For the original poster -- so happy that Capt MJ posted the Kayla Barron link. So impressive -- please checkout and read her bio if you haven't.
In that same vein, definitely also check out current USNA 2nd Company Firstie Lillian Usadi who last month, was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship:
www.eyeonannapolis.net
Ms. Usadi is a rockstar -- I've been super fortunate to get to serve under her leadership. She's obviously brilliant, but she's also a musical prodigy, fun, fierce, incredibly kind and a selfless leader who will kick serious butt at Oxford for graduate school, in the fleet and at whatever she decides to take on in life. I promise she would have easily sailed through any Ivy, MIT or Caltech. But she chose USNA and now, will soon be headed off to one of the most prestigious institutions in the world.
The fantastic news is that it sounds like you are going to have a ton of great choices. All of the advice in this thread has been spot on; Kistengel's has resonated most deeply with me though: No one path to commissioning (whether it be via ROTC, OCS or an SA) is better than any other -- it's truly about what's best/highest fit for you. There is no right or wrong choice-- it's just an intensely personal decision. Each path has it's own, unique pro's and con's.
I urge you to continue to invest significantly in your diligence and research - which is why seeking advice on this forum is so smart! if SS happens, do it. While there, talk to as many Mids as possible about their experiences. If it doesn't or you are not selected, don't fear -- it has no bearing on admissions -- and I would still urge you to reach out to current Mids (PM me; seek contact via your BGO and your Regional USNA Admissions Officer.)
***
And because you asked about thoughts about Ivy's vs. USNA -- here's my two cents, only because I was in your exact situation 3 years ago as a HS junior -- and ended up picking USNA over many of the schools you referenced.
During my dligence, I connected to an early 90's USNA grad who today, is a widly successful surgeon in the civilian world -- but while in the fleet had an amazing set of experiences he simply couldn't have had in the civilian world (Dive Medicine Specialist; serving as a doctor assigned to Naval Special Warfare in Coronado overseeing the medical side of BUD/S training, running surgical services in Rota, Spain etc.) Looking back, he admits that he could have gone to a civilian college, but feels like his time at USNA was transformative. He also said that it made his four years attending a top-10 US medical school immediately post graduating USNA, feel like a 4-year vacation (really.)
Anyway, he shared some insights with me when I was a HS junior (similar to what other super wise folks on this thread have also voiced previously) that really forced me to think -- and now, coming up on 2-years into my USNA experience, I'm finding pretty true:
a) Most if not all USNA students would likely do well at an Ivy League school; but how many Ivy League students could/would fare as well at USNA or an SA? Not a value judgement in anyway -- just an observation that feels experientially true.
I stay in close touch with a ton of my high school buddies -- many of whom are at Ivies, UChicago, Caltech etc. They are all having super positive experiences but those experiences - especially outside the classroom, are just profoundly different (not better or worse -- just really, really different) than mine.
As they describe to me the successful relationships they've built with classmates and adults on their respective campuses, I listen and hear them talk about genuine friendships and the fun they have togehter. But it's clear to m the types of relationships they are genuinely enjoying are just truly different than what I think most kids at USNA experience.
It's strange, but I can tell you with near 100% certainty that if 30 years were to elapse and I had not spoken to a companymate who I went through Plebe Summer with showed up on my doorstep -- or me on their's -- needing a place to stay or pretty much anything -- we would both welcome one another with a giant hug and do anything for one another. This would be true for fellow companymates that I'm not even closest friends with. It feels like (for better or worse
we have bonds forged through a profound shared experince (not all positive that will last a lifetime.
b) If you are truly up for being challenged, pushed and developed as a whole person (versus just academically,) going the SA route could be for you. Caveat - there are (and will always be) more than a few days that being at USNA truly sucks. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or is that rare person who is just way too positive
There are many (read most) days that you'll be simply too scheduled and/or exhausted to spend the type of time you would like to on any particular class and that can be painful if you are mostly academically focused. The flip side is that you will be forced to learn, master and practice everyday, a set of time management skills that you will likely utilize for the remainder your life.
And whlle that's great, there are a ton of days I wish I could wake up whenever I woke up -- take a book to a liesurely breakfast, then head over to the library, spend four hours researching, studying and thinking -- and then come back to a quiet dorm, chill and get ready for an afternoon class -- where I could hang out for an unlimitd amout of time after class to engage in continued discussion/debate with classmates or a professor. To that point, you simply will never have the same amount of time, or the chance to exclusively dedicate yourself to just academics -- as you would at an Ivy (or any civilian school for that matter..)
c) His final piece of advice also resonated: Most people realistically only have one chance to attend college as an undergrad. Attending USNA (or any SA) is a singular experince that in the big picture, few get to experience; once that window closes, it likely remains closed and that ship sails.
But he went on to share with me that like him, so many of his USNA classmates went on to attend prestigious/Ivy graduate programs (MBA's, JD's, MD's, MS and PhD programs etc.) and as a result, he felt that it wasn't that hard to have both experiences if you went the SA route for college - the "Ivy League-experience" will just happen later or not "exactly" how you may envision it -- because the needs of the Navy will always trump your's.
***
Again, no bad choice to be made here. Continue doing and investing in this exact type of research - talking to as many people who have "lived the two movies" your contemplating (attending Civilian vs. SA's). At some point, your gut will tell you what feels right and best for you - and that will be true and you will do great.
