Perception of Service Academies

[Anonymous]

They're not particularly ACADEMICALLY selective or ACADEMICALLY prestigious, but they're certainly well respected along other dimensions.

[Anonymous]

I'm floored by this thread - both the people who don't know anything about the service academies and those expressing derision that a liberal family would want a kid to go to a service academy. Did you all have no contact at all with WWII generation grandparents or great-grandparents who served in the military? Have you never seen social media posts about the number of black women who are graduating from West Point or USNA in recent years?

I am genuinely grateful that people who believe in freedom for all want to serve in our military. If only conservatives send kids to the military, then we have a conservative military.

My daughter has expressed interest in West Point but sadly is ineligible because of food allergies.

[Anonymous]

Why "floored"? They are not for everyone. As you said, your daughter is not eligible bc of food allergies. Those who are interested in them will seek them out and will not necessarily care how "prestigious" they are considered to be.

[Anonymous]

Ya'll have never heard of the Naval Academy in Annapolis right down the road from DC?

It is a wonderful place to take the kids and walk around for the day.

When we were little kids and lived in Bowie Mom would take us there a lot. The Naval Academy is on a beautiful setting on the Chesapeake and it is fun for kids to see the cadets marching and playing sports.

[Anonymous]

The academy schedule is grueling mentally and physically. As someone said, resilience is important and necessary to make it through.

Thinking beyond the academy, my understanding is that the grads are pretty employable in the private sector after doing their time as an officer. They have made it through the academy and have work / managerial experience as an officer.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I get it, OP. I come from a part of the country where I didnt know a single military member/vet other than my drafted grandfathers. Not a single person from my graduating class of 550 went into the military. When my sister’s boyfriend ended up attending the naval academy the following year, we were all fairly shocked—it wasn’t a typical path. (To be completely transparent though, he had applied to a handful of civilian schools and didn’t get in—USNA was the only option he had once decisions came out).

It worked out well for him, but it wasn’t until moving to DC that I learned it’s considered prestigious. I assumed at the time it had been his safety school since it was the only one he got into, lol.

Bullshit.

I don’t know how to prove it is true, but it really is. This was 2005 in an area where the closest (tiny) military bases were hours away. It just wasn’t a thing in my life at that time. Totally different mentality in dc adjacent areas, where I now have more military acquaintances than I can count.

I think the bullshit refers to "it was his only option." And I agree. Unless he only applied to Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford.

Right there is 0% chance that his ONLY option was the Naval Academy. 0%.

I don’t know what to tell you. He applied to 3 traditional schools (Harvard was one, the other two were SLACs in our home state) and all 3 denied him. He went to USNA. He should have applied to more safeties, clearly, but 20 years ago applying to 10+ schools wasn’t a thing and I guess he overshot.

Sorry, but I don't buy it.

Name the SLACs. You can easily do that without outing him or yourself.

Pomona and Claremont McKenna.

I am not making this up. Both are extremely selective now, not sure what it was like in 2005. Obviously Harvard was still selective, lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Ya'll have never heard of the Naval Academy in Annapolis right down the road from DC?

It is a wonderful place to take the kids and walk around for the day.

When we were little kids and lived in Bowie Mom would take us there a lot. The Naval Academy is on a beautiful setting on the Chesapeake and it is fun for kids to see the cadets marching and playing sports.

Most people in this country don’t grow up in the DC metro. Obviously those that live here are more likely to know about it.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I get it, OP. I come from a part of the country where I didnt know a single military member/vet other than my drafted grandfathers. Not a single person from my graduating class of 550 went into the military. When my sister’s boyfriend ended up attending the naval academy the following year, we were all fairly shocked—it wasn’t a typical path. (To be completely transparent though, he had applied to a handful of civilian schools and didn’t get in—USNA was the only option he had once decisions came out).

It worked out well for him, but it wasn’t until moving to DC that I learned it’s considered prestigious. I assumed at the time it had been his safety school since it was the only one he got into, lol.

