What separates the people who get into the service academies from everyone else?

[Anonymous]

I am 24 now, so I am too old. But I wish I knew about the service academies when I was young. It blows my mind so many people in them were top students and top athletes in school. Many people can’t even pass tryouts for JV sports teams here let alone be a varsity captain, and many top athletes aren’t great academically. I personally find it more impressive if someone goes to a service academy versus an Ivy League. How do people get into them? Are they just built differently?

[Anonymous]

Gpa and sat/act, along with a nomination. The rest is smoke and mirrors. They all lost their scoring matrixes.

[Anonymous]

Military family members

[Anonymous]

Excellent time management skills and avoidance of the party scene.

[Anonymous]

Actually, lots of the kids don‘t have the very best grades and scores. They need to be good, of course. Two people we know going this fall were fit but not fit enough to pass their physical testing and “failed” many times but its administered by someone like a gym teacher who can let them retake it. This is what they did, repeatedly.

[Anonymous]

GPA and SAT scores; Commitment, drive, able to pass the PT and medical tests. Athletic prowess and participation helps indicate teamwork, ability to learn and cope, following directions and above all aptitude to lead. Military family members is misleading and only helps if eligible for a Presidential nomination.

[Anonymous]

Some of it is luck. Reid Wiseman is an astronaut who went to the moon, he is “built differently” in all the relevant ways, but he was rejected by Annapolis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, lots of the kids don‘t have the very best grades and scores. They need to be good, of course. Two people we know going this fall were fit but not fit enough to pass their physical testing and “failed” many times but its administered by someone like a gym teacher who can let them retake it. This is what they did, repeatedly.

I am this poster. No idea why people think it requires top test scores. See for yourself:

https://www.usna.edu/Admissions/_files/documents/ClassPortrait.pdf

[Anonymous]

The desire to have that type of college experience, too. Most smart athletic kids want a more traditional education and more freedom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 24 now, so I am too old. But I wish I knew about the service academies when I was young. It blows my mind so many people in them were top students and top athletes in school. Many people can’t even pass tryouts for JV sports teams here let alone be a varsity captain, and many top athletes aren’t great academically. I personally find it more impressive if someone goes to a service academy versus an Ivy League. How do people get into them? Are they just built differently?

Ivy has no merit scholarships so may be for free education?

[Anonymous]

Focused, athletic and HEALTHY (many allergies, eyesight, etc are disqualifiers).

[Anonymous]

The military doesn't want the absolute smartest people. They want people good at following orders, not people who are Big Thinkers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Focused, athletic and HEALTHY (many allergies, eyesight, etc are disqualifiers).

Yes, a sizable percentage of the population is ruled out automatically. My son was interested but he has Crohn's disease and food allergies, both of which on their own would have ruled him out.

[Anonymous]

I have a couple friends who went to the service academies and while they were all fit none of them were captain of the football team type athletes.

My friend who was captain of the debate team and won nationals in his field, one was an accomplished musician, one did all the plays at school. They didnall have good grades. So there is some diversity in the classes.

[Anonymous]

They are not top students. Average SAT is relatively low.
Also the physical test is not that hard that most of the average athlete should be able to pass.