Rhodes scholar

joelbradford525

5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
85
Hello, I have been accepted to NAPS and am very interested in persuing the rhodes scholarship. I was curious if any one in this forum had a personal experience or contacts I should look into to guide me in the right direction. I want to make sure i am able to make myself as competitve as possible. So i wanted to get a head start on things i should be aiming to achieve and work at.

I will definitely ask instructors once at NAPS. But i know there is a weath of knowledge in those forum so I thought I'd ask. Thanks for any info!
 
I would definitely get that answered here, on this forum, before you head for NAPS and ask there.

There are only 32 given per year to Americans. Think of that. Thirty-two out of how many American college graduates each year. I don't think it is something you try for.

This is the type of competition you would be looking at:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/rhodesscholars-fileshare/rhodes_winners_bios_11_25_14.pdf

Best of Luck at NAPS and later on at USNA.
 
There is a very proactive UK Scholars Group at USNA, very well-mentored, which supports, advises and vets those extraordinarily high-performing mids who pursue, and are often awarded, many prestigious scholarships, including the Rhodes. It's part of the IGEP, Immediate Graduate Education Program. Mids who are awarded one of these scholarships and raise any matching funds/grants if required, may delay going to the Fleet or Corps.

Your only prep is from Day One, at any Service Academy, is get the top grades, don't put a foot wrong conduct-wise, demonstrate outstanding military aptitude, do challenging things over the summers. Be a good mid, well-regarded by peers and leaders. No bonehead stuff.

There will be briefs you can attend, and upper class you will encounter who are pursuing these. The timeline and milestones will be clear.

If you are a player for these, it will become obvious fairly quickly and you will be "found."

First goal: excel at NAPS, gain appointment. Good luck at NAPS!
 
Great points and solid outline capt MJ, for what and how i need to perform and acccomplish from day 1. Thankyou. I will defintiely look into that scholar support group and IGEP program.

Cb i am aware of how competitive the scholarship is and have read the bios of the past couple years. I do believe it is something you "try" for or compete/ apply. I believe capt MJ put it pretty well though that you will be "found" and encouraged when you meet the criteria for what they are looking for which i believe is what you were getting at. I just wanted to see what i should be striving to achieve so i can try to hit those milestones. You definitely dont have a chance if you arent actively working at it. Thanks for the link !
 
Joel, my room mate was a Rhodes finalist. She was a genius. Nearly perfect SATs (one section was perfect) and validated more classes than any USNA Midshipmen had ever had before. She was so far ahead she actually managed to VGEP her entire senior year. She did win a post grad scholarship to Oxford and completed her PhD there. She had a PhD by 24. As mentioned they seek you out and have a training pipeline for those who they believe could be competitive for something like this. Right now what you should be doing is striving for is working out daily, working on maxing your PRT and knocking your grades out of the park. Focus on step one right now, because if you do not get the grades at NAPS, then USNA.
 
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.
 
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^^^ I agree with the above about keeping your priorities in order and not get ahead of yourself. Since you are going to NAPS, that already indicates you were probably NOT at the top of your h.s. class. Typically, Rhodes scholars are those who ARE at/near the very top of their USNA class (or whatever college they attended) academically as well as all of the other aspects that go with a service academy. No one really knows how well they will do at the academy before they actually start, so I would instead focus on being successful and then see where that leads. While it doesn't hurt to check online to understand how that program works, I think focusing on it while at NAPS is premature.
 
~ 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.

Pima, I don't understand what you are saying. Please explain.
 
It is actually simple.

NAPS and foundations are not there for the candidate that is the valedictorian with a super score 2400 and no sports. If a candidate does not win the appointment from their MOC or the pool, it does not mean they go to NAPS because they missed the direct appointment by 1 person.
~ In their case they would most likely get a TWE.

It is not the runner up aspect. You can be book smart, but that does not equate into getting NAPS or foundation scholarship.

