Joel,
Jmpo, and with $2.07 you can a Starbucks coffee. I get you are very excited about your future, BUT impo, I would leave that all alone for now. I would walk in looking to get experience from everything, in 3 years from now than come back and address it.
I don't know about USNA, but I can say that from close relationships that commissioned out of USAFA, going this path was not an easy decision if they wanted to fly. After receiving their doctorate they would go ADAF. Their career for many years would not be tied to their collegiate degrees. It would always be tied to both their flying skills and leadership abilities.
Assume you go rated or sub's or Marines, will you be better off career wise? I think you would be if your intention is to leave as soon as the commitment is up, but if your goal is to do 20, than your career progression will matter just as much, maybe even more than a doctorate that you earned when you were 25
I am not slamming this path. I believe anyone eligible should try for it. Just saying at 18 instead of plotting and planning so many years down the road, meet the immediate goal...be number 1 out of NAPS. Then meet the next goal of being at BCT as the team player. Than meet the next goal and so on and so forth.
You are at step 69, Rhodes and other fellowships at colleges like Harvard/Yale, etc. are step 699. Great to have the long term goal, but not if it means you lost sight of the short term goal.
NAPS is not going to be a cakewalk, no prep school is. Kids want to leave the nest, that is just life, but it is also life that they miss the nest.,and that can impact their academic progression.
~ I would also say for lurkers and new to this system that foundation opportunities are different. It is not the backup school from the perspective, 1350 are offered direct appointments and 1351-1450 ranked on the WCS are offered this option. It is different.