Currently a Female Plebe at USMA - Ask Me Anything

What was your BEAST experience like? Did you enjoy it?
Enjoying it would be... an overstatement of my feelings on the experience. However, it probably wasn't the worst thing I've ever had to go through. Our (meaning the class of 2024) Beast experience was a little different - it was only 4 weeks long, and full of COVID mitigation measures, and all sorts of other stuff. That, in and of itself, made it a little interesting, and a lot of people thought that it would make it easier. It most certainly did not. Just to push past all of the differences between my Beast and previous classes (of which there were many, but none of the differences made our experience easier), it was still Beast. It was still hard; we still had to ruck all the time, we still had a field-training exercise, we still had to rappel, go in the gas chamber, conduct an ACFT, and do every other hard thing that was asked of us. For me, though, the worst part wasn't the physical stuff. It was the fact that we had less contact with our parents than even other classes before us had during their Beast. We got our mail keys a week and a half late, and that was a HUGE strain on a lot of new cadets, including myself. We didn't get the ice cream social, we didn't get the Fourth of July concert. We just got one 10 minute phone call, and letters. And that was really, really hard. However, Beast wasn't all gloom and doom - I had good days! I made great friends - friends that I can STILL rely on, three or four months later, who know me better than a lot of other people do. The trust that Beast can instill amongst teammates is so incredibly valuable. I also learned a lot about myself during Beast. I learned how to fail gracefully (which is to just own up to your mistakes, because you're going to make a lot of them, and to live in denial is just a pain). I learned that I was way, WAY stronger than I thought I was on numerous occasions (the one that comes to mind is intentionally breathing in tear gas, though). And I also did have some fun! I loved the medical training we received (I believe all cadets at West Point are certified Combat Life Savers after Beast), and some of the squad bonding activities we did were really fun. I think what made my experience more positive and negative were my cadre. They were INCREDIBLE. My squad leader was awesome - I learned a lot about what kind of squad leader I wanted to be from him - and our platoon sergeant and platoon leader were also incredible. Overall, they had the potential to make or break my Beast experience, and they really added to it instead of subtracted from it. And there's always one thing to remember at Beast - you just have to survive it! Just push through, don't think (just act!), and do what they ask! You don't have to be the best at everything, and that's OKAY! You will totally be fine, as long as you remember why you came to West Point and what your end goal is.

I hope that answers your question, and I'm sorry if it's all over the place - while Beast is still a lot fresher in my memory than some upperclassmen, it's still kind of hard to recall some of the finer details.
 
Enjoying it would be... an overstatement of my feelings on the experience. However, it probably wasn't the worst thing I've ever had to go through. Our (meaning the class of 2024) Beast experience was a little different - it was only 4 weeks long, and full of COVID mitigation measures, and all sorts of other stuff. That, in and of itself, made it a little interesting, and a lot of people thought that it would make it easier. It most certainly did not. Just to push past all of the differences between my Beast and previous classes (of which there were many, but none of the differences made our experience easier), it was still Beast. It was still hard; we still had to ruck all the time, we still had a field-training exercise, we still had to rappel, go in the gas chamber, conduct an ACFT, and do every other hard thing that was asked of us. For me, though, the worst part wasn't the physical stuff. It was the fact that we had less contact with our parents than even other classes before us had during their Beast. We got our mail keys a week and a half late, and that was a HUGE strain on a lot of new cadets, including myself. We didn't get the ice cream social, we didn't get the Fourth of July concert. We just got one 10 minute phone call, and letters. And that was really, really hard. However, Beast wasn't all gloom and doom - I had good days! I made great friends - friends that I can STILL rely on, three or four months later, who know me better than a lot of other people do. The trust that Beast can instill amongst teammates is so incredibly valuable. I also learned a lot about myself during Beast. I learned how to fail gracefully (which is to just own up to your mistakes, because you're going to make a lot of them, and to live in denial is just a pain). I learned that I was way, WAY stronger than I thought I was on numerous occasions (the one that comes to mind is intentionally breathing in tear gas, though). And I also did have some fun! I loved the medical training we received (I believe all cadets at West Point are certified Combat Life Savers after Beast), and some of the squad bonding activities we did were really fun. I think what made my experience more positive and negative were my cadre. They were INCREDIBLE. My squad leader was awesome - I learned a lot about what kind of squad leader I wanted to be from him - and our platoon sergeant and platoon leader were also incredible. Overall, they had the potential to make or break my Beast experience, and they really added to it instead of subtracted from it. And there's always one thing to remember at Beast - you just have to survive it! Just push through, don't think (just act!), and do what they ask! You don't have to be the best at everything, and that's OKAY! You will totally be fine, as long as you remember why you came to West Point and what your end goal is.

