First, the USNA picked you, you've earned/won an appointment. There are people who have a tough time seeing beyond their own experience, interests and motivations as they tell you who you should be, what your goals should be, and what should drive you. Nobody here knows you well enough to determine whether or not you are prepared for the USNA; don't listen to that stuff.
In April 2016 our daughter had held a USNA appointment for 4mths trying to decide between USNA, PAC12 Cali school, and a couple of Ivys. Sounds like she was pretty close to where you are now.
My Wife (DD's Mom) is a Doctor, She'd tell you:
1) One of the partners in her Ansth. group, and the head Doc. 0f a top notch Hospital here in Microsoft-Land is a USNA grad who started his career in the seat of an A4.
2) The most recent partner added to my wife's group is a USAFA grad who made it into an absurdly competitive slot at one of the top 5 hospitals in the Seattle area. Her USAFA degree and running a trauma unit in Afghanistan kinda set her apart)
3) The average age for 1st year med students is 32.
4) SA's are among the 20-25 College degrees that actually make a difference in med-school admissions
I'm an attorney, my put is:
1) The average age of a 1st year law student is 26
2) I could go-on for a long while about the value of undergrad degrees in legal practice. Keeping it short, BS vs BA has a big impact on your earning potential and your quality of life as an Atty. Where your undergrad degree came from doesn't matter much UNLESS its from a SA, or a top end IVY. Going "straight through undergrad- to law school-into practice leaves you with a lot of things to prove to employers/clients. The young Atty. who went to a SA and put in 5 yrs as an officer has already proven much of what other young lawyers prove doing the grunt work of a law firm for a couple of years. I work with small Tech companies; most CEO, CTOs, COOs, CFOs would take a USNA grad+Adv Degree over a Harvard grad+Adv Degree in a millisecond.
3) I'd tell you to think like a lawyer. The Navy is offering you 4years of paid education in return for 5 years service, with an option to leave the USNA anytime in your first 2 years ("get out of jail free", no questions asked). That's the deal---full stop. Its the deal the Navy feels gets them the best officer pool. If the NAVY only wanted USNA students who were 100% sure that they wanted to do 10yrs-20yrs-30yrs....... they'd require 10yrs+ active duty. Its a 5 year service commitment precisely because the USN wants to be in the mix for people like you. I respect people's commitment to a lifetime of military service, but the suggestion that YOU have to have that commitment as a prerequisite to USNA enrollment is, (putting it gently), a pretty narrow point of view. I've been to I-Day, trust me, you will not see 100% certainty on the faces of the vast majority of Plebes that day---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- and the NAVY wants every single one! (doubts and all).
My CL2020 DD would tell you:
1) After recruiting visits all over the country, it all came down to the Mids she'd met on her USNA visits. She wanted to be with them, she wanted to be part of that tribe. NOTE: my wife had doubts about USNA until I-Day. After she met the mids/plebes and their parents DW couldn't wait to get to the mid store and buy her tee-shirt +around $400 of other stuff
2) DD's doubts lasted about 10days into plebe summer. DD can't see herself anywhere else but USNA, there is ZERO doubt re: her '2 for 7 letter of agreement" and she now plans on staying in past those first 5 years.
3) She'd ask you where the challenge is in something you are 100% sure about?
4) She'd tell you that she is vastly ahead of her HS friends (not just academically)
5) She'd tell you that a couple of her close guy friends at USNA are gay and "out" its a non-issue.
6) She'd tell you that her friends are "friends for life" and that she feels a part of her platoon, company, Cl2020, the Brigade, All USNA grads, and the USN.
7) She'd tell you that she plans on buying a piece of land in Washington State with her 2nd year loan $
8) She'd tell you that if she does a "5 and dive" and ends up in Med school or Law School at 25-26, she will be vastly better prepared than her class mates with respect to maturity, confidence, work ethic and finances.
9) She'd tell you that one of the things she was most proud of in her plebe year was summer block fleet rotation and a stoic senior enlisted telling her that he would be "proud to have her as his section Officer". ....................................I can't even tell you how proud hearing her say that makes me,(talk about a growth experience).
Looooong I know, but DW and I have one more thing to say: Both of us ran straight through Undergrad-Gradschool-Prof. Exams-Private Practice. We made decisions about our lives at 19-20 that governed the subsequent 30 years. Over-all we made good decisions, but we both wish that we'd taken more time to "know ourselves" before we decided what we wanted to do as a life's work and settled in. Of all the great things about the USNA and our DD's choice to go there, DW and I are most pleased that our daughter will make her lifetime career choices at 25-26, ( "stay in", Med School,Law School, Etc.)having seen more of the world, having known the work and responsibility of being a Naval Officer, and most important knowing herself; For DW and I this is huge.
Like I said, nobody here knows you well enough to tell you whether or not the USNA is right for you. That said, you have so much life ahead of you Pink, don't let chasing t "dream job" at 18yrs old be the sole focus.
PS: Funny, when my DD was struggling with her choice I recall asking for help here. Capt. MJ was a huge help to us too. ----, just saw OLD B&G replied while I was typing (another solid voice of experience)
