Currently a Female Plebe at USMA - Ask Me Anything

usmacadet2024 said:
Honestly, I could run 10+ miles consecutively, but they were pretty slow (10-11 minute miles). That was more of an endurance thing than anything. The best advice I can give you is to run and run a lot, and vary the distance and the intensity! At every service academy, you will be asked to run at varying levels, speeds, and distances, so trying to prepare yourself for everything will help you a lot!

I hope this answers your questions, congratulations on USCGA, and good luck for all the others!
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Do you think you were above most fellow cadets in terms of running ability? Is it necessary to be at this level for Beast?

Also, how would you describe the academic culture there? Thanks!
 
FCHS LSA 2024 said:
Hi! I know I'm a little late to this post, but I have been trying to find someplace to ask questions for a couple of weeks. I am currently a freshman in high school and was wondering what are some ways that I could boost my chances of getting appointed into West Point? Also, are there any classes that I could take in preparation for life at the academy? Do you have any advice as to how to train in preparation for the CFA?
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Hey! And no worries - I‘m here to answer questions for as long as people keep asking them!

The best way that you can boost your chances of getting into West Point are to seek out leadership and athletic opportunities, and prepare yourself academically. Look into anything student government or JROTC, if that’s available to you! That’s a really great place to start in terms of leadership opportunities. I also would look at high school sports, or if you’re in a club sport, seek out leadership opportunities there. The academies are looking for people who can handle leadership positions while being a strong student and athlete. In addition, your junior year, look at Boys’ and Girls’ State through the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary - that’s a big thing that the academy looks at. In terms of classes, go for Honors’, AP, or dual-credit or dual-enrollment courses through a local junior college. Focus on your STEM classes (but even that isn’t the end-all-be-all for the academies). Just try your best to maintain those A’s and maybe the occasional B, because that’s what they’re looking for. For training for the CFA, work on running, pull-ups, and the basketball throw - those will be the hardest parts to ace!

I hope this helps, and good luck!
 
tweety_bird said:
Do you have any advice for candidates who might not get a chance to visit the academies before making a decision to attend due to COVID? I feel like it is such a big decision that would be hard to make without visiting even once.
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You have to consider what you want to do in the military after you graduate. For me, the Army offered more of the careers that I would be interested in after the academy. I didn’t want to have the possibility of doing 8-24 months non-stop on a naval craft. That just is not something that I am interested in. You just have to think long and hard about what your end goal is in your service of choice - that’s what REALLY matters when picking an academy to attend.

I hope this helps, and good luck!
 
venezuela said:
Do you think you were above most fellow cadets in terms of running ability? Is it necessary to be at this level for Beast?

Also, how would you describe the academic culture there? Thanks!
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I was most certainly NOT above most cadets. In fact, I was wayyyyyyyy at the lower of the end of the curve in terms of running ability. I can run for a VERY long time, but not very fast, even when it comes to running shorter distances. For example, my 2 mile time was 17:40 something - that is not particularly fast (just below a 9 minute mile for 2 miles). We didn’t do any long-distance runs at Beat (nothing over 2-3 miles, I believe), and that’s not something I’m particularly good at. I survived at my level at Beast, but it WAS NOT FUN. I HIGHLY recommend that you try to be able to run faster than this for shorter distances - it will make your life SO much easier. Trust me on this one.

As for the academic culture, it’s just like your average college amongst the students. Some kids try harder than others, some majors are harder than others, and some classes are harder than others. The academic departments work really hard to provide help for the cadets, so there’s many opportunities to tutor, be tutored, and get help from your teachers and classmates if you need it.

I hope this answers both of your questions, and good luck!
 
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