Insider Tips

Hurricane12: Over the summer my company never went through the whole DPT card, we only had two abbreviated "motivational workouts" because we screwed up.


"- Are you happy with your choice to attend the Academy?
- Would you do it again?
- What other choices did you consider?
- Once you got there, did anything catch you by surprise that made you doubt your decision?
- Can you briefly descride your classroom experience? "

-I am happy with my choice, no doubt about that.

-I would do it again in a heartbeat. Even as a first semester plebe I'm doing things and getting opportunities I never could have dreamed of

-I also looked at NROTC, but didn't ever hear back (I think I'll still end up okay :p) As far as schools are concerned I applied to Cornell, Boston University, Rennselaer Polytech, Worcester Polytech, Embry-riddle Aeronautical, and Univerity of Massachusetts:Dartmouth.

-Surprises: The first few days I really doubted my decision to be here or in the military, but I think all people go through this, its natural. These next few don't make me doubt my decision but were the biggest surprises (be warned these are my observations, others may disagree) 1. NAPS- from what I've seen so far almost all NAPSters end up cynical, and don't have the same enthusiasm as highschoolers or previous college students. I agree with the mission of NAPS (I am not one myself) but think the program needs to be evaluated. 2. Academics- Right now I am surprised with the lack of academic ability by many of my peers. Some officers have attributed this to the admission office's decision to include students from all 50 states. Every year they debate this issue as inevitably some compromises must be made to accomadate every state. People within my own company are failing and must retake the equivalent of the chemistry class I took sophmore year of highschool. In another case I have peer-edited papers by students who write at about an 8th grade level. 3. Cynicism- This was addressed before by an upperclass. I think every plebe is shocked and discouraged at the end of plebe summer. We just got finished being yelled out for 6 weeks about honor, pride in wearing the unifrom and respect, only to meet our upperclass who don't seem to care about any of it. This all comes down to personal resolve. I am a christian and view everything I do as reflecting on God, knowing that ithers are waiting for me to trip up. I am by no means a perfect plebe but do try to keep the peace, smile and show pride in what I'm doing here. All midshipmen must take it upon themselves to turn around cynicism.

-classes are awesome. I enjoy almost all of my professors. They are experts in their field and know what they are talking about. My largest class has 24 people. The professors are available or will make themselves available for anyone who seeks help. The classes are intriguing as well. I was always a math science person (as seen by my school choices) and came here wanting to be an aerospace engineering major. I am now considering Political Science- International relations with an Arabic minor. USNA gives you many chances to explore your interests and to develop yourself.
 
Craig said:
My daughter has a desire to attend the Academy. She starts the process in February. We'll be on the Yard next Friday through Sunday for an academic visit and to catch the game.

- Are you happy with your choice to attend the Academy?
- Would you do it again?
- What other choices did you consider?
- Once you got there, did anything catch you by surprise that made you doubt your decision?
- Can you briefly descride your classroom experience?

Thanks
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For starters, this is my second year at the Academy. I am happy with my choice of coming here, and couldn't see myself anywhere else. Everybody comes here voluntarily, knowing full well that as a service academy, one must give up a lot of rights that most college students have (liberty, mando-classes, etc). The "cynicism" that I notice is that a lot of mids who voluntarily gave up these rights complain about how they don't have them. I also applied to the University of Michigan. Yeah... I would have had more freedom, more choices, etc, in my four years there... but would I have the opportunity to go on a submarine during the summer out of Pearl Harbor, or go on a sailing trip down the Chesapeake... I rest my case on my decision!
It's a natural tendency to have high expectations, especially at a school such as this. Like all things, the view from the inside is not the same as you imagine it. I would not say that there is a problem with academics, like others have. As a plebe, the concentration on your time is oftentimes diverted away from the classroom. From professional knowledge, rates, sports and ECAs (as well as all the briefs!!), there are A LOT of distractions from the classroom. Each mid was selected from a HUGE variety of people to come here. While people may struggle dealing with the multitude of things going on, they soon adjust. @HB2011 - to say that your classmates lack knowledge/intelligence is wrong. There are just a whole new set of rules and procedures to adjust to. Surely, being your first semester here, you can understand that!
The classrooms here are par-none. The tools given to undergraduate students are not comparable to any other institution. From the supersonic wind tunnel to the particle accelerator... what other school has these tools for UNDERGRAD education! Also, extra-instruction is available to everyone. My physics professor actually offered to come to my room at 11pm on a Friday night to give me help on a lab! (which, after looking into MIDREGS, I found out they can actually do!)

