Best course of action?

[cj2334]

Hello,
I’m currently a senior in high school planning to enlist. But recently, the service academies have piqued my interest. My currently academic records meet the standard and I have participated in various sports throughout my years in high school. Sadly, the deadlines for congressional nominations in my state have already passed. Is applying for the class of 2025 then spending a year in a community or state college a practical option or should I just follow through with my original plan of enlistment?

Note: One of my primary reasons for enlistment was to make use of the GI Bill after serving. However, I’ve read that the service academies provide a great education free of tuition in exchange for serving in the military afterwards, which I’m more than willing to do.

 

[MidCakePa]

Three simple things to do:

One, go to the USNA website and review every page, tab, pulldown and link. You don’t need to read every word, but you should know what information is there. More than 90% of what you need to know is all there.

Two, attend a college — ideally a four-year school with an NROTC program. Take a plebe-like schedule (you’ll know what that is because you did step one) and excel at it. Participate in NROTC, or even AROTC or AFROTC, if available.

Three, start the application process and nomination process as soon as they become available for class of 2025.

Bonus fourth tip: Know exactly why you want to attend USNA. It should start with a deep desire to serve as a commissioned naval officer on active duty. If it does not, think again. Best wishes to you.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

Good advice above. There is a path to USNA through the enlisted ranks, but is not easy or certain. (There are plenty of threads with advice about gaining admission through the enlisted ranks).

Alot of incoming Midshipman have a year or more of college -- not necessarily reapplicants. Having a year of college has some advantages, including maturity, experience, and perhaps a clearer idea of what you want to do in the future.

Good luck.