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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The admission stats at the Naval Academy are nearly identical to Virginia Tech.  So, stats wise, it’s not selective.  But they put up a bunch of hoops that make it difficult to be accepted.  [/quote]

I have no horse in this race. Personally, I think ROTC at the more selective schools are likely to produce better officers than the academies. It's a more well-rounded experience. You get the best of all worlds

However, comparing West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy to schools like Virginia Tech doesn't make any sense. The academies, unsurprisingly, value physical fitness. It's a big part of being a soldier. I suspect there aren't many Virginia Tech students who can do 18 pull ups, 95 sit ups, 75 push-ups, and run a sub-5:20 mile over a short period of time. Those are the minimum requirements. Everyone accepted to an academy does a lot better than that.

What good is a 1600 SAT score when you're weak and useless? And it's not just strength and endurance. Leadership matters. How many Virginia Tech students were class presidents or captains of their football teams? How many Virginia Tech students were such assets to their communities that their Congressperson or Senator would be willing to nominate them for a space at one of the academies?

What I sense here is that there's a general disdain for folks who choose the military for one reason or another. It's too bad. There are a lot of really impressive young people who pursue that path. And a degree from West Point or Annapolis opens a lot more doors than one from Virginia Tech. For the right kid, it's a great opportunity.[/quote]

Agree. When I married an Astronautical engineer in the military, a high school friend was shocked to find out that not everyone in the military is a Hollywood grunt.  Her pacifism made her ignorant and it was embarrassingly eye opening to her that we have a lot of very educated people in the military. She absolutely would have been one of these people minimizing the difficulty of acceptance. [/quote]

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