It exists for a different reason, which typically becomes a hotbed of discussion...red shirts for example. It also exists for prior enlisted that have fought for the opportunity and being active duty need to readjust to academic life after serving years in the military.
~ A 21 year old that enlisted directly out of HS needs refresher courses compared to an 18 yr old out of HS.

I am just saying NAPSdoes not exist because your WCS was weak when it came to sports or ECS.
 
Goals are fine. Right now your goal should be: USNA. NAPS will not be a cakewalk.
 
Thanks for all the perspective. Very good points pima, fencersmother and time 2. Navy hoops that is right on par for a rhodes scholar thank you for the insight those are good things I will try to emulate. This gives me some real perspective on someone who has taken this path.

I am prior enlisted. I enlisted at 17 and will have 4 years active duty and some change actually by the time I hit I-day at USNA. Given nothing goes wrong :) . So i am just young enough to get a year done at NAPS. Which is the pipeline for the fleet applicants given your age meets the criteria as from what I have been told, actually from the CMDCM at the naval academy. I am glad I had this discussion here on the forum. Its a good idea to take baby steps and focus on the steps ahead of me first as they will not be easy. Also take into account career wise. Then after if the shoe fits go for it if thats the path that fits best for my goals. I really appreciate the help!
 
You actually have a twist. You're prior enlisted. Your maturity is going to be an amazing asset. I think that NAPS will actually be easier for you than a typical 18 year old.
~ You have lived away from the nest for years already and won't have that separation anxiety like the youngsters. No phone...oh well, been there, done that and collected the check as an enlisted member deployed.
~ You get the life. You have lived it. Being screamed at is nothing new.

Now impo, it is up to you to transition into the academic world. hopefully you have continued with education, be it Professional or academic. if you have than your transition will be easier and chances of Rhodes will increase. You need to show leadership too.

God bless. God Speed. Thank you for defending this great nation

OBTW, I would also think about how the commitment owed may impact you. If I am correct you will @32 before you can walk. 22 now, 26 at commissioning, 29 for Rhodes, and 3 years owed for that.
 
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You are most welcome. Always happy to help a Fleet sailor, and thank you for your service. You have already lived away from home, so have some maturity and coping skills, as well as understand where the can of military bearing grease is hidden! Valuable life skills.

Focus on success at NAPS, and take things as they come. It's always good to have aspirational goals that can be adjusted as you knock out the more near-term.

I am assuming Sailor because you said prior enlisted, but same appreciation to other services as well.

!Pima and I writing same stuff, same time! Classic SAF.
 
I say prior enlisted but as I will still be enlisted at NAPS and not a true "prior" enlisted till I am a midshipmen (please correct me if i am wrong with that terminology). I am a sailor. I guess I should have included this information in my original post :/ .

Pima exactly right though I am hoping these experiences really allow me to excel not only at NAPS but at the academy. Allowing me to spend even more time on academics and sports/ extracurriculars. Really developing myself in those aspects. While already being emerged in the military aspect that should come easy. I know I will be one of the go to guys for military related questions etc. so I will make sure I am solid on the miltary side as I have a lot of pride where I came from so want to be very confident if someone was to come to me looking for help. I guess I'm trying to say I have experience but in no shape or form am going to write it off as done and done, or become complacent. I expect there to be a small spotlight on us enlisted guys ha

I have continued in my academics I have roughly 30 units from previous college credits before the military and I have taken advantage of TA while in the military those are just community college credits, not including military school credits. I know I have a strong foundation and am actually glad to have the extra year at NAPS as a refresher to really make those core subjects concrete. I guess thats why I was looking for more information and perspective. I didnt want to look back and think why didnt I try for this earlier or, I think I really could have done that.

Youre right on track with that age timeline too. I turn 21 this month class of 2020 so graduate at 26. I will keep all of this in mind as I start this journey. A lot to think about.

Both capt MJ and Pima thank you for the responses. God bless :)
 
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