I have read quite a bit around the forums in general and haven't really seen anything that answers my question. My 9th grade boy, football player, wrestler, lacrosse player, has expressed interest in attending a service academy. I believe he has the right qualifications and temperament to even consider trying for an appointment but I'm questioning which he should seriously consider. He doesn't have a particular allegiance to any one service, his dad was Navy, his grandfathers were Army and his Uncle was Marines. If he doesn't really care one way or another, they all have football and lacrosse teams, how do you choose? We live in MD and a nomination to USNA is extremely difficult to get, are nominations to other SA's less difficult? I don't really know how to help him narrow it down, he likes the structure and order of the military and is very academic minded and does not want to have 100's of thousands of dollars of student debt and those are some of the reasons why he is drawn to the SA's, but I am at al loss on how to guide him here. His older brother was content to do the least amount possible in high school and hang out at the local community college for a few years before choosing a college to transfer to so I am really at a loss with what to do with my second son who is trying to start applying to things his freshman year of high school. Thanks!