Almost the same here - my father was drafted and still refers to those two years as the most miserable two years of his life except for having just married my mom. Where I grew up, the only people who would go into the military are people too stupid to get into college who just smoked weed and were going nowhere in life. When I was in 9th grade, my brother was in 12th and between all four grades of over 1,000 kids, we know exactly ONE kid who went into the Coast Guard.

Interesting. My father was drafted and despite being a Thom Hartmann liberal, speaks nothing of respect and admiration for everyone who chooses to serve, their commitment, and their hard work: from the youngest enlisted to the highest officers.

Note the difference though - my father was drafted along with everyone he was there with. Nobody was CHOOSING to enroll and go to Vietnam. My father had to interrupt his education, his brand new wife had to go on food stamps while she was in college and working two part time jobs, so this was not a choice.

My father was drafted too. He still didn’t raise children ignorant of the prestige of service academies, or who think only dumb people serve.

Of course he taught you that. He didn't want his kids to think he's some dumb loser who didn't make good decisions.

I just don’t get how someone could think that serving one’s country is not making a good decision. Do you also think that other selfless pursuits are bad decisions?

Well, you wouldn’t “get that,” since in 2022 you still think joining the military is “serving one’s country.”

So you don’t think we need a military at all? We should just disband the entire armed services?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course they are prestigious. Even more so than Ivy schools.

You must have top academic record AND be top athlete AND get a congressional nomination, AND not have any (documented) medical issues including anxiety, depression, adhd, allergies, AND Abe physically and mentally resiliant

This is the equivalent of a unicorn among today’s teens.

No SAT average for West Point is only 1270

But these students are the whole package. Smart and academically capable, in good physical condition, mentally healthy, able to withstand both mental and physical rigors, have demonstrated leadership. They ask and expect far more of their students than any other academic institution

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course they are prestigious. Even more so than Ivy schools.

You must have top academic record AND be top athlete AND get a congressional nomination, AND not have any (documented) medical issues including anxiety, depression, adhd, allergies, AND Abe physically and mentally resiliant

This is the equivalent of a unicorn among today’s teens.

No SAT average for West Point is only 1270

But these students are the whole package. Smart and academically capable, in good physical condition, mentally healthy, able to withstand both mental and physical rigors, have demonstrated leadership. They ask and expect far more of their students than any other academic institution

Yes it's prestigious, and these schools look for more of the other qualities such as leadership etc.
However academically not top of the top.
Just pointing out the facts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i was chatting with a friend who mentioned that their high achieving rising junior was hoping to attend a service academy (West Point or USNA). They don't have a family military background and are certainly not hurting for money. My sense is that the kid could go to any school they wanted. It's not an understatement to say that choosing a service academy path totally floored me. What is the draw here or what am I missing? Is this considered a prestigious route in some circles?

It's considered a "prestigious route" in ALL circles. Except, maybe, the ignorant ones.

OP here - I'm willing to claim ignorance. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if the family were conservative, but given that they are left-leaning it was surprising. It sounds like I'm the one who needs schooling in this though. My kids are much younger and I'm from the midwest if that serves as any sort of explanation.

No, being from the Midwest does not serve as any sort of explanation. I also hail from there and know/know of at least 5 people who attended service academies. One was my sister's BFF. A good friend was wooed by one when we were seniors, but she ultimately didn't pursue it. None of them were conservative and I grew up in a fairly Dem university town. All are/were athletes. Think they found the competitive nature of the process appealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're not particularly ACADEMICALLY selective or ACADEMICALLY prestigious, but they're certainly well respected along other dimensions.

I used to think they were but Mike Pompeo is Exhibit A in thinking to the contrary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get it, OP. I come from a part of the country where I didnt know a single military member/vet other than my drafted grandfathers. Not a single person from my graduating class of 550 went into the military. When my sister’s boyfriend ended up attending the naval academy the following year, we were all fairly shocked—it wasn’t a typical path. (To be completely transparent though, he had applied to a handful of civilian schools and didn’t get in—USNA was the only option he had once decisions came out).

It worked out well for him, but it wasn’t until moving to DC that I learned it’s considered prestigious. I assumed at the time it had been his safety school since it was the only one he got into, lol.

Bullshit.