Bottom line... you can not go wrong with this school. The experience that you gain is priceless, the connections you make are lifelong and the network of support before and after graduation is like none other.
 
First off, thanks are in order for those of your taking your liberty time to answer our questions!

I am a current active duty sailor in the fleet and have been in for a little over two years. I have completed my application and have forwarded all information to the SECNAV and hope to hear some good news in the coming months.

I know we have already touched upon the subject of NAPS, but what is the general negative vibe that is being thrown around? This is not the first I have heard about negative experiences about the preparatory school and I am curious since I will most likely spend a year there before my admission since I have been out of high school for two years.

I am ecstatic about being given the opportunity to be a midshipmen after my fleet experience but most alumni onboard my ship all agree that NAPS has been going downhill the past few years.

And a few more for good measure,

1)In your experiences, how do the prior enlisted cope with the change of environment? I have adapted to the semper gumby mentality, but still curious how others in my position have done.
2)Are there any clubs on base supporting skydiving, surfing, and snowboarding? I am an active recreation skydiver and surf at least twice a week over here in San Diego and just curious if in the later years at Annapolis if they support these activities. I can give up a lot of my liberties and freedom but 4 years without catching some waves would make me lose part of my soul!
3)When I attended University of Florida I was apart of the multi-college competition for Formula SAE racing. For those unfamiliar with the program, it is a student design competition with mini-formula racing cars on speed, handling, design, and fuel economy. A quick online search brings up that the USNA was active in 2005 but not recently. How accessible is it for a midshipmen to start clubs of this level? I am a active racer for SCCA and have raced on the amateur level for years and would love to continue while going through my years at Annapolis.
4)And out of curiosity, why did you guys choose Annapolis over similar military academies and public colleges? I enjoy hearing everyones reasons for there plunge. I am applying because my high school academics would have never put me in contention for admission and the fact that I can now apply and have a chance at attending a school that will allow me to reach my lifelong goal of a commissioning is incomprehensible to me right now.

Thanks shipmates!
 
For what it's worth in regards to the Formula SAE, at the candidate visit in October, we were briefed on the Academy's STEM programs. We talked about mechanical engineering, and I believe they spoke about how they build their own car each year. I assume they race as well, but I'm sure a current Midshipman can address that more fully.

Also, people from NAPS are often looked down upon, it seemed to me. Not because of the prior-enlisted, more because of athletes that continued to struggle at Annapolis. That's how my plebe explained it to me.
 
NAPS gets a bad reputation because some (not all!) NAPSters have a tendency to not be great midshipmen and it gets attributed to where they're from. There are some AWESOME NAPSters, but people associate being a bad mid and a NAPSter with being a bad mid because they're a NAPSter.

Going to NAPS and then to the Academy is kind of like repeating yourself for a year. You take similar classes and deal with kind-of similar things at NAPS and during plebe year, so I think NAPSters get a lot more cynical faster because they sort of get tired of dealing with it all over again.

Apex said:
1)In your experiences, how do the prior enlisted cope with the change of environment? I have adapted to the semper gumby mentality, but still curious how others in my position have done.
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It depends on the person. Something you have to think about is that over plebe summer, you're going to get yelled at and told about "the real fleet" by first class midshipmen who have never been in the real Navy/Marine Corps and are probably younger than you. From talking to a lot of the priors I know, plebe summer and plebe year can be very "annoying" in the sense that there can be a lot of silly things that don't seem to make sense and you get treated like a child again.

There are some awesome priors here though, ones who really go out of their way to make sure that they can use their experience to help people out.

