Will immigrate and wishing to enter the Naval Academy

G

gwashung

5-Year Member
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Sep 27, 2015
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I'm from the Philippines, female, 19 years old as of 2015, and will immigrate soon. I'm currently a senior in college and about to graduate. My course is Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. You may be wondering why I'm graduating young, this is because the old curriculum here in the Philippines consisted of only 6 years of elementary school and 4 years high school.

My uncle is in the US Navy and he said to me that if ever I wont be able to graduate (because my visa is currently in process), I should attend the Naval Academy primarily because we cannot afford the high tuition fees in the US. But I am determined now to graduate before immigrating so that at least I have an achievement. He is not a Naval Academy graduate, he just attended the boot camp, I guess. (Naval Base: San Diego, CA)

He said that I should research about requirements on how to enter the Academy. Everyone in our family wants me to be a lawyer, but I don't think I can handle it. My uncle said that I should enter the JAG. I already asked my professor if is it practical to take the CPA board exam here in the Philippines since my license will not be recognized in the US. My prof said I'd have an edge over the others. Growing up, it was my dream to be in an office and climb the corporate ladder until I had my internship in junior college. It opened my eyes that I didn't want that life.

I really want to enter the Naval Academy but I learned that the courses are not in line with my course now, because they offer STEM while I'm in the business category. But I think I can handle the academics. What I'm worried about is the physical part. I am not physically fit, and I am not involved in any sports. I thought that I wouldn't need it, since I can make it up academically LOL.

I am trying to make things right before I leave. I graduated 3rd in my class in high school, and a consistent honor student. I joined several clubs in highschool ( the school paper, choir, etc) I was a dean's lister in the first three semesters in college. I already failed 2 classes (9 units) because as you know, accounting subjects are really hard I was emotionally confused at the time. I topped the Professional Accountancy Program Comprehensive Examination (sort of a screening test/ battery exam) in our department. I am not active in other organizations in our college because our chairperson then discouraged us to join because he said that orgs would take us away from studying well. I am just a member of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (all BSAccountancy students are automatically members) and I joined the school's Commission on Audit (2 years, junior and senior auditor). I am not really active in terms of extra-curricular activities, but a lot of my high school teachers and college professors can vouch for my leadership skills inside the classroom.

I had my internship at SGV and Co., the top accounting firm(holds 40% of the market) in the Philippines and partner firm with Ernst & Young.

I am currently attending a COLLEGE in the Philippines. It is one of the elite colleges here. I know that in the US there is a difference between a college and a university, but here, there isn't really, besides the number of courses offered. It is also among the top 3 law schools and top colleges/universities that offer accountancy.

A lot of you may be thinking that I should just continue with being a CPA. Well, I do not want to bore my self to death! smile emoticon I have also checked the courses offered in the academy. I'm thinking of Cyber Operations, or Nuclear Engineering (tho I am not a math genius grin emoticon )

Is there a chance for me to be accepted in the Naval Academy? I know that admissions is very competitive. Any suggestions on what I should do with my life?
 
I suspect the reason that your post has 73 views (so far) and no responses is that you're all over the place. You're also asking questions that are answered elsewhere in these forums or by the USNA official website, and people here can be impatient with first-time posters who haven't done their homework.

Under US law (10 U.S.C. § 6958) midshipmen must be U.S. citizens by Induction Day. A small number of foreign students attend USNA, but that is handled differently (the USNA website explains). The purpose of USNA is to prepare officers for the Navy and Marine Corps. Midshipmen pass a rigorous fitness test to be admitted, then again twice per academic year. All mids play sports. All mids take a very technical, STEM-heavy curriculum. Mids are also very busy people with academics, sports, military training, and extracurricular activities. These factors sound like they are in direct opposition to your tastes, inclinations and motivations. Based on what you've written about yourself above, you are probably not a good fit for USNA.

The only way to arrive at a decision for yourself is to do some homework. Read and search these forums, read and search USNA's website. Good luck.
 
