HI!
I am a current high school sophomore with a dream to attend West Point! From what I’ve heard, it’s best to start the application process as early as possible. Is this true?
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I have a rough idea of what to do and when but could someone please explain a little depth of the app process?
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Currently, I have a U.S congressman living in my town who is friends with my dad, thus making me pretty confident with the recommendation part.
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However, I know that it will be a pretty uphill battle for me to get accepted for I have bad eyes. One corrects to 20/20 while one corrects to 20/25. Astigmatism and Amblyopia are both factors. Although, I plan to go to med school upon graduation and pursue a career in Psychiatry, which does not need perfect vision. What is my chance for a waiver?
I know that this is a lot but any help at all would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
It’s good to see you are starting to make plans for your future and turning dreams into reality. The more information you get, the more informed your decisions will be. Sophomore year is a great time to start doing serious research.
Application to a SA is a complex process. You will get the most accurate info from doing the research yourself using primary sources. So, go to USMA.edu, read every page, dropdown and link, especially in the Admissions area. Take notes. Build a timeline. Study the nominations section. Go to your elected representative and Senators’ websites to study their nom processes. Take notes. Build a timeline. Attend their SA information sessions. You are a year out from being able to access the system as a qualified applicant. Start thinking about summer activities that you would enjoy but also add depth to your future applications, both this summer and next summer. Be sure to research the USMA summer program for rising HS seniors, as well as Boys or Girls State.
Here on SAF, which is not an official forum, but people posting opinions (including mine right now), start by finding The Acronym List in Community Information. Then, the Nominations forum and Stickies. Learn to use the Search function in the USMA forum; search on “chance me” and “stats” threads to see what others are bringing to the table.
Do some self-assessment. How are your academics? Are you taking the toughest courses? How does your academic plan stack up against what the SAs are looking for? How’s your physical fitness? Sports participation and leadership? Other activities and achievements? Early days yet, but class rank and test scores are going to play a role too. (These are all rhetorical questions).
You are about 1000+ steps down the road asking about a waiver for eyesight at this stage. You want to be getting yourself organized in every aspect for your campaign to get into USMA, as well as work on your Plans B and C. If you read enough threads here, you’ll see what I mean. Own the process. It’s part of the assessment to get in - attention to detail, making a plan, execution, timeliness.
If your ONLY goal is to go to medical school and serve as an Army doc, be aware it can be done out of USMA, but it is a narrow path, with a limited number of slots available. You would have to be happy with some other branch if you were not chosen. It’s a fine way to go but not the primary mission of USMA. The majority of military docs attend civilian colleges and medical schools, and then direct commission into the service. Research the various scholarships offered by the Army (Navy and AIr Force too). Research USUHS.
https://m.goarmy.com/amedd/education/hpsp.m.html
https://www.usuhs.edu/medschool (military)
Lastly, I recognize you are new to all this, but I have a question for you. Would you rather your Congressman choose the best and most qualified applicants to earn a nomination on his slate of USMA nominees? Or have someone chosen primarily because a family member is known to the Representative? What is best for the Army and its soldiers? These are things to ponder as you become an adult.
Good luck as you start this journey.