I hope that answers your question, and I'm sorry if it's all over the place - while Beast is still a lot fresher in my memory than some upperclassmen, it's still kind of hard to recall some of the finer details.
Thank you so much! This is very informative!
 
What do incoming cadet candidates wear to West Point on R Day (clothes they show up in from home before being issued anything)?

Also, what would be some useful or enjoyable Christmas gifts to get for a Plebe? I know you are very limited on space.
 
What do incoming cadet candidates wear to West Point on R Day (clothes they show up in from home before being issued anything)?

Also, what would be some useful or enjoyable Christmas gifts to get for a Plebe? I know you are very limited on space.
Cadet candidates wear a WIDE variety of things when it comes to R-Day - some kids wear a nice shirt in khakis, some wear sweatpants, some wear shorts and a t-shirt. I wore a comfy shirt and basketball shorts, along with black socks and my low quarters. The thought process behind this was I would only have two extra things to stow into my bag, and those would compress quite nicely, and secondly, they make you change into black socks and low quarters when you get there anyways, so cut down on the time you spend changing. So that's what I would recommend! Something easy to get in and out of, along with black socks and your low quarters.

As a plebe, there are some essentials that I've learned from being here. So, here are some things that I have found REALLY useful during my first five or so months here:

A small Keurig-style coffee pot that takes pods! (along with creamer and pods) This is SUPER nice for those inevitable late West Point nights, and one of the few appliances we can actually have.

A portable mini-projector - these are awesome for movie nights when you can't have a larger screen here! There's lots of wall space, so they're super convenient.

Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds - sometimes your roommates are just really loud, and you need to play some calming music to soothe your already fraying nerves.

I also used my senior graduation money to buy myself an iPad, and that has been IMMENSELY helpful for note-taking with less waste! Super portable, easy to use, and I just really enjoy using it for notes.

An iron and an ironing board are useful, but maybe more practical gifts!

A nice reusable water bottle! I'm partial to HydroFlasks, but we drink LOADS of water here, and we always use those water bottle refilling stations, so anything like that is super nice!

Nice blankets! It gets chilly here at night, and sometimes it's just nice to wrap up in some cozy blankets on your bed, especially since you can't sleep in your bed.

I hope this answers all of your questions!
 
Cadet candidates wear a WIDE variety of things when it comes to R-Day - some kids wear a nice shirt in khakis, some wear sweatpants, some wear shorts and a t-shirt. I wore a comfy shirt and basketball shorts, along with black socks and my low quarters. The thought process behind this was I would only have two extra things to stow into my bag, and those would compress quite nicely, and secondly, they make you change into black socks and low quarters when you get there anyways, so cut down on the time you spend changing. So that's what I would recommend! Something easy to get in and out of, along with black socks and your low quarters.

As a plebe, there are some essentials that I've learned from being here. So, here are some things that I have found REALLY useful during my first five or so months here:

A small Keurig-style coffee pot that takes pods! (along with creamer and pods) This is SUPER nice for those inevitable late West Point nights, and one of the few appliances we can actually have.

A portable mini-projector - these are awesome for movie nights when you can't have a larger screen here! There's lots of wall space, so they're super convenient.

Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds - sometimes your roommates are just really loud, and you need to play some calming music to soothe your already fraying nerves.

I also used my senior graduation money to buy myself an iPad, and that has been IMMENSELY helpful for note-taking with less waste! Super portable, easy to use, and I just really enjoy using it for notes.

An iron and an ironing board are useful, but maybe more practical gifts!

A nice reusable water bottle! I'm partial to HydroFlasks, but we drink LOADS of water here, and we always use those water bottle refilling stations, so anything like that is super nice!

Nice blankets! It gets chilly here at night, and sometimes it's just nice to wrap up in some cozy blankets on your bed, especially since you can't sleep in your bed.

I hope this answers all of your questions!
Great information, thank you so much!
 
Did you take your laptop as well?
If you go back to previous threads in the spring of each year, you’ll see the mentions of forms to fill out online, lists of what to bring. Incoming cadets will be issued a laptop package that has the appropriate software to work with govt intranet security. Once the summer is over, then a plebe can decide what to have sent or parents bring or to buy. Whatever a new plebe checks in with, they carry the rest of the day, accepting more and more stuff at each check-in station. Google the infamous USAFA “Box Boy” for what not to do. 😁 Going lean and mean is smart.

The OP here will have good info on how it currently works with personal devices.
 
Did you take your laptop as well?
I did not take my laptop! They issue us one that, as @Capt MJ said, has all of the software necessary to handle being a student at a service academy! I also didn't COME with my iPad - my mom mailed it to me! I wouldn't bring any personal devices other than your phone to Beast, or whatever summer training you're attending. But I do enjoy, during the school year, having my own personal device! To connect to West Point WiFi, we do need to download a security app, so just a heads up for your personal devices at West Point.
 
I am currently a senior in high school and I have been recently accepted to Vandy with 4 year AROTC scholarship. However, I am also applying to WP and I have been nominated by MOC for WP and USAFA. Because I want to become an Army officer, I think in case of me getting accepted to USAFA and having to choose between USAFA and Vandy AROTC would be easy. But when it comes to WP vs Vandy AROTC, I think I'll struggle a bit. Both will make me an Army officer and both are extremely prestigious institutions. Since you were contemplating between WP and Vandy as well last year, I thought it might help if I could get some advice from you. I am definitely leaning towards WP but I also am interested in JAG Corps through either FELP or simply going to law school after my 5 year commitment (4 year for Vandy). And in order to become a JAG not only do you have to be accepted through FELP or ed delay but LSAT is pretty much everything. So despite the fact that I would love to attend the academy, I don't think WP will be an ideal route for JAG and ROTC would be rather better in terms of preparing for the LSAT. I also want to branch Infantry for my first 4 years (or 2 to 3 years if I get selected for FELP). Of course I haven't been accepted to WP yet so this might be meaningless. But I thought it would be best if I figure out in advance what I would do in case of me getting into WP which will make me accepted to both WP and Vandy.
 
@foxtailsean

I’ll offer a few comments for context, based on my experience watching USNA graduates apply for the similar Navy Law Education program (LEP).

The services get most of their JAGs from civilian law school, commission them and polish them up at officer indoc programs. By comparison, they take only a handful each year from the pool of already commissioned officers. It is a very competitive program.

The LSAT and other background elements looked at by law schools for acceptance - no difference there from Joe or Sally Civilian applying to law school. My sense is they do like military experience. Military students are accustomed to hard work and pressure.

In the Navy, a junior officer is expected to excel in their warfare community (branch) and earn their CO’s strongest recommendation on their LEP application, reserved for top-performing officers. That is the ticket just to get into the small pool of officers selected for LEP, and they have to get into a U.S. law school. I cannot imagine the Army’s program is any less rigorous.

