Affect of Being a Military Child

[Shaggy15]

Hello, I am currently a sophomore in high school and dream of going to one of the academies in the future. I have the grades, at least for freshman year, with a 4.35 gpa. I play 3 sports, volunteer, participate in multiple clubs, and have a summer job. My one downside is that I am going to be attending three high schools because my dad is in the military. This makes it hard for me to get leadership positions in sports and other extracurricular activities. Will this effect my chances and if so what can I do to fix this?

 

[Capt MJ]

Hello, I am currently a sophomore in high school and dream of going to one of the academies in the future. I have the grades, at least for freshman year, with a 4.35 gpa. I play 3 sports, volunteer, participate in multiple clubs, and have a summer job. My one downside is that I am going to be attending three high schools because my dad is in the military. This makes it hard for me to get leadership positions in sports and other extracurricular activities. Will this affect my chances and if so what can I do to fix this?

Take any challenge and turn it into an opportunity. Excel despite the volatility of your HS career. This will make great material for essay questions and interviews, how you demonstrated the adaptability, flexibility and initiative to succeed throughout change - much desired in future junior officers.

Continue to take the most challenging academic courses offered. Prep hard for standardized tests. Look for opportunities for leadership or create them. Perhaps a club you are interested in is struggling, and you can provide fresh energy and direction.

Your dad changes jobs every couple of years. Pick his brains on how he settles in with new people and makes his mark. Ask your mom how she adapts with her responsibilities.

Finally, do a snick more work on knowing when to use “effect” vs “affect” in a noun setting as you continue to improve your young adult writing skills.
Affect of Being a Military Child

 

[justdoit19]

My Mids two best buddies have similar backgrounds as you. It’s not uncommon. Find the things that make it a positive as far as a new Naval/Marine Officer, and sell that. I can think of lots of positives and I’m non military.

Good Luck!!

BTW, you can look at class profiles online and see the breakdown of people who come from military backgrounds. No idea if one can assume they moved a lot or not.

 

[jl123]

What you lose in not having continuity in high school, you probably more than make up through eligibility for a Presidential nomination and appointment, a category not available to non-military families.

There are an unlimited number of Presidential nominations, and I believe for USNA 100 appointments in this category.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

There is no shortage of military juniors at USNA ....make the best of what opportunities you have ,and you will do fine.
(For the others, except for eligibility for the Presidential Nom, having a family background does not necessarily give a candidate advantage -- in fact, it has been proven time and time again that having one or both parents as grads doesn't give you a "leg up". Good candidates, of whatever background, will rise to the top.

 

[ABCDE_2026]

Hello, I am currently a sophomore in high school and dream of going to one of the academies in the future. I have the grades, at least for freshman year, with a 4.35 gpa. I play 3 sports, volunteer, participate in multiple clubs, and have a summer job. My one downside is that I am going to be attending three high schools because my dad is in the military. This makes it hard for me to get leadership positions in sports and other extracurricular activities. Will this effect my chances and if so what can I do to fix this?

A good extracurricular you could check out is Sea Cadets. There are many Sea Cadet units across the United States so it shouldn't be too hard with you moving around.

Who We Are — U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps

www.seacadets.org