I don’t know how to prove it is true, but it really is. This was 2005 in an area where the closest (tiny) military bases were hours away. It just wasn’t a thing in my life at that time. Totally different mentality in dc adjacent areas, where I now have more military acquaintances than I can count.

I think the bullshit refers to "it was his only option." And I agree. Unless he only applied to Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford.

Right there is 0% chance that his ONLY option was the Naval Academy. 0%.

I don’t know what to tell you. He applied to 3 traditional schools (Harvard was one, the other two were SLACs in our home state) and all 3 denied him. He went to USNA. He should have applied to more safeties, clearly, but 20 years ago applying to 10+ schools wasn’t a thing and I guess he overshot.

Sorry, but I don't buy it.

Name the SLACs. You can easily do that without outing him or yourself.

Pomona and Claremont McKenna.

I am not making this up. Both are extremely selective now, not sure what it was like in 2005. Obviously Harvard was still selective, lol.

So he only applied to four of the most selective schools in the country. That was a big gamble. “His only choice” needs that context. Without it, it sounds like he couldn’t have gotten in anywhere else and that’s not at all accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get it, OP. I come from a part of the country where I didnt know a single military member/vet other than my drafted grandfathers. Not a single person from my graduating class of 550 went into the military. When my sister’s boyfriend ended up attending the naval academy the following year, we were all fairly shocked—it wasn’t a typical path. (To be completely transparent though, he had applied to a handful of civilian schools and didn’t get in—USNA was the only option he had once decisions came out).

It worked out well for him, but it wasn’t until moving to DC that I learned it’s considered prestigious. I assumed at the time it had been his safety school since it was the only one he got into, lol.

Bullshit.

I don’t know how to prove it is true, but it really is. This was 2005 in an area where the closest (tiny) military bases were hours away. It just wasn’t a thing in my life at that time. Totally different mentality in dc adjacent areas, where I now have more military acquaintances than I can count.

I think the bullshit refers to "it was his only option." And I agree. Unless he only applied to Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford.

Right there is 0% chance that his ONLY option was the Naval Academy. 0%.

I don’t know what to tell you. He applied to 3 traditional schools (Harvard was one, the other two were SLACs in our home state) and all 3 denied him. He went to USNA. He should have applied to more safeties, clearly, but 20 years ago applying to 10+ schools wasn’t a thing and I guess he overshot.

Sorry, but I don't buy it.

Name the SLACs. You can easily do that without outing him or yourself.

Pomona and Claremont McKenna.

I am not making this up. Both are extremely selective now, not sure what it was like in 2005. Obviously Harvard was still selective, lol.

So he only applied to four of the most selective schools in the country. That was a big gamble. “His only choice” needs that context. Without it, it sounds like he couldn’t have gotten in anywhere else and that’s not at all accurate.

New poster but please stop. No one cares. I don’t know why you’re obsessed with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i was chatting with a friend who mentioned that their high achieving rising junior was hoping to attend a service academy (West Point or USNA). They don't have a family military background and are certainly not hurting for money. My sense is that the kid could go to any school they wanted. It's not an understatement to say that choosing a service academy path totally floored me. What is the draw here or what am I missing? Is this considered a prestigious route in some circles?

It's considered a "prestigious route" in ALL circles. Except, maybe, the ignorant ones.

OP here - I'm willing to claim ignorance. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if the family were conservative, but given that they are left-leaning it was surprising. It sounds like I'm the one who needs schooling in this though. My kids are much younger and I'm from the midwest if that serves as any sort of explanation.

No, being from the Midwest does not serve as any sort of explanation. I also hail from there and know/know of at least 5 people who attended service academies. One was my sister's BFF. A good friend was wooed by one when we were seniors, but she ultimately didn't pursue it. None of them were conservative and I grew up in a fairly Dem university town. All are/were athletes. Think they found the competitive nature of the process appealing.

Again, just because you knew of people who went to service academies does not mean OP necessarily would. Sounds like you are from a university town, not a rural area. I also grew up in the Midwest and don’t know anyone from my town who went to a service academy. But also it’s important to note everyone has different experiences. I think it’s established there are far fewer service people in the Midwest than in this area near bases.