I must step in to defend the recruiting practices at USMA. Our boy is a recruited athlete and has his file completed including his MOC nomination (verbal notification by Senator just received) and is awaiting that step to be received by The Academy; and then hopefully, he will receive his nomination for the Class of 2014 by Christmas.
He was recruited by several of the Ivys and other top notch schools but the admission process and thoroughness of these schools paled in comparison to the rigors of applying the USMA. I cannot tell you how many times he was asked, "What are your grades?" "What is your SAT?" and "How will your recommendations be viewed?" as the recruiting process played out. I firmly believe that he would not have been recruited had he not been able to back up his athletic skills with his intellectual capabilities.
Many students receive consideration through family military history or have other talents highly desired by The Academy. For many, their skills, whether in languages, engineering, etc., allow them have the opportunity to attend the best university in the country; nor the opportunity to serve his country at the level the education from USMA allows.