2)Are there any clubs on base supporting skydiving, surfing, and snowboarding? I am an active recreation skydiver and surf at least twice a week over here in San Diego and just curious if in the later years at Annapolis if they support these activities. I can give up a lot of my liberties and freedom but 4 years without catching some waves would make me lose part of my soul!
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There's a skydiving club and opportunities to go snowboarding on the weekends. Surfing not so much.

3)When I attended University of Florida I was apart of the multi-college competition for Formula SAE racing. For those unfamiliar with the program, it is a student design competition with mini-formula racing cars on speed, handling, design, and fuel economy. A quick online search brings up that the USNA was active in 2005 but not recently. How accessible is it for a midshipmen to start clubs of this level? I am a active racer for SCCA and have raced on the amateur level for years and would love to continue while going through my years at Annapolis.
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I think there might actually be a class in the Mech E department that does this sort of thing as a senior project.

4)And out of curiosity, why did you guys choose Annapolis over similar military academies and public colleges? I enjoy hearing everyones reasons for there plunge. I am applying because my high school academics would have never put me in contention for admission and the fact that I can now apply and have a chance at attending a school that will allow me to reach my lifelong goal of a commissioning is incomprehensible to me right now.

Thanks shipmates!
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For USNA (not the military as a whole), I wanted a challenge and I knew I could get one here. The fact that it was tough to get in and tough to stay here and do well is what made me attracted to the Academy. I also liked the career opportunities after graduation and the different things available for midshipmen to do while here.

That's pretty neat you're interested in the Academy! Best of luck!
 
I think Hurricane12 answered the SAE and skydiving questions.

NAPS: I agree that being a bad mid from NAPS gives NAPSters a bad name. They do repeat a lot, and some feel that they know all they need to. This creates cynicism from having to do the stupid things of plebe year over again. They are also making significantly less money and getting way less liberty than at NAPS which just adds to the cynicism.

Of the priors I've talked to many say that things upperclass say about the "real fleet" is not true at all. This year some priors are even saying that some of the ProKnowledge plebes need to learn is not correct. From my experience though priors are not as cynical, and are much more prepared mentally and academically than NAPSters. However, some priors can be quite cynical, its all about the individual's perspective.
 
Apex,

Echo previous posters comments. Realize, this is an opportunity for YOU to make a difference. You bring a lot of Fleet knowledge that can't be told in professional topics (weekly installations about different parts of the military and warfare areas) and can help MIDN and NAPSTERS (with no Fleet experience) understand what it is like. Summer training opportunities are sometimes limited, but you provide a different viewpoint.

Which rating are you coming from? Afloat/ashore?
 
Apex, as a parent of a former NAPSter (not a prior), I can only address (1).

My son (now a 2nd Lt) never reported feeling second class. I have to admit I asked about this often, because of comments I read here and elsewhere. I'm told NAPSters are especially popular during plebe summer, since they know how to do things military (make beds, organize lockers, demonstrate military bearing, etc.). After that, it seems to be a question of how Mids perform. For 4 years, son roomed w/ two Mids who were right out of h.s., and has wonderfully close relationships w/ them -- and btw, graduated well ahead of both in terms of OOM. Another of his closest friends is a prior enlisted son met @ NAPS, and he seemed to have a wonderful, successful experience. As someone else posted, I'm told he was periodically annoyed by upperclassmen waving threats of "in the fleet" when he'd actually been deployed, but he managed fine.

I can't help myself: I have to brag, just because it makes me crazy that some assume NAPSters are "less than": son waived plebe chemistry, and was later recruited for the highly competitive nuclear sub program, but managed to get his first choice instead (USMC ground). He was selected for the competitive VGEP program, so he's working on a master's degree before he heads to TBS for the Marine Corps. NAPSters aren't a bunch of boneheads. There are plenty who do well in terms of academics, leadership, etc.

Once I asked my son how many in his class were Foundation, and how many were ethnic minorities. His response was something like, "There are so many things to count here, I don't count #%^* like that." I don't think he's unusual in that regard. Mids seem drawn to those who share their attitude, and don't worry much about age/stage/experience/ethnicity/whatever.

