1. What’s the one piece of advice that you received before R-Day that you ignored that you shouldn’t have?
2. What’s something you didn’t know about Beast that you could’ve prepared for had you known?
3. What’s the most important skill set to hone that would allow you to be successful in Beast?
4. Would you recommend completing you application early and continuing to supplement it or perfecting your application and turning it in later in the process?
Thanks for putting yourself out there and thanks for having the courage to take on USMA and all that comes with it.
1) Get really good at push-ups/body weight exercises. When your BEAST cadre 'smoke' you (punish w physical activity), it usually is push-ups, V-ups, or something along those lines. If you are able to get to a point where you are even more fit than your cadre (for example being able to hold push-ups longer) it will make smoke sessions much easier for you and not impact you mentally as much. My physical training before BEAST consisted mainly of baseball-specific workouts, so there weren't much push-ups involved, and I wish I had focused more on that aspect.
2) The thing that caught me the most off guard going into BEAST (especially the first couple of days/the first week or so) was the cadet ranking system. I didn't realize the importance of the ranks and the names of each rank, so I got an earful for greeting incorrectly or not knowing someone's rank quite frequently at the beginning. Definitely wish I had known the ranks going in. I believe you can find them on google.
3) Mental toughness and timeliness/time management. Get used to failure. That was probably the biggest adjustment for me, as most of the accepted CCs are the best from their area. BEAST is intended to find what you are bad at and make you better. Everyone will experience plenty of failures during their BEAST, so it's important to accept that you will mess up and be yelled at and dropped, etc. The 'time hacks' the cadre give to you (time you have until being fully dressed in a uniform, etc.) are often intentionally less time than possible to get ready. The more efficient you are with your time, the less you'll get yelled at. Prep your clothes for the next day before you go to sleep (usually PTs).
4) Definitely get your application in early. Obviously, don't submit an application that you just rushed through without doing everything correctly, but just remember that you can add achievements to your application after you get it finished (update SAT/ACT and varsity letters, etc.) If you're trying to get an LOA, this is even more crucial because LOA's are usually sent early in the admissions cycle. Prioritize the academy application over the nom applications, but make sure you get your nom apps in on time. There are more incentives for finishing your WP app early than your nom app.