care. You get doctro choice (rather than assigned to a specialist as in Canada and you get in faster, many times years faster).

The comparison was free VA healthcare and Canada's free healthcare.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not just a matter of grades and test scores, either, OP. Applicants have to be nominated by their member of Congress, senator, or the VP.

Yes, they're very prestigious!

I actually wish they would do away with this. It forces preferential treatment that has unintended effects.

The US military is one of the most integrated, least rascist of any organization or business I've ever encountered. I attended a lunch with my sister, a US marine,
my sister is Caucasian. The other marines at the table were: Hispanic American, Native American (real Native American- not the fake Liz Warren type), African American (2), Asian American, and a couple more Caucasian. What other entity to get that diversity at your day to day business lunch.

The military is very diverse (likely because of the socioeconomic status of minorities in this country) but the rank and file are very racist.

[Anonymous]

I know someone whose daughter got accepted to Harvard and Princeton with huge amount of merit aid and is choosing West Point. I’m very impressed. And grateful for her service.

[Anonymous]

I used to think they were up there with Ivies but the few gals we knew who went to West Point were just not impressive. Nice gals, but totally average intellect. Just being honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose daughter got accepted to Harvard and Princeton with huge amount of merit aid and is choosing West Point. I’m very impressed. And grateful for her service.

No merit aid at Harvard and Princeton (Besides full outside scholarships). West Point is free. Congrats to her!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose daughter got accepted to Harvard and Princeton with huge amount of merit aid and is choosing West Point. I’m very impressed. And grateful for her service.

The parents were lying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose daughter got accepted to Harvard and Princeton with huge amount of merit aid and is choosing West Point. I’m very impressed. And grateful for her service.

Private merit aid? Harvard and Princeton don't give merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose daughter got accepted to Harvard and Princeton with huge amount of merit aid and is choosing West Point. I’m very impressed. And grateful for her service.

The parents were lying.

I’m the poster who knows these people. She got some kind of scholarship or financial aid. The point was that it wasn’t an economic decision that made the girl choose West Point. And this happens more often than you would think. My friends are part of several West Point parents Facebook groups and plenty of parents report that their kids got into Ivies but choose WP.

The kind of motivated top of their class kids that get into Ivies are also the kind that end up at a service academy. And just because you don’t know any in your DC bubble doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

[Anonymous]

I think they are prestigious because of the appointment process and the commitment to serving our country.

Having said that, the average appointee doesn't have the academic chops of a kid admitted to HYPSM and in fact quite a few accept their appointments after getting turned down by top schools.

In business they tend to work hard but can be hamstrung because they won't challenge authority or, to use a cliche, are reluctant to "think outside the box."

I have a lot of respect for how the military is one of the most integrated institutions in American life, but objectively American military operations post-WWII have done more damage than good and ex-military in senior roles like Flynn, North and Pompeo don't have a great track record. Others like Powell and Petraeus were better but still flawed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose daughter got accepted to Harvard and Princeton with huge amount of merit aid and is choosing West Point. I’m very impressed. And grateful for her service.

The parents were lying.

I’m the poster who knows these people. She got some kind of scholarship or financial aid. The point was that it wasn’t an economic decision that made the girl choose West Point. And this happens more often than you would think. My friends are part of several West Point parents Facebook groups and plenty of parents report that their kids got into Ivies but choose WP.

The kind of motivated top of their class kids that get into Ivies are also the kind that end up at a service academy. And just because you don’t know any in your DC bubble doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Harvard and Princeton give FINANCIAL aid. They don't give MERIT aid (i.e. based on any academic merit). It's solely based on income.

[Anonymous]

Is being a dog considered prestigious?