Does anyone know when service academy admissions got competitive?

I couldn't imagine the USMA or any older service academy being selective since the very beginning. Do any of you know exactly when it got tough?

Probably sometime around Thayer's term as Superintendent at USMA...so 1817-ish.
Not sure for USNA, USCGA, or USMMA.
USAFA, pretty much from the beginning, as the US Service Academy system and style had been firmly established by the 1950s.

I was watching a USMA video that was very old, maybe in the 1920s, and the person narrating it mentioned that that specific class only graduated 60-some% of their class. I assumed it was because their admissions was not competitive and when the students came they flunked the classes.

Yeah, I was thinking West Point got that way in the 1820's...Squid school, er...USNA...probably right before the "War of Northern Aggression" and USAFA...heck, it's ALWAYS been that way!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
(a tad biased)

Soap said:

I was watching a USMA video that was very old, maybe in the 1920s, and the person narrating it mentioned that that specific class only graduated 60-some% of their class. I assumed it was because their admissions was not competitive and when the students came they flunked the classes.

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Oh, my. Don’t let any old grads near this thread.

Lesser percentages graduated way back when because the academic and disciplinary standards were tougher. Now it’s retain, retain, retain. Today you may get three strikes and then you’re out. Back then, it took just one. Getting through the four years was a whole lot harder. It used to be that plebe year was truly torturous all year long up until recognition. Now I would say that it is merely uncomfortable. The place used to be all military, all the time. Now, in so very many ways, the comparisons to a civilian university are numerous. Whereas back in the day there were hardly any commonalities to be found. Somewhere there is a timeline of changes at West Point and what year they were instituted, I think AOG published it. I found it very interesting reading and will try to find it to post a link.

Just my observations as a student of the history of USMA and being associated with the joint firsthand for the past 30 years.

Ha. I had to laugh when i read Soap's thoughts. Back in my day you would lose cadets every day during beast. They might be brilliant academically, but couldn't deal with all the pressure, extreme hunger and constant yelling. The plebe academic year wasn't any easier when it came to the harassment and yelling. Put 21 credit hours on top of that and you end up with a ton of people leaving. Those left standing at the end of 4 years were pretty well prepared for the pressures of the real Army though.

I've seen the timeline of changes in the 2002 edition of Register of Graduates and Former Cadets published by the (WP) AOG.

billyb said:

Ha. I had to laugh when i read Soap's thoughts. Back in my day you would lose cadets every day during beast. They might be brilliant academically, but couldn't deal with all the pressure, extreme hunger and constant yelling. The plebe academic year wasn't any easier when it came to the harassment and yelling. Put 21 credit hours on top of that and you end up with a ton of people leaving. Those left standing at the end of 4 years were pretty well prepared for the pressures of the real Army though.

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And as an ALO for USAFA since 1981 and Father of a USAFA '90 grad, I have always maintained that an adult is responsible for a plebe or basic leaving during beast since they should not have been there in the first place. It's a large part of our job to be sure they are prepared for all the aggravation and work thru it one day at a time.