Paul,
I'm happy for you. I was going to reply to your question but I just got wrapped up in work. I am pleased to hear of your decision because your basic question sounded so much like my daughters experience making her choice. In the end her deciding factor was "The Mids".
She started as a recruited athlete at USNA, but at the end of her Plebe year she felt that she was missing out on an amazing educational experience available to USNA students outside of the classroom. She also felt that she needed to be in the top of her class to reach her own service selection goal. Like you, she is good at math and science but doesn't enjoy those studies. She is Poly Sci degree and taking HUGE advantage of the International Business, Econ, and Diplomatic learning environment around the USNA and DC.
Just sent me a tee shirt from the USNA Foreign Affairs Conference where she moderated a panel and was assigned a Senate Staffer to "work for her". She was embarassed, felt like she should be working for him; the guy was a published author re: terrorism. She's done multiple conferences and situation exercises in DC attended by think-tank folks and grad students from GTown and grad students traveling from Harvard, Yale, Etc. She is doing work for "3 letter" agencies/service offices this summer and likely next. She just surprised me with her tentative plan to do a summer block at the London School of Economics in her C1--C2? year. She will have to foot the bill for tution on that one, but thinks USNA will approve. Point is USNA is a pretty rich place for non-stem people.
She wouldn't be anywhere else. Couple months back I was out there for a long weekend; our time was coming to an end and we were walking out to a point,(can't remember the name) at the mouth of the Severen River. We past a cemetery on campus and I said something about USNA being a place that graduates choose to return to in death; DD said, "Dad this place is kind of the heart of the Navy, I feel lucky to be here, I am happy I'm here". Note: Last night she called to ask us to change her flt back to USNA at the end of Zero Summer Block because a graduating Mid wants her to formally shake her hand after graduation. She elected to trade two treasured days home with family and fly cross country in order to accept the honor of being the first to shake the hand of a new Ensign; its that kind of place. ------------- You made a good call young man.
Re: Family concerns,
It is a harder go for parents that first year, you will change a whole lot real fast. Tell them how rich your education is gona be in these next 4 years. Tell them to pay attention to all the lessons the Navy will be teaching beyond the class room. It won't change the fact that your Mom is gonna miss you, and feel a little cheated at not seeing your day to day growth. That said, knowing who well you are being prepared for life at USNA and how the Navy is investing not just in your education, but in your maturity, your judgement and your life experience, those things will more than make up for her feeling a little left-out at times.
Sorry to be late with the "help" but you should feel really good about your decision.