There is a small window of time, just 2-4 years or so, when Navy officers can apply for this program. They are expected to earn their warfare qualification in a sea duty or operational assignment. Additionally, the needs of the Navy always apply, as they do in the Army. If the applying officer is from a community that is running short on bodies in that year group, then he or she may not be approved for LEP, no matter how stellar. The number allowed to “go LEP” each year will be a number the Navy is comfortable letting transfer out of one community to a staff corps.

A USNA mid and then grad I know well had this on his mind. He worked hard at USNA and stood 9th in the class. He took one of his 3-week summer leave periods, and with the assistance of one of the USNA JAGs, set up a follow-the-JAG week at the big Navy legal office in Norfolk. He decided to go Surface Warfare (ships) because he wanted the traditional warship experience, and the fact there was not an extended training pipeline required (unlike subs, aviation, etc.). He was the number 1 ranked JO in his rank on his destroyer and earned his surface warfare pin. He volunteered to take on the collateral duty Legal Officer job on the ship. Once again he took personal leave to spend time talking and learning from Navy JAGs at the local legal command, demonstrating interest in the community. His CO, when he could spare him, sent him on no-cost temporary duty orders to work at the legal command, where he was welcomed and given “scut work” to do, which advanced his understanding. When it came time to prepare his LEP application package, he earned a resoundingly positive endorsement from his CO, and was able to include letters of recommendation from senior JAGs in the area. Meanwhile, he prepped for law school applications in the normal way. He did invest in an LSAT prep program. No surprise, he was selected for LEP, earning a fully funded three years at UVA Law School, and was still on active duty as a LT (O-3). He has had a successful career, well respected for his Fleet experience, and should make Captain (O-6) in the near future. Because of his operational Fleet experience, he was assigned cases which demanded higher degrees of professional expertise than his peer group of new JAGs.

The moral of this story is performance, performance, performance, at every stage of the game. Again, I can’t imagine Army is that different in what it looks for in their internal JAG program.

Where do you think you will thrive? AROTC setting at a college you like? USMA? If you find the right fit for you, you will be happier, and more likely to excel.
 
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I am currently a senior in high school and I have been recently accepted to Vandy with 4 year AROTC scholarship. However, I am also applying to WP and I have been nominated by MOC for WP and USAFA. Because I want to become an Army officer, I think in case of me getting accepted to USAFA and having to choose between USAFA and Vandy AROTC would be easy. But when it comes to WP vs Vandy AROTC, I think I'll struggle a bit. Both will make me an Army officer and both are extremely prestigious institutions. Since you were contemplating between WP and Vandy as well last year, I thought it might help if I could get some advice from you. I am definitely leaning towards WP but I also am interested in JAG Corps through either FELP or simply going to law school after my 5 year commitment (4 year for Vandy). And in order to become a JAG not only do you have to be accepted through FELP or ed delay but LSAT is pretty much everything. So despite the fact that I would love to attend the academy, I don't think WP will be an ideal route for JAG and ROTC would be rather better in terms of preparing for the LSAT. I also want to branch Infantry for my first 4 years (or 2 to 3 years if I get selected for FELP). Of course I haven't been accepted to WP yet so this might be meaningless. But I thought it would be best if I figure out in advance what I would do in case of me getting into WP which will make me accepted to both WP and Vandy.
The LSAT is ridiculously coachable/trainable. I'm a plant molecular biologist who hit a 97% without a tutor, just practice tests and a book on the test (can't remember which). And I was a middling biologist who had to flee actual science to the law. Your college experience will have little to no bearing on your score. Better to develop a habit of reading voraciously and wildly.
 
The LSAT is ridiculously coachable/trainable. I'm a plant molecular biologist who hit a 97% without a tutor, just practice tests and a book on the test (can't remember which). And I was a middling biologist who had to flee actual science to the law. Your college experience will have little to no bearing on your score. Better to develop a habit of reading voraciously and wildly.
Ooh, I want to read wildly!! Favorite typo today, assuming you meant widely. I love it when the new word makes sense in a whimsical way.
 
