Are service academies like West Point considered prestigious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do athletic recruits have to be nominated or do they get a pass? I know a few kids who are not stellar students get admitted.

NP with DC in the application process now.

Everyone needs a nomination. They can be from a variety of sources; if an applicant is not military-connected, it can be from your congressperson, your state senators, or the Vice-President. Each of those requires a separate application and letters of rec, transcripts, essay. There are limited spots.

Nominations are a separate process from Admissions; Admissions can really want you, but the nominations are up to the (nominating body, like the congressperson). And politicians have their own reasons for choosing whomever they choose.

Another separate process is the candidate fitness assessment (CFA), if you don't pass that, you can't get in. The really rough one is the medical process which is not connected to admissions. It's done by the Dept. of Defense Medical Review Board (DoDMERB) and it goes back to your birth. You can get disqualified for an incredible amount of things, and Admissions can ask DoDMERB for a waiver but it's up to DoDMERB.

So if one of those pieces is not there, the applicant does not get in. If all the pieces are there, the applicant still might not get in but they at least have a shot.

Re: Athletics...every applicant must be an athlete. I suspect if someone is being recruited for football or some other high-profile sport, the grades can be lower, just like in civilian colleges.

I suspect they find nominations for these people, too, if they don't have them already. I also wonder if the deadlines are more fluid.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. It's a highly selective institution of higher learning in the USA. From prep scholar,

"West Point SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1170, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1360.

In other words, a 1170 places you below average, while a 1360 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at West Point, but they really want to see at least a 1170 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:

Section Average 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
Math 645 590 700
Reading + Writing 625 570 680
Composite 1270 1170 1360

[Anonymous]

The honest truth? They're not as prestigious as they used to be, in the same way that the military is not viewed as wholly and unobjectionably glorious as it used to be in the past.

And to be frank, a lot of people simply aren't aware of their existence, and/or don't view them in the same vein as regular universities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The honest truth? They're not as prestigious as they used to be, in the same way that the military is not viewed as wholly and unobjectionably glorious as it used to be in the past.

And to be frank, a lot of people simply aren't aware of their existence, and/or don't view them in the same vein as regular universities.

Lol. Sounds like you watch a lot of movies from the 50s. And Vietnam vets would like a word.

People who don’t respect the academies as selective universities are either ignorant about the requirements or are blinded by their stereotypes about thousands of people they don’t know.

[Anonymous]

No they are institutions for extremist youth.

[Anonymous]

Congrats. As you know, they're pretty prestigious. But even if you know they are prestigious, fewer people aspire to this kind of path for their kids, which is maybe what you are sensing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The honest truth? They're not as prestigious as they used to be, in the same way that the military is not viewed as wholly and unobjectionably glorious as it used to be in the past.

And to be frank, a lot of people simply aren't aware of their existence, and/or don't view them in the same vein as regular universities.

Lol. Sounds like you watch a lot of movies from the 50s. And Vietnam vets would like a word.

People who don’t respect the academies as selective universities are either ignorant about the requirements or are blinded by their stereotypes about thousands of people they don’t know.

Americans' trust and confidence in military decreasing

[Anonymous]

My brother went to a service academy. We are mid-50s. It has been nothing but helpful in his career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, not really. Each Congressional District gets some slots. In many Congressional Districts, you have tons of opiod teens. We really had to stretch to pick kids in our office.

That is not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The honest truth? They're not as prestigious as they used to be, in the same way that the military is not viewed as wholly and unobjectionably glorious as it used to be in the past.

And to be frank, a lot of people simply aren't aware of their existence, and/or don't view them in the same vein as regular universities.

Lol. Sounds like you watch a lot of movies from the 50s. And Vietnam vets would like a word.

People who don’t respect the academies as selective universities are either ignorant about the requirements or are blinded by their stereotypes about thousands of people they don’t know.

Americans' trust and confidence in military decreasing

That was my point. AND it is still true that the academies are selective, excellent universities. Both are true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, not really. Each Congressional District gets some slots. In many Congressional Districts, you have tons of opiod teens. We really had to stretch to pick kids in our office.

That is not true.

They drug test as part of the application process and even after admission and throughout the 4 years of college. Weed will ding you.

[Anonymous]

At the end of the day, a lot of people — dare I even say most — just aren’t aware of them or their existence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it's really prestigious and in demand, a lot more kids would apply, then the school would have plenty of applicants with high stat + all the other stuff to choose from.
Looks like it's not the case.

The USMA has a 9% acceptance rate. The USNA has a 9.1% acceptance rate. The USAA has a 13.4% acceptance rate. I’m guessing your kid could not get in.

9% acceptance rate among 1300 SAT average applicant pool

Oh my kid got 1540 SAT and is very healthy, but doesn't want military lifestyle.
Rather go to GMU

LOL. Your kid is a moron. Both for the GMU choice and the 1540, which you meant as a flex but for those of us in the 1% is not quite embarrassing but nothing we’d share voluntarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the end of the day, a lot of people — dare I even say most — just aren’t aware of them or their existence.

PP with kid who is currently applying to service academies.
I agree with this statement. There was an earlier thread on DCUM where I expressed this, and my comment was met with incredulity. But the start of my DC's desire to apply came from our experience doing a two year stint in NoVA while DC was in elementary school. The military moms/dads in uniform, picking up their kids, made a huge impression on DC. MD, VA and Washington, D.C. have such a military presence that it's sort of a given that civilians know about stuff like this.

Conversely, in our city, there is zero military presence. I didn't know the term "service academy" and also didn't know really basic things, like West Point = United States Military Academy = Army, for example, or how the Marines or Space Force fit in with service academies. I also didn't understand the difference between the service academies, ROTC, and the officer training after college....vs. enlisted. DC's school is a college-prep school, but they don't have much experience with their students applying. My DC is the only one, I think, in DC's class. And while one part of the application process is similar to a typical college app process but with emphasis on leadership and athletics, the other parts (physical, medical, nomination) are totally different. So this has been a whole education for me.

[Anonymous]

Not as prestigious as UVA, that’s for sure