A few things to add:
1. Not sure how your B.S. degree will be recognized -- but that might be an issue -- if you already have a degree.
2. USNA does not offer direct commissions into JAG. There are ways to end up as a JAG, but it is not the easiest of routes.
3. While cost is a valid issue for attending USNA, one of your top reasons for attending USNA should deal with leadership/duty. USNA is just a step to lead Sailors and/or Marines as an officer....for AT LEAST 5 years after. USNA is not just a college (N*T college).
4. It sounds like you have done quite a bit of research, but I would somewhat agree with LongAgoPlebe....what is it that you are trying to accomplish (what is your end goal)? (you don't need to tell us here) Use the Naval Academy Viewbook (https://www.usna.edu/Viewbook/) and see if it matches what you are trying to do.
 
There are a number of things missing from your resume, as you've given it to us. Please look over the stickies here. Do you have a sport? What leadership do you have? I am pretty suspicious of your lack of extra curricular activities based on
I am not active in other organizations in our college because our chairperson then discouraged us to join because he said that orgs would take us away from studying well. I am just a member of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (all BSAccountancy students are automatically members) and I joined the school's Commission on Audit (2 years, junior and senior auditor). I am not really active in terms of extra-curricular activities, but a lot of my high school teachers and college professors can vouch for my leadership skills inside the classroom.

What exactly are leadership skills in the classroom? And if your grades would suffer by EC's, oh my! You will NOT do well at USNA.

I don't understand exactly what you hope to do after USNA, and I suspect your uncle may not be the best guide for you in this regard.
 
As a non-American myself, I understand the allure of the Service Academies and American colleges myself. However, we often pick the more 'glamorous' options in life without being honest about both our strengths and weaknesses or because of family influences. Your uncle means well but doesn't appear to know much about USNA.

What's certain is that you're unhappy with at least one aspect of your current life. You want a change to do something more exciting. That's completely achievable if you want it. But you'll find there are many routes to the same end goal. The immigration matter is the biggest practical red flag. Being positive, let's think about what you COULD do instead.

Firstly, why not look into the armed forces/emergency services in the Philippines? Or the reserves, if they exist. If you don't want to serve in your own navy, why not? What would be different with the US Navy? Would you be willing to risk your life for the USA? If so, then look into enlisting in the US Navy. There's a really wide range of jobs. However, if you're deployed, would you be happy spending months of your life on an aircraft carrier with little personal space or freedom? Would that be any less constricting than an office job?

Could you use your qualification working for an NGO or non-profit organisation, your home government, a college/university or set up your own business? Does your national police need CPA's to investigate fraud/cyber crimes? Are there graduate degrees/courses that you could take after graduation or in a couple of years such as teaching or statistics or social work? Use your imagination and don't discount anything without a bit of research. Volunteer with a charity or do some travelling. Open your eyes to the amazing range of options you DO have.

Lastly, whether or not you join up, choose to become fit for yourself so you can enjoy life more. You'll be happier and just able to cope better with life's unexpected events. Choose a couple of activities and maybe try to join a club for the support and friendship. Join a gym and take classes. Build up slowly, learn about nutrition, get plenty of rest. You could follow the USNA's own guidance for candidates on how to get fit. Use the cadets as inspiration when things get tough. Good luck!
 
LongAgoPlebe said:
I suspect the reason that your post has 73 views (so far) and no responses is that you're all over the place. You're also asking questions that are answered elsewhere in these forums or by the USNA official website, and people here can be impatient with first-time posters who haven't done their homework.

Under US law (10 U.S.C. § 6958) midshipmen must be U.S. citizens by Induction Day. A small number of foreign students attend USNA, but that is handled differently (the USNA website explains). The purpose of USNA is to prepare officers for the Navy and Marine Corps. Midshipmen pass a rigorous fitness test to be admitted, then again twice per academic year. All mids play sports. All mids take a very technical, STEM-heavy curriculum. Mids are also very busy people with academics, sports, military training, and extracurricular activities. These factors sound like they are in direct opposition to your tastes, inclinations and motivations. Based on what you've written about yourself above, you are probably not a good fit for USNA.

The only way to arrive at a decision for yourself is to do some homework. Read and search these forums, read and search USNA's website. Good luck.
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Very kind and thoughtful! Keep up the great work. God Bless
 
You can't be in the military until you are a permanent resident or citizen so you'll have to wait until you have citizenship or permanent residence. You could also enlist and then go to OCS (officer candidate school)
I don't know what your situation is but as far as I know you can't get citizenship without having lived in US except for people seeking asylum
 
Not quite true. You cannot go through an officer acquisition program unless you are a citizen, but you can enlist as a foreign national.
 
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