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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I work at the Pentagon and know a lot of people who went to the service academies (and places like VMI & the Citadel). Bottom line is really no different than for any college: some people loved them, some didn't. There's really nothing that can substitute for having a kid visit, read about them (there are some good books about cadet life at West Point, for instance), consider doing a summer sports camp there, etc. For some kids they are perfect. For other kids they'd be horrible. Note that the military service obligation is not incurred if you decide to transfer in the first couple of years....[/quote]

I have to COMPLETELY disagree with this statement, "Bottom line is really no different than for any college: some people loved them, some didn't." While it is true that some people like them and some don't, they are MUCH different than your average university, including the Ivy's.

My high school/college boyfriend was recruited to attend West Point, USNA, and USAFA. He chose USAFA because it is more laid back (if you can believe it) than West Point and USNA. While he attended the university, the female sexual assault problem was "discovered" but according to him it was ingrained in their culture. Also, having visited him at the University I can also attest to another scandal of theirs and that is the "evangelizing" of their student body. I saw it first hand and it is a problem that the school continues to deal with.

I had good friends attend USNA and West Point. USNA had some cheating scandals and some date rape issues as well. I don't have any West Point horror stories.

All of these academies prepare students with a fantastic background in whatever it is that they are studying. I do know that at least at USAFA and USNA that engineering degrees are the degrees that most students go after and anything that would be deemed liberal arts is like putting a "loser" sticker on your forehead. Again, this just goes to the competitive nature of the schools and machismo.

The plebe year (first year) is tremendously difficult at the academies, and does exactly what it supposed to do -- weed out folks who aren't serious about the military or who just can't cope with all the demands. I can't stress how difficult the first year is mentally, emotionally, and physically.

By the way, I'm married to former USMC Marine fighter pilot who graduated from UCLA with a psychology degree. He entered Officer Candidate school his junior year in college. He decided to take the USMC pilot exam after graduation. He beat out several Academy grads for a pilot slot. He left the USMC after 15 years because he wanted to do something other than fly. My former USAFA boyfriend is still in the AF and is a pilot. The AF is paying for his 2nd master's degree.

Best of luck!

Also, I worked for a Senior US Senator on the Armed Services Committee, who himself was a former senior military officer. I learned a great deal about the nomination process from that experience.

Call your member of congress/senator if your son is serious. Once you get put on their list and on an academy recruitment list, you'll be informed of all the "to-do's" that are required for nomination by your MOC/Senator.

Best of luck!

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