My kid didn't want usna but wanted marine nrotc at a specific college. I made him research the "average" qualifications (NOT THE MINIMUMS!!!) Of those accepted and make a chart for where he would stand up against the "typical" successful candidate for MO NROTC scholarship and his school of choice. I then had him fill in (in pencil) where he was in reference to each category and a timeline of progress/goals in each. The categories were:
Academics: GPA, class rank, and difficulty (AP/honors, math english science, history, foreign language). USNA is heavy on STEM so don't sandbag that in high school.
SAT ACT scores: Schedule multiple tests and study/practice. This means a long-term commitment for test prep. Taking first tests as soon as you can your junior year demonstrates you actually care and are serious.
Teacher/coach evals: Are you behaved, attentive, helpful to the teacher and other students? Who will you ask for evals from?
Physical Fitness: Get in the best all-around shape you can and test yourself against whatever tests you will have to take regularly. Make fitness a part of your life. This is so important it cannot be overstated. So many kids on this forum get rejected because they didn't put in the effort or waited until the last minute to care. The military has no interest in making people like that officers so get on it! NOW!
Athletics: Play a couple of sports every year and make at least one of them a passion where you make varsity. Statistically, very, very few go to academies or get rotc scholarships without a varsity letter. If you varsity in a non-major sport, make sure you are A. The Captain, and B. Maxing your physical fitness test scores.
Leadership: Be on student council, team captain. Join jrotc or, if not available, find a civil air patrol unit and climb the ladder there. Club president or officers are nice. Boys/Girls State is nice. Reach out to fellow students you see who are having social , personal, or academic issues. Stick up for anyone being bullied. Dvelop and demonstrate active leadership.
Extra Curriculars and Community Service: be involved in a variety of activities. NHS, 4H, robotics club. Volunteer at church or fund raisers. Debate and forensics are great....they'll teach you public speaking and how to think on your feet. Have at least one interesting hobby that doesn't involve a PS4.
Social: Have wide friend groups. This means being open to kids you wouldnt necessarily instinctively seek out as friends. Stay out of trouble or being around kids who are in trouble. Seek out achievers and good kids for your inner circle. This is part of academics, too. Study with friends who can help you on topics you find difficult and return the favor to others.
Other: Have moral courage and demonstrate unflinching integrity. This matters most when it is most difficult and is a non-negotiable. Read, Read, Read! Make reading outside of school a habit. This does not mean watching videos. It will improve your test scores, your knowledge, your comprehension and lots of other good stuff. Whenever I interview someone I always ask them what is the last book they read and what are they reading now. When I get that deer in the headlights look from them it really makes my decision easier.
Practice for your interviews and take your time writing your essays. Take a couple days between essay editing/rewrites and repeat this several times. You'll be amazed how much you will improve your essay from the original if you plan multiple reviews.
Research everything you can about the process and pay attention to details. Do things early, never just "on time". Have your own administrative checklist/timeline.
Talk to your parents often and ask for their help and feedback. Teachers, coaches, mentors, too.
Ask questions and reach out for help. Find a knowledgeable mentor. This ideally is a grad of where you want to go or maybe a retired or active officer. The local recruiter and your neighbor who did two years as a private probably wont give you the fidelity you need as you seek a commission. Don't be shy and that includes the intimidating admissions liaisons who you are worried about making a good impression on. Everyone, including complete strangers, wants you to succeed!
One last thing. We all have strengths and weaknesses. You have to honestly and often painfully evaluate yourself. It is super easy to focus on our strengths and ignore our weaknesses. The real challenge and test of character is to attack our weaknesses even when it is the last thing you want to do and feels awful.
This is a lot and sounds hard. It is. That's what is expected of you. But it's worth it and if you organize yourself and have a plan, you'll get there! Best of luck!