Hi there!
I have a couple of questions on how the nomination process went for you. First off, When were you notified for your interview? I live in a very competitive district in Houston, Tx and did not receive a nomination from either senator which really worries me. Additionally, I still haven't heard back from my MOC. I'll admit that my standardized test scores are not the greatest, but I have worked extremely hard and feel that I am a strong candidate outside of my standardized tests (I feel strong about my GPA, Class Rank, Extracurriculars, Leadership, Athletics, Etc.). However, I do not want to be lost in a stack of papers and not get a chance to display who I really am through an interview. Secondly, when were you notified that you received the nomination? Thanks in advance!
 
Ooh, I want to read wildly!! Favorite typo today, assuming you meant widely. I love it when the new word makes sense in a whimsical way.
When my kids were little, I used to read to them “Where the Wide Things Are.” Pretty sure it’s why DD, a USNA mid, has no interest in a law career.
 
I did not take my laptop! They issue us one that, as @Capt MJ said, has all of the software necessary to handle being a student at a service academy! I also didn't COME with my iPad - my mom mailed it to me! I wouldn't bring any personal devices other than your phone to Beast, or whatever summer training you're attending. But I do enjoy, during the school year, having my own personal device! To connect to West Point WiFi, we do need to download a security app, so just a heads up for your personal devices at West Point.
Idk how I just saw this thread today. I’m an incoming plebe and I found this to be extremely helpful. Thanks a lot @usmacadet2024
 
I am currently a senior in high school and I have been recently accepted to Vandy with 4 year AROTC scholarship. However, I am also applying to WP and I have been nominated by MOC for WP and USAFA. Because I want to become an Army officer, I think in case of me getting accepted to USAFA and having to choose between USAFA and Vandy AROTC would be easy. But when it comes to WP vs Vandy AROTC, I think I'll struggle a bit. Both will make me an Army officer and both are extremely prestigious institutions. Since you were contemplating between WP and Vandy as well last year, I thought it might help if I could get some advice from you. I am definitely leaning towards WP but I also am interested in JAG Corps through either FELP or simply going to law school after my 5 year commitment (4 year for Vandy). And in order to become a JAG not only do you have to be accepted through FELP or ed delay but LSAT is pretty much everything. So despite the fact that I would love to attend the academy, I don't think WP will be an ideal route for JAG and ROTC would be rather better in terms of preparing for the LSAT. I also want to branch Infantry for my first 4 years (or 2 to 3 years if I get selected for FELP). Of course I haven't been accepted to WP yet so this might be meaningless. But I thought it would be best if I figure out in advance what I would do in case of me getting into WP which will make me accepted to both WP and Vandy.
Hello!

First of all, congratulations on your acceptance to Vandy and your 4 year AROTC scholarship - that is so exciting!

Secondly, I know I’ve touched on this, but I completely understand the struggle with not being able to choose between an incredible top-tier civilian college and a service academy. Personally, I think the defining factor between the two comes down to the college experience that you want. If you’re looking for a school where your military training will be secondary to your education, and where you can still go out on the weekends and be a somewhat normal college student, Vandy is absolutely the school for you. Their AROTC program is incredible too, so you will still graduate and commission as a 2LT in good standing. If you want your military education to have a little bit more weight behind it, and a little bit more importance, WP is probably the school for you! Just by the nature of the beast, we have more mandated military training, and are just generally exposed to more Army stuff just because we’re living on an Army base and usually have more training opportunities because of it.

The reason I put emphasis on the experience over emphasis on your concerns with JAG and the LSAT, etc, is just because of the path that you want to take. There is a pre-law degree at West Point, so your law education or preparedness would not be lost (and it wouldn’t be at Vandy, either!). You’ll be able to relatively easily branch infantry either way, and the nice thing about the Army is that they’ll send you to law school if you get in. So, if you do 2 years as an infantry officer, then get into law school, you’ll be set to go into the JAG Corps. This is the same regardless of which school you attend. So, my best advice is to heavily consider what kind of college experience you want to have, because no matter what path you choose, it will lead you to success.

