You are smart to start your research early. Here’s a copy and paste of some standard advice I have often posted over the years, as these questions are asked every year. Some of it may be useful to you.
And welcome new member of 47 minutes!
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The service academy application process itself tests for qualities and attributes desirable in future junior officers: attention to detail, executive planning and organizing, time management, task prioritization, humility, perseverance, patience. Take ownership of the process.
If you haven’t read every page, link and menu item on your sa.edu of choice sites, taking notes and starting to build out an extended timeline of action items and long-term due dates, now is a great time. That is your primary source, and most answers are there.
Do the same kind of research into alternative paths to commissioning, such as ROTC and related scholarships. That is a prudent thing to do, and shows no lack of commitment to an SA. Additionally, a college ROTC unit is another nomination source, if you find yourself re-applying after a SA turndown. There will be thousands of candidates building HS resumes with similar stats, plus college re-applicants; leave no opportunity unexplored. Presumably, your prime goal is to commission as an X officer, with USXA your preferred path. It’s not the only path. Re-applicants to SAs make up a chunk of each class.
Take this time to research all five of the Federal service academies, and subsequent career paths, so you can make an informed decision about ruling them in or out. It’s very important to look past the interim waystation of 4 SA or college ROTC years to see if there are at least a good handful of career paths you could see yourself doing for a minimum of 5-6 years or whatever the applicable minimum active duty service obligation is.
Choose your service, do the research on opportunity and culture, identify some career paths that seem a good fit for you, and reverse engineer it to the best commissioning path for you. The SA is simply a waystation, not “the” goal - think about what you will be doing during your years of obligated service.
For those interested in a Navy career, don’t overlook the Navy Nuclear Power Officer Candidate (NUPOC) program and the Civil Engineering Corps (CEC) officer program (think SEABEEs). These are college programs with financial assistance, but no ROTC time commitment.
Go to your elected officials’ websites (2 Sen, 1 Rep), read and take notes on their service academy nomination process. They can choose submission deadlines, interviews or not, panel interviews, any method they want. If they are having a F2F or virtual info session, sign up and soak it in, so you are well-prepared for your cycle, even a few years out. Stay current with that site, in case the elected official changes.
Apply for all nominations for which you are eligible, including the VP at the DOD service academies. This gives the SA max flexibility, if they want to offer you an appointment, as to what nom authority they eventually charge the appointment to.
Go to the DoDMERB site, the entity which does the physical qualification of candidates. Explore each menu item on the left. This often turns into one of the most frustrating and time-using aspects of the process. Get smart on it now so you won’t be surprised. There are some medications that must be discontinued for a certain period of time prior to entry to military service. IEPs and accommodations also are off the table at a certain point, especially for standardized tests.
Research the CFA or applicable fitness test for the SA or program of interest. Assess yourself and develop a training plan. Women, learn to do pull-ups. It’s worth more points, and you will value that strength and confidence. Do not procrastinate when it’s your cycle. Leaving it too late invites illness, injury, bad weather, family emergency or sudden non-availability of your test administrator or video person, if that is required. There are YouTube videos on various techniques Google Stew Smith’s website and YouTube videos; he’s a USNA grad, former Navy SEAL, now a fitness pro.
If you are a non-swimmer or not a confident swimmer, take some adult swim classes at the Y or other program to get more comfortable in a pool. Though the SAs will teach you to swim to meet various required tests, you don’t want to spend precious time in remedial swim. It’s a good life skill anyway.
Here on SAF, read the Stickies at the top of the Nominations and DoDMERB forums. There is also The Acronym List on the Home page if you haven’t found it yet.
There is a Search function tool inside SAF, and google works well when you include “site:serviceacademyforums.com” in the string. The same questions come up every year. The “Chance Me” and “stats” threads can be illuminating as to ideas for summer leadership programs such as Boys State and Girls State, and other competitive elements. The SA summer programs in your rising senior summer are worth looking into to get a feel for that SA.
There is no one cookie-cutter magic formula; a class is made up of individuals who bring different combinations of strengths.
If you are not involved in a sport, be sure you prepare well for the CFA to prove basic physical ability, and also ensure your other activities supply the leadership, collaboration skills, work ethic, time investment and discipline learned in a sport.
Don’t overlook the Senior Military Colleges (SMCs), which offer a military-type environment and structure, as well as paths to a commission. Some are only Army ROTC; some have Army plus other service ROTC. Though this is an unofficial source, the info is a good intro:
Senior military colleges (SMCs) are among some of the most prestigious and renowned educational institutions in the Nation. They were established by law to provide a military experience similar to the federal service academies like West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy...
veteran.com
Research the state maritime academies, which also offer commissioning programs.
Maritime Academies | MARAD
Create your organization system - binders, folders, spreadsheets, calendars, wall boards, whatever works for you to plan, track and execute. Many apply to multiple SAs, nom sources, ROTC scholarships, ROTC schools, etc.
If you realize perhaps the military may not be your path, but you love STEM and the idea of service to your country, look into:
DoD STEM seeks to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum and advance the current DoD STEM workforce to meet future defense technological challenges.
dodstem.us
The internship and co-op programs at CIA offer highly unique and rewarding student experiences as you help keep our Nation safe. Work alongside experts in your field as you gain real-world experience within the intelligence community.
www.cia.gov
Students interested in medicine, research and public health can find internship and scholarship opportunities in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.
www.usphs.gov
USPHS is a uniformed service but not an armed service.
Welcome to NOAA’s student opportunities database! NOAA has opportunities for students of any level — from kindergarten through high school, undergraduate and graduate, and even recent graduates. Opportunities include one-day events, summer internships at NOAA, multi-year fellowships, and more...
www.noaa.gov
NOAA is a uniformed service but not an armed service.
Finally, stay flexible and open to the paths that open before you. The key is to show sustained performance, personal growth and achievement in a well-rounded person.