New USNA Class To Be Most Diverse Ever

hearing that kids have turned down harvard and MIT to be in the class of 2013 makes me feel like im gonna be the anchor.... ah I hope not...
 
Anchor worries

theraven, if you have strong study skills and self-discipline when it comes to procrastination and prioritization of many competing demands, you will be just fine. USNA assumes you have what it takes to make it. Academics is just one part of the equation. Sure, there are going to be those classmates who seem to float blissfully through every course with nary a B in sight. If you're not one of them, that's fine, you just put your head down and ensure you are sat on all fronts and enjoy the ride, bumps and all.

And, many officers have done just fine, in fact, more than fine, from the "lower registers" of the class. Husband had a classmate who was perilously close to being the anchor -- made 4 stars and had a superb career. There are many similar cases.

We have also had 2 sponsor mids who graduated in the single digits in class rank with a shining USNA academic career. One, with an aero engineering degree, was dropped out of flight school with horrendous grades, did fine with the books but just couldn't adjust to making decisions in the air. The other one focused too much on studying for his warfare qual (loved those books!) and neglected his leadership responsibilities with his division because he got impatient with people who didn't get stuff as fast as he did. His fitness report reflected his poor performance compared with his peers.

The roommate of the aero engineer, above, was in the top half of the class, just a "regular mid," found his stride at flight school, aced every hop the first time, and got his pick of pipeline.

Besides, the anchor rakes in some serious bucks at graduation!:biggrin:

Sorry, didn't mean to unravel us from the diversity topic. That's a good thing to see...
 
thanks for that reassuring message, I hope i'll do good both at the academy and the fleet. I'm not a dumb kid i just aced a college calc I and II course. But that's not gonna get anyone into MIT or Harvard. But yeah sorry for pulling the thread away from diversity. I think its great just as long as diversity doesn't become more important than merit. But knowing the admissions board I'm pretty sure its not.
 
thanks for that reassuring message, I hope i'll do good both at the academy and the fleet. I'm not a dumb kid i just aced a college calc I and II course. But that's not gonna get anyone into MIT or Harvard. But yeah sorry for pulling the thread away from diversity. I think its great just as long as diversity doesn't become more important than merit. But knowing the admissions board I'm pretty sure its not.

I feel the same way. Merits should always come first.

And being the anchor isn't as bad as being the first chain on that anchor. :biggrin:
 
I've been looking everywhere to read this 'graphic novel' but i cant find it.
anybody have any idea as to where i can find it online?
 
Mr. Flemming is, in my opinion, a Tenured thorn who was once (2002) a member of the Admissions Board. A review of his articles and books displays a vehement antipathy toward the students (no intellectual curiosity) and any current or past administration of the Academy. xchefmike: Look this guy up.
 
Merit is more important than diversity. If it was by diversity i would have got in last year and would not have done a year of ROTC. Also if it was by diversity i think the academy would be majority minorities and not 35 percent.
 
Merit is more important than diversity. If it was by diversity i would have got in last year and would not have done a year of ROTC. Also if it was by diversity i think the academy would be majority minorities and not 35 percent.

And don't forget that just because someone is a minority they can still be very well qualified.
 
Recently, at my son's top graduate award banquet (honoring the top graduates at his high school), a student's father asked my son, are you "so and so"? My son replied, "Yes, sir." He said to my son, "How did you get into the Naval Academy and my son didn't?" and proceeded to walk away from him. Mind you, my son is a top graduate in a competitive high school, a top, award-winning varsity student athlete, a talented musician, spent countless hours in volunteer work and mission trips. At his recent graduation/appointment celebration over 200 people (many past teachers, administrators and community leaders) came to honor him. My son is a minority, but he is not less intelligent, less qualified, less of a hard working student (he was still working hard the last week of school preparing for his last Calculus test on which he scored a 100%). Why is it that Mr. Fleming states that the standards have been lowered for miniorities? This student who was denied admission at our school---he is not fit physically, not a leader and frankly all he has going for him is his grades. It was no surprise that he did not receive an appointment --based on his whiteness, but based on his lack of "the right stuff". The "right stuff" does come in all colors, thank God! This is a dangerous line of thinking....the same line of thinking that led to the shooting at the National Hollocaust Museum this week. White Superiority over everyone else. My son has wanted to be a naval officer since he first visited the Academy as a birthday present before he was even a teenager. This is his dream. He took no shortcuts. He didn't assume that because he is a minority, he had a "free ride". Personally, he sees himself a man. Simply a man....not a minority.

In the same graduation class, a white student received an appointment to West Point.....was his appointment more valid than my son's? I don't think so. They took the same courses, same teachers, same school, same sports, same beliefs. Go figure.
 
" I think its great just as long as diversity doesn't become more important than merit. But knowing the admissions board I'm pretty sure its not."


Apparently it is......Interesting view from the Inside from an Admissions Board Member.

This person who wrote the article once sat on an Admissions Board....they do not currently serve. "pretty sure"......that is not fact. They are only hypothesizing.....they DO NOT have facts.
 
" I think its great just as long as diversity doesn't become more important than merit. But knowing the admissions board I'm pretty sure its not."


Apparently it is......Interesting view from the Inside from an Admissions Board Member.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/ne...lumn-The-cost-of-a-diverse-Naval-Academy.html

merit it always more important (nuff said) but . it's interesting what was said in the above article about double standards for minorities, is that really happening? Of course all standards of admission should be the same I just find it hard to believe that there are not enough well qualified minorities to where they would drop standards(if what the above article says is really happening)
 
merit it always more important (nuff said) but . it's interesting what was said in the above article about double standards for minorities, is that really happening? Of course all standards of admission should be the same I just find it hard to believe that there are not enough well qualified minorities to where they would drop standards(if what the above article says is really happening)

Exactly. The standards were not dropped for my son - they didn't need to be. Fleming does not have the facts. If you read Adm. Fowler's statements for yourself and Dean Latta's remarks.....they did not lower any standards.
 
for the record

Just so you know, our family composition includes african and native american ancestry. I want all to achieve by merit and character.. I was just interested to see the article was from someone who may or may not be currently in a position to dispute the ascertions of the administration from an "insiders" POV.

Unless someone requests a breakdown of scores (class of 2013) from each ethnic grouping we will never know who is being accurate.
 
If the admissions board is lowering standards, then shame on them. I'm with you, popeyesmom, there are plenty of "minority" members whose abilities, desire, and determination are top notch. My Mid is a "minority" member due to gender, and I'd be willing to bet (a LOT) that there was no need to "lower the bar" for her, or for the other current or past female Mids from our area.
 
Actually merit shouldn't be just more important than race. Race shouldn't matter at all.
 
race should matter whats wrong with having the service academy reflect the population of america.The academy is supposed to be a reflection of the nation and why not reflect the people it serves through diversity. I people who say race shouldnt be a factor must be racist because whats wrong with having diversity.
 
race should matter whats wrong with having the service academy reflect the population of america.The academy is supposed to be a reflection of the nation and why not reflect the people it serves through diversity. I people who say race shouldnt be a factor must be racist because whats wrong with having diversity.

Because we should see each others as Americans. Therefore, all enlisted are represented in the officer corps by fellow americans.

Race shouldn't be looked at because it causes standards to change. Standards should be equal and if you meet the standards and are one of the top then you get the slot. We shouldn't sacrifice standards just to have a diverse force.
 
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