Something like 40% of every class does not come straight out of h.s. -- they went to college, NAPS, a foundation school, ,etc. It's not like you're going to be the only Mid in your class who's not 17 or 18. Seems as if it'll be a slightly different brand of difficult for you, but as for everyone, doable if you want it.

Good luck!
 
Memphis9489 said:
There are always all kinds of crazy college polls.

Here's a very odd one I've never seen before, recently put out by the Princeton Review.

The 10 Colleges With The Least Happy Students

#1 has the least happy students.

1. New Jersey Institute of Technology
2. Marywood University (Scranton, PA)
3. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
4. U.S. Coast Guard Academy
5. Montana Tech of the University of Montana
6. Clarkson University (Potsdam, NY)
7. U.S. Naval Academy
8. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
9. Illinois Institute of Technology
10. City University of New York - Baruch College

They must be partying at USMA and USAFA.

I guess that's why grads like to say, "It's a good place to be from." :smile:
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HAHA, as USAFA grads with a youngster at USNA, DH and I joked that its not that life is that much better at USAFA, more like the powers that be at USAFA forbid the cadets from answering the survey! :shake:
 
Thank you for the speedy and informative responses guys. I am a current CTT (Cryptologic Technician Technical) and on a Destroyer out of San Diego.

I am looking forward to what NAPS offers to me and others in my situation. I was never strong in math/chemistry/physics in high school, let alone over two years after the fact. I know I will excel in the physical/mental portion of plebe year and at the Academy after my experiences in the “real Navy” but feel very shaky on academics.

Nonetheless, I have heard with my current SAT and Navy A/C school grades, I will be considered for direct admission because of my Native American background. I know this is a very controversial subject but I want to know if any of you have observed an active duty member get a direct admission and bypass NAPS.

And enjoy your leave this holiday season for those over in Annapolis! Take advantage of the multiple opportunities to go home and see your families. I have not been home in a year because of operational status of my command and can't wait to see all them in two weeks. I do have to say I am impressed with the allotted leave that everyone gets between semesters.
 
Of course active duty can bypass NAPS. You'll be surprised how quickly you can get back into the swing of schooling, I reckon. Just takes dedication, which clearly you possess.

EDIT: Of course, I am not aware of just how easily it ends up, or how many active-duty go straight to USNA, but I am aware of its occurrence.
 
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Apex said:
Nonetheless, I have heard with my current SAT and Navy A/C school grades, I will be considered for direct admission because of my Native American background. I know this is a very controversial subject but I want to know if any of you have observed an active duty member get a direct admission and bypass NAPS.
.
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The key for you is to succeed at USNA. If you need additional help with math and science, NAPS may be a Godsend b/c it will give you that prep which should help you with the USNA academics, which are tough. That's the main reason for the existence of NAPS -- to help highly qualified enlisted personnel make the transition -- academically and otherwise -- b/t the fleet and USNA.

It IS an extra year but could be a year well spent.:smile:

If you're offered a direct appointment, I suggest you consult with the senior enlisted person who works with Candidate Guidance. Discuss your academic situation and whether the help that NAPS will provide will benefit you.

AND, BEST OF LUCK!!
 
Thank you USNA 1985 and others, I feel more confident about the prospect of heading to RI for a year in preparation.

On a separate note, USNA 1985, you have pretty much responded with a answer to every question I searched for on this site. You are a invaluable resource for those who are researching there decision/application process for this institution.
 
What kind of watch would you recommend for the Naval Academy? Is there any special features that are important to have or nice to have? Analogue or digital? Thanks for being available for questions.
 
A normal one? I've worn the same $30 watch since plebe year. The only thing that's nice is having one that's digital and shows 24 hour time. Don't go crazy and spend a ton on a watch since it could get messed up during PT sessions, etc.
 
Check out Luminex watches. Popular with mids. My son has had his nearly three years and he is very hard on such things.
 
I have a question: When you chose to attend USNA, did you choose it over USMA, and what were your reasons? Especially any reasons outside the obvious career-path ones (e.g. can't fly fixed wing craft in Army).

Thanks in advance!
 
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