I hope this, along with the other awesome advice from our local contributors, helps! Best of luck, and again, congratulations!
 
Hi there!
I have a couple of questions on how the nomination process went for you. First off, When were you notified for your interview? I live in a very competitive district in Houston, Tx and did not receive a nomination from either senator which really worries me. Additionally, I still haven't heard back from my MOC. I'll admit that my standardized test scores are not the greatest, but I have worked extremely hard and feel that I am a strong candidate outside of my standardized tests (I feel strong about my GPA, Class Rank, Extracurriculars, Leadership, Athletics, Etc.). However, I do not want to be lost in a stack of papers and not get a chance to display who I really am through an interview. Secondly, when were you notified that you received the nomination? Thanks in advance!
Hello!

I want to start by saying that I can really only speak on my personal experiences, as I obtained my nomination from the Pacific Northwest region. I was notified that I had an interview with my MOC in early to mid-November if I recall correctly. My senators contacted me in early December or mid December to inform me that I did not receive a nomination from them. I had the interview in early December, and I heard back from my MOC actually a year ago today, so that’s pretty cool! However, I do know that everything is crazy right now because of COVID, including Congressional offices, so be patient, and hang in there!

Best of luck, and I hope this helps!
 
Hello!

I want to start by saying that I can really only speak on my personal experiences, as I obtained my nomination from the Pacific Northwest region. I was notified that I had an interview with my MOC in early to mid-November if I recall correctly. My senators contacted me in early December or mid December to inform me that I did not receive a nomination from them. I had the interview in early December, and I heard back from my MOC actually a year ago today, so that’s pretty cool! However, I do know that everything is crazy right now because of COVID, including Congressional offices, so be patient, and hang in there!

Best of luck, and I hope this helps!
Very detailed response, I appreciate you taking the time to reply. Thank you so much!
 
Hello!

I did not only apply to USMA - I also (completed) applications to USNA, Texas A&M at College Station, and Vanderbilt, and got accepted to all of those schools. I also had a letter of assurance to USCGA (this was for academics and athletics), but decided not to complete the application. To provide some more explanation, I applied for an AROTC scholarship and was in the first wave of recipients for the 4-year scholarship. This influenced my decision for my safety school (Texas A&M), because without it, their tuition would have been a little pricey. They also have the Corps of Cadets, and I really wanted that military experience. This also influenced my application to Vanderbilt (my reach school), because their tuition is also a little pricey, and they had the Russian program that I was looking for. I applied to Navy because I wanted the opportunity to choose my path of service, and my whole family was a Navy family, so it seems a no-brainer.

I chose, mainly, between USMA and Vanderbilt. As soon as I got accepted to USMA, I declined my USNA acceptance so that someone who really wanted to go to Annapolis could, because my heart wasn't in it. Navy just wasn't what I was looking for in a school, or in a career. I visited both USMA and USNA, and I liked the people at USMA and the staff and faculty at USMA better. The Army is also a people business, and I want to work with people, not with boats. However, the choice between Vandy and USMA was much more difficult. I knew that the path at Vandy would probably be easier - not academically, but militarily, and Beast seemed really scary when I was a CC. It was a huge unknown, and at Vandy, there was nothing that could surprise me like Beast could. It's also REALLY hard to down an acceptance from a school like Vanderbilt - they're regarded up there with the Ivies, and that was NOT lost on me. But what made me choose West Point was the fact that I want a career in Army, and I want to be the best at what I decide to do - and there's nobody who can help me achieve that than the folks here at West Point. Based off of the trends that I've seen, USMA grads get promoted earlier, and they're chosen for better positions faster, and that just made sense with my goals and ambitions as an officer. I haven't been let down so far, either, so I'm still feeling confident that I made the right choice for me, even if it is hard sometimes.

I hope this helps, and good luck to you!
Did you get an LOA from West Point and USNA?
 
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