Another USNA Rhodes Scholar Recipient

These are great clip and save items for candidates whose families aren’t quite sure about attending a “military school” instead of “real college,” and are worried about whether the degree they get from an “academy” will be worth anything.
 
Others may have their own perspectives, IMHO a degree, training, scholarship from a Service Academy is a standard and quality that are highly respected around the world, including a standard and tradition that are admired and respected by ALL.

As a parent of current USNA Midshipman with nearly 30 years Mentor/Sponsorship to the West Point Society and who has studied and has degrees from Columbia, Yale, Harvard undergraduate and graduate schools, I will be honored to trade my undergraduate degree in for a Service Academy degree anytime if I can do it all over again. A degree from a Service Academy is not simply a degree but a statement of accomplishment as a Scholar, Leader, Athlete, and in pursuit of selfless Service to his/her nation. A degree from a Service Academy is admired and respected by ALL including by our Allies and rival nations like Russia and China. A degree from Ivy, MIT, Stanford and the like schools are equally respected in Scholarship by all corners in our Society, but does not validate a graduate if he/she is trained and tested as a Leader, Athlete, willing to Follow, can work well with your comrades, and willing to Serve your Nation and others selflessly. For those in ROTC Programs have the opportunity to serve equally when they commission.

However, a degree and undergraduate experience from a Service Academy is unique, and commands a unique respect and positive perception, and cannot be compared to any civilian schools just by a Scholarship comparison. There is no equal. In fact, top graduate schools and employers award more quality points to Service Academy degrees than civilian schools when evaluating a candidacy. 3.0 3.5 4.0 from a Service Academy commands more quality points. Depending on graduate schools, you can bet they may add quality points 0.3-0.6 to your GPA because many graduate programs are aware that your Bachelor of Science degree in any Major is demanding with less time given to students to prepare due to other Academy and Military responsibilities during school.

Programs like Rhode Scholar, Marshal Scholar, Gates Scholar evaluate candidates with eyes on Scholarship and relevant demonstrated experience a candidate has pursued in his/her undergraduate career with a purpose to contribute to mankind and society with his/her unique talent and preparedness. It’s true that Harvard has produced the most Rhode Scholars, but there is a perception that Service Academies prepare men and women in a most complete way. I am proud of and admire all young men and women who are Cadets and Midshipmen at our Service Academies.
 
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For those who like stats, here are the U.S. Rhodes Scholarships Number of Winners by Institution 1904 – 2018:

Top 10 Private Universities

362 Harvard
245 Yale
210 Princeton
102 Stanford
63 Dartmouth
55 Brown
51 Chicago
47 MIT
43 Duke
31 Cornell

Top 10 Private LACs

35 Williams
32 Reed
28 Swarthmore
26 Sewanee
23 Davidson
22 Bowdoin
20 Amherst / Haverford
18 Carleton
16 Middlebury / Oberlin / Washington & Lee

Top 10 Public Colleges

93 USMA
53 UVA
47 USNA
44 UNC Chapel Hill
39 USAFA
37 U Washington
32 U Wisconsin
29 UT Austin
28 U Oklahoma
27 U Kansas / Michigan / Montana

Source: http://www.rhodesscholar.org/assets/uploads/2018 RS_Number of Winners by Institution.pdf

USMA and USNA are well represented, but I believe that students of this caliber self-select among colleges rather than the colleges "producing" them.
 
Or, one might argue that these schools have the ability to select great students who have the creds, drive, etc. eventually to be Rhodes Scholars.
 
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