Boys State question

[NamD]

Hello community,
I just came back from a very incredible trip here in Washington State. Evergreen Boys State was a very memorable experience and I will treasure the moments that I shared with my friends, staff members and the veterans who made the experience so amazing I hope that many of you future juniors out there will apply and join and attend this program. I am sure glad that I did!

However, i just had one quick question.
I was nominated for Boys Nation but was not selected to attend. Should I still put this in my resume for USNA/USMA?

Thank you very much!

Dave

 

[rkrosnar]

NamD

It does not hurt, to do it. Glad you had an great experience. So many young men and women don't this. This is equal to eagle scout, some say. Good luck in your future.

RGK

 

[aargael]

"This is equal to eagle scout, some say."
rkrosnar,

Boys' State is, in NO WAY, comparable to obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
All you have to do for Boys' State is apply to the AL and you'll probably land a spot. Then all you have to do is chill out on a nice campus for a week, going to seminars and giving speeches. To attain Eagle, one works hard for most of their life towards one goal. I have heard from Admissions that number one demographic that succeeds best at WP is Eagle Scouts. It only takes a short time to apply and complete Boys' State. Eagle takes years of dedication and determination. I mean NOT TO BASH the Boys' and Girls' State programs, as they are extremely beneficial and look AWESOME on applications. I just wanted to clarify that participating in such a program is not in the same arena as being an Eagle Scout.

 

[will60633]

"This is equal to eagle scout, some say."
rkrosnar,

Boys' State is, in NO WAY, comparable to obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
All you have to do for Boys' State is apply to the AL and you'll probably land a spot. Then all you have to do is chill out on a nice campus for a week, going to seminars and giving speeches. To attain Eagle, one works hard for most of their life towards one goal. I have heard from Admissions that number one demographic that succeeds best at WP is Eagle Scouts. It only takes a short time to apply and complete Boys' State. Eagle takes years of dedication and determination. I mean NOT TO BASH the Boys' and Girls' State programs, as they are extremely beneficial and look AWESOME on applications. I just wanted to clarify that participating in such a program is not in the same arena as being an Eagle Scout.

As an Eagle Scout and a Boys Stater, I think it's important to make the distinction that they are two completely separate and different programs. It's like comparing apples to oranges. I have heard from multiple sources (doesn't mean it's true) that from a strictly Admissions standpoint, Eagle Scout and Boys State carry the same amount of weight towards your WCS. I feel that's what the original poster was referring to. If you take the "it looks good on an app" part out of the equation, of course it took more work to make Eagle than it did to gain admission to Boys State, but Boys State was still an enormously rewarding program, it's just simply different from scouts.

 

[Dixieland]

My cadet's MALO told him that West Point values Boys' State as much as Eagle Scout. Obviously this doesn't mean "is the same as".

 

[hawk]

than it did to gain admission to Boys State, but Boys State was still an enormously rewarding program, it's just simply different from scouts.

Much of the status around Boy's state comes from the fact that you have to be recommended, etc. So selection implies that you are top notch.

Eagle requires multi-year commitment with several different leadership positions, etc. Statistically much harder to achieve and very different.

 

[OCDomer]

Boys State vs. Eagle Scout

What we do know about Boys State & Eagle Scout is that USMA widely publicizes the numbers of cadets in each entering class with either honor. Which means that any prospective cadet should seriously consider pursuing one or the other, or both, since this is one of the few really clear clues USMA provides about what they are looking for in a successful candidate.

But they are obviously quite different. Eagle Scout takes a lot longer to earn. It rewards focus, discipline, work ethic, and perseverance, along with civic mindedness, patriotism, etc... But almost any scout with a sufficient degree of these qualities and some support from their family and their troop can become an Eagle Scout. A really strong troop can produce multiple Eagle Scouts each year. That doesn't mean it is easy.

The American Legion sends students to Boys State who have demonstrated leadership qualities, civic mindedness, patriotism, academic prowess, etc... These are many of the same qualities exhibited by Eagle Scouts. The distinction with Boys State is that the American Legion generally selects just one student from each high school to attend Boys State. Thus, a group of military veterans reviews the applications/nominations of the top candidates at a given high school, interviews them, and chooses just one student to attend Boys State. It can vary quite a bit depending upon the school, but at many high schools the competition can be quite fierce. In competitive schools, the Boys State delegate will have displayed the same focus, discipline, perseverance, as the Eagle Scout does in maintaining his grades, playing a varsity sport, and/or participating in other activities on campus.

For the non-scout, Boys State provides a terrific opportunity to enhance their USMA application. My son was a Cub Scout, but stopped scouting in middle school when he became more interested in sports. Thus, he wasn't going to be an Eagle Scout. But he worked hard in his sport, and school, and student government, and was able to get to Boys State, which seems to carry similar weight with USMA. But it isn't a sure thing as there were many very strong candidates competing for just one Boys State slot and he was very fortunate to be able to attend Boys State.

A side note - My son attended SLS and California Boys State almost back-to-back last summer. It was remarkable how many of the same young men he saw at both events.

 

[time2]

I believe the 'is equal to....' remark relates to the preceived point value that WP assigns these activities during the application process....NOT that the amount of effort is similar/comparable, etc.

 

[Dixieland]

Just as an aside..........

As an Eagle mom, I can also say from experience that some Scout Councils aren't as strict as others and do a poor job of insuring a project is worthy of Eagle. Several scouts who were a couple of years ahead of my scout did projects that took zero effort and planning. One planted some bushes around a scoreboard at his private school, another had the younger scouts stand outside a grocery store and ask the shoppers to buy food and give it to them on the way out. Another Eagle hopeful's mother called the Red Cross and scheduled a blood drive at their church and the only contribution the scout made was to order his fellow troop members to bring juice and cookies. The scouts weren't allowed to help.

Most Eagle projects take months of planning and work but there are always some disappointing exceptions to the rule.

 

[hawk]

Most Eagle projects take months of planning and work but there are always some disappointing exceptions to the rule.

The parents/troops that stage managed or allowed easy/trivial Eagle projects cheated their sons out of the intended learning experience.

But there is far more to obtaining Eagle than just the project..... time in rank, key leadership positions, lifeskill merit badges, etc. Each rank level has these requirements and you must progress through them sequentially. You don't just do a project and become eagle.