Do the SA's recruit students?

peppypea

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Feb 2, 2017
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I am so confused. I always understood that the actual academies didn't really recruit people, just mostly the regular Service. I have a friend who insists one of the Academies was actively recruiting her when she was in HS 25 years ago.

Feel free to set me straight!
 
First, things are different 25 years later. In 1992 we were in the middle of the Gulf War, and it was likely a different environment for recruiting to the SA's.

Nowadays, SA's do currently recruit Division 1 athletes who may fit the profile for an SA. Coaches under NCAA rules do seek out the best and brightest athletes. Some that don't quite fit the grades may get a prep slot.

Given how high the SA's show up on the College Rankings, the SA's get more applications now.
In terms of recruiting academically talented candidates, the SA's also do send marketing materials to promote their summer high school programs such as NASS and SLE.
 
^^^ I agree, you can't really compare what they did 25 yrs ago to today. Today 'recruiting' typically means sports but it really does not mean the same thing as a civilian college where they can offer free room/board as an incentive. No one at any of the SA's pays for that. All colleges probably hold college nights and do mass mailings to create awareness of their program. SA's also get far more applicants then there are available spots.

One thing you will find about all of the SA's is there are no lack of well-intentioned friends/neighbors/relatives or the postman who will offer all sorts of dubious advice, most of which turns out to be incorrect.
 
Recruit..... depends on how you define the word. In the enlisted world, they have recruiters. You will see their offices at the mall, or strip mall in or near your town. Basically, if you're interested in enlisting in the military, you go and see a recruiter. They will help you determine the type of job you might want, based on ASVAB aptitude tests. They help you do the paperwork and arrange for your physical, etc. These recruiters also attend occasionally events at high schools, local fairs, and other similar functions.

Well guess what? The academy's ALO, MALO, and BGO do similar things. We go to schools to promote the academy. We help you understand the military. We give you guidance on your application, your physical, etc. There isn't a big difference, other than one is for potential officers going to the academy, and once is for enlisted personnel. There are some other differences, but generally, they are similar.

And yes, we, as well as the coaches for the academies, do also recruit athletes. But not much differently than trying to ENTICE no athletes to apply to the academy. So call it recruiting or anything else you want. They are all similar.
 
with about 15 applicants for every SA class spot they don't need to do any recruiting
 
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