In that same vein, definitely also check out current USNA 2nd Company Firstie Lillian Usadi who last month, was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship:
MIDN 1st Class Lillian Usadi named Rhodes Scholar
Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Lillian Ngo Usadi, 21, of Basking Ridge, N.J., was recently selected as the Naval Academy’s 53rd Rhodes Scholar. Over 950 applicants were endorsed by 288 schools for o…
www.eyeonannapolis.net
Ms. Usadi is a rockstar -- I've been super fortunate to get to serve under her leadership. She's obviously brilliant, but she's also a musical prodigy, fun, fierce, incredibly kind and a selfless leader who will kick serious butt at Oxford for graduate school, in the fleet and at whatever she decides to take on in life. I promise she would have easily sailed through any Ivy, MIT or Caltech. But she chose USNA and now, will soon be headed off to one of the most prestigious institutions in the world.
The fantastic news is that it sounds like you are going to have a ton of great choices. All of the advice in this thread has been spot on; Kistengel's has resonated most deeply with me though: No one path to commissioning (whether it be via ROTC, OCS or an SA) is better than any other -- it's truly about what's best/highest fit for you. There is no right or wrong choice-- it's just an intensely personal decision. Each path has it's own, unique pro's and con's.
I urge you to continue to invest significantly in your diligence and research - which is why seeking advice on this forum is so smart! if SS happens, do it. While there, talk to as many Mids as possible about their experiences. If it doesn't or you are not selected, don't fear -- it has no bearing on admissions -- and I would still urge you to reach out to current Mids (PM me; seek contact via your BGO and your Regional USNA Admissions Officer.)
***
And because you asked about thoughts about Ivy's vs. USNA -- here's my two cents, only because I was in your exact situation 3 years ago as a HS junior -- and ended up picking USNA over many of the schools you referenced.
During my dligence, I connected to an early 90's USNA grad who today, is a widly successful surgeon in the civilian world -- but while in the fleet had an amazing set of experiences he simply couldn't have had in the civilian world (Dive Medicine Specialist; serving as a doctor assigned to Naval Special Warfare in Coronado overseeing the medical side of BUD/S training, running surgical services in Rota, Spain etc.) Looking back, he admits that he could have gone to a civilian college, but feels like his time at USNA was transformative. He also said that it made his four years attending a top-10 US medical school immediately post graduating USNA, feel like a 4-year vacation (really.)
Anyway, he shared some insights with me when I was a HS junior (similar to what other super wise folks on this thread have also voiced previously) that really forced me to think -- and now, coming up on 2-years into my USNA experience, I'm finding pretty true:
a) Most if not all USNA students would likely do well at an Ivy League school; but how many Ivy League students could/would fare as well at USNA or an SA? Not a value judgement in anyway -- just an observation that feels experientially true.
I stay in close touch with a ton of my high school buddies -- many of whom are at Ivies, UChicago, Caltech etc. They are all having super positive experiences but those experiences - especially outside the classroom, are just profoundly different (not better or worse -- just really, really different) than mine.
As they describe to me the successful relationships they've built with classmates and adults on their respective campuses, I listen and hear them talk about genuine friendships and the fun they have togehter. But it's clear to m the types of relationships they are genuinely enjoying are just truly different than what I think most kids at USNA experience.
It's strange, but I can tell you with near 100% certainty that if 30 years were to elapse and I had not spoken to a companymate who I went through Plebe Summer with showed up on my doorstep -- or me on their's -- needing a place to stay or pretty much anything -- we would both welcome one another with a giant hug and do anything for one another. This would be true for fellow companymates that I'm not even closest friends with. It feels like (for better or worse
we have bonds forged through a profound shared experince (not all positive that will last a lifetime. b) If you are truly up for being challenged, pushed and developed as a whole person (versus just academically,) going the SA route could be for you. Caveat - there are (and will always be) more than a few days that being at USNA truly sucks. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or is that rare person who is just way too positive
There are many (read most) days that you'll be simply too scheduled and/or exhausted to spend the type of time you would like to on any particular class and that can be painful if you are mostly academically focused. The flip side is that you will be forced to learn, master and practice everyday, a set of time management skills that you will likely utilize for the remainder your life.
And whlle that's great, there are a ton of days I wish I could wake up whenever I woke up -- take a book to a liesurely breakfast, then head over to the library, spend four hours researching, studying and thinking -- and then come back to a quiet dorm, chill and get ready for an afternoon class -- where I could hang out for an unlimitd amout of time after class to engage in continued discussion/debate with classmates or a professor
. To that point, you simply will never have the same amount of time, or the chance to exclusively dedicate yourself to just academics -- as you would at an Ivy (or any civilian school for that matter..)c) His final piece of advice also resonated: Most people realistically only have one chance to attend college as an undergrad. Attending USNA (or any SA) is a singular experince that in the big picture, few get to experience; once that window closes, it likely remains closed and that ship sails.
But he went on to share with me that like him, so many of his USNA classmates went on to attend prestigious/Ivy graduate programs (MBA's, JD's, MD's, MS and PhD programs etc.) and as a result, he felt that it wasn't that hard to have both experiences if you went the SA route for college - the "Ivy League-experience" will just happen later or not "exactly" how you may envision it -- because the needs of the Navy will always trump your's.
***
Again, no bad choice to be made here. Continue doing and investing in this exact type of research - talking to as many people who have "lived the two movies" your contemplating (attending Civilian vs. SA's). At some point, your gut will tell you what feels right and best for you - and that will